The Revd Mark Siddall, Priest in Charge at St James, Quedgeley has been out and about with his daughter appreciating the large number of ancient oak trees in the parish.
“As we arrived in Quedgeley in 2022, one of the first things my wife Erica spotted was the very impressive huge oak trees that surrounded us. Thankfully, these mighty oaks have been protected so that we can all enjoy them. Those protections come from the hard work and debates of politicians, developers keeping to regulations, and ultimately our decision to try and live together with these giants for posterity. If we lived right next to them, it would be easy to focus on how hard they can be to live with, as their roots undermine walls and we worry about their branches collapsing on houses. However, if well looked after, these challenges can be overcome and for me it is worth it.
“In Kingsway, the planners chose to make the trees a special feature, to give a greater sense of community and offer a natural beauty to new homes. The mighty oaks are beautiful and strong, and they’re a parable of faithfulness and rootedness that I believe we need in our modern lives more than ever. Amazingly, oak trees can support as many as 2,300 other species of plants, insects, birds, mammals and fungi – when we protect these mighty oaks, we protect so much more.
“Over these last weeks, I have tried to visit all of the mighty oaks, which are more than 200 years old. By measuring the girth in centimetres and dividing by 1.88, I was able to estimate that the oldest oak tree is off Azalea gardens, aged approximately 280 years old.
“As I celebrated Harvest this year, I showed our Great Quedgeley Mighty Oak Safari to the children in our primary schools. I offered many of them an acorn gathered from the tree in Azalea Gardens, and asked them to plant the acorn in a place where it would not interrupt walls. I asked them to plant it in a place where it would be safe for the next 200 years, as the mighty oaks of Quedgeley have been. Where would you plant yours, so it would be safe for 200 years into our collective future?”
– The Revd Mark Siddall, Priest in Charge at St James, Quedgeley.
If this has inspired you, why not pledge an hour a week to doing something for the planet. Take a look at Eco Church in an Hour.
News Hub
