Unique trees take a bow

IF you have an ancient or unique tree in your garden and live within the Javea boundaries, you could become the star turn of a tree tour.

Strange as it may seem, Javea council in conjunction with the local Cirne Foundation, is about to embark on a tree cataloguing campaign, listing ancient and unique heritage trees that may eventually be publicised to the world through organised tours, with no doubt, the occasional stop for a glass of local vino.

Councillor Juan Luis Cardona said that the idea of listing all rare and old established specimens in the area, will not only provide educational material for children and adults alike, but also will enable the council to help preserve the regions heritage by offering advice and maintenance including pruning and pest control.

The councillor went on to say that many of the specimens are within private property and may be difficult to locate if the land-owners do not report them either through a lack of interest or ignorance of the true value of a specific specimen.

Although the requirements for heritage trees are regulated by regional law (they must be at least 350 years old and a minimum of 30 metres in height, with a minimum trunk diameter of six metres), the requirements for unique trees are more local in nature and may derive from considerations such as traditional uses or cultural preservation.

In this regard, the council urge all landowners who believe they may own a tree of interest, to report their find to either the Town Hall Department of Environment and Agriculture at 2 Avenida Amanecer, or the Javea Cirne Foundation whose headquarters are located at 18 Avenida de Alicante.

The inventory phrase will last until the summer, after which a group of experts will analyse the data to select the trees that will be included in a municipal register and eventually with the full permission of the owners, listed in a selection of themed tour routes complete with full specifications and credits.

By Benny Davis