Monumental trees are at the centre of stories and legends and have been fascinating human beings for generations. Distinguished by their extraordinary appearance, old age, historical associations, or spiritual significance, urban heritage trees are central to our cities and quality of life and constitute important ecological assets meriting special recognition and protection.
Despite several national initiatives, including in Australia, Italy, France, the UK, the USA and South Africa, which formally recognise important trees, the full potential of urban heritage trees remains largely unrealised, and the support to developing countries and cities is often lacking. This lack of universal recognition, formal protections or support means that there is little public awareness or involvement in the preservation of heritage trees. Moreover, these limitations often result in the vandalism or destruction of trees with cultural or historical importance.
This webinar series was organised on the platform IUCN Engage for people who are interested in discussing what heritage trees are, how they impact human and cultural identity and how we can protect them on a global scale.
The webinars were delivered on 17 April 2024 in two sessions. The links to the recordings can be found below: