Fundraiser to save Oxfordshire's 50 remaining native Black Poplars

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 19 Oct, 06:01 · Archive

A partnership is raising £20,000 to identify and restore native Black Poplar trees in Oxfordshire.

A conservation fundraiser is underway to help restore one of Oxfordshire's rarest native trees. Only 50 native Black Poplars are believed to remain in the county. The Swindon to Oxford: Regenerating the Thames and Tributaries (Sw-Ox) partnership aims to raise £20,000 to identify surviving trees using DNA analysis, grow genetically diverse cuttings and plant new Black Poplars along the Thames floodplain.

The Black Poplar population has declined due to changes in floodplain management, leaving remaining trees increasingly isolated with fewer growing close enough together to reproduce naturally. Across Britain, the native population is estimated at only around 7,000 trees. Without intervention, Oxfordshire's remaining Black Poplars could become the last of their kind.

Jack Knott, trust manager at Cotswolds Rivers Trust, said: 'The Black Poplar is a tree that belongs in the Thames landscape. It is part of our natural heritage, but without action we risk losing it altogether.' The campaign will collaborate with landowners and communities to identify planting sites and create a connected network of new trees along the Thames. Funding has already been secured from West Oxfordshire District Council and the Vale of White Horse Council, with the fundraiser match funded by the Oxfordshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy up to £10,000.

How it is being reported

• Fundraiser launched to save Oxfordshire’s 50 remaining native Black PoplarsThe Swindon to Oxford: Regenerating the Thames and Tributaries (Sw-Ox) partnership aims to raise £20,000 to identify surviving Black Poplar trees.Oxford Mail · 19 Oct, 05:00
• Fundraiser launched to save Oxfordshire’s 50 remaining native Black PoplarsThe Swindon to Oxford: Regenerating the Thames and Tributaries (Sw-Ox) partnership aims to raise £20,000 to identify surviving Black Poplar trees.Oxfordshire Guardian · 19 Oct, 05:00

In this story: Oxfordshire · Thames · Cotswolds Rivers Trust · Swindon to Oxford: Regenerating the Thames and Tributaries · West Oxfordshire District Council · Vale of White Horse Council · Jack Knott

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