The UK is home to more than 100m mature ash trees, and every spring tells the same grim story: leaves emerge, wither and drop within weeks, as ash dieback disease tightens its grip.
Millions stand dead in woodlands and hedgerows across the British Isles, with an estimated 2bn seedlings and saplings at risk. Many experts have long feared the future of this cherished, ecologically important native tree hangs in the balance.
But the latest scientific evidence tells a different story. Research suggests many of Britain’s ash trees might be more resilient than initially believed – and emerging solutions could help protect them.
Every single one is dead around here. The emerald ash borer ate them all up. Seemingly endless groves of standing dead trees. Makes me quite afraid of forest fires.