A giant oak tree has died in Englandʼs Sherwood Forest. It is one of the most famous trees in the UK due to its age, size and connection to the legend of Robin Hood.
This was reported by the environmental organization Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
This ancient oak is estimated to have lived up to 1 For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.200 years. It is considered one of the largest oaks in the country.
Conservationists have worked to protect the tree, which attracted millions of visitors during its lifetime, but in recent years it has begun to decline. While the exact cause of the oakʼs demise has been difficult to pinpoint, it is a combination of issues, including years of efforts to help the oak and the immense human activity surrounding it.
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Early efforts to protect the tree included bracing for some of its larger branches. While these were intended to help the oak, they likely contributed to its eventual demise. The effects of climate change, including recent heatwaves and droughts, have exacerbated the problem.
Legend has it that Robin Hood used the hollow trunk of the Major Oak as his hideout. The oak has many names, but "Major" stuck after the tree was mentioned in a 1790 book by Major Gayman Rook, a former British soldier who lived a few miles from Sherwood Forest.
The book sparked the first waves of tourism to the forest and the “world-famous” tree. Visitors could once climb into its hollow, but since the 1970s, when a fence was erected around the tree, it has only been viewed from afar.
The large oak tree will remain standing in the forest as a monument to people and wildlife. Previously, its saplings were planted all over the world.
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