News

Action Oak is a public-private partnership raising awareness of the threats to our native oak trees.

We also raise vital funds for research and monitoring to help understand how to combat these threats and preserve our oak trees for future generations to enjoy. To find out more about the work of the Action Oak partnership check out our news stories.



Action Oak Round Table Newsletter May 2023 - Web version

12th May, 2023

Action Oak Round Table Newsletter

Dear valued Partner,
Happy #InternationalDayOfPlantHealth!
We're excited to present the Action Oak Annual Report 2022-23. Many thanks to all contributors. To read the update, click here: 2023 Action Oak Annual Report.pdf

Action Oak has been busy and we're pleased to bring you a newsletter summarising some of our activities. 

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Action Oak Annual Report 2022-23

11th May, 2023

Our Annual Report is out! 

Here, you can find an update on the Action Oak supported research. Action Oak works with partners to fund the vital research and monitoring needed to better understand the threats facing the UK's native Oak trees, enabling our partners to devise real solutions that allow us to safeguard the survival of our Oaks for generations to come. 

Head to the Resources page or download the pdf below to read the report in full. 

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Gaze Burvill | Amity

21st March, 2023

We're excited to share with you Gaze Burvill's new special edition seat 'Amity'. For each of the first 100 seats sold, Gaze Burvill is donating £100 to Action Oak to support our mission.

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Vacancy: Action Oak Programme Leader

10th February, 2023

Woodland Heritage | Job Description

Action Oak Programme Leader

 

About Us

Woodland Heritage (www.woodlandheritage.org) is a unique charity (no. 1041611) uniting tree people to “put something back” and to contribute to the proper management of British trees. We are also one of the leading partners in a new, collaborative public-private initiative called Action Oak (www.actionoak.org). 

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Scottish Forestry Forest Health Day 2022

20th December, 2022

Forest Health Day 2022

 

Join Scottish Forestry’s Tree Health Team on 20th January 2023 for a free day of talks and discussions on the latest tree pests and diseases. Find out the latest research from Forest Research scientists and different approaches to forest pest and disease management. The event will be held online using Microsoft Teams and will be split into two sessions from 10-12 am and 1-3 pm.

 

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Tree Week Giveaway with Pikku Publishing

28th November, 2022

Tree Week Social Media Giveaway with Pikku Publishing

Please head over to our Instagram & Facebook Page to get involved with our giveaway running 28th November 2022 - 5th December 2022.  

 

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Join us protecting the UK's oaks - An exciting new job opportunity

18th October, 2022

Action Oak Programme Leader

Job Description

 

 

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a confident and inspiring Programme Leader, that will work with our Committees to set the future direction for the Action Oak initiative over the next three years, and lead the work to realise those ambitions. 

About Us

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Communications Assistant – Herefordshire

31st May, 2022

An exciting opportunity to work with Action Oak and Woodland Heritage.

We are looking for a graduate to join us to work to promote both Action Oak and Woodland Heritage, on the Royal Forestry Society -  Forestry Roots funded role.

Please see full job details and the application form here: https://rfs.org.uk/jobs/communications-assistant-herefordshire/ 

 

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Action Oak Evidence Summary

11th May, 2022

Action Oak is pleased to announce the publication of its first evidence summary. The document looks at pests and diseases relevant to oak, the evidence and research about them and a confidence rating based on the evidence used to provide the data.

The document can be downloaded from the resources page on the website.

 

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Oak research opportunity

3rd February, 2022

MSc/PhD Studentship Opportunity: Genetic characterisation of oak (Quercus spp.) for breeding and conservation

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Pioneering project to safeguard our iconic oaks launched

30th March, 2021

Pioneering project to safeguard our iconic oaks launched

Climate change causes an increase in diseases affecting our iconic oak trees, but a pioneering project is to investigate the role of beneficial microbes in fighting diseases that affect our native oak trees. 

The FUTURE OAK project, comprising scientists at Bangor University, Aberystwyth University, Forest Research and Sylva Foundation, will study how oak microbiomes are affected by environmental change and disease.

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Protecting our oak woodlands - Event

26th February, 2021

26th February 2021

Online event

 

Our Oak woodlands host more species than any other native woodland. In partnership with Smallwoods  we have invited a great range of speakers to discuss everything from best practice management of Oak woodlands, oak pests and disease all the way through to why it is important as a timber product.

Book Here:

https://www.smallwoods.org.uk/en/training-and-events/events/

 

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Oak processionary moth - Update 2020

20th January, 2021

 

In 2020 the plant health authorities increased surveillance in the Protected Zone. In June and July 2020 OPM was found on a very small number of trees at five sites within the Protected Zone, in the English counties of Sussex, Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cheshire. They took swift and appropriate action to treat the infested trees and minimise the risk of spread. This included spraying trees in the affected areas and undertaking enhanced local surveillance.

 

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Exciting new fully funded One Planet DTP PhD opportunity at Newcastle University

2nd December, 2020

Reducing the impact of climate change and other environmental stresses on oak tree health

Key Research Gaps and Questions: 1) How will the health of the UK’s oak trees fair in a changing climate and with other escalating environmental stresses? 2) What interventions can be used to safeguard the health of oaks, and protect the valuable ecosystem services they provide?

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Forest Research wins funding for collaborative research into oak tree health

9th July, 2020

Forest Research wins funding for collaborative research into oak tree health

 

A pioneering new project to investigate the health of our British oak trees has been the go-ahead thanks to almost £2 million investment from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Defra and Scottish Government.

 

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International Year of Plant Health

20th May, 2020

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation’s International Year of Plant Health aims to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health is beneficial to humans, health and the economy. As a way of contributing to this objective, Defra launched a new digital social media campaign called “Healthy plants, healthy minds” on Instagram and Facebook, to seek to inspire more people to appreciate houseplants, gardening and their benefits in supporting mental health and wellbeing during the Covid-19 lockdown.

 

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Action Oak and Covid-19

1st May, 2020

Update from Action Oak

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A coordinated response to the oak processionary moth outbreak

1st May, 2020

While carrying out routine targeted inspections of oak trees in June 2019, a Government plant health inspector noticed something amiss – recently planted trees imported from the Netherlands were infested with oak processionary moth (OPM) caterpillars.

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Understanding the critical roles of bacteria and fungi in oak health and disease

21st November, 2019

Bangor University has been working in collaboration with Forest Research and other institutions to understand the role of both beneficial and pathogenic microbes in oak health and disease.

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University of the West of England AOD research team update

7th October, 2019

The University of the West of England AOD research team has had a busy and successful year with quite a few meetings, presentations and publications.

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