AN AXE TO GRIND. MTOA’s QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

The Axe to Grind, Winter 2014-15 Edition.

Interactive content; where you see the leaf logo then the page is

”live” so click for any internet content, try it

Meet this edition’s contributors

If you click on any of the pictures you can read their on-line biog-

raphy. Where you see “Feature Article” the piece is unique to

the Axe!

Ian McDermott

Editor

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have the view option set for a two page spread, it is designed for on-line

viewing so make use of the links embedded.

The MTOA is a fully constituted not for profit organisation . The views

expressed in the magazine may not reflect the official views of the MTOA

and the association accepts no liability for any views or technical advice

presented by its contributing authors.

Jeremy Barrell Julian Dunster Francesco Ferrini Gareth Hare

Hinrich Paulsen

Chris Parker Keith Sacre Moray Simpson

Moray Simpson: Chairman's stump. 4

Jeremy Barrell: Urban greening: 8

Russell Ball: One man 14

Hinrich Paulsen: ArborMaps. 22

Gareth Hare: Mentoring 26

Keith Sacre: Bio-Security 30

Chris Parker, Fungal identification. 36

Julian Dunster: Evidence in Arboriculture 44

And finally, Editors last word 49

Inside this issue:

Features

Please don’t forget to visit the MTOA’s sponsors too.

Chair

Moray Simpson

Chair-Elect

Matt Seabrooke

Past Chair

Ian McDermott

Secretariat

David Beadle

Treasurer

John Blessington

CAVAT Rep.

Matt Vaughan

Editor

Ian Mcdermott

AFAG Rep.

Tim Weatherill

GYTOG Rep.

vacant

Directors

Gareth Hare

Portia Howe

Steve Dores

MTOA Chairman, Moray Simpson.

T his will be my last stump as Chair of the MTOA, with my term

of office coming to and end at the AGM in Dudley on the 10th

December. Over the last two years the MTOA has continued

to grow, due to the tireless work of the board members, Jean

in the office, the “Axe” editor Mac and all those who have helped out at

our events, including the speakers and our sustaining and event

sponsors. We continue to provide some of the cheapest arboricultural

training in the UK (apart from free events obviously) which are tailored

to meet the needs of tree officers. However as the MTOA grows, the

municipal arboricultural/ urban forestry sector appears to be imploding

under the onslaught of Local Authority cuts.

Every week, news comes through of more cuts to Local Authority tree

services, with the latest that I became aware off, being the loss of one

of the tree officer posts at Wolverhampton Council. This leaves one

tree officer there, to cope with the workload previously undertaken by

two officers. Many tree officers are working under difficult

circumstances brought on by cost saving cuts, with increasing

workloads resulting in non-statutory functions taking a back seat.

These non-statutory functions are important. Tree officers are ideally

placed to be able to help with major societal issues including

improving people’s health and wellbeing, combating and mitigating

against the effects of climate change and being on the front line to

spot and manage pest and diseases outbreaks and their subsequent

aftermaths. Being locally based (in an ideal world each Local Authority

(Continued on page 5)

Front cover picture.

Cornus capitata photo-

graphed in October in the Na-

tional Arboretum, Glasnevin,

RoI.

The Chairman’s Stump.

in the UK would be adequately resourced

with qualified arboriculturists) tree

officers can be the first line of defence

against pest and disease outbreaks.

During September the MTOA held one of

the most important seminars in its

history. This seminar titled “Has it a

Pulse”, alluding to the perilous condition

of municipal arboriculture/ urban forestry

in the UK at a time when we face

significant threats to the urban forest and

populations of ‘trees outside woodlands’

from imported pests and diseases. A key

part of this day was the workshop

entitled “Who is going to stop the

decline” which was kindly hosted by Jon

Stokes from the Tree Council.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend this

event, but I have received positive

feedback. The MTOA will lobby and work

on your behalf to try and gain

improvements and resources for

municipal arboriculture/ urban forestry in

the UK. We look forward to working with

the Tree Council and any other interested

organisations on this vitally important

matter.

We currently face an unprecedented risk

to our trees from imported pests and

diseases. Tree officers are best placed at

a local level to assist in the monitoring

for pests and diseases and engaging and

training local communities and arborists

on tree health, pests and diseases and

biosecurity. Who else will manage the

catastrophic loss of trees that may arise

from pathogen outbreaks, whilst

maintaining public safety and

biodiversity? Who else will plan,

implement and manage the replanting of

urban tree populations lost to pests and

disease outbreaks? These are some of the

questions that we need answers to. Well

the answer is tree officers, but only

where each Local Authority arboricultural

service is properly resourced with

sufficient trained and qualified

arboriculturists in post with budgets

commensurate with the tasks faced and

value of the asset managed.

In England between 1980 and 1997 there

was a 64% decline in individual ‘trees

outside woodlands’. It is likely that part

of this dramatic decline is attributable to

Dutch elm disease (DED), with 25 million

elm trees believed to have died as a

result of DED (Woodland Trust, 2009).

This highlights the risks that our urban

and non-woodland trees face from new

and evolving pests and diseases. In the

UK the impact of Chalara is predicted to

be huge and if Asian Longhorn Beetle

ever became established in the UK, the

loss of trees would be catastrophic for

the whole of society.

If properly resourced, Local Authority tree

officers are well placed to assist in

monitoring urban trees and trees outside

woodlands for pest and disease

outbreaks and in assisting with citizen

science projects such as ObservaTree,

OPAL and Treezilla which engage the

community and which could act as a pest

and disease early warning system. We are

also best placed to act as a conduit for

best practice and as source of the latest

news and information on pests and

diseases for local arborists and tree

surgeons. We have the skills and

knowledge to manage trees that die and

become dangerous as a result of pest and

disease outbreaks. Note, I underlined

properly resourced at the start of this

paragraph. We are ideally placed and

have the skills and knowledge, but most

Local Authorities certainly aren’t properly

resourced to contain and manage

significant pest and disease outbreaks

and certainly do not have sufficient

resources to deal with the aftermath of

such outbreaks.

To effectively manage urban and non-

forestry tree populations for positive

reasons such as peoples health and

(Continued on page 6)

wellbeing and to help mitigate against

climate change and catastrophic pest and

disease outbreaks, it is about time that

municipal arboriculture is given statutory

function status by central government

and is resourced in accordance with best

practice asset management principles.

Moray Simpson

MTOA Chair, 2012-2014.

References & Web Addresses

Woodland Trust, 2009. Trees Outside

Woods – A Report to the Woodland Trust.

Department of Plant Sciences, University

of Oxford.

http://www.treezilla.org/

http://www.opalexplorenature.org/?

q=TreeSurvey

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/

observatree

I would at this point like to say, on behalf of the MTOA Board members and I’m sure all

the MTOA members themselves a very big thank you indeed to Moray for the service he

has given the MTOA and of course latterly in the role of the Chair of the Organisation. He

has elevated the organisation to a standing in the industry it has never before held and

has worked feverishly to this end. He of course will not get away that easily as he serves

out two more years as immediate past chair. Thank you Moray from me personally and

the whole of the Municipal Arb community. A job well done.

Mac (Editor)

http://www.woodlands.co.uk/tv/2014/10/identifying-poisonous-mushrooms-in-the-woodlands-2/

Day one, lesson one: At what height do

we measure Trunk Diameter?

Anyone remember the MTOA talk from Roy Finch?

This article (courtesy of the SMA) was an extract from

some advice from DuPont in 1911.

T here is a compelling body of

published and emerging research,

supported by a burgeoning array of

anecdotal evidence, that trees are the most

cost-effective element of urban

infrastructure for delivering multiple

community benefits. All the more

surprising then that we find national and

local government commonly impotent at

successfully protecting existing trees and

incorporating new trees into new urban

development. On a daily basis, we see

valuable, and sometimes irreplaceable,

trees lost in the name of progress, and the

new trees promised by the ‘here-today-gone

-tomorrow’ politicians often failing to live

past the first few years of planting. Plenty

of talk and very little action is the common

reality; the quality and extent of our urban

canopy cover is decreasing, so what are the

prospects of reversing that damaging

trend?

Jeremy Barrell was on the panel that

produced BS 8545 Trees from nursery to

independence in the landscape

(www.bsigroup.com), and on the steering

groups for the Trees & Design Action

Group’s (“TDAG”) latest publications, Trees

in the Townscape: A guide for Decision

Makers and Trees in Hard Landscapes: A

Guide for Delivery (download free from

www.tdag.org.uk). He believes that, in

combination, these three documents

represent a turning point for all those

professionals interested in greening the

urban environment. For the first time,

through the provenance and calibre of this

new content, there is an opportunity for

individuals to make a difference where

successive political regimes have repeatedly

failed. We know how to do this; the

technical expertise to integrate trees into

even the harshest urban conditions is tried

and tested. What has been missing is an

effective mechanism for turning that

existing ability and the obvious aspiration

into action on the ground. In the absence

of any obvious political leadership and

vision, it is up to individuals take the lead,

with Tree Officers being very well placed to

make change happen.

Strategic alignments

At the strategic level, it is always difficult

for individuals to make a difference, which

is where organisations and alignments of

like-minded groups have an important role

to play. Historically, the London Tree

Officers’ Association has been very

successful at identifying local problems and

coming up with effective solutions to assist

its members in acting on the ground.

Obvious examples include its Risk

Limitation Strategy for dealing with

pressure to lose trees for subsidence

reasons, the Oak Processionary Moth

Guidance Note and the CAVAT method of

valuing amenity trees. This has been a very

effective assembly that has delivered local

solutions, often of national interest. More

recently, the Municipal Tree Officers’

Association has moved the concept of an

organised grouping of local authority tree

professionals onto a national level, with a

much wider geographic membership. In

tandem with these alignments, the

Arboricultural Association and TDAG have a

much broader spread of professional

affiliations, with a commonality of being

very effective at voicing individual’s

concerns at a strategic level. Although

different organisations, all have common

Urban greening: turning aspirations into action

Jeremy Barrell.

objectives and closer collaborations are

likely to offer substantial benefits to the

joint memberships, which will empower

individuals who want to make a difference.

