THE campaign to save one of the country's rarest tree has taken a musical turn with the launch of a charity CD. One of the UK's best known folk musicians, Vin Garbutt, is lending his support to a scheme to save the Black Poplar.

The tree was once a familiar sight in the countryside but is now extremely rare and is on the verge of extinction with only 2,000 to 3,000 trees growing nationwide.

Many of the existing trees are at the end of their natural life and others are dying so the Durham Biodiversity Partnership is working with Darlington Borough Council, the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers and the Tees Forest to try to save the tree.

As mature trees, the black poplars can grow up to 30 metres in high and two metres across.

Over the coming years, the North-East partnership wants to establish 1,000 black poplars in the North-East, half of them within Darlington, from cuttings obtained from native local stock.

To raise money for the campaign, Vin used funding from the Local Heritage Initiative of The Countryside Agency, to record a CD called Wisdom of Trees.

The CD includes a new track called The Black Poplar as well as favourites from Vin's 30 year career.

The CD will go on sale for £4 with all proceeds being used to plant new Black Poplars in The Tees Forest.

Sarah Gibb of Tees Forest said: "Local people are giving us their time to look after Black Poplar cuttings. "With the support of them, Vin and others, the Black Polar will be conserved and we have the song to remind us of why we got involved."

Copies of the CD are available for the Tees Forest Office in Stewart Park, Middlesbrough or by calling (01642) 300716 or email.