Welcome to the European Ancient Trees website

Europe has some of the greatest and most magnificent trees on planet earth. Ancient trees are living relics that have inspired poets and even scientists such as Newton.  They fill us with awe and mystery. As Earth's longest living organisms they have helped shape our history and landscape. Trees have helped us to build and sustain life; and will doubtless help to shape our future if we let them.

Inspired by The Ancient Tree Hunt in Britain we have embarked upon a European wide project. Do you know of an ancient tree? Perhaps someone you know might have a candidate for our tree map page? If not then thank you for browsing our website and please tell others.

Bill discovered that there is little or no legal protection for ancient trees in Europe. Yet they are wonderful havens for wild-life, insects and fungi, and are also amazing tourist attractions.  A thousand-year old building can be repaired but a wrecked thousand-year old tree has to be regrown. It would be so good to get public opinion in favour of giving ancient trees legal protection, right across the European Union.

Can you help us in our bid to find, catalogue and preserve Europe’s Ancient trees for future generations? Perhaps even reveal their secrets, discover the wildlife they sustain and unlock their stories over the centuries?

Perhaps collectively we can find, create awareness or simply inspire.