Countering the demoralising impact of

relentless negativity!

Taking a very broad perspective, there can

be little doubt that the general public like

trees and support the principle of

optimising the stocking and health of our

urban canopy. It would be a mistake to

translate that goodwill into filling every gap

with trees, but it does mean that there is

likely to be widespread public support for

making the best use of the space available.

An obvious manifestation would be to get

as many right trees into the right places as

possible, but there is a psychological

obstacle to realising this ideal that can

dampen the enthusiasm of even the most

dedicated individuals.

Day in, day out, Tree Officers bear the brunt

of the public’s frustration from trees that

do cause problems; it can be relentless,

which inevitably skews the perception of

how the public value trees. Of course, the

number of trees that create conflicts are

minute compared to the vast majority of

trees that cause no problems, but

nonetheless, constantly dealing with

complaints will sour even the most

optimistic of characters. It is human nature

to speak up when unhappy and keep quiet

when all is fine, which highlights the

negatives and suppresses the positives. For

Tree Officers to be sucked into such a

negative spiral is a barrier to action, and to

occasionally step back and appreciate the

wider reality can often assist in achieving a

more balanced perspective. Ordinary

people really do like trees, probably one of

the best reasons never to give up doing

your bit for the greater good.

Barriers and obstacles to urban greening

If it is right that there is an overall public

appreciation of trees, albeit latent to some

extent, then an obvious question is why are

we not seeing more trees being planted,

more trees surviving and urban canopy

cover increasing? Here are few of the

reasons:

Lack of space: This frequently cited

excuse for not planting new trees just does

not stack up in a modern context. There is

a wide range of tree sizes that allow the

species to be tailored to the space available,

both rooting and aerial. Fastigiate forms

allow even the narrowest of gaps to be

greened, with the vertical emphasis

reducing the need for broad space

compared to the more conventional

spreading habit. Below ground, there are

multiple products providing a means of

converting even the most hostile

environments to support tree growth, which

in turn allows efficient use of the space

above the ground. Trees can be fitted into

parking areas with very little reduction in

parking numbers, and yet we regularly see

local planning authorities still consenting

vast commercial premises with no

significant tree planting in parking areas.

We have the technology and species choice

to plant new sustainable trees almost

anywhere, so there is no technical reason

not to do so.

· High cost of new trees: Excessive cost

is another reason for avoiding planting

trees. Of course, that is a valid concern in

the short-term because the bulk of the

costs are in the initial supply, preparation,

planting and maintenance to independence

in the landscape. But as a tree grows, the

value of the benefits it provides increase

exponentially with size, so those early costs

are soon paid back and a net gain position

prevails for the bulk of the life of the tree.

This matter is not clearly articulated at

present and requires more research support

to express it in a way that is easier for the

decision-makers to understand. However,

the clear position supported by the

emerging research is that trees provide a

vast net gain of benefits over their lifetime,

more so than any other single element of

urban infrastructure.

· Trees cause damage: Tree roots do

have the potential to cause indirect

subsidence damage on shrinkable clay soils

and caution is obviously required in those

situations. However, that is not the case for

all other non-shrinkable soils, and no such

precautions are required if clay is not

(Continued from page 8)

Urban greening: turning aspirations into action

present. And yet service providers still

regularly demand unreasonable and

unnecessary precautions on all soils.

Additionally, trees can cause direct damage

to services on all soils through

displacement by root growth and blocking

through root ingress into pipes. However,

almost invariably, this type of damage is

due to historically inadequate jointing and

a failure to use modern products with a

proven capacity to withstand these damage

mechanisms. There are multiple ways of

overcoming these problems, but progress

will require the service

providers to embrace a

more holistic approach,

accounting for the wider

societal benefits of trees

and not just their own

narrow perspective. This

lack of understanding and

such an extreme aversion

to any risk at all is simply

unsustainable in the

broader context of the

national need to adapt to

climate change, but more

work is required to

modernise this traditional

and entrenched mindset.

Of course, change causes

anxiety to even the most

open-minded individuals

and it is just human nature

to fear the unknown.

Sticking with what you

know is simply easier and

safer, but it is a real

barrier to progress to be

overcome if we are to effectively manage

the challenges that climate change is

bringing. It was never going to be easy,

but help is at hand with the new BS and the

two TDAG publications.

Trees in Hard Landscapes: A Guide for

Delivery

Focusing in on the latest TDAG guide,

Trees in Hard Landscapes, in addition to

providing a review of where we are with

urban greening, it also offers some unique

insights into where we have the potential to

go. Furthermore, the Foreword from

Baroness Kramer, Minister for State for

Transport, provides an endorsement from

the highest level of government that trees

matter and their integration into the public

realm is important. The document is

presented in four sections; the

collaborative process, designing with trees,

technical design solutions and species

selection criteria.

Collaboration is a very good place to start

because it is an organisational

characteristic that is missing from many

projects and a core reason for failure to

deliver efficient, economical and fully

functional solutions. On a personal level,

in our role as consultants in the planning

system, we see a whole range of

approaches, from the simply incompetent

to the impressively well organised. Our

experience is that one factor above all

others stands out as being of fundamental

importance to secure effective project

delivery, i.e. the provision for all the

professionals within the project team to

communicate and work together right from

the beginning. It sounds obvious, but as

Figure 1 conceptualises, it is far from

common, with the bulk of professionals

preferring to work in isolation from other

disciplines. This blinkered approach is

Figure 1: A common characteristic of traditional project management is

poor communication between the disciplines, often seated in a culture

of isolation rather than collaboration. A much more effective means of

working is for the project team to meet at the start, talk all the issues

through and deal with them efficiently early on, rather than having to

firefight the unforeseen problems as the project progresses.

cheap in the short term because there is less

time input, but it invariably turns out

expensive in the long term because

unforeseen problems at the end of a project

are much more difficult to put right.

Our experience is that the smartest operators

bring teams together early and talk a lot.

Collaboration costs more up front, but it

saves in the longer term, which is why that

process, and the modern mindset it requires,

deserves the prominent profile it has been

given in Trees in Hard Landscapes.

Here are just a few of the other positive

themes that run through the document:

· Link funding to highway issues: In the

present climate of cost cutting and the focus

on efficiency, funding for anything is a

challenge. That is certainly so for tree

planting aspirations, which often do not sit

comfortably when pitched against priorities

such as social care, waste collection and

crime prevention. One of the great

successes of this document is the

identification of a subtle, but nonetheless,

very strong link between more trees and

improved highway management. It may not

be obvious at first sight, but the background

research has found multiple instances where

increased tree planting associated with

highway schemes has enhanced the delivery

of the whole project. The detail of the case

studies is worth reviewing for this aspect

alone, because this funding stream has the

potential to dramatically increase the density

of new trees right where they are needed

most, close to people and roads. Indeed, the

active endorsement by the Minister of State

for Transport and the high profile support of

The Chartered Institution of Highways &

Transportation reinforce the importance of

this previously under-exploited funding

opportunity.

· The value of case studies: One of the

most effective responses to critics and

sceptics who doubt the feasibility of tree

planting projects is to offer case studies

showing other instances where similar

proposals have been successfully

implemented. With 32 case studies (about

two-thirds UK and one-third international),

the document provides a wealth of practical

illustrations of what can be done.

Furthermore, a very useful Case Study Finder

section assists the user in locating projects

that may relate to their particular situation.

· The importance of design champions: A

common feature of the most successful

projects and initiatives is that they are driven

by a single person with ambition and vision.

At the grandest scale, these are often

politicians looking to leave an ethical legacy,

such as Mayor Bloomberg, who drove the

New York City sustainability plan to make it

an exemplar of progressive city

management. More locally, that leading role

can be adopted by a design champion,

passionate about guiding a project to a

successful conclusion. Seeking out and

encouraging individuals to lead from the

front has a proven record of success, and is

repeatedly advocated throughout this

document.

· The need to think rather than rely on

recipes: For individuals lacking in

experience or confidence, recipes for action

are useful because they offer an alternative

to thoughtful innovation based on practical

knowledge. No such luck with this

document, I’m afraid; there are no formulaic

solutions for the robots, but there are plenty

of ideas for those who are prepared to think.

Managing urban infrastructure is a complex

process that requires experience, expertise

and intelligence to master. There are rarely

simple solutions that can be applied without

due thought, and this document does not

lend itself to such an approach.

Individual initiatives

In the absence of any lead from government

in the form of a strategic national plan on the

management of our tree population as a

whole, both rural and urban, it will be down

to individuals to articulate a vision and

demonstrate by example how to make a

difference. This is no easy task; it is so

daunting that it almost seems naïve to

suggest that such an approach could work.

Indeed, it would seem impossible if it was

not for the fact that it is already happening,

and these are not isolated occurrences.

Ordinary people are finding ways to do their

small bit and those individual efforts are

accumulating towards a big result. Each

story is different, but binding them together

(Continued from page 10)

is that they are just normal individuals who

saw a way to make a difference, and then

they did it. Whether through passion, skill,

connections, hard work, ability, knowledge,

determination or just plain luck, those

individual successes offer inspiration

certainly, but also clues to how the rest of us

can contribute.

