December 2023 Action Oak Round Table *Festive Edition*
2nd January, 2024
December has arrived, the oak leaves are (almost) all on the ground, 2024 is just around the corner, Action Oak sends you the warmest Festive Greetings and Best Wishes for a Happy New Year!
Message from Geraint Richards, Chair of Action Oak
“As 2023 draws to a close I want to offer my sincere thanks to all of you for your continued support of Action Oak during the past year. I am regularly reminded, whether at meetings of the Steering Committee and Sub-Committees or at our Annual Partner Event, of what a talented and dedicated community we are building under the Action Oak partnership. What brings us together is, of course, our determination to preserve the health of the U.K.’s most important trees; we are all about ‘Protecting our Oak Trees’ and, as you will read in this newsletter, this work is more important than ever given the rise in threats.
Perhaps the most significant moment for Action Oak this year has been the appointment of Annabel Narayanan as our Director; it is a delight to have her ‘on board’ with her warmth and professionalism. We look forward to meeting up with many of you over the coming months, to discuss how we can better work together for the health of our native oak trees.
Once again, my thanks for your faithful support of our vital cause and I send you my very best wishes for the coming year.”
Gaze Burvill Amity Bench Christmas Discount
Amity bench image courtesy of Gaze Burvill
Gaze Burvill has already donated over £4,000 to Action Oak through sales of its beautiful Amity Bench and we are so grateful for their support. We are happy to share that they are now offering a 25% discount on their award-winning Amity Seats in the lead up to Christmas.
Amity is a superb gift for family and friends, or as a treat to yourself! We can personalise it with some beautiful and meaningful carving (we even have 25% off this too!) and all can be delivered in time for a very special Christmas.
In the true spirit of this season of goodwill we're doubling down on our charitable donations; for each Amity sold during this offer an additional £100 will go to Horatio’s Garden alongside the £100 we have already committed to donate to Action Oak.
Order by 11 December for personalised Amity or by 18 December for standard Amity for delivery in time for Christmas. Offer valid until 18 December or while stocks last.
Our Action Oak Socials Scene
Georgina, our Communications Officer, did a brilliant job with all our National Tree Week posts and creating an incredible resource pack that we shared with you in November.
But it doesn’t matter how great the content is if no one is looking or listening. We are still working hard to rebuild our Instagram follower numbers after issues with our account during the summer. If you aren’t already doing so please follow us on all our socials and encourage your team, family and friends to do the same to hep us raise awareness for the UK’s native oak trees.
So that you don’t miss a(n oak related) thing click the links to our Facebook, Instagram and X below.
The Tree Council’s Oak and Ash - Veterans in Art webinar
During National Tree Week renowned tree-portraitist Mark Frith shared his explorations of veteran oak and ash trees in art. Mark was joined by Arts Editor and author Emma Crichton-Miller, an expert on the history of trees in Western Art. If you missed this brilliant webinar you can view the recording here.
Emerging Tree Diseases
A report published by United States Department of Agriculture in September this year quantified reports of emerging infectious diseases on trees across the globe; “disease accumulation is increasing rapidly globally, with numerous recent years having nearly twice the number of new records as the twenty-year average and the number of new reports doubling every ~ 11 years.” In the report Oak is noted as the second most affected genera after Pine, and showed most rapid pathogen accumulation where it is planted in its native range.
Our oaks are under ever increasing threat and we have to get ahead of these threats in both understanding them and taking action to mitigate them. Action Oak has never been so important. We are collaborative, innovative, and committed to research. To continue we need more; more people to know about us, more funds, more research and more action.
These are just some of the areas that our current research is exploring:
Genomic basis of Quercus robur resistance to Acute Oak Decline
Investigating the role of beneficial microbes in fighting diseases that affect the Britain’s native oak trees
Interventions to reduce the impact of climate change and other environmental stresses on oak health
Action Oak Report 2022-23
If you haven’t yet had the chance read our Annual Report click on the link below and browse through it over a mince pie, why not share it with a friend while you’re at it?
What’s coming in 2024…!
Action Oak Panels at Yorkshire Arboretum
We can’t wait for you to see the panels that Action Oak are featured on at Yorkshire Arboretum! Installation is any day now and we look forward to inviting you to visit them with us in the new year!
The State of the UK’s Oaks
In 2024 we will be building on our existing resources of the Oak Evidence Summary, the Oak Knowledge Review and the Action Oak Annual Report with The State of the UK’s Oaks. This consultant led review will cover all oak trees from woodlands to parks to urban trees. It is an important next step in enabling us to convey the importance of oak and sustaining Action Oak’s vital work to protect them.
Thank you for your ongoing support
With warm wishes for a wonderful festive break and we’re looking forward to working with you all in the new year!
