The well-known Sycamore Gap tree alongside Hadrian’s Wall in northern England is seen in June, at high, and the brand new panorama on Thursday after somebody minimize the tree down.

Oli Scarff/AFP by way of Getty Images

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Oli Scarff/AFP by way of Getty Images

The well-known Sycamore Gap tree alongside Hadrian’s Wall in northern England is seen in June, at high, and the brand new panorama on Thursday after somebody minimize the tree down.

Oli Scarff/AFP by way of Getty Images

The tree was particular, giving guests to Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, England, a magical backdrop for picnics, proposals and trip pictures — and supplying the remainder of us with a picture that appeared to be a pinnacle of nature’s timeless peace.

But the well-known Sycamore Gap tree was minimize down this week, setting off ripples of shock, disappointment and anger after a well-loved landmark was diminished to a stump.

“It felt genuinely mythical,” mentioned writer Katy Madgwick, describing her household’s first go to to the tree in May. “I’m a bit heartbroken tbh. My kids will be too.”

Northumbria Police mentioned officers arrested a 16-year-old boy on Thursday in connection to “what we believe was a deliberate act of vandalism.”

As the investigation continues, efforts are additionally underway to salvage the tree by some means, by regrowth or grafting — or beginning over from a brand new seed.

The tree represented centuries of historical past

The tree grew for hundreds of years in a gully alongside Hadrian’s Wall, the traditional frontier of the Roman Empire (and a UNESCO World Heritage Site) in what’s now northern England. Thriving in a panorama of rocks and grass, the tree was iconic, that includes on postcards and even in Kevin Costner’s 1991 movie, Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves.

“We believe the tree to be around 200 years old,” Jeannette Heard of the National Trust instructed NPR. She added, “We are going to protect the remaining tree stump to see if it may grow again so that at least the legacy from the original tree endures.”

Environmentalists are mourning this act of alleged vandalism, and persons are laying flowers on the website. The tree stood close to the village of Once Brewed, roughly an hour’s drive west of Newcastle upon Tyne.

“I honestly got teary when I saw the news. Especially for us Geordies it is such a special place – an iconic symbol,” one commenter wrote on Instagram, utilizing the term that refers to people from that a part of Northern England.

The tree would possibly regrow, however not in the identical means

The National Trust’s rangers are working to salvage what they will from the well-known tree, hoping to protect its genetic legacy.

“Regrowth from the original tree stump should be possible but it’s too early to tell,” Heard mentioned. Even if that occurs, she added, the tree’s dramatic impact would not be the identical, as a number of stems would emerge somewhat than one.

Seeds and grafting are additionally being explored, Heard mentioned: “Our ranger team have been on site today to collect seed and scion wood (i.e. this season’s growth, which is suitable for grafting).”

“Although it’s not the ideal time of year to attempt either, we will see if we can get some of the seeds to germinate and produce new trees,” she mentioned. The staff additionally plans to make use of scion wooden for grafting, and to mix particular person progress buds onto rootstocks, with the aim of “retaining the tree’s unique, genetic material.”

The loss highlights a broader lack of timber

The Sycamore Gap tree is being seen as an emblem of that broader battle, particularly because the tragedy occurred similtaneously information that England is struggling to fulfill its objectives of including extra tree cowl.

News that the well-known tree was sawed down emerged someday after the National Trust and different conservation teams launched the U.Ok.’s 2023 State of Nature report, stressing the necessity to defend landscapes and stating, “the most important natural habitats are in poor condition.”

“The UK now has less than half of its biodiversity remaining because of human activity,” the report mentioned.

Losing a landmark tree not by storms or illness however to a banal human act highlights the problem of reversing that development, conservation advocates say.

“There is a much wider message here — of the need to protect the natural world — which, after all, we are completely dependent on,” mentioned the London-based charity Trees for Streets.