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The Biodiversity of Pollarded Trees

In June 2025 over 100 people from across Europe attended a conference on the biodiversity of pollarded trees at Taplow Court and Burnham Beeches, Buckinghamshire, UK. The event, jointly organised by the City of London Corporation, the Ancient Tree Forum and the Arboricultural Association, benefited hugely from the generosity of SGI-UK, owners of Taplow Court. This volume presents the proceedings of presentations and workshops held over two days. Back in March 1991 a small, one-day conference was held at Burnham Beeches which helped to kickstart the interest in ancient pollarded trees. It was held in the local village hall, speakers included Oliver Rackham, Francis Rose and Peter Hammond, and the organisers were astounded by the interest it generated. The proceedings of this meeting were published by the Corporation of London and are still available online from the Ancient Tree Forum website, as are those from a follow-up conference a few years later at Epping Forest. The 2025 conference revisited the topic and celebrated all that has been achieved in the intervening years. In 1991 very few people in conservation or arboriculture really knew what a pollard was and even fewer had any understanding of their biodiversity value. At that time ancient and veteran trees were a minority interest, but now, championed by people such as Ted Green and the Ancient Tree Forum, their importance and value are very much in the public consciousness. The 2025 conference proved to be successful in getting together like-minded people and helped bring the work of specialists in other countries to a wider UK audience. The organisers hope that these proceedings will be a fitting, long-lasting legacy, ensuring that the impact of the conference endures for at least another 30 years.