FAQs

What is Action Oak?

Action Oak is a new initiative launched at RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May 2018. Its roots were in a plant health and biosecurity meeting hosted at Highgrove in 2016, where representatives across many sectors identified a need to act to protect oak trees from both current and impending threats to their health and survival.

It brought together representatives from charities, landowners and government to develop a coordinated plan to identify and tackle some of the issues facing our native oak trees.

What does Action Oak do?

The programme of work that Action Oak has identified to protect oak trees includes:

• Working with owners and managers of oak trees and woodlands to help to protect the trees from a range of threats;
• Funding research to improve our understanding of the threats to our oak trees and to inform best management practices
• Using established professional and citizen science networks to record changes in the distribution, age and health of our oak trees to identify priority areas for action
• Encouraging organisations to join the Action Oak initiative and people to support Action Oak

Who is involved?

Action Oak is overseen by a steering committee made up of the founding partners:

• The Duchy of Cornwall
• Woodland Heritage
• Woodland Trust
• National Trust
• Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
• Forestry Commission
• Forest Research
• Defra
• Scottish Government
• Northern Ireland Government
• Welsh Government
• There are also three subcommittees focussed on:
• Fundraising and Communication
• Knowledge Exchange and Management Practise
• Research and Monitoring

Currently, there are 33 different organisations involved in Action Oak, but as the initiative develops this may expand further.

What are the threats facing oaks?

There are many threats facing our oak trees including Acute Oak Decline (AOD), Oak Processionary Moth (OPM) and powdery mildews.

There are other threats on the horizon such as Xylella fasitidiosa.

These all have the potential to devastate the oak tree population.

What is Action Oak doing now?

Research

Action Oak is working on examining the current knowledge on oak pests and diseases and identifying gaps in the knowledge base; following on from this the partnership has identified six interlinked priority research areas:

1. Genetics and metabolism of oak trees
2. Environmental factors stressing oak trees
3. Priority Pests and Diseases (Present and Future)
4. Oak biodiversity
5. Monitoring oak tree health
6. Management of oak tree health in the field     

As well as commissioning this research there is a programme of work to share and exchange knowledge to promote best practise and to disseminate messages to landowners.

Communications

A network of demonstration sites is being developed across the UK to spread the message out to the public about the threats facing our oaks and what people can do to help combat these problems.  Workshops and events for professionals and land managers to share knowledge and learn about best practise will also be part of Action Oak’s communications.

There is also a lot of work happening to raise the profile of Action Oak – we have worked with the International Garden Photographer of the Year on a special award “Celebrating Our Oaks” – you can buy the book of photographs from:

Woodland Heritage – https://www.woodlandheritage.org/shop/celebrating-our-oaks-book
Woodland Trust - https://shop.woodlandtrust.org.uk/celebrating-our-oaks
Kew/Wakehurst – from retail outlets at both sites

There will be a touring exhibition in 2019 showing the winning images as well as celebrity ones. We are also working with Emma Bridgewater to produce an Action Oak mug for release in Autumn 2019.

There will also be a programme of events in 2020 to mark the International Year of Plant Health.

How can I support Action Oak?

We are fundraising for research into the threats facing our oak trees, including research into Acute Oak Decline and climate change challenges and roll out of demonstration sites across the UK, which are getting the message out to the public.

We have carried out a full knowledge review and from this have identified a list of priority research projects. This will include long term monitoring of tree health on a variety of sites.
What has been raised so far?

Action Oak has been involved in securing around £1.5 Million for research into threats facing oak and funding for a project manager for three years.

To donate https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/actionoak or https://www.woodlandheritage.org/acute-oak-decline

How can I get involved?

By following us on our social media channels: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Buy the book and visit the touring exhibition of ‘Celebrating our Oaks’ and remember to buy the Action Oak Emma Bridgewater mug autumn 2019.

If you spot any suspected pests and diseases please report them to the Forestry Commission via Tree Alert at https://forestry.gov.uk/forestry/beeh-9uyltt

Become a volunteer with Observatree (https://www.observatree.org.uk/) or a tree warden (https://www.treecouncil.org.uk/Take-Part/Tree-Wardens).

Don’t bring back any plants, seeds or plant materials from abroad and only buy accredited ones in the UK.

Practise good biosecurity by washing boots, bikes and dogs after visiting woodlands and parks. Support land mangers by taking notice of signs and keeping to designated footpaths.

What can I do with my oak saplings?

Speak to your local nature reserves, landowners or community forest to find a home locally.