the project in England
Locating traditional orchards is sometimes problematic. Ordnance Survey (OS) maps give no indication of the age or condition of particular orchards, and some remnant orchard sites found to be supporting populations of noble chafers are not marked as orchards on the most recent editions of the maps.
In our London office, two mapping officers study aerial photographs to identify traditional orchards sites. Volunteers across the country confirm if these identified sites still exist and help to gather additional information that enables us to assess the orchards’ condition. To date over 35,000 individual orchards have been identified and 20% of these have been surveyed by a dedicated team of volunteers. The work is ongoing and there are still plenty of orchards that require surveying.
how to get involved
If you own an orchard or can tell us about an orchard you know, such as a community orchard, please email steve.oram@ptes.org or call 020 7498 4533 for more details. We also need volunteers to survey their local area. Find out more about volunteering here or email lauren.alexander@ptes.org or call on the above number.
- read our FAQs here
