Let me say first of all, I loved the first conference. I loved the fact that, finally, arboriculture was getting together with urban design and landscape architecture. I enjoyed the buzz from the earlier TEP training days on the subject. I even managed to get our urban designer to come to a full day on trees!

The first conference came at a good time; with the emerging, british-focussed work on trees and climate change. Evidence. Just what our planning policy team needed in order for them to sit up and take notice as it finalised our Local Plan.

Knowing the next conference was on its way I was really excited. But, as time has gone on and the speakers list has firmed up, I have to come clean and say my overwhelming response is *shrug*.

Its certainly about trees. But, for me, how has it suddenly become a mixture of the same old faces and, I suspect, several people who will be able to add ‘delivered a paper to conference X’ as part of their CV or bid for their next research funding round ? To be honest, I’m not that interested in what is happening overseas. Yes, we can learn from it, and yes, there’s no reason why some should not be included. But I feel that the proportion this year is far too high.

I’ve managed to put together just one afternoon’s worth of speakers (day 1) that I’d like to hear. I’d like to hear the presentation on retail sites too, but I’m not sure I want to sit through a morning of what looks like it will be a lot of congratulatory, let’s come together, fluff. Can I justify the council’s (or my own) cash for that ? Don’t know – I’ll see closer to the time. It will be interesting to see how many Local Authority employees are able to attend.

Hurrah for the MTOA cheap as chips training days !

Like many Local Authorities we’re being asked to justify having a budget to manage trees. So with Highway trees owned by the LA, the question is where the responibilities lies in terms of statutory and discretionary powers. From reading the examples in Mynors it’s doesn’t appear quite as simple as i hoped. There clearly is a duty to clear the Highway once there is an obstruction, however, how far does the duty extend to maintain and manage the tree stock? Obviously we know the potential consequences once management stops, but i just need to put this across to the budget holders in a transparent way – any comments appreciated.

Great to see so many people at the AGM and training day in December. Just after the meeting we received the outcome of our first ever hedgerow regs appeal where the hedgerow retention notice was served based upon the historic criteria.

Very pleased to say that the appeal was dismissed. The inspector decided that the economic reasons given and the appellants tree planting and conservation works elsewhere on his holdings were not sufficient to justify the removal of the hedgerow. He was on site for about 15 minutes.

This was a classic mid-winter notification. If you remember last Jaunuary-February there was frequent snow and biting cold. Any self-respecting plant life was hidden away. However, the hedge was shown on a tithe map of 1840. That was all it took to be able to serve the retention notice!

Finding the tithe map was a bit harder. For some reason some of the Staffordshire records are held at the Derbyshire Record Office, so this involved a day at Matlock. Time consuming, but well worth the effort of a snowy trip there last winter.

Using the historic criteria – getting to know what was available – tithe maps, estate records and digging further into land auctions, parish maps – was a bit daunting at first but I’m really pleased that determination paid off on this site. Flushed with enthusiasm I also served another historic criteria retention notice in 2013 for two hedges on one site. This was based on a plan of the farm at auction. From this I’ve realised I don’t need to be put off just because the farm may not have been included in a tithe map; other records may be available such as canal and railway survey plans.

I’d love to hear of anyone else’s sucess with the Hedgerow Regs.

Tea and biscuits for the team!

Moksacitta (Portia)

Lichfield District Council

No folks, it’s not a warning and -contrary to popular belief- I still have most of my marbles..

However, this book: Fire Season: Field Notes from a Wilderness Lookout by Philip Connors

Is well worth a read. Those of us who’ve taken the professional route in arb or forestry are increasingly separated from the outdoors by the neccessity of producing reports, meetings, emails and the endless phone calls and other minutiae that make up most of our days.

The point is that we don’t get to spend much time doing what enthused most of us in the first place i.e being out in the woods and breathing that ‘as yet sweet and lucid air’ as Edmund Abbey had it.

Neccessarily we often have to take those pleasures vicariously and this book gives us an opportunity to do just that.

Phillip Connors is employed for half the year as a wilderness lookout (a fire watcher essentially) in the heart of the Gila Wilderness in Southwest New Mexico. The Gila Wilderness is on a scale most of us in the UK will be lucky to experience once in a lifetime. 872 square miles with no roads, no buildings, motorised transport, construction, mining etc etc. A true wilderness.

The book is a result of over a decade of experience in the role of lookout and is at once wonderfully introspective while providing a history of a now vanishing occupation.

It also documents the history of the Gila Wilderness in part and the changing attitudes to fire as part of the ecosystem rather than an evil to be stamped out at all costs. The evolution of ecological concepts particularly in the case of Aldo Leopold makes fascinating reading. Abbey, Muir, Thoreau, Leopold etc all get in on the act somewhere in the book with Kerouac getting an honorary mention as a former lookout himself.

The book is nicely summed up by the Associated Post: ‘Reading this book is like taking a vacation in beautiful scenery with an observant and clever guide. So relax and enjoy’.

Couldn’t say it better myself.

Do you want sugar with your tree (2)

This was passed to the MTOA by Dr Glynn Percival. Has anyone being using sucrose applications for ailing trees and if yes what sort of results have you had? I’m also interested in any references to research on the affects that sucrose applications may have on mycorhizae and other beneficial micro flora?

Cheers

Moray