Frequently Asked Questions
The ATI is a citizen science project and anyone can add a tree to our interactive tree map. The database is curated by a dedicated network of volunteer verifiers, who check every single record before it is confirmed and verified to the interactive tree map.
Below are some frequently asked questions.
How can I start recording trees? / How does the recording process work?
Before you can add a tree, you must first register to create an account on the website.
Visit our recording guide to find out what information you need to record to add trees on the ATI.
Once you are ready to add your tree to the website, click Add A Tree.
Don’t forget to check if your tree has already been recorded by using our interactive tree map.
Once you have added a tree, it will be listed as an unverified tree until it is verified by one of our volunteer verifiers.
How long will it take for my tree to become verified?
If our verifiers have enough detail from the record, it may be possible for them to verify the tree without visiting it. However, in most cases, a visit to the tree by a verifier is needed in order to make sure that the tree can be accurately verified. See our how to record guide here to get tips on how to record essential details to your tree. If a visit is not required, the tree could be verified more quickly (e.g. within 1-2 months)
If a verifier needs to visit a tree, it could take up to several weeks, depending on verifier availability. Please allow at least 3 months before contacting us to tell us about an unverified tree.
Once your tree has been verified, it will be visible as either an ancient, veteran or notable tree on the interactive map and in your “My Trees” area.
How do I use the interactive tree search map?
The interactive tree map displays all of the verified records, but does not show those trees that have deliberately hidden from public view. Unverified trees are only visible on the map once you have signed in to your account.
You can use the search bar to zoom in to a particular area (grid references can be used too) or you can manually navigate the map.
The map has 4 modes; a road map, a satellite view, an OS map and a historic map (1860-1890). These can be selected from the top right of the map area.
You can open a tree record by clicking on its symbol and then clicking again on the white box to open the full record.
There is also a filters menu, where you can refine your search to show trees that meet certain criteria.
Tip: the filters are only ever applied to the current view of the map. As you zoom in/out, the filters will automatically return results within the current view.
How can I check if a tree has already been recorded?
The interactive map displays all the verified trees, excluding those that are unverified or deliberately hidden from public view. If you have found a tree that does not appear on the map already then you can add it to the ATI.
Before you add a new tree, it is worth checking that the tree hasn’t already been added by someone else. This will help us to avoid duplicate records.
To do this, use our tree search (interactive map).
Most records will have images, which can help when checking if a tree has already been recorded.
Tip: if you switch to the satellite view of the map, it can be possible to identify the exact tree from the satellite image; this will help to confirm whether that exact tree has been recorded.
If you think that you have spotted a duplicated tree, please click on the duplicate record and then click “Manage” > “Report” to flag this as a potential duplicate.
Reporting a tree under threat
If you believe that an ancient or veteran tree is under threat from development, please first check whether the tree has already been recorded by visiting our tree map.
If the tree has not been recorded, please capture all essential details about the tree, including plenty of images of the tree, and add the tree as a new record to the ATI.
Once you have done this, please contact the Woodland Trust’s campaigns team via campaigning@woodlandtrust.org.uk , making sure to include:
- The unique ATI Tree ID number for the tree under threat (can be found by opening the tree record)
- Details of the nature of the threat. If the threat is due to planning/development, please try to include the planning application reference details where possible
The Woodland Trust has to make the best use of it’s limited charitable resources to prioritize on cases that involve ancient woodland and ancient/veteran trees. Our campaigns team are already aware of over 900 cases involving ancient woodland or ancient/veteran trees under threat. Unless trees are confirmed as being ancient or veteran, unfortunately there is very little protection offered and so we are not always able to campaign for trees that are not ancient or veteran.
For further information about ancient and veteran tree protection, please click here.
You may also wish to find out more information about ancient/veteran trees and the planning sector by reading our Planners Manual for Ancient Woodland and Veteran Trees.
What are ancient, veteran and notable trees?
We have produced some guidance on the ATI website to give some definitions to the terms ancient, veteran and notable.
Guidance on ancient, veteran and notable trees can be found in what we record.
Another useful document is the “Ancient Tree Guide: What are ancient, veteran and other trees of special interest?” which can be viewed here.
Using the ATI data / data requests
The Ancient Tree Inventory data is available to download free of charge from our data portal here:
https://opendata-woodlandtrust.hub.arcgis.com/
Please check that you agree to the Terms and conditions of the data sharing licence which are also set out on the data portal.
We are keen to ensure that the data can be used positively within the planning/development sector, in order to aid to the protection and prevent the destruction of special trees. We also want the data to be used by academics, researchers and scientific bodies to aid further ancient tree research.
Please note that the ATI is not a comprehensive database and there may be unrecorded trees within your area of interest.
If you have further enquiries about the data available on the portal, please use the contact form linked below to submit your enquiry.
We kindly ask that those using the ATI data as a consultation tool add any newly discovered records to our database (i.e. if unrecorded trees are discovered when using the data).
If your question has not been answered here, then please use our Contact Us page to get in touch.