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Major Oak, the 1,200-Year-Old Tree with Ties to the Robin Hood Legend, Is Presumed Dead After Failing to Produce Leaves
Key takeaways
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Conservationists are mourning the death of a 1,200-year-old oak tree in England with ties to the legend of Robin Hood.
- The tree, known as the “Major Oak,” failed to produce leaves this spring, leading officials to declare it dead this week.
- “It’s heartbreaking,” says Chloe Ryder, Sherwood Forest estates operations manager with RSPB, to the Guardian’s Patrick Barkham. “I’m genuinely gutted.”
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Conservationists are mourning the death of a 1,200-year-old oak tree in England with ties to the legend of Robin Hood.
The tree, known as the “Major Oak,” failed to produce leaves this spring, leading officials to declare it dead this week. The June 18 announcement came from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), a nonprofit conservation group that has managed Sherwood Forest, the nature reserve where the tree is located, on behalf of the Nottinghamshire County Council since 2018.
“It’s heartbreaking,” says Chloe Ryder, Sherwood Forest estates operations manager with RSPB, to the Guardian’s Patrick Barkham. “I’m genuinely gutted.”
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