Trees, glorious treeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees! Here in the Ffestiniog valley, we are surrounded by hundreds of acres of beautiful trees. Old ones, ancient ones, young ones and tiny saplings. There is nothing better than to head out on one of the beautiful footpaths close by to the Oakeley Arms to walk among the forests and trees. In fact, as regular readers of the blog might know, it was only a few weeks ago that we sent our friend Owain Llyr out to explore a region close to us known as the Welsh Rainforest. Watch the video he made here.

And trees don’t just look pretty but they have a functional role too. Trees are crucial to reduce erosion – their roots help to keep the ground firm and solid. They also have a crucial part to play in removing toxins from the air – they process carbon dioxide and store it in their plant tissues. And, they are also help to maintain a safe, secure and regulated environment for a huge proportion of the world’s plant, animal, bird and insects.

And this week is National Tree Week 2015, so we want to shout from the tree-tops about all our wonderful trees. We simply couldn’t survive without them – imagine how different the world would look without trees!

There are many different types of common British tree, but here is our list of the most familiar for you to look out for. Next time you’re out for a walk in the forest, see how many you can spot:

• Oak tree – one of the most revered British trees, you’ll find them in ancient woodlands across the country, and we have many of them close to the Oakeley Arms. Some live to be hundreds of years old. They are easily identified by their wide leaves and acorns.

via wiki commons

• Hazel Tree – this tree produces delicious fruit (the hazelnut) which the ancient Celts believed were a source of wisdom and intelligence. Pass the nuts then!

Via wiki commons

• Beech Tree – the humble beech tree has 13 different species, with the European Beech being the most widely cultivated. Beech trees don’t like water-logged soil, which can be a problem here in (sometimes) wet Wales, although they are widely found.

via wiki commons

• Rowan Tree – these common trees with the multi stemmed leaf also produces berries that are eaten widely across Europe.

• Ash Tree – another common tree that has relatives in the olive tree family. The word “ash” means Spear in Old English.
• Hawthorn Tree – a British favourite, this common tree has beautiful flowers that blossom in the springtime.