New Forest woodsman George Whitcher has turned tree detective to track down the turkey oaks of the New Forest.

As part of a conservation programme, the Forestry Commission is taking out the turkey oaks to improve the survival of the good old English oaks. The turkey oaks, which are an Asian species, tend to crowd out the British trees, and they host a wasp that feeds on native acorns and reduces their ability to germinate.

But the job of finding the turkey oaks hasn't been easy and Mr Whitcher said: "This year, the foliage we usually use to tell the types apart has been stripped off early by high winds."

The bark and branches of the two different types look similar and he said: "It's been like finding pieces of straw in a huge haystack.

"It takes every ounce of a woodsman's skill to pick out the right trees. One clue is the shape of the trees - turkey oaks are generally taller with a much straighter trunk."

The work is part of the Forestry Commission's £1.7 million contribution to the European Union-backed New Forest Life partnership, and so far, turkey oaks have been removed from 311 acres of Forest.