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An ancient oak tree in northern Greece is believed to be among the oldest surviving trees of its kind in Europe. Source: The Greek Reporter With a trunk diameter of 2.25 meters (7.38 feet) and a height of 23 meters (75 feet), botanists say that the giant oak, located just two kilometres from the main square of the town of Deskati, near Grevena, is approximately 1,300 years of age give or take 30 to 50 years. The residents of the town in northern Greece can now boast that they bask in the shadow of one of the oldest oak trees anywhere in Europe. It is located at an altitude of 658 meters (2,158 feet). The tree stirred the interest of the Municipality of Deskati both for the gigantic size of its trunk and its obvious age. “We decided to conduct a study with scientists, foresters and researchers to learn the age of the tree,” mayor Dimitris Karastergios told the Athens News Agency recently. Botanist Ioannis Spanos, a researcher from the Elgo-Dimitra General Directorate of Agricultural Research, took samples from the tree with his team, making special measurements of the rings in its trunk. After further study, they concluded that the age of the oak tree is an astounding 1,300 years old. All the necessary procedures were immediately initiated by the Deputy Secretary General of Decentralized Administration of Epirus-Western Macedonia, Vassilis Michelakis, to declare the oak tree a “preserved monument of nature.” Such a distinction, which confers scientific, ecological, historical, and cultural value signifies that the tree can be valuable in the future for educational purposes while also verifying for future caretakers that the living treasure needs special care and protection. “We should immediately begin its maintenance, such as removing dead branches, stuffing the hollow trunk with cork and disinfecting it,” Spanos said. In Greek mythology, the oak is the tree sacred to Zeus, the king of the gods. In Zeus’ oracle in Dodona, Epirus, the sacred oak was the centerpiece of the area, and the priests would divine the pronouncements of the god by interpreting the rustling of the oak’s leaves. The oak was by far the most dominant tree of the ancient Greek landscape. In fact, the ancient Greek word for oak, “drys,” was also the word for tree. The two main types of oaks commonly found in the region are the evergreen holm oak and the deciduous Valonian. Both range in size from a thick low shrub (forming the basis of the modern-day Mediterranean scrub forests) to large trees. They were valued for their wood and acorns, which would ripen in the autumn. Tannin was also extracted from the acorn cups of the Valonian oak. This substance was a vital component employed in the tanning of leather hides. In Greek lore, the primitive, pre-agrarian tribes of Arkadia were said to have lived on a stable diet of acorns. In classical times, it was a food only of last resort consumed in times of famine. Usually, acorns were reserved for animal feed.

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Trimble has an upcoming release of the CFX+ Sources app in July 2025. This innovative tool is designed to streamline your timber sourcing operations and ensure compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Source: Timberbiz This upcoming release will include many features needed for buyers and sellers of wood fibre to collaborate exchanging information necessary for regulatory compliance with EUDR, but also to improve how you work today making agreements and plans between forest managers (sellers) and mill managers (buyers and sellers) and pulp mills (buyers). You can upload the information you need, share it between companies, and export geojson files needed for uploading to EU Traces, the EUDR compliance web-portal for European buyers. Trimble will allow companies to try it out in preparation for the rollout on 1 January 2026 of the enforcement deadline for compliance. Here are the key features of CFX+ Sources, along with their benefits: Detailed Source Information Management: Manage supplier and geolocation data, enhancing traceability and compliance with sourcing regulations. Search Functionality: Quickly find sources using specific criteria, improving efficiency in data retrieval and decision-making. Bulk Import and Export: Easily transfer source data via web and API interfaces, streamlining data management and integration with existing systems. Compliance Management: Attach necessary documents for legal obligations, ensuring all compliance documentation is readily accessible. Geolocation Data Capture: Capture precise location data for large and small areas, enhancing accuracy in tracking and managing timber sources. Uploading Pre-existing Shapefiles: Import existing geospatial data, simplifying the integration of current data into the CFX+ system. Management of Product Allocation Details: Track product allocations from specific locations, allowing users to select associated deliveries based on mill consumption, ensuring accurate volume estimations and compliance. Sharing of Source Information: Control sharing of source data with specific email addresses, enhancing collaboration while maintaining data security. Downloading Sources in GeoJSON: Download source data in GeoJSON format for EU traceability, facilitating compliance with European regulations.

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