Great news that the extremely rare Whitebeam trees found in Llangollen are being preserved for future generations to enjoy. This is of particular interest to me as the former Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Woods & Trees run by Woodland Trust Cymru and The Woodland Trust.
In 2017, a project run between the Bryniau Clwyd a Dyffryn Dyfrdwy - Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, Chester Zoo and Natural Resources Wales (NRW), conducted a survey which identified that there were only 315 Llangollen Whitebeam trees left, of which 307 were found at Creigiau Eglwyseg, with an additional eight trees in Shropshire.
During the study, berries were carefully collected and taken to Chester Zoo where skilled botanists cultivated the plants for several years, by recreating the unique environment of Llangollen in a behind-the-scenes plant nursery. Subsequently, 20 of these rare trees have been replanted in several locations around Llangollen, including one at Ysgol Dinas Brân.
