Ancient Tree Forum

June 29 2003 Felled veteran tree in Surrey		This tree was felled at the height of the bird nesting season and there was strong evidence that kestrels were actively nesting in the tree at the time. The tree was so full of cavities it must have been perfect for bats. The felling contravened the Wildlife and Countryside and Rights of Way Act which protects nesting birds and bats. Sadly the tree could so easily have been retained with little or no consequence to the developer. On the positive side, the developer has agreed to retain the stem, replace the nesting sites with boxes and to leave well alone another mature / veteran oak on the site. This is a good case study, illustrating the need to find all the veterans in the UK, raise awareness of their importance and make sure there is better protection for them