Pro Arb October 2017 by Eljays44

AN INTERVIEW WITH

october 2017

SIMON PARSONS MY TREE COMPANY

CLIMBING HARNESSES

HOW THE INDUSTRY DRIVES CHANGE

TOP TEN TIPS

YOUNG TREE MAINTENANCE

ANCIENT WOODLAND

IS ENOUGH BEING DONE? CoverOct.indd 1

28/09/2017 11:04

Pro Arb Full Page Sept 2017_Layout 1 9/14/2017 1:35 PM Page 2

INTRODUCING TIMBERWOLF’S NEW

TW 230PAHB

LOW EMISSION PETROL CHIPPER RANGE TW 160PH

TW 280PHB

MEET THE PETROL - POWERED WOLF PACK Complemen ng the exis ng 6” Petrol TW 160PH, Timberwolf have extended their range of petrol wood chippers to allow landscapers, estate managers and arborists to choose between diesel or petrol‐powered products. TW 230PAHB Europe’s best‐selling sub 750kg chipper now comes with a 37hp Briggs & Stra on Vanguard V Twin petrol engine or a 32.5hp Kubota WG972 as an op on. Both deliver the same class leading Timberwolf performance, reliability and efficiency.

Call us to arrange a demo t: 01449 765800

Advert template.indd 1

TW 280PHB Even faster and even stronger, the TW 280PHB is powered by a Kubota 57hp WG1605 4 cylinder engine that delivers simply outstanding performance and with a huge infeed, this 8” chipper can process wood faster than it can be fed.

timberwolf-uk.com

27/09/2017 10:03

NEWS 04 AGENDA

Does current UK law provide ancient woodland and veteran trees with sufﬁcient protection?

06 NEWS

A roundup of industry news

08 CONFOR WOODLAND SHOW Reporting back from this year’s edition

11 CITY OF TREES

The Manchester movement held a day of seminars at Barcham Trees’ nursery

12 NATIONAL TREE OFFICERS CONFERENCE

FEATURES

Looking ahead to the November event

15 AN INTERVIEW WITH

Simon Parsons, My Tree Company

18 30 UNDER 30

Previous winners tell us what they have achieved since

19 OPINION

Rob McBride mourns the decline of people going fruit-picking

21 GLENDALE APPRENTICESHIPS Pro Arb ﬁnds out about the company’s involvement in the Trailblazer scheme

24 CLIMBING HARNESSES

Paul George of Landmark Trading looks at the evolution of the arborist’s harness

26 THE FUTURE OF ARB

Jonathan Hazell considers how arb has changed during his years in the industry

27 TOP 10 TIPS

Helping young trees establish

28 PESTS AND DISEASES

KIT

Diagnosing and managing apple scab

30 SAFETY BOOTS

Standards in forestry footwear

33 CHIPPERS

How chippers are conforming to new emission rules

35 ARB KIT

All the latest arb kit

38 TOOLBOX

Brighton-based Centaur Tree Services

REGULARS

40 ANCIENT TREE COLUMN

Lapsed pollard beech trees, Epping Forest

CONTENTS

WELCOME OCTOBER 2017 • VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 10

elcome to the October issue of Pro Arb. You may have seen in the news recently that campaigners are trying to save ancient woodland at RHS Wisley, which is under threat as part of plans to widen the A3. According to the Woodland Trust, only 2.3% of land in the UK is ancient woodland sites and this is constantly diminishing, so for this issue’s Agenda we have asked whether current UK law provides ancient oodland and eteran trees ith su cient protection (p4). This month, we’ve been out and about visiting the Confor Woodland Show, which took place at Longleat Park on 7-8 September. The Pro Arb team enjoyed taking a look around the exhibitor stands and speaking to as many of you as possible about the magazine (p8). We also visited the south coast to join the My Tree Company team on-site in Brighton. Company owner Simon Parsons spoke to us about encouraging more women to join the industry, how he started the business, and how he wins work (p15).

