It's all too easy to cut down an old tree and replace it with a younger specimen. But so much is missed if the old is simply cleared away and new replanted.
Apart from the fact that older trees have built vast colonies of life over the decades or centuries they have been around. Complete exospheres in themselves, many animals, birds and insects depending on them.
But David Milarch an American tree conservationist recognises them as true Super Trees. His scheme is to clone from some of Britain's oldest trees and make them available to schools, cities and landowners.
Trees such as these have proved their resilience by living through extremes of climate and into the Industrial age. So we need old trees not only for their beauty, but also to keep our stock of true survivors.