Just to pull out a few, at the recent AA

Conference in London we heard how Keith

Foster’s (the Senior Programme Officer for

Brisbane City Council) passion for trees is

driving research into using Trichoderma as a

means of combatting serious fungal

pathogens, planting 16,000 trees a year

across the city, installing street water

harvesting for trees and funding research

into wind loading. From France, Frédéric

Ségur has successfully convinced Lyon’s

planners that trees should be an integral part

of their sustainability planning, overseeing a

massive infrastructure initiative with trees at

its heart. From the TDAG case studies, Bjorn

Embrem has pioneered tree-planting

techniques in Stockholm that are now being

replicated around the world. Closer to home,

Rupert Bently-Walls (Tree Officer) has

persistently lobbied for community support

for creative tree planting to encourage cyclist

and pedestrian engagement in Hackney. In

Bristol, Russell Horsey (Tree Officer) worked

tirelessly to foster community engagement

with trees that has resulted in an impressive

city greening programme. There are many

others, all ordinary individuals finding ways

of doing extraordinary things that made a

difference.

Support from organisations and

institutions

Hand in hand with these endeavours,

organisations can assist by creating a

favourable environment where more

Photo 1: Urban greening in Lyon linked into its sustainable transport policy; pleasant streets encourage

people to walk and cycle wherever you are in the world.

individual efforts can flourish. Case studies

are obviously very important; we need a

central repository accessible to all where

anyone can record examples and experiences

of practical achievements that may assist

others in doing the same. We all know that

there is a net benefit over cost from planting

trees, but we do not yet have a model to

articulate this. The academics need to

develop a cost/benefit model that is simple

to use and understand to help practitioners

make the point that the positives significantly

outweigh the negatives. Anxiety and

misunderstanding of the impact of tree roots

on services is a barrier to tree planting; we

need the academics to liaise with the service

providers to nail down a protocol that

properly balances the risk of harm with the

need for sustainable planting. Most

obviously, the time has come for Trees in

Towns III; if ever there was a need for

government to assist in the design of

sustainable cities, it is now, and we do not

have that support.

In closing, no matter how bleak the prospects

seem and how difficult the task is, individuals

should not give up because it does not have

to remain the way it has been. Each of us can

step up and make a difference if we choose

to do so, and these documents provide the

support to start making an impact for the

better. All improvements, no matter how

small, have the potential to accumulate into a

much bigger result. There has never been a

better time for small people to make a big

difference.

Jeremy Barrell

Photo 2: The right tree for the right place; this fastigiate oak will provide substantial height without the

spread and provide sustainable benefits into the long term.

O n the eve of the Ride4Research

End2End ride day (8th Sept.) I

found myself at the Lands End

sign-post feeling nervy and very unsure.

Firstly, would my knee strain picked-up in

training stand-up to the 1,000 mile plus

ride and secondly, how could I know what

awaited on this infamous of bike trails?

The latter was brought into focus the

following morning seeing the pairs/

groups of riders some with support

teams: mine was to be a solo

unsupported ride. But then time to crack

on with tree (bird cherry) laden bike and

the first school just around the corner.

I'd had some earlier cheer, however, at

the B&B with my first John O'Groats

direction: "go down to the duck pond and

turn left". The St Levan School pupils

were very attentive during the outdoor

classroom on tree benefits and with loud

clapping to send me on my way I set off

on day one.

In End2End circles Cornwall and Devon

are revered as a challenging hilly bike

ride. I wasn't to be disappointed. Sap-

draining gear-grinding miles were

cranked out mitigated, however, by

beautiful rugged (though tree-less)

coastal landscapes. Arriving in Camelford

I was relieved that the legs felt good and

the knee was fine. The Camelford school

turn-out was impressive and the pupils

were intrigued by my iron horse.

The route through these counties was a

mix of country lanes punctuated with

busy stretches of the A30 and lorries

bombing past some far too close for

comfort. Once up on Bodmin Moor the

road thankfully flattened out though a

headwind persisted all the way to Exeter

where I met up with Kenton Roger (I-tree

fame). After a few beers in Kenton's local

pub and a fine home cooked spag. bol. it

was an early night for the next tree

planting at South Brook School.

The pace of the classroom session was

geared down in this special needs school

and I was touched that one pupil thought

spuds grew on trees. The next leg led to

Glastonbury then up the Mendip Hills: a

slow but pleasant pedal-pump with great

views of the iconic Glastonbury Tore. A

pattern of 8-10 hours in the saddle with

breaks and a sustainable pace of between

12-15 miles per hour was emerging.

At destination Exeter I met with David

Evans (QTRA fame) for a well-earned

beer. Over the two night stop-over David

cooked up some gastronomic Indian

dishes. Of all the schools in Bath I'd

chosen one on the high ridge that

surrounds the city: involving a steep

sharp climb. On arrival at Combedown

School I was ushered into a pupil packed

assembly feeling a bit of a sweaty mess.

After an engaging full-on tree benefits

assembly it was outside to plant the tree

with the eco-club. The Tour of Britain was

in town so a break was had to stand on a

tight hillside bend to see proper cyclist in

action: alas with Sir Bradley Wiggins in

last place!

With three days complete it was time to

catch the train from Bath to Egham to

lead the one-day Ride4Research event (at

the AA conference) through Cobham

Common and Windsor Great Park

(WGP). This time John Deakin (Crown

Estates Chief Forester for WGP) kindly put

me up in his fine family forest lodge. The

ride was a fun social event as ever -

punctuated with stops to plug into John

Deakin's infinitive (royal) knowledge of

WGP - topped with a tasty AA hog-roast

and an ancient tree management field

trip hosted by Bill Cathcart and Ted

Green. The riders had a great time

especially with the post-ride beers at the

Monkeys Forehead.

On Mon. 15th Sept. it was the train back

to Bath to recommence the ride: making

my way along the busy A46 to

Cheltenham. Yet another stop-over with

Chris Chavasse (Senior Tree Officer:

Cheltenham Council). A fine homemade

curry and a few beers in a skittle playing

pub saw off the end of the day. The newly

built amphitheatre at Warden Hill School

provided a perfect setting for a full

assembly tree talk. With all the en route

schools I had been impressed with the

green knowledge of the pupils and at

least one pupils in every case knew the

autotrophic 'P' process: photosynthesis! A

collective choral shout of grow-little-tree-

grow saw the cherry duly planted. Cutting

across country took me through the

picturesque town of Ledbury and on to

Bromyard: then destination Shrewsbury.

Still feeling good on arrival I landed at

the Whitehorse pub for a double-

everything grill and was pleased to hear

that many End2Enders appear a little

jaded when stopping at this pub. Not me.

Next day (16th Sept.) The switched-on

Coleham Primary School pupils were on

(Continued on page 16)

A Land’s End to John O’Groats Bike Britain adventure

with Russell Ball

form and a group photo-call with the iron

horse proved a favourite. One pupil noted

that the bike was 'v. cool'.

Back on the A49 I headed for Warrington,

Wigan and then Preston (550 miles in).

Must confess I had a brief body-aching-

this-is-tough moment but I figured such

feelings had no room on the ride and

rallied round to head ever northwards.

Although a tarmac clad school a raised

planter was found for the tree at Eldon

Primary soaked in with the cutest plastic

watering can ever! The tree will planted

out at a later date on a nearby school

field.

Day ten of the ride was excellent: a wind

assisted cycle from Preston to Penrith

flying up the A6. A welcome stopover

break again with fine food was had with

Rob Sim (Capita) and we planted two

trees (another cherry kindly supplied by

Capita) at Stramongate Primary School

(Kendall) with site prep from Graham

Nicholson (Capita).There was brief shock

horror moment with the pupils galloping

from one tree to another that denigrated

into a 420 pupil stampede! No worries

only some slight bruising!

At 660 miles it was destination Gretna

Green having made the Scottish border

(knock-out). It's was now over halfway

and I felt strong and mental focused on

getting to the finish. However, 450 miles

remained until the John O'Groats ticker-

tape. Reflecting back at this stage the

schools had been great and the pupils

even better.

Sunday (21st Sept) was a quiet flat route

from Gretna on the A75/6 to Dumfries

and Kilmarnock. It was good to have a

rest from the constant throng of HGVs:

many passing very close to my right

shoulder! Pressing on with a 117 mile

ride found me in Paisley. Near on rabid

(Continued from page 15)

“With all the en route

schools I had been

impressed with the green

knowledge of the pupils”

with hunger I stumbled into the local Ben

& Jerrys (not much else around) but

unfortunately with gas off in the kitchen

all they could offer was a bowl of

soup....... KFC happy meal then!

Next day the first bike-ride-fright was

mistakenly taking the Clyde tunnel in

Glasgow. The dimly lit descent into the

tunnel's bowel was like entering Hades.

There was no space to make mistakes in

this claustrophobic tunnel but just to

cycle like hell and get out alive at the

other end. With blood pressure returned

to normal I past Dumbarton on the A82

and along the side of Loch Lochmon.

Beautiful.

I had a result with the stay at Crianlarich:

a free night at the Best Western as long

as I had meal. Get in.

At the next local school (Crianlarich

Primary) tree planting, a seven year old

pupil even knew the 'P' word! Just amazed

at how informed these youngsters are. By

now I was beginning to feel pumped with

the finish line in my grasp. The challenge

of the Highlands, however, still awaited.

A thigh pumping 2.5mile ride up on to

the windswept Rannoch Moor took me in

sight of Glencoe. 'Twas a grey drizzly

moody day and I felt like a mere spec in

this isolated mountainous landscape. At

Fort William alas Ben Nevis was heavily

cloaked in low cloud. Cold and a little

damp I arrived in Fort Augustus: at the

southern tip of Loch Ness.

Next day the tree planting at Kilchuimen

School went well with a great group

photo under their tree thought poster.

Another tailwind along the Loch sped me

to Inverness where a copper beech was

planted with the head (Convener) of the

Highland Council: Cllr Jimmy Gray. Many

thanks to Robert Patton and team at

(Continued on page 18)

Inverness Council for organising this

planting.

Just north of Inverness the A9 headed

north into the Sutherlands, another

beautiful landscape with rolling heather

covered hills on one side and the

expansive North Sea (with numerous oil-

rigs) on the other.

