Dean Green Team

Wildlife Conservation Group in the

Forest of Dean

Gloucestershire

28 November 2017

Lords Wood, The Doward

Grid Ref SO552151

It is National Tree Week and we were accompanied by tree experts as the Doward has some very rare Whitebeam Sorbus trees. The Wye Valley is one of the richest sites for whitebeams in Europe. Some of the species have evolved there as a result of hybridisation and clonal reproduction between other whitebeams.

Greens whitebeam only occurs on the Doward and the total world population is only 57 trees.
The Doward whitebeam is another very rare tree - there are less than 100 trees in the world, all in the Wye Valley.
The Symonds Yat whitebeam only occurs around Symonds Yat and the Doward. There are thought to be about 20 trees.

All these whitebeams need light open conditions to flower and fruit. Our task was to open up the canopy surrounding these rare trees and the team was split up into three groups where we were directed towards the tree sites.

The team are by the quarry at the top of Great Doward where the Sorbus are fully grown.

This ravine woodland is part of the nationally important Wye Valley woods with sections of mixed conifers and non-native broadleaves while limestone outcrops support notable flora and fauna species, including the nationally rare white beam tree. Greater and lesser horseshoe bats roost in its limestone caves.

Below one of the sites we were working on is this magnificent cave platform.

Greater and lesser horseshoe bats roost in the limestone caves.

The view of the River Wye from Great Doward.