The search is on to locate the oldest trees in Gwent and Gwent Wildlife Trust is looking for volunteers to help in the effort. Veteran trees may be centuries old and much bigger than an average tree. They can be so long lived they become ancient monuments in their localities and even live on in place names, as at Great Oak near Raglan. Royal Oak is a popular name for pubs. At Llantilio Crossenny there is an ancient oak in a cider orchard that is about 33 feet round and 10 feet across and is probably about 800 years old. It is still alive and producing new leaves every spring. Trees like this are some of the oldest living things on earth. Oaks, sweet chestnuts, yews and fruit trees can all live to a great age, sometimes developing huge, hollow, trunks. The Gwent Wildlife Trust wants to find these old, gnarled and  knotty veteran trees because they are some of the most important places for wildlife and are becoming very scarce. Owls, kestrels, woodpeckers and nuthatches nest in holes and bats roost in hollow trees. Veteran trees support almost 2000 different tiny creatures like beetles, spiders and special flies. Churchyards are famous for their ancient yews, and at Bettws Newydd near Usk, there is a huge tree. Oaks and chestnuts often survive in old parkland, and even when these trees start to die back and rot, they can last for centuries. These rotting trees are still very important for wildlife and they harbour many of our rarest fungi, lichens, mosses and liverworts. There are spectacular bracket fungi and the Oyster mushrooms found on old beech trees are even good to eat. Living history
Old trees become part of our history as boundary markers or marking the line of ancient cross country routes. A road up to the Black Mountains below Twyn y Gaer is lined with ancient beech trees that have horizontal trunks. When the trees were young they were laid, or pleached, to make a hedge alongside the old drove road and it is possible that these beeches are survivors of the ancient woodlands that used to cloak the hills of south east Wales.
Losing ancient trees
There is increasing concern as more and more veteran trees are being lost to new roads and building developments. In some cases, even though individual trees were protected during building work, they suffered premature death because the roots were damaged or paved over. Trees need good access to water and cannot survive when the surface water is drained away. On farmland there can be an unexpected loss of veteran trees when deep ploughing damages the roots. Learn to identify veteran trees
Gwent Wildlife Trust is looking for people to record the veteran trees near where they live or get involved in surveying a wider area. The information will be shared with other organisations to support conservation and management of the trees so that future generations can continue to enjoy these important features of the landscape. GWT will supply recording forms and on the 5th and 6th of October is running courses for those who wish to survey ancient trees over a wide area. For more information contact Steve Rogers on 01600 740358 or at Gwent Wildlife Trust, Seddon House, Dingestow, Monmouth NP25 4DY | 