Second bike-ride-

fright was free-

wheeling at 40mph

down into the

fishing village of

Brora. If falling off

the bike and

skidding along the

bridge hadn't killed

me then the 50ft

drop off the bridge

would have!

Next day (26th

Sept), even though

Keiss Primary

School was closed

on an in-service

day, an impressive

number of pupils,

parents and

teachers showed to

see the English man

with tree-clad iron

horse. With the

final tree planted it

was job done: all

eleven schools from

the toe to tip of

Britain. Just the last

17 miles remained

to the ticker tape of

John O'Groats. A

vicious westerly cross wind meant an

angled, leaning cycle ride. However,

steering north provided a tailwind that

blew the iron horse clear into the Bike

Britain finish line. Must confess I felt a

little emotional having photo taken at the

famous post and humbled that the

couple who obliged with camera shot

gave me a £6.00 donation.

Closing thoughts. What does it take to

finish a solo unsupported 1,000 plus

mile End2End cycle ride. Well, over

300,000 pedal strikes, dogged

determination, a shed-load of grit and

the desire to take every hill thrown at you

on the chin! The eleven schools were

great and the approx. 2,000 switched-on

kids even better. Personally, after three

months of planning,

preparation and

training I feel very

relieved,

emotionally tanked-

up and just a tad

proud!

Many thanks to

those along the

route who put me

up, to Coles

Nurseries for the

trees and to Robert

Pattton and team

for organising the

Inverness planting.

..... What's next ?

Abseiling off the

Europa hotel in

Belfast.... watch this

space.

Russell Ball

Fund4Trees

http://

fund4trees.org.uk/

Founder & Trustee

russell@fund4trees.org.uk

For grants & bursaries: http://

fund4trees.org.uk/grants-and-bursaries/

To donate:

https://www.justgiving.com/russell-ball-

end2end or http://fund4trees.org.uk/

donate/

(Continued from page 17)

http://www.mtoa.co.uk/

Blue Sky tree cover

research counts 280

million trees in England

and Wales

The first national tree count has

revealed that there are 280 million

trees in England and Wales, with the

most densely covered green areas being

Surrey and London.

The tree survey was carried out using the

latest aerial mapping technology from

Bluesky.

James Eddy, technical director of Bluesky,

which made the National Tree Map, said: "It's

the big gardens and big houses with all the

trees. [In more rural areas] they have taken

out huge rows of trees and grown crops —

that doesn't go on in Surrey. We were also

quite surprised at London and how green it

is."

The data included every tree that measured

3m and above in height.

The tree map ranked 347 districts and

boroughs and found the average tree

coverage in Greater London to be 21.5 per

cent.

Camden was ranked 16th with 30.27 per cent

coverage, Croydon was 18th with 30.17 per

cent and Harrow 22nd with 28.1 per cent.

The City of London was 342nd with 4.38 per

cent coverage.

Top performing areas for tree coverage were

as follows:

Surrey Heath (Surrey) 40.6%

Waverley (Surrey) 40.2%

Bracknell Forest (Berks) 39.8%

Runnymede (Surrey) 37.8%

Woking (Surrey) 36.9%

Mole Valley (Surrey) 36.8%

Elmbridge (Surrey) 36.2%

Guildford (Surrey) 35.8%

Neath Port Talbot (Wales) 32%

New Forest (Hants) 31.4%

Demolition

starts to make

way for

Pershore

College

transformation

The scheme will give the college a

contemporary glass building which will house

a science and technology centre, collections

house, teaching rooms and project spaces and

research and development facilities.

The college was successful in its bid for

funding for the project from the Skills Funding

Agency.

Principal Tamsin Jones said: "This is a fantastic

milestone for us. Seeing the old buildings

being knocked down marks the end of an era,

but our students and staff are all so excited

about the new redevelopment which is going

to replace them.

"This stunning new building will ensure we

remain at the forefront of the horticulture

industry and our students will be able to learn

using the latest technology, providing them

with a competitive advantage when they begin

their careers in the industry."

The new developments are due to be

completed by September 2015. Current

college activities and facilities for students will

be unaffected during the works.

http://www.i-tree.se/

The Motivation

Trees are many things to many people. They

are a natural resource, a source of work, a

habitat for animals and a boon for the

environment.

Especially in cities, where a very large portion

of todays population lives, trees are

indispensable for the well-being of their

inhabitants. While it is undisputed that trees

are good(1) for a city it also means that they

have to be taken care of because without the

appropriate attention they can pose a

considerable threat or just wither and die.

In our day and age keeping track of

hundreds or thousands of city trees that have

to be watered, pruned or otherwise tended to

is only effectively possible with the help of

computers. A tree management system

consists of a database that will accept all the

relevant data and will ideally be connected to

a map since the location of a tree is a very

important piece of information associated

with a tree.

Quite a large number of tree management

systems exist on the market today. However,

they often fall short of the exact

requirements of the user, do not always by

default come with an integrated map and are

usually very expensive. These facts, primarily

observed in Germany, led to the idea of

establishing an easy-to-use, configurable,

online, map-based tree management system

that is to be made available to the public

under a free software license and free-of-

charge.

The stakeholders

BreWo-Arboristik, a small tree inspection

company and terrestris, a geoinformatics

business specialised in free and open source

software, both from Germany, met through a

series of events at the beginning of 2014. It

quickly became apparent that there was a

gap in the market for tree management

systems and that the expertise with regard to

trees and software was there to remedy this

fact. A website was quickly set up at

arbormaps.com and a stall booked at

Germanys largest trade fair for arborists, the

Deutsche Baumpflegetage [2]. This three day

event quickly made it clear that there is a

huge demand for an open tree management

system and that there are any number of

stakeholders in ArborMaps out there – maybe

YOU are one of them?

ArborMaps:

The new open source tree management system.

ArborMaps functionality

What intrigues people is the fact that

ArborMaps is scheduled to be an online

system that will run in a browser on any

device, that it will be fully integrated with a

geographical information system and will

come with worldwide background geodata

stemming from the OpenStreetMap [3]

project. It will be easy to use and will be

centered around a 'form generator' that

allows the user to customise the system

according their needs. It will feature a user-

and rights-management so that data can be

made available selectively. All data can be

saved in projects so that all sorts of

requirements of, for example, the HSW act

can easily be represented. One of the more

important targets of ArborMaps is to improve

the

communication between duty holders,

inspectors and care givers and thus reduce

cost. There are many ideas for additional

functionality. An offline-version, interfaces to

accounting systems and integration of

special libraries regarding species

conservation, to name but a few, are possible

in future releases. Due to the open source

code and an appropriate free software

license the system can be modified in any

desired direction.

Free Software

Not everybody is aware of it but an

abundance of free software already exists

which can be used for a tree management

system. But what exactly is free software?

The Free Software Foundation [4] defines the

four

following,

(Continued on page 24)

Image 1: Tree in a location accessible to the general public.

Photo by Florian Bremicker

essential freedoms, if a software is to be

considered 'free':

1. The freedom to run the program as

you wish, for any purpose

2. The freedom to study how the

program works, and change it so it

does your computing as you wish.

Access to the source code is a

precondition for this.

3. The freedom to redistribute copies

so you can help your neighbour.

4. The freedom to distribute copies of

your modified versions to others. By

doing this you can give the whole

community a chance to benefit from

your changes. Access to the source

code is a precondition for this.

(source: [5], modified)

Another aspect of free software is the fact

that it is available free of charge and can be

downloaded from the internet.

Crowdfunding ArborMaps

The question that might have occurred to

you is: „How is it possible to give away for

free such great software?“ The answer is

simple. To programme ArborMaps

developers have to be paid at the end of a

month, any number of other bills like rent,

heating and electricity have to be settled

and a company also has to make a profit.

We have calculated that €150.000 are

needed to produce the ArborMaps version

1.0 . If one person or organisation would

want to have ArborMaps the price tag would

be the above mentioned €150.000. If two

organisations want it then the price tag is

still the same amount only that each

organisation only has to pay half. Since

there are many organisations, who would

love to see ArborMaps exist, the arithmetic

is very simple. Divide the necessary amount

of €150k by the number of interested

parties and you quickly find that you are

getting an incredible return on investment

because for whatever you chip in you get

100% of the software valued at the above

sum. And the companies involved have paid

(Continued from page 23)

Image 2: A screenshot of the ArborMaps demo. By terrestris

their people and made a profit, so they are

happy too. And the best thing is that the

software is available under a free software

license so there is a maximum of

transparency and no so called vendor lock-in

that would oblige you to spend more money

in the future.

Conclusion and outlook

This crowdfunding [6] approach is very

different from other business models, where

someone invests money initially and then

tries to recuperate it by selling licenses. We

are just following a different philosophy

which often makes people apprehensive

because it sounds too good to be true. There

are many open source, crowd-funded

projects out there which have been hugely

successful [7]. Our self-imposed deadline ran

out on October 30th, 2014 and we are

currently looking at approx. 10.000 Euro in

funding so we're a long way away from our

goal. Since we are still in discussion with

some larger investors, who need more time

to make a decision, we will pursue our vision

of making an open tree management system

available to everybody and can only

encourage everyone to get in contact with us

if you think this is a good idea. Besides the

funding itself there are any number of other

ways of getting involved: spreading the word,

convincing the doubters, testing,

documentation, having good ideas,

translation etc.

ArborMaps follows a different approach than

most other software projects but it can make

your life easier, reduce your costs and

empower you. Once it is available it has the

potential to create a very large, worldwide

user community because taking care of trees

is not limited to one country or region but

affects us all. You are welcome to be part of

it!

Author:

Hinrich Paulsen

Pützchens Chaussee 56

53227 Bonn / Germany

+49 (0)228 - 962 899 51

www.terrestris.de

paulsen@terrestris.de

Links

[1] http://www.treesaregood.com

[2] http://www.forum-baumpflege.de/?

lang=en

[3] http://www.openstreetmap.org/

[4] http://www.fsf.org/

[5] https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-

sw.en.html

[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Crowdfunding

[7] http://openlayers.org/

M any of us will at some point in our ca-

reers have been lucky enough to be

mentored by someone we worked for

or with. Often these relationships can

prove pivotal in a career, help to shape and direct

youthful (or mature!) enthusiasm and a good propor-

tion turn into lasting friendships. Being a mentor is

unpaid, often thankless –almost in loco parentis in many

respects- and yet can prove critical to personal devel-

opment.

In many respects the mentoring I experienced took

the age old form of being an apprentice- an arrange-

ment that has existed since Homer smote ‘is blooming

lyre. This is still true of many mentoring scenarios to-

day especially in the industrial side of the profession.

Given that we live in the internet age and America has

adopted mentoring in a big way we now have mosaic

mentoring, new hire mentoring, high potential men-

toring, speed mentoring or even reverse mentoring.

This last example shatters the illusion of a sage, world

weary individual offering pearls of wisdom to a fresh

faced tyro. Anyone who’s been shown how to use

their smart phone/tablet/sat nav by someone of more

tender years knows the experience well! Whatever

the particulars of the mentoring partnership it’s im-

portance and value to the individuals involved and the

wider industry shouldn’t be overlooked.

Certainly my own experience of mentoring proved

crucial to my early career.

I’ve recently returned from the Scottish borders and

while there visited magnificent Floors Castle. This was

something of a pilgrimage for me as a good friend and

mentor worked there and always spoke fondly of the

estate and surrounding countryside. He’d worked

there back in the ‘80s in the Forestry department.

In the beginning

At the time I met Nick I was a pre-college student

working for a landscaping contractor in Lincolnshire.

He was one of the Foremen and after a rocky start

with others in the company took me under his wing. If

he hadn’t done that then I would certainly have left

(or more likely been let go) and my life would have

taken a different path entirely. As it was we worked

together for the remainder of my time there and he

kick started my forestry and arboricultural education.

We both came from within a few miles of each other

in Nottinghamshire and had strong links with the

Welbeck estate. Nick had worked there at the start of

his career and I had lived in an estate house all my life

During our time together he taught me how to ID

trees, plant, weed, spray and a myriad other establish-

ment tasks. We worked on pit tips, country parks,

power stations, roadside plantings and small woods.

The various seemingly small pieces of advice Nick gave

me along the way were invaluable. One which springs

to mind immediately was ‘always work harder at the

things you don’t like, that way they’ll go quicker’. Little

did I realise that those small mantras would still be

helping me today. I understand now having read a little

about the subject that this technique is called ‘seeding’

–kind of appropriate for us land based bods- essential-

ly implanting an idea or concept that may not be im-

mediately useful but which will be useful to the subject

in future. Most important was the enthusiasm for his

profession that Nick had in abundance and that he

helped to develop in me.

Nick had been to Newton Rigg (where I had been ac-

cepted) so was able to fill me in on some of the ec-

centric individuals who had been or were still on the

teaching staff. I was primed for my first mensuration

lecture at the hands of Mike Winn (past master of

mensuration and contributor to the ‘Blue Book’) that

he would always ask the question ‘what is the shape of

a tree?’ Usually no-one knew the answer but thanks to

Nick I did. When the question was asked I was the

first to raise my hand. Mike Winn: ‘yes Mr Hare?’ me:

‘Frustrum of parabelloid Sir’. I wish I’d recorded it as

the look on Mike’s face was priceless!

Sadly I’m forced to write this piece in the past tense as

Nick passed away some years ago now. I’d kept in

touch with him over the years and knew he was to go

into hospital for a routine operation. He never re-

gained consciousness.

So, for all those who have been mentored by some-

one, make sure they know how much you appreciate

what they have done for you. Don’t put it off thinking

that there’s always another opportunity. One of my

regrets in life is not thanking Nick sufficiently for what

he did for me.

For those in the fortunate position of being able to

mentor someone bear in mind that what you are do-

ing will shape the future of the person you’re mentor-

ing and may also shape the future of our industry.

Gareth Hare.

A sign of the times it might be but for the

first time in a very long time indeed the

MTOA sat down around the table with some

of it’s fellow Regional Tree Officer Group

representatives.

What better agenda than to discuss the

development and promotion of the CAVAT

system and if you want to know more about

that then please see the LTOA website.

It is very much hoped that the meeting in

Dudley in November (see picture above) will

be the first of very many with the various

RTOG’s as we work more closely together to

develop strategies for “pushing back” against

the crippling cuts to LA spending that are

impacting Municipal Arboriculture in a severe

way.

If you wish to get involved contact MTOA

straight away, we need the volunteers.

CAVAT: A Milestone Meeting

L to R: Chris Neilan (EATaLOG), Jake Tibbets (LTOA), Matt Vaughan (MTOA) and Rupert Bentley-Walls (LTOA)

Surface Materials around Trees in the Hard Landscapes

Please find below a link to the LTOA Surface materials around trees in hard landscapes Draft

Document, for consultation.

We are seeking views and opinions about this document from Municipal Arborists and from

specialists in other industries, such as highway engineers and urban designers.

Comments should be sent to Becky Porter, LTOA Executive Officer, on email

executive.officer@ltoa.org.uk, before Monday, January 8th

2015.

Feedback will then be collated and discussed by the Surface materials around trees in hard

landscapes Working Party and agreed changes will be made accordingly.

Please note that this consultation draft does not feature any images; this is a review of content

rather than presentation and appropriate images, tables etc. will be incorporated into the final

document.

You can find the document here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2tovr3uswwsjfmm/SMTHL%20Consultation%20JCP%201214.pdf?

dl=0

In a newly published position statement, its

Biosecurity Working Party describes the fun-

gal disease Ceratocystis platani (syn. Cerato-

cystis fimbriata f.sp. platani) as "a true killer,

impacting planes on a par with Dutch elm

disease upon the elm population".

Like Dutch elm disease, canker stain of plane

is a vascular wilt, which prevents flow of wa-

ter and nutrients to the leaves, and is poten-

tially fatal to the tree.

Though already well established in southern

and central Europe, is not believed to be pre-

sent yet in the UK, though last year the gov-

ernment's Food & Environment Research

Agency (FERA) identified it as "of concern".

"It is a sad irony that this tree, that everyone

until recently considered virtually indestructi-

ble, could now be exposed to a fatal patho-

gen just when the benefits and services it

provides are most needed," the statement

said.

"To achieve a true replacement would likely

take two centuries," it added, describing the

likely costs as "astronomical".

London planes (Platanus × acerifolia) account

for 10 per cent of the capital's trees by num-

ber, but given the great size and age of many

of them, provide a disproportionately high

value of ecosystem services.

The LTOA supports an import ban on plane

trees, but in order to achieve Protected Zone

Status, Defra must first be convinced that the

disease is not already present in the UK.

The association is currently working with the

Forestry Commission on surveys to establish

this.

Ceratocystis is just one of six pathogens

identified in the position statement as posing

a threat to the health of London's trees, the

others being:

Acute oak decline (causal organism cur-

rently unknown)

Chalara ash dieback (Hymenoscyphus

fraxineus)

Horse chestnut leaf miner (Cameraria

ohridella)

Massaria disease of plane

(Splanchnonema platani)

Oak processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pro-

cessionea)

It concluded: "Biosecurity measures will only

be successful if all the various organisations

involved and government departments are

working together in a spirit of cooperation

and collaboration," and called for a move

"from reactive to proactive approaches".

Tree officers warn that new "killer" disease could

devastate London's planes.

Without decisive action, the arrival of canker stain of

plane from the Continent poses a grave threat to

London's iconic plane tree population, the London Tree

Officers Association (LTOA) has warned.

Canker stain devastated the historic Plane Trees lining the “Canal du Midi” in France

T he question of bio-security is very

topical at the moment with some of

the commentary bordering on the hysteri-

cal. Chalara fraxinea remains on the agen-

da with the full implications of the import-

ed fungus on the UK Ash population still

to be quantified. There has been the out-

break of Oak Processionary Moth in West

London and its apparent consolidation

over the last few years. Massaria on Lon-

don Plane, Acute oak decline, sweet chest-

nut blight, phytopthora austrocedrae are

others which have gained a foothold in the

UK in relatively recent times.

There are now new strengthened plant

health measures in place to restrict the

movement into the UK of Platanus (Plane)

and Castanea (Sweet Chestnut). The im-

port of these species will have to be ac-

companied by “officially approved docu-

mentation” confirming that they have been

grown in a place of production in a coun-

try that is designated by plant health au-

thorities as free of Ceratcystis platani or

Cryphonectria parasitica. As the UK is the

only country that has declared a pest free

area there is, for all intents and purposes,

a ban on EU imports of these species until

any other member state declares country

or area freedom.

While the above is to be welcomed alt-

hough the speed of delivery might be

questioned is the desired outcome likely

to be achieved and is a ban on imports

likely to be effective. These are questions

which I cannot answer but I do know from

experience the volume of imported trees

into the UK is unknown and that a huge

number of trees are imported which are

then planted out directly into the UK land-

scape making pest and disease transmis-

sion almost inevitable. It is often the case

that trees sold from UK nurseries have

spent no more time on those nurseries,

than it takes to transfer them from one lor-

ry from the continent to another in the UK.

BIO-SECURITY and a NURSERY BENCHMARK.

Most people would agree that some con-

trol is necessary and desirable but many

look to others to provide such controls

and often fail to take a look at themselves

and their own operational practices. How

many people responsible for purchasing

and planting trees into the UK landscape

ever ask the question of their supplying

nursery, “When were the trees imported

and how long have those trees been in the

UK? If the concern over bio-security is

genuine it is also up to the nursery indus-

try to reflect on current practice and the

implications of just acting as transit hous-

es for continental tree stock being planted

in the UK landscape. This is possible even

given that the import of foreign tree stock

will continue and is in fact necessary if the

volume of trees planted in the UK is to be

sustained or, hopefully, increased.

Speaking at a seminar organised by the

Landscape Institute Biosecurity Working

Group at the Cambridgeshire nursery of

Barcham Trees in October 2013, David

Slawson, head of the plant pest and dis-

ease programme at the Food and Environ-

ment Research Agency (FERA), emphasised

the importance of maintaining the highest

standards of biosecurity in the fight

against pests and diseases of trees. He

said Barcham Trees' biosecurity policy was

an example of how an individual nursery

can take steps to put this into practice.

Barcham Trees have stated publically that

they will NOT import trees and sell them

directly to customers for planting into the

landscape. All imported trees will be held

on the nursery for one full season and

subjected to rigorous inspection, which

includes systematic and regular FERA vis-

its to the nursery, for pests and disease. In

addition the nursery barcodes each batch

of imported trees. This enables the nurse-

ry to produce a comprehensive audit trail

of all trees which includes, supplier, date

of import, date of containerisation, date of

shipment to individual customers across

the UK. The system allows for a complete

recall or destruction of trees from any par-

ticular batch if problems are identified af-

ter shipment has occurred. This was put to

the test when alarm over Chalara was at

its most intense. A local authority in the

Midlands asked for information as to all

the Ash trees that had been supplied from

the nursery over the preceding two sea-

sons. The nursery was able to provide five

years of information as outlined above.

However there are instances that the pres-

ence of pest and disease will not be appar-

ent visually but still be present. Barcham

have invested heavily in the independent

testing of their trees for physiological

health which is likely to be affected by the

presence of pest and or disease even in its

early stages.

Using Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories

and the expertise of Dr Glynn Percival and

his team Barcham’s have commissioned

annual testing of over 15,000 trees each

season across some 400 species and culti-

vars. Four years worth of data has now

been collected. This has involved the col-

lection and testing of some 600,000 indi-

vidual leaf samples. Three tests were used

to test for tree vitality and physiological

health. A brief description of these tests is

given below.

CHLOROPHYLL FLUORESCENCE: Is an indi-

cation of the fate of excitation energy in

the leaf photosynthetic apparatus, and has

been used to provide a rapid and non de-

structive diagnostic system of detecting

and quantifying physiological injury in

tree leaves and needles (photosynthetic

organs) under low temperatures, salinity

and water stress conditions. Chlorophyll

fluorescence, especially Fv/Fm (ratio of

variable to maximum fluorescence) has

proved particularly useful in screening

programmes as in many instances the ef-

fects of stress can be detected prior to

visible signs of deterioration. Recent work

has also shown that chlorophyll fluores-

cence values were highly predictive of

growth and foliar damage.

CHLOROPHYLL CONTENT: Stresses limit

the amount of carbohydrates available for

growth and reduce nutrient uptake result-

ing in leaf chlorosis and necrosis. Exact

knowledge of foliar chlorophyll concentra-

tions i.e. “greenness” consequently pro-

vides a robust and accurate estimation of

tree vitality. The chlorophyll meter (or

SPAD meter) is a commercially available

portable piece of equipment that is used

to measure greenness based on optical

responses when a leaf is exposed to light

that in turn is used to estimate foliar chlo-

rophyll concentrations. The meter makes

instantaneous and non-destructive read-

ings on a plant based on the quantifica-

tion of light intensity absorbed by the tis-

sue sample.

Both of the above tests can be carried

out on site, the third requires laborato-

ry conditions.

CELL ELECTROLYTE LEAKAGE: This test

has been shown to indicate incipient post

planting needle damage and heat damage

of conifer seedlings, this in turn highly

correlated with damage and growth poten-

tial of four conifer species following warm

and cold storage and correlates strongly

with post freezing survival rates of a

range of fruit tree species.

The nursery intends to continue with such

testing on an annual basis.

One of the spin offs from the research is

the creation of a nursery benchmark sys-

tem. It is now possible to use the accumu-

lated data to evaluate the physiological

performance of trees transplanted in the

landscape against a known baseline.

So bio-security, obviously government di-

rectives and interventions are welcome

and necessary but it is for the producers

and users of young trees to make choices

and those choices are there. Injudicious

importing and direct transplanting into

the landscape is always going to leave the

indigenous tree population vulnerable to

imported pest and disease. It really is your

choice.

Keith Sacre

(Continued from page 31)

Definition: Tree Topping – the removal of

main tree branches to stubs in either a

straight-across hedge fashion or a complete

delimbing of the tree, leaving only the main

trunk or trunks of a tree.

Fiction: “Topping rejuvenates the tree.”

Fact: Tree topping usually removes so much

of the tree’s crown that it can unbalance an

older tree’s root-to-shoot ratio and

temporarily cut off its ability to make food.

When trees are topped, they will typically

respond by readily growing new shoots. From

that point forward they become high-

maintenance. Most must be pruned regularly

in an attempt to restore normal structure and

growth. Pruning a tree annually is not

environmentally sustainable or cost-effective.

Your tree will also be more susceptible to

disease and insect problems.

Fiction: “The tree is too big and casts too

much shade, and needs to be reduced by

topping.”

Fact: By their very nature, trees create shade,

which means you really can’t plant anything

underneath and expect full success. But in

some instances, proper selective pruning,

NOT topping, can reduce the bulk of a tree,

letting in more light and allowing wind to

pass through the tree. Proper pruning does

not stimulate regrowth, and the tree will not

respond as drastically as when topped or

over-thinned. A qualified arborist is trained

to understand which kinds of cuts to make

(thinning cuts, not heading or topping cuts);

he/ she also knows when to stop.

If problems caused by a tree cannot be

solved through acceptable management

practices, the tree should be removed and

replaced with another species, or other plant

material more appropriate for the site.

Fiction: “Topping a tree is cheaper than

having it pruned.”

Fact: Initially, it might seem cheaper to cut

the tree in half to get the result you are

looking for. But over time the tree will

require more frequent maintenance, and

become a danger. Drastic topping cuts create

opportunities for epicormic shoots on the

remaining trunk to grow quickly into large,

poorly attached branches, if the tree doesn’t

just die outright. The potential for them to

break off and cause a hazard to property or

people is very high. From a legal standpoint,

the owner or owners of such a tree may be

responsible for damages if it can be proved

they were negligent. Incorrect pruning can

cause trees to become hazardous, and

therefore is negligence.

Fiction: Topping is a time-tested way to

prune a tree.

Fact: Topping is not a standard practice, and

in fact is “outlawed” by national tree care

standards. Topping has always been

controversial. If someone tells you they have

always done it that way, it’s a good bet they

aren’t up to speed with the latest, scientific

tree care methods.

Fiction: A banana split with all the toppings

is considered a serving of fruit.

Fact: We may not know diets, but we do

know trees. Topping is for ice cream, not

trees.

So how can you reduce a tree’s growth

without the injurious effects of the

“toppings?” Consult with a professional

arborist who is bound by an industry code of

ethics to provide proper pruning according to

the profession’s tree care standards.

For more see TCIA.org

Topping is for Ice Cream, Not Trees, Tree Topping Fiction vs. Facts

A new technique to control invasive tree

pests such as oak processionary moth

(OPM) is proving effective in trials and could be

commercially available by next year, the Arbori-

cultural Association Amenity Conference (14-17

September) has

heard.

Derived from a

naturally occur-

ring insecticide,

emamectin ben-

zoate (EMB),

and its means of

deployment,

known as tree

micro-injection,

it is currently

being assessed

by the Chemicals

Regulation Di-

rectorate.

Syngenta turf

and landscape manager Rod Burke said: "Tree in-

jection with Revive (which contains EMB) is in

use in France and Spain. We are trialling it and

hope to gain UK approval next year for the control

of OPM, with treatment for horse chestnut leaf

miner approved the year after.

"We will also investigate its usefulness as a con-

trol for Asian longhorn beetle and emerald ash

borer."

Dr Glynn Percival, who heads Bartlett's Tree Re-

search & Diagnostic Laboratory at the University

of Reading, has worked with Arboricultural con-

sultant Dr Dealga O'Callaghan to trial the tech-

nique, which involves boring an array of 10mm-

diameter holes at the base of the tree and injecting

the chemical at low pressure.

He said: "We

tested for

wound closure

as well as leaf

chlorophyll

content and flu-

orescence -

these weren't

affected. We can

inject it at quite

high levels without

burning the tree."

O'Callaghan add-

ed: "One applica-

tion lasts two

years, with signs of

effect in three-to-

four weeks."

Stressing the im-

portance of con-

trolling such pests,

he said: "It's been a

very bad year for

OPM. It's often

forgotten that it

does a lot of damage to the trees as well.

"Nor is horse chestnut leaf miner just a cosmetic

problem. Year on year it depletes the tree's energy

reserves, making it susceptible to other pests and

diseases, and will ultimately kill the tree."

Strategic approach "Can we eradicate OPM or HCLM from the UK?

We can have a shot at it. You wouldn't have to hit

every tree. For HCLM you might only treat high-

value trees. But you'd need a coherent approach,

which we don't yet have. Even if you don't eradi-

cate these pests, with the help of the biological

controls being developed at Kew we could keep

them to critically low levels."

Dr Dealga O'Callaghan, arboricultural consultant.

High hopes for remedy

for oak processionary

moth and other tree pests

T he tram network, which finally

opened in May this year, does

not even include the planned route down

Leith Walk to Ocean Terminal, which was can-

celled due to cost constraints in 2009,

though not before extensive preparatory

work had been carried out.

Edinburgh City Council originally intended to

replace the 50 trees with 100 new trees after

the scheme's completion, but now says these

will be planted elsewhere in the area.

Councillor Lesley Hinds, transport and envi-

ronment convener, said: "We want the 100

trees to reach maturity, and there is a limit to

the space available for mature trees on Leith

Walk.

"Once the hard landscaping is complete, we

will work with a landscape designer to look at

the inclusion of greenery, and identify loca-

tions where trees will have a good chance to

thrive for many decades."

A council representative added: "Local au-

thorities do not possess comprehensive

maps showing the location of utilities. When

work is planned for an area, information is

requested from utilities companies. Very of-

ten the information is provided with a caveat

that it is not exhaustive."

Trees lost for good from Edinburgh's

Leith Walk in wake of tram debacle

Fifty trees removed from one of Edinburgh's main and best-known

streets to make way for the city's troubled tramway scheme will not

now be replaced, as the council says it does not know where the un-

derground utilities are.

Another issue and the fungi keep on

coming! Autumn is like harvest time for

fungi, and fruiting bodies pop up in

abundance in the most beautiful of ways.

This timing is important to note from a

tree management perspective, but is also

fascinating from the point of view of a

humble fungiphile and forest dweller. So,

as we are undoubtedly well into the

throes of fungi season, I thought it would

be well worth talking about a couple of

key points of identification for all species

of fungi. If nothing else, this is important

when picking edible mushrooms, as

significant numbers of people still

manage to poison themselves each year.

According to the Daily Mail website, last

year alone there were 237 recorded cases

of mushroom poisoning, although most

of these will have been simple stomach

upsets. It’s not hard to do either if you

don’t know what you’re looking for. To

the bold and inexperienced mushroom

hunter, a young and delicious Wood

Mushroom (Agaricus silvicola) for

example looks unnervingly similar to a

young and somewhat unpalatable

Deathcap (Amanita phalloides).

FUNGI

Fig. 1: Amanita muscaria, showing the volva, or basal sac.

A number of key features will enable you

to pinpoint particular genera. For

example, the volva, an egg-like feature

seen at the base of the fungi in figure 1

is unique to the Amanita genus, which

contains many of the deadly species such

as the Fly Agaric, Panther Cap and Death

Cap, along with a few edible species.

Simply avoiding anything developing

from an egg is a good idea if you’re

looking for edibles. Smell is also

important, as well as taste, (don’t

swallow!) leakage or discoloration when

bruised or cut, the time of year and the

habitat and/or host they are found on.

One simple thing people rarely take the

time to do is take a spore print of their

particular fungus. Simply take the cap or

(Continued on page 38)

Fig. 2: Spore prints being taken from a variety of species.

IDENTIFICATION

bracket while it’s still young and place it

on a piece of paper overnight. Due to the

variation in spore colour, you should

ideally place it on both black and white

paper (Fig. 2) to ensure spores are

visible. All Pholiota, Phellinus and

Ganoderma species have rusty brown

spores, while the spores of Armillaria,

Trametes and Stereum species are white.

Figure 3 shows an impressive white spore

print from a Shaggy Parasol (Macrolepiota

rhacodes) I found recently while out for a

stroll. Needless to say, I ate many of his

brethren.

If you’re lucky enough to own a relatively

high powered microscope, it could be

useful to think about examining fungal

spores to aid identification. Figure 4

(Continued from page 37)

Fig. 3: Spore print taken from Macrolepiota rhacodes.

shows the subtle differences between the

spores of Ganoderma applanatum and

Rigidoporus ulmarius. Ganoderma spores

are brown and oval shaped, with one end

apparently ‘chopped off’. Those of

Rigidoporus are white and much less

uniform, appearing almost reminiscent of

a deflated football. It’s unlikely now in

the world of DNA sampling that

examination of spores would be used in

real world arboricultural jobs, but it’s

interesting nonetheless. If anything it’s

just useful to know that if you’re stuck

trying to identify a fungal species, there

are always additional techniques that can

be employed to point you in the right

direction. Might make you look more

cleverer when you’re out on a job too!

For a mine of further information, head

to www.mushroomexpert.com, it’s

marvellous.

Happy hunting!

Chris Parker

All pictures taken by the author.

Fig. 4a & b: Spores of G. applanatum (left) and R. ulmarius.

UK's largest Huntingdon elm felled over safety fears

A 23m-tall Huntingdon elm (Ulmus x hollandica 'Vegeta') in the North-

amptonshire town of Higham Ferrers, listed in the Tree Register of the

British Isles as the largest of its kind, has been felled.

The 300-year-old tree lost a large limb in a storm in November 2010,

causing damage to adjacent properties. Tree surgeon James Rose of

Rose Tree Care had attempted to retain the tree via heavy reduction.

But a lack of regrowth, evidence of woodworm and a partly hollow

trunk led to Rose having to fell the tree this month, which required a

35-tonne crane.

The lower 3.5m of the trunk has been retained as a memorial.

The variety was originally raised in a nursery in nearby Huntingdon in the 18th centu-

ry, and has some resistance to Dutch elm disease, which may have helped specimens

such as the Higham Ferrers tree to survive.

Government commits to not passing any public

woodland to housing development agency

An amendment to the Infrastructure Bill in the House of Lords on the 6th No-

vember rules out any transfer of the Public Forest Estate (PFE) to the Homes and

Communities Agency.

For the Government, Lord Ahmad said: "Throughout the passage of the Infrastructure

Bill, the government has consistently stated that we have absolutely no intention of

selling off our public forests, a point accepted and acknowledged in last night's de-

bate.

"However the government is pleased to affirm this commitment in law to further reas-

sure Parliament and the public."

Labour's leader in the Lords, Baroness Royall, said earlier that the country felt "deeply

concerned" about the future of public woodland in the face of new government pow-

ers.

But chair of the Hands Off Our Forest campaign Rich Daniels warned: "Even if the In-

frastructure Bill leaves the House of Lords with a clause exempting our public forests,

this may get overturned when it is debated in the House of Commons."

D isputes about trees are

commonplace. They include

questions about ownership,

responsibility for management,

health, risk, site suitability, growth rates, how

best to prune a tree, and whether or not what

was requested, was actually delivered as

expected. Resolving these disputes always

hinges on the evidence available to prove or

disprove claims and counter claims. In all

cases the evidence is the basis used to agree

upon facts. Many disputes can be settled

simply enough by a careful review of the

evidence. But that presumes the parties

involved have been diligent and collected well

organised documentation of the evidence

needed to convincingly support the claims

made.

Evidence comes in many forms and includes

pieces of material, documents, digital

records, photographs or video, as well as test

data, other records, analysis of results, and

process descriptions. As a matter of due

diligence arborists should have a

professional practice approach that includes

systematic collection of evidence in their

daily work. In the event of a dispute, there

will then be records about:

- what the client requested

- what the contractor or consultant offered

including :

- scope of work

- approach to be used

- specific trees involved by location

- timeframe for action

- expected results

- estimated costs

- any limitations involved.

- before and after images of the tree(s) and

site clearly showing the issues to be

addressed before and after work was

undertaken.

- a timesheet documenting details about

names of who was contacted, when (dates

and times), and notes about conversations,

emails, written notes or reports exchanged.

Most of the above items are easy to

implement and are a good foundation of

professional practice. Simple things such as

photographing a tree to be pruned and the

landscape and site conditions before work

starts, and again once work is completed,

can save considerable aggravation later on if

claims are made that the contractor has

caused damage to other trees or parts of the

landscape.

Evidence become more important if the

dispute comes before decision making

bodies that have powers to collect fines (such

as local councils) or award damages (courts).

Evidence

in

Arboriculture

In these cases evidence and facts become

critical. In a court the judge or jury make

decisions based on what they can learn from

the evidence presented to them. Some of that

will be agreed upon as factual, that is, an

accurate representation of what took place or

what was seen, heard, said, or written. Other

parts of the evidence may be controversial or

inconclusive and open to interpretation.

Documenting evidence effectively is a skill

that should be more commonly developed.

Many court cases note that “..what the

evidence tells the court is just as important

as what the evidence does not tell the

court...”

The role of the judge, in their capacity as the

‘trier of fact’ is to review all of the available

evidence and establish what is or

is not acceptable, and what is or

is not going to be accepted as

‘fact.’ In order to do this there

needs to be evidence that

accurately describes the matter

before the court. Judges and

juries use the evidence and

established facts to make

decisions about what took place,

who is or is not responsible, and

who shall pay for what. All of

these steps are based on

evidence. In most court cases the

judge and / or jury have never

seen the site, do not know the

people, and often have little or no

knowledge about the technical

issues involved. All they have to

work with is the evidence

presented in court.

Evidence can take many forms. In

a tree case, the starting point would be the

tree itself. That is the primary evidence. The

process used to determine if decay is present

or absent may be the next stage, and the

results of testing would become a further

piece of evidence. The analysis of the results,

and the implications of the analysis then

become additional evidence, and all pieces,

taken together, are used to support the final

opinion.

One of the most common areas of dispute in

courts reports deals with verbal evidence.

Who said what to whom, and when?

Commonly part A will claim that Part B was

told about certain issues. Party B will refute

this stating that they were not told, or were

only partially told, or that they thought that

what was said was X when, according to Party

A, they meant Y. Verbal misunderstandings

cause a lot of uncertainty, which is why

clearly written reports, meeting minutes, and

site notes can become such a critical part of

evidence later on.

Certain phrases commonly occur in

judgements:

In a court case, evidence has to be credible to

be useful. There of course many areas

outside the court where evidence plays a vital

role. Simply having a clear record of

meetings, discussions on site, photographs

of site conditions, or of work undertaken is

often an important step to preventing issues

(Continued on page 46)

Phrase Implication

...there is insufficient evi-

dence to support the stated

opinion...

The claim made doesn’t hold water and

cannot be believed.

...the evidence presented is

contradictory and incon-

sistent...

How are we supposed to know who is

right or wrong?

...the evidence presented by

Party A is not credible when

considered against their ac-

tions...

You say you did one thing but we know

you also did other things which are differ-

ent. We don’t believe what you say.

...the evidence was not sup-

ported by cross examina-

tion...

When questioned, your answers seem to

be different from what you claim the evi-

dence implies.

...there was no evidence sug-

gesting that ...

There is nothing to prove or support a

claim.

...despite other arguments the

evidence cannot be disre-

garded...

The evidence before me suggests that

these other arguments are not credible.

going to court. Other professionals use these

techniques all the time to assemble a

defensible record of who did what, when,

why, and how, and with what result.

Learning how to document and explain

evidence is important for any assignment,

whether it is a simple letter, or an expert

report for court testimony. Evidence is the

foundation of analysis, discussions,

conclusions, and final opinion. Describing

evidence requires effective communication,

which includes written or verbal descriptions,

photographs, sketches, diagrams, and plans.

These forms of communication are used to

tell the story. They describe

what you saw at various scales;

how you recognised the evidence;

how you analysed it; and

how you interpreted all of this to arrive at

your opinions.

To collect and document evidence effectively,

several important steps are required. You

need to know

1. what to look for, and how to find it;

2. what you are looking at and understand its

implications;

3. what to sample and why;

4. how best to collect and record the data;

5. how to describe what you saw;

6. how to best analyse the evidence

collected, and be aware of the various

strengths and weaknesses of any one

approach;

7. how to discern the important from the

irrelevant;

8. how to assess the sequence of events

documented, and show their relevance to the

thread of causality, and

9. how to describe the process used to arrive

at your opinions and evidence based

conclusion

In practice there may be additional issues to

consider, not the least of which are bias (the

tendency to describe an issue in a certain

way), and conflicts of interest. For example

tree care companies conducting risk

assessments may be tempted to recommend

removals simply to generate additional work

for their company. Or, there may be tensions

between what the client or client's lawyer

wants stated, versus a clinical and objective

analysis of what you see as the facts, which

may be in conflict with the client's opinions.

A key to successful use of evidence to is to

understand that your opinion must be clearly

supported by the evidence. For your opinion

to be accepted as true (factual), the evidence

and your analysis and interpretation of its

implications must follow a well-reasoned

thought pattern. If your conclusions are not

supported by the evidence, then what you are

seeing and discussing may lead others to a

very different conclusion. Evidence is

strongest when it provides incontrovertible

proof that that there is a direct link between

the cause and the effect. Evidence is at its

weakest when the link between the cause and

effect is consistent with one assertion but

may be open to other assertions that are

equally plausible.

To form a defensible opinion you need to

know the importance of the evidence, the

reliability of

it, the accepted ways it might be analysed,

and the strength and weaknesses of all of

these parts. If the

foundational data is not accurate then all

subsequent analysis and decisions will be

inaccurate. Critical to the whole process is to

ensure that the evidence establishes facts,

and not the other way around.

Not all evidence is immediately obvious, and

even when it is clearly visible, not all

evidence presents

itself as important. There are two key

principles to follow:

(Continued on page 47)

1. Know what to look for.

2. Know what you are looking at.

A key step at this stage is to answer the

question, is the absence of evidence,

evidence of absence?"

For example, just because no fungal fruiting

bodies were observed, does not automatically

mean the

tree has no decay (although that may well be

true). Suppose the absence of fruiting bodies

is due to

the type of fungus (annual versus perennial

conks), the time of year you see the evidence,

the stage of

growth (not yet advanced enough to produce

a fruiting body), or the presence of a decay

that seldom

shows up easily (such as only on the

underside of roots). These are limitations

that need to be known

and understood, because if you have them

wrong, your analysis and conclusions may

also be wrong.

Collecting evidence requires a systematic

approach. Before arriving on site it is useful

to envisage the range of situations that may

be encountered and be prepared for any of

them. On site, do not be rushed, and avoid

being pressured into seeing the evidence

based on what the client has told you. Do not

get sidetracked by the obvious and then

forget to check other factors. Conversely, do

not get hung up on the esoteric and then

miss the obvious. Know how to properly

collect evidence. There are well-established

protocols for aspects such as soil, water, and

foliage sampling. Be thorough in identifying

and documenting what you see, and be sure

that what you see belongs where you see it.

For example, if you find a perennial conk on

the ground and you recognise it as a fruiting

body associated with root rot, are you sure it

is in its original location, or has it been

moved around? Document its location before

moving it and note that it might have been

moved. Have a well-planned sampling

strategy in place before you arrive to ensure

that your time on site is used well. Decide

beforehand what it is you want to test for

and never forget that you may only get one

opportunity to visit the site to collect or

document evidence.

A picture is worth a thousand words,

especially when it comes to conveying

detailed information.

Most evidence can be presented in images,

although physical evidence may also be

critical in some

instances, especially where forensic analysis

of plant parts, wood, or soils has been

conducted. The starting point is to have

photographic images that clearly show

what the evidence looked like on the day

the image was created;

how any one image relates to the overall

site and overall tree;

where detailed images fit in the larger scale;

specific details that informed your analysis.

Courts generally allow evidence and

particularly photographs if it is relevant to

the matter at trial. In general all photographs

must fairly and accurately depict the site, or

event under discussion. If the image has

been altered by adjusting shadow details to

reveal what might otherwise not be visible,

provide a before and after image and clearly

note what was done to derive the new

photograph. It should be obvious but bears

noting, that any alterations that materially

alter content may be disqualified, and in the

process will almost certainly taint any other

opinions offered.

In summary, for your opinion to be effective,

understanding how to collect, document,

and analyse evidence is vital. Evidence forms

the foundation of your opinions or

conclusions. You need to know what to look

(Continued on page 48)

for, and what you are looking at. You need to

be able to document and describe what you

saw, why it was or was not important, how

you analysed this, and how you interpreted

all of these aspects. At the end, the evidence

examined, the process used, and the

opinions or conclusions reached all have to

make sense. Be sure that your opinion is

clearly supported by the evidence available.

Acknowledge areas of uncertainty, gaps in

the evidence or data, and areas that may

affect your opinion. Above all, remember that

evidence establishes facts, not the other way

around. Never stretch the evidence to make it

fit the facts desired by the client.

Julian Dunster is a Forester, Planner, and

Registered Consulting Arborist based in

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He is an

Honorary Life member of the International

Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and the Pacific

Northwest Chapter of ISA. His new book

Documenting Evidence: Practical Guidance

for Arborists is available from the UKI

chapter of ISA.

Julian can be reached by email -

jd@dunster.ca. Additional information can

be found at

www.dunster.ca.

(Continued from page 47)

Evidence is a critical part of our daily work.

This new book by Julian Dunster provides a

comprehensive review of why and how evi-

dence should be collected and documented.

Using examples and colour photographs from

several decades of experience, the author lays

out the steps necessary to provide evidence

that accurately reflects conditions on site. This

includes the processes necessary to think

through what will be needed before the site

visit takes place, while on site, and afterwards,

when analysing the materials in order to form

an opinion based on accurate and unbiased

evidence.

The book will be of interest to arborists, forest-

ers, and consultants wishing to show what

they did, how they did it, and how they de-

rived their opinions.

Recommended retail price is £25. Bulk dis-counts available.

This book can be ordered from the MTOA of-fice enquiries@mtoa.co.uk

T he last quarter since the

publication of the Autumn

edition of the Axe has been a

roller coaster of a few months

to say the least.

For a start off this edition is

over three weeks late coming

out, so please accept my

apologies for my tardiness but

good grief has it been busy.

Since “retiring” from full time

LA Tree Officering last January

I have found myself more

involved with the local LA’s

than I was before and my part

time job in Education has

swept up all spare time like a

Local Councillor sweeps up his

(or her) expenses.

MTOA has gone from strength

to strength and as you can see

from the article on page 28 we

are getting more and more

involved with a number of

established bodies with a view

to promoting the science and

art of Municipal Arboriculture.

However, as a counterpoint,

the postponement of the AGM

due to the poor level of

interest. was a disappointment

A poll of the members

intimated that the timing of

the meeting was most peoples

reason for not attending, but

the AGM has been held at this

time of year for many years so

it is hard to rationalise that as

a reason. It is more likely that

with dwindling numbers and

burgeoning workloads coupled

with Christmas with its rush of

planning applications, backlog

of complaints from the autumn

and the close down for two

weeks simply means that it is

just too busy nowadays to

consider CPD meetings at this

time of year.

It is also pertinent to also point

out that organisations such as

MTOA are here purely for your

benefit and to provide a

platform for the voice of

Municipal Arboriculture. If we

lose your support then very

quickly the volunteers that run

the organisation lose their

motivation to put in the extra

outside of their busy day jobs.

The “Banksy” picture below

reminded me of the reason we

do our jobs. The importance of

tree officers in all their guises

cannot be

understated

and the work of

the MTOA

needs your

support now

more than ever. Mac

And finally.

Comments:

Sign up for membership of the MTOA

What area of work are you in?

Just click on the form header to respond via email.

Planning, stat tree care

Council tree asset

Tree maintenance

Your geographical area

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Wales

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0-5 years

5-10 years

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Advertising in the Axe, members go free!

We publish four issues a year in full colour:

Spring 2015 15th February (copy deadline 1st February)

Summer 2015 17th May (copy deadline 1st May)

Autumn: 2015 13th

August (copy deadline 1st August)

Winter: 2015 14th November (copy deadline 1st November)

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wish to place a job advert then this can usually be accommodated free of charge contact the

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lication of the first edition the advert runs in) receive an additional 5% discount. Payments

received after that date will not qualify for the prepayment discount.

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