UCL Community Saves Main Quad Ginkgo Trees with Speedy Petition

Mr. Watson standing next to a Ginkgo tree marked for removal. Photo Courtesy of Andrew Watson.

Leading up to construction works in preparation for UCL’s 200th anniversary, it emerged in early December that the Ginkgo trees on the Main Quad were to be removed as part of its redesign. In conversation with Andrew Watson, who started the petition to prevent the felling of the trees for the proposed plans, he described the swift action taken by him and his colleagues, as well as the wider response of the UCL community to save the trees.

It began on the 13th December, when a colleague from UCL Special Collections shared information about access restrictions on the Quad due to the works planned for February. Upon closer inspection, Mr. Watson, Head of Retrospective Cataloguing for UCL Library Services, realised that some of the trees currently on the Quad were missing from the new designs. This was confirmed when reviewing the Arboricultural Impact Assessment and Method Statement, which showed the trees to be marked for removal.

To find out more, he then submitted a freedom of information (FOI) request to Camden Council, which later confirmed that there were no protections in place for the trees, with the Ginkgoes set to be removed, and to UCL which responded vaguely, reiterating their commitment to biodiversity considerations and feedback throughout the project. 

Shocked by their findings, Mr. Watson and his colleagues decided to come together and, within four days, put out a petition by December 19th, circulating it throughout various UCL departments. The petition stated that in consultation meetings held with the UCL community, it “was not made clear” that the Quad plans involved the removal of the endangered Gingkoes. On the grounds that the visually striking trees are a key feature of the Main Quad and that their felling would result in the loss of 3.23% of habitat units, seeming at odds with UCL’s biodiversity standards, the petition demanded that the Ginkgoes be incorporated into the design and that a response from UCL be communicated by the 31st of January.

For an initiative that started just days before students and staff were set to go on Winter Break, it impressively garnered over 600 signatures by the beginning of Term 2. On January 9th, it was sent to the Provost, along with comments from signatories emphasising their appreciation for the trees.

With accessibility and sustainability at the heart of the redevelopment, balancing these goals may have proven to be a challenge for UCL, as delivering “clear accessible routes between the Quad and Wilkins building” seems to have necessitated the elimination of the Ginkgoes from their current location, according to the previous plans. These plans, however, did include the planting of additional trees–native species such as field maples and birch.

By the stipulated deadline, UCL Estates announced that they “aim to preserve all three ginkgo trees” and have adjusted the Quad designs accordingly, while still meeting their accessibility objectives. While it is noteworthy that these revisions have been accepted in such a short period, during ongoing works, the modifications are still pending statutory approval from Camden Council, as they involve changes to the initial “overarching biodiversity plan.”

Having been part of UCL for about 20 years, Mr. Watson was not quite sure when the Gingkoes became part of the iconic Quad that it is today, adorning it with their vibrant hues in the autumn seasons. But he speculated that it might have had something to do with UCL’s historical ties to Japan. In contrast, a personal account by a former member of staff in a 2018 newsletter from the UCL Chamber Music Club suggested that the trees were planted following a strong storm in the 1980s, when he joined UCL.

With the Ginkgoes’ longevity and resilience in urban environments, and the coming together of the UCL community in their preservation, this demonstration of natural and human strengths in this university’s history may point the way to finding one’s footing in a world of continuous change.