ALL ENQUIRIES Tel: 01903 777 570 Eljays44 Ltd 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA EDITORIAL Features Editor – Joe Betts joe.betts@eljays44.com Editorial Assistant – Ellie Foster ellie.foster@eljays44.com Content Manager – Claire Maher claire.maher@eljays44.com Production Editor – Charlie Cook charlotte.cook@eljays44.com Subeditor – Kate Bennett kate.bennett@eljays44.com ADVERTISING Business Development Manager – Jamie Wilkinson jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com Deputy Sales Manager – Jessica McCabe jessica.mccabe@eljays44.com Account Manager – Natalie Ross natalie.ross@eljays44.com Horticulture Careers – Laura Harris laura.harris@eljays44.com

Looking forward, we have previewed the National ree cers onference, hich ill be ta ing place in Telford on 8 November (p12); tickets are now available for the event on the ICF website. With a number of highly e perienced tree o cers from councils across the UK speaking at the conference, it is sure to be a hugely informative event, and we are very much looking forward to attending. From the November issue, my colleague Ashley Lampard will be taking over as the features editor of Pro Arb. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the role and am sure Ashley will take Pro Arb forward – I know he already has some very interesting feature ideas that he is looking forward to sharing with you. Have a great month,

JOE BETTS

PRODUCTION Design – Kara Thomas, Mandy Armstrong Printed by Pensord Press Ltd Published by ©Eljays44 Ltd CIRCULATION Subscription enquiries: emily.maltby@eljays44.com Pro Arb is published 12 times per year by Eljays44 Ltd. The 2017 subscription price is £95. Subscription records are maintained at Eljays44 Ltd, 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA, UK. Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of Eljays44 Ltd and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publishers. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to, uncommissioned photographs or manuscripts.

FOLLOW US ONLINE www.proarbmagazine.com Follow us on Twitter @ProArbmagazine Like us on Facebook Proarbmagazine Connect to our LinkedIn group Pro Arb UK For careers in arboriculture and horticulture go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk Every week we send out ‘Pro Arb: The Tuesday Recap’, in which we highlight the most popular news stories from the last week. If you aren’t subscribed to The Tuesday Recap but would like to be, please email Amber Bernabe at amber.bernabe@eljays44.com If you would like to send us press releases to post online and potentially feature in The Tuesday Recap, please email Ashley Lampard at ashley.lampard@eljays44.com

MANAGEMENT Managing Director – Jim Wilkinson Editorial Director – Lisa Wilkinson Business Development Manager – Jamie Wilkinson

41 MEET THE SUPPLIER Sorbus International

43 LITTLE INTERVIEWS

Oct Leader Contents.indd 3

Pro Arb | October 2017

28/09/2017 10:54

NEWS | FEATURES | KIT

AGENDA

DOES CURRENT UK LAW PROVIDE ANCIENT WOODLAND AND VETERAN TREES WITH SUFFICIENT PROTECTION? NEIL CHAMBERLAIN

Senior forestry consultant, Maydencroft

“The protectors of these valuable habitats are the British people: you and me, landowners, dog walkers and nature lovers” I believe that ancient woodland is as under threat now as it has ever been. The current law protecting this resource says that “planning authorities should refuse planning permission for developments that would lead to loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats unless the need for, and beneﬁts of, the de elopment in that location clearly outweigh the loss”. Clearly the advice to planning authorities is that ancient woodland has a value, but if the value of a development is greater, the area can be destroyed. So what is that value, and does it change from area to area? We know that if national infrastructure improvements are required, such as during the construction of HS1, ancient woodland can be cleared and mitigating works included in the construction to soften the blow. Does the translocation of ancient woodland soils really mitigate the eﬀects of the loss, though resumably e ill have the same issue again with HS2. And what about more local development issues? You might not be able to fell ancient woodland for a

Pro Arb | October 2017

AgendaOct.indd 4

golf course, but what about for new schools, hospitals, social housing or energy creation? note of optimism the standoﬀs during the construction of the Newbury bypass and other developments have really focused our minds on what was important to us. Although the bypass went ahead, the experience increased the social value we put on ancient woodland and trees. Back in 1996 we had political activists, ecologists, mums, grandparents and businesspeople standing together in the face of the bulldozers, and values changed. It seems now that the protectors of these valuable habitats are the British people: you and me, landowners, dog walkers and nature lovers. We are their protectors, not the government or local planning authorities.

JONATHAN COCKING

Principal consultant/managing director, JCA Ltd

“In my view, few practitioners are ‘expert’ in their management” Ancient woodlands and veteran trees are currently at the forefront of many arborists’ minds. The threats posed to these important features are increasing and our knowledge on their en ironmental signiﬁcance is unra elling urrent la s do not eﬀecti ely protect individual veteran trees or ancient woodlands.

No emphasis is put on the biodiversity they harbour, how they interact with their surroundings and when removals are allowed; replacement planting is pitiful. In my view, few practitioners are ‘expert’ in their management. The European industry is responding by running a three-year project to provide an accreditation for practitioners who wish to work with veteran trees. This project, named VETcert, will be rolled out in 2019. However, more research is needed to help justify the need for more robust legal measures of protection. Veteran trees, ancient woodlands, the space they occupy and the creatures they support should beneﬁt from the strictest protection possible and e ery eﬀort should be made to increase the size of the ancient woodland resource by adding to existing woodlands with sensitive new planting and deadwood habitat.

KAYE BRENNAN

Lead campaigner, Woodland Trust

“It’s an alarming situation, exacerbated by inadequate enforcement” Absolutely not. Though less than 3% of the UK’s land mass is ancient woodland, more than 700 of these woods face destruction from development thanks to a loophole in current

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

27/09/2017 16:13

KIT | FEATURES | NEWS

national policy which allows development to destroy ancient oods if the beneﬁts out eigh the loss t s an alarming situation, e acerbated by inade uate enforcement hat s not to say the importance and alue of ancient woods and aged trees isn’t widely recognised he go ernment s recent housing hite paper e en suggested ngland s ancient habitats should be gi en the same protection from de elopment as green belt land he rust suggested parity instead ith manmade assets, such as historic buildings and castles his amendment to planning policy ould ma e a huge impact, and could inspire similar changes to planning rules across the he go ernment must deli er impro ing protection was part of its election manifesto. elp the rust eep up the pressure by supporting its nough is nough campaign

JERRY ROSS

Owner, Jerry Ross Arboricultural Consultancy

up ith a or able mechanism is not so easy en coming up ith definitions of hat the terms mean is fraught ith di culty rotten old illo hul is li ely to conform to the definition of eteran should it be afforded the same protection as, say, a huge ancient oa o about a eteran ha thorn or a ro an don t ha e the ans ers, but suspect that any legislati e procedure ould be less than satisfactory igh hedges legislation, anyone hile more protection ould be elcome, it needs to be couched in a form that benefits trees, not la yers t shouldn t play into the hands of those who have no interest other than to pre ent de elopment in their bac yard, but it should ha e su cient teeth to pre ent it being o erridden to foster the ambitions of large de elopers and local authorities or indeed to suit the agenda of the go ernment of the day

MARK MACKWORTHPRAED

Consultant, David Archer Associates

“While more protection would be welcome, it needs to be couched in a form that benefits trees, not lawyers”

“The current definition of ‘veteran’ status is too elastic to be the basis of good law”

Clearly not – certainly with respect to veterans, which don’t have any protection other than, on occasion, s he di culty is that hile it s easy to say we need more protection, coming

trictly spea ing, current la pro ides no protection at all to ancient woodland and eteran trees t ould be easy to say that none can hardly be su cient

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

AgendaOct.indd 5

urrently, ho e er, the planning system does protect them by re uiring their status to be eighed against the need for and benefit of de elopment and that case by case analysis is the right approach. Not all ancient woodland is the same, and ‘ancientness’ is an indicator of alue it is not or shouldn t be the o erriding alue idence for ancientness is often scant, contradictory or lacking, anyway. Similar points apply to veteran trees – they aren t all of e ual alue he current definition of eteran status is too elastic to be the basis of good law. There is a case for BS 5837 to be amended to ta e better account of them remo ing or modifying the m cap on s, for e ample but additional legislation, on top of the raft we already have, is not warranted. e la al ays tends to be applied unthin ingly en as matters stand no , the imposition of m buffer ones, irrespecti e of the alue of an ancient oodland or the nature of the de elopment around it, is often un ustified, and decisions are made claiming ‘loss of ancient woodland’ when there clearly ill be none f greater legal protection as given to ancient woodlands and veteran trees, it ould impose an additional and un arranted blan et constraint, and pre ent comple cases being decided based on rational analysis Next month: Would urban trees make an adequate natural defence against vehicle-led terror attacks?

Pro Arb | October 2017

27/09/2017 16:13

NEWS | FEATURES | KIT

NEWSBEAT

A ROUNDUP OF ALL THE LATEST ARBORICULTURE NEWS FROM AROUND THE UK. FOR MORE STORIES VISIT WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

More than 1,000 larches and sweet chestnuts are being felled in Betty’s Wood at St Ives Estate, near Bingley, to prevent the spread of phytophthora

EUROPEAN COMMISSION NEEDS TO TAKE STRONGER ACTION TO HALT XYLELLA, SAYS MICHAEL GOVE The Environment Secretary Michael Gove wants the European Commission to take stronger action to halt the march of Xylella fastidiosa, which could devastate many broadleaf British trees. In a letter to the EU Commissioner for health and food safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis,

Pro Arb | October 2017

NewsOct.indd 6

ramorum. The Forestry Commission detected the disease and served Bradford Council with a Statutory Plant Health Notice to fell and remove the infected timber before the end of October. Betty’s ood ill be taped oﬀ to pre ent public access while the work is carried out, and part of the estate’s Lower Car Park will also be closed. Phytophthora poses no risk to human or animal health, but

biosecurity measures will be taken to control the risk of infection spreading. An estimated 4,000 tonnes of logs will need to be felled over the 12ha area covered by the Statutory Plant Health Notice. The council will be applying for a restocking grant to replace the felled trees and add to those species that remain. www.friendsofstives.org.uk

Mr Gove said preventing further spread was of “paramount importance” and welcomed the introduction of emergency legislation and a review. He wrote: “I am very concerned about the increase in ﬁndings in the EU, which raises serious questions about the robustness of the EU’s present arrangements. “With the ongoing risk of infected plants being moved to new areas, it is vital we move swiftly to strengthen our protection, including through increased testing and setting higher biosecurity standards.”

Gove also said that if the appropriate level of protection is not forthcoming from the EU’s review, the UK could introduce enhanced import requirements for plants from other EU countries, or a suspension of imports of high-risk species such as ropsemary and lavender. www.gov.uk

©Policy Exchange

©Tim Green

TREE FELLING UNDER WAY AT BETTY’S WOOD IN BINGLEY

GOLD RUSH: AUTUMNAL TREES PROVIDE ECONOMY BOOST Scotland’s washout summer has created the perfect conditions for a particularly vibrant autumn leaf display this year, allowing trees to build up the sugars they need to produce rich autumnal colours. “More than 214,000 people from across the UK visit Perthshire between September and November, and the autumn colours are a big part of the attraction,” said Morag Watson of the Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust. “These visitors are estimated to generate over £46m for the local economy.” “VisitScotland’s Visitor Survey, carried out in the summers of 2015 and 2016, highlighted the fact that 74% of visitors were attracted to Perthshire because of its scenery and landscape, and that 39% of visitors visited a woodland/forest area while in Perthshire,” said Jim Clarkson of VisitScotland. “Beautiful scenes can be viewed right across Perthshire.” www.pkct.org

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

27/09/2017 16:39

KIT | FEATURES | NEWS

FORESTRY CENTRAL TO ‘A NATION WITH AMBITION’ in full, including streamlining the approval process for good-quality planting applications. A Nation With Ambition also pledges to refresh the Forest and Timber Technologies Industry Leadership Group and to work with timber users “to develop, promote and facilitate the use of home-grown Scottish wood”. The Programme for Government also stresses that the National Forest Estate will “sustain…

timber production by replanting after felling, predominantly with productive conifers”. “This is a welcome commitment to the forestry and timber sector in Scotland,” said Confor’s chief executive Stuart Goodall. “The Mackinnon report gave the industry conﬁdence and momentum. The natural next step is enshrining a positive future ision and speciﬁcally support for more woodland creation –

PSD ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF WOOD SERIES CHIPPER FROM TS INDUSTRIE PSD Groundscare, the leading distributor of AS Motor, Eliet, Koppl and TS Industrie professional groundscare machinery, is pleased to announce the launch of the new WS/16-35D chipper from TS Industrie. The WS/16-35D was launched in the UK at this year’s Confor Woodland Show on 7-8 September. The launch of this new chipper demonstrates TS Industrie’s determination to be a major player in this market segment. “In the wood chipper family, we have recently added an entry-level and a mid range model, so that e ery professional is able to ﬁnd the e uipment that suits their budget and requirements,” said Stéphane Courtois, TS Industrie sales and mar eting director e oﬀer a complete range of capabilities from 12 to 23cm diameter.” Equipped with a No Stress system, two feed rollers to facilitate the entry of the branches, electric controls, a 270° rotating chimney and a folding hopper for easy transport, the Wood Series range has been developed to increase user comfort. The WS/16-35D, although less than 750kg, chips branches with a diameter of 16cm with its Kubota 35hp diesel engine. “The introduction of the WS/16-35D ensures TS Industrie has a