The forest where Robin Hood took refuge while stealing from the rich and giving to the poor has been designated a national nature reserve, officials said Tuesday.
The 494-acre Sherwood Forest has 500-year-old oak trees, and thousands of species of insects, animals and plants. It was the 214th area in England to get the designation from the government conservation group English Nature.
“Sherwood Forest is a magical place for both people and wildlife and is one of the most important places in Europe for ancient trees and woodland wildlife,” English Nature chairman Sir Martin Doughty said.
An array of wildlife lives in the hollow trunks and decaying bark of the forest’s ancient oaks. One of the trees, nicknamed the Major Oak, is believed to be 900 years old and is propped up with wooden posts to keep it from falling down.
