Talk by Chris Lockyear, Sidmouth Arboretum.
In 2014 Sidmouth Arboretum undertook a survey of the trees in the Sid Valley and in 2024 this was repeated creating a rare glimpse of what has changed to our treescape over the last decade.
Headline figures show that the number of trees has gone down from 405,000 to 358,000 but the canopy cover is virtually unchanged at around 23%. The distribution has changed with fewer Ash, Larch and Douglas Fir but more Silver Birch and English oak. Ash die back is having an impact and whilst we still have a lot of Ash trees in the valley, a lot of them are in very poor condition. The valley also has significant commercial forestry which will impact Larch and Douglas Fir when the time comes for harvesting.
The planting programme undertaken by the Sidmouth Arboretum and others has increased the number of smaller trees with those less than 15cm in diameter increasing from 26% to 33%. This bodes well for the future as these trees mature.
This talk will present some of the data, highlighting changes from 10 years ago and celebrating some of the successes. Areas for future concern will also be discussed.
Chris Lockyear is a retired engineer, having had a career in the water and energy industries both in this country and overseas. He is a Trustee of the Sidmouth Arboretum and a Sidmouth Town Councillor. Chris is also Chair of the Programme Committee of the Sidmouth Science Festival and a Trustee of the Sidmouth Folk Festival Charity.