How an 800-year-old tree in the UK could be key to saving our planet

Scientists are studying some of the oldest trees in the UK to try and protect the UK’s forests of tomorrow.

From the Druids Oak, an 800-year-old tree in a Buckinghamshire nature reserve, to the Crouch Oak in Surrey, the UK is blessed with more ancient oaks than the rest of Europe combined.

Trees are essential to life on earth, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere.

But where some thrive and continue to live for centuries despite extreme weather, disease, and climate change, others die well before their time.

The Woodland Trust and Arboricultural Association is trying to understand why some trees live much longer lives than others – and they’re hoping these ancient giants have the answers in their DNA.

Dr Ed Pyne, a conservation scientist from The Woodland T