Biodiversity of Pollards Conference

The International Conference on the Biodiversity of Pollarded Trees, brought experts from across Europe to share knowledge and present research and inspire curiosity and wonder.

Many of our ancient trees were historically pollarded, whether in hedgerows and boundaries, wood pasture or woodland, the traditional practice of cyclically cropping wood from trees, ‘above the browse-line’ of large herbivores like deer, produced that evocative club-form with new branched bristling from the top.

The regular wounding introduced decay organisms and callus growth and wound-wood. And when the practice of cropping trees for wood diminished, the crowns of these trees were left to grow on decayed trunks, with hollowing and an abundance of saproxylic habitat.

This conference at the end of June was organised by the City of London Corporation in collaboration with the Ancient Tree Forum, Arboricultural Association, SGI-UK and BC3F and explored subjects including invertebrate biodiversity associated with hollow willow trees from the Czech Republic, the history and importance of pollards, woodpeckers and pollards in northern Spain and the future for our wood pastures with pollards.

Our very own Claire Harbinson delivered workshops on Understanding Soil and Soil Amelioration.

Also, in attendance from the Treework Team were Nick Ball, James Butler-White and Matt Searle.

All were deeply impressed and Matt summed it up: ‘A fantastic couple of days! A perfect mix of academic research and learning from across Europe and how to apply it in the field.’

‘Huge congratulations to the City of London and the Ancient Tree Forum for hosting what was a hugely significant conference at the wonderful Burnham Beeches’.