Living Legends: MP takes 100,000-strong petition to Downing Street

Organised by the Woodland Trust, the petition calls for legal safeguards for ancient and important trees to help prevent a repeat of incidents like the shocking felling of the 300-year-old Sycamore Gap tree, and increased support to help people care for these “Living Legends”. 

The MP for Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard constituency highlighted the urgent need to safeguard these irreplaceable trees, saying: “Iconic trees need protection. Not only are they important to the environment and wildlife but they are an integral part of our history and culture.

"There is something very special about looking up at a tree that has stood for centuries. They are the quiet witness to the lives of countless people who walked beneath their branches.

“Our oldest trees can link the Battle of Hastings and the Blitz; Charles I and the present King; the Black Death and the pandemic. We need to make sure we are looking after the country’s oldest and most important trees, as the Government gets on with delivering on its pledge to plant millions more right across the country. These most special of trees are nature’s storytellers—we must be their protectors.”

88% of people agree on the need for legal protections for the UK's historic trees, and the country boasts having the most ancient trees in Europe.