John Constable's 1821 painting, The Hay Wain, features the once-abundant black poplar tree, now a rare species in Britain. The National Trust is spearheading a conservation effort by establishing a living gene bank of these trees at Killerton estate in Devon. A partnership with Forest Research aims to create a breeding population, allowing for natural reproduction while also facilitating the dispersal of cuttings across the country. This is a crucial step in bolstering the survival of black poplars, whose numbers have drastically declined due to habitat loss and demand for non-native timber.
The National Trust is creating a living gene bank of the black poplar to ensure Constable's The Hay Wain does not become a tribute to an extinct breed.
With numbers in huge decline, this is not something likely to happen in the wild, which is why we are stepping in to create a new breeding population.
The trees can live for over 200 years and can grow to 30 metres in height, acting as a living gene bank to aid their survival.
Land drainage and the demand for faster and straighter growing non-native trees have significantly contributed to the decline of the black poplar species.
Collection
[
|
...
]