Four rare Dawn Redwood trees have been found in a Darlington parkland and are now set to be protected.
The area of Blackwell Park which the specimens were found in are set to be part of a regeneration and restoration scheme organised by Darlington Council.
All of the trees will be protected in the upcoming plan.
Dawn Redwood trees were an incredible discovery in China back in 1941.
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A spokesperson for the Darlington Friends of the Earth group said: “Prior to 1940 the tree was only known to botanists from fossil evidence dating back 100 million years.
“In 1941 specimens were found to be growing in Szechuan in China.
“It was the most exciting discovery in China all year.
“Some seeds were brought back to the UK and USA by an expedition which was sent in September 1947.
“By 1948 the seeds were being distributed to botanical gardens and collectors all around the world.
“The population is extremely fragmented. There has been decline in the quality of habitat and number of mature individuals.
“It is the missing evolutionary link between species which keep their leaves/needles and those which drop their leaves in winter.
“It is vital to protect the survival of these very mature, large, interesting and critically endangered species.
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“There is a tall specimen at Kew Gardens which was planted in 1948 and another in the Botanic Gardens in Cambridge.
“The specimens on the Parkland are 21 metres high almost the same height as the Cambridge specimen and may have been sown and planted in the 1950s.”
On August 14, members of Darlington Friends of the Earth, the Darlington and Teesdale Naturalists’ Field Club and members of the Parkland Heritage Network met to commemorate the moment from 1941.
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