Council backs campaign to save one of Britain's rarest native trees
West Oxfordshire District Council is helping to protect one of Britain's rarest native trees, with funding to support efforts to bring the Black poplar back to local rivers and wetlands.
Only around 7,000 native Black poplars are thought to remain across Britain, with fewer than 50 recorded in Oxfordshire. Now, a new conservation project is working to protect the remaining trees and grow a new generation across the county.
The Council has awarded £11,000 to Cotswolds Rivers Trust to kickstart work in the River Windrush catchment, as part of a wider project led by the Swindon to Oxford: Regenerating the Thames and Tributaries (Sw~Ox) partnership.
The funding will support surveys to identify existing Black poplars, DNA testing to confirm native trees, and the growing and planting of new saplings in suitable locations. The project aims to plant 15 trees in its first year, with numbers increasing in future years to help rebuild the population in West Oxfordshire.
Black poplars were once a familiar sight along rivers, wet meadows and floodplains. However, changes to their natural habitats and the loss of mature trees have left small, isolated populations struggling to reproduce naturally. For Black poplars to produce seeds and grow new trees, a male and female tree need to be within a few hundred metres of each other.
The trees are an important part of the local landscape and provide valuable habitats for wildlife, including birds, insects and moths.
Cllr Andrew Prosser, Executive Member for Climate Action and Nature Recovery, said:
"Black poplars are an important part of our natural heritage, but with so few remaining in Oxfordshire, we risk losing these remarkable trees from our landscape.
"By supporting this project, we're helping to protect the trees we still have and grow new ones that can thrive along our rivers and wetlands.
"This is a great example of how working with local conservation organisations and landowners can make a real difference for nature recovery. We're pleased to help get this work underway in West Oxfordshire and hope residents will support the wider campaign to bring Black poplars back across the county."
A new crowdfunding campaign is aiming to raise £20,000 to expand the project across Oxfordshire, helping to identify more surviving trees, grow genetically diverse saplings and establish new populations along the Thames and its floodplain.
The campaign is supported by Oxfordshire County Council through the Local Nature Recovery Strategy and has secured match funding of up to £10,000, helping donations go further.
Jack Knott, Trust Manager at Cotswolds Rivers Trust, said:
"With so few native Black poplars left in Oxfordshire, it's important that we act now to identify the trees we still have and start to rebuild the population across our rivers and floodplains. Funding from West Oxfordshire District Council has helped us get this important work underway, and every donation to our crowdfunding campaign will help us bring Black poplars back."
The project is also looking to work with landowners, community groups and volunteers who can help identify existing trees, provide suitable planting sites or support efforts to grow new Black poplars.
Residents can find out more and donate to the campaign on the Crowdfunder UK page.