Karyn Haw, Senior Officer - Nature Recovery Network, East Midlands Area Team
Karyn Haw, Senior Officer in Natural England's East Midlands Area Team, reflects on the recent news that Sherwood Forest's iconic Major Oak has died. Drawing on a career spent working in the forest, she explores what made this ancient tree so remarkable and the pressures that led to its decline. But this is not simply a story of loss, Karyn also looks ahead to the vital role the Major Oak will continue to play as a rare and irreplaceable habitat, and a lasting symbol of our relationship with the natural world.
Last week, I found myself unexpectedly emotional at my desk as news emerged from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) that the Major Oak has now died. Having spent my entire career working in Sherwood Forest, my connection to its ancient trees is both professional and deeply personal.
These trees are of immense ecological value, but what has always struck me most is the sense of continuity they embody. Ancient oaks like the Major Oak have stood for centuries, quietly witnessing the evolution of the landscape and our relationship with it. They remind us of both the brevity of human timescales and the responsibility we share as temporary custodians of these remarkable ecosystems.
The Major Oak, in particular, holds exceptional significance. Estimated to be over 1,000 years old, it stands at the centre of what was once a royal hunting forest, frequented by English monarchs across the centuries. It is part of the Birklands and Bilhaugh Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), reflecting its importance at both national and European levels. Ecologically, it has supported an extraordinary diversity of species. Culturally, it has provided a powerful and enduring link between people and nature.
However, the same qualities that made the Major Oak so iconic also contributed to its decline. Its popularity, particularly from the Victorian era onwards, brought increasing visitor pressure. Early access by horse-drawn carriages, followed by motor vehicles and sustained footfall over decades, led to significant soil compaction around its root system. This reduced the availability of water and nutrients essential for its health. More recently, the effects of climate change have exacerbated this stress. Prolonged periods of heat and reduced rain at critical times have been particularly damaging within the naturally free-draining sandy soils of Sherwood.
Over the years, Natural England has worked closely with Nottinghamshire County Council and more recently the RSPB to better understand and support the tree's condition. Scientific monitoring and interventions included root radar mapping, soil microfauna analysis, foliar sampling to understand nutrient uptake, and detailed soil and vegetation surveys. Management actions also included the removal of mulch and competing vegetation. These efforts have significantly advanced our understanding of the tree's physiology and the pressures it faced.
I have been fortunate to experience the Major Oak in many contexts: carrying out bat surveys at dusk as a volunteer, guiding site visits, sharing its story with colleagues and bringing my own family to stand beneath its vast canopy. These moments have reinforced not just its ecological importance, but its unique ability to inspire and connect people.
While this marks a sad moment, it is also an important reminder of ecological resilience and continuity. The death of the Major Oak does not mark the end of its contribution to the forest. On the contrary, it enters a new and equally significant phase. As the central trunk decays, it will create vital habitat for a range of specialised and rare species, including nationally scarce and near-threatened invertebrates such as darkling beetles and flies. Its hollowing structure will continue to provide roosting opportunities for bats, including brown long-eared bats. The processes of decay, fungal colonisation and habitat formation within the tree are integral to the biodiversity value of ancient woodland systems.
In this way, the Major Oak continues to give life. Its later stages support species that have declined across the wider countryside, making it as ecologically important in death as it was in life. Its story is not ending. It is evolving. The way people connect with the Major Oak may change, but its ability to inspire, educate and provide a focal point for shared memories will endure. For generations to come, it will provide a home to some of our most threatened species and remain a powerful symbol of Sherwood Forest's natural heritage and the enduring relationship between people and place.
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