About the event

High Park is part of Blenheim Park near Woodstock in Oxfordshire. This strictly private area has the greatest concentration of large ancient oaks in Europe. The speaker recorded these oaks for the Ancient Tree Inventory (ATI) and organised a comprehensive survey of the biodiversity of the site, of which little was known due to limitations of access. A five year survey found 4,100 species across all major taxonomic groups. The lecture gives an overview of the results and highlights the unique value for biodiversity of ancient oaks, for which Britain has Europe-wide prime responsibility.

Biography:

Aljos Farjon, now an Honorary Research Associate with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, worked there and at the Universities of Oxford and Utrecht as a specialist on conifers of world-reknown. After retirement he took on the study of ancient oaks and their ecology. He has published over 170 articles and papers and 15 books on these subjects. Originally from the Netherlands, he lives in Brentford near Kew Gardens.