An ancient oak tree in Sherwood Forest known as the “Major Oak,” long reputed to have sheltered the Robin Hood legend, is dead. Multiple outlets report the tree is about 1,200 years old and is located in Nottinghamshire, where it has been a major visitor attraction for centuries. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) says the Major Oak is believed to have died after it failed to sprout leaves this spring. RSPB also attributes its decline, in part, to heavy foot traffic around the tree. Conservation concerns raised by the RSPB include that the ground around the oak has become compressed from visitors, which can make it harder for rain to reach the tree’s roots. Reports describe the tree’s large, gnarled limbs and sprawling canopy as a defining feature of the forest. While the outlets agree on the tree’s death and the broad reasons cited by conservationists, the accounts mainly focus on its long age, its cultural association with Robin Hood, and the failure to leaf out this season.