A PROJECT to help combat ash dieback fungi has been launched in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Residents are being enlisted to become 'citizen scientists' and report the spread of the fungi and, most importantly, find trees that are resistant to it.

They will be tasked with putting a metal tag on a mature ash tree, marking its location on an online map, ideally with some photos, and checking the tree for signs of the fungi once a year.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) will provide the tags and nails, along with step-by-step instructions and any other help and advice.

Ash Dieback fungi (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus) has been confirmed in the National Park and is quite prevalent at Giggleswick, near Settle.

Since the government-funded Ashtag project was launched nationally last year, the YDNPA has written to parish councils to encourage people to take part.

Trees and Woodlands Officer Daniel Atkinson said: “The response has been OK, but not quite the level we were hoping. The ash is an iconic tree species in the Dales. Many a picnic has been had under its dappled shade. It would be a terrible shame if ashes were to disappear from our landscape.

“To my knowledge a tree showing signs of resistance hasn’t yet been found in the Park. But it’s been estimated that there are approximately 1.2 million resistant trees nationwide. Surely that means there must be some in the Dales, which was historically an ash woodland.”?

If and when a resistant tree is found, it could be propagated with another naturally immune ash to create new, healthy stock.

The only tree to be tagged so far in the Park is in the YDNPA’s car park in Grassington.

Call 01756 751648 or email trees.woodlands@yorkshiredale.gov.uk for more information, or to get involved.