The Major Oak — a celebrated ancient tree in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, England, long associated with the legend of Robin Hood — has died after failing to produce leaves this year, following a series of hot, dry summers that placed it under severe stress. Arborists managing the site say the tree was weakened by a combination of factors over centuries, including soil compaction from the 350,000 annual visitors it drew, past well-intentioned but harmful interventions such as concrete fillings and metal support props, and increasingly intense droughts driven by climate change, particularly the record 40°C UK heatwave of July 2022. The tree will be left standing, as its deadwood continues to provide irreplaceable habitat for wildlife, though conservationists warn that similarly ancient trees across England — described as "the white rhinos of the UK" — lack legal protection and are being lost at a rate of roughly one per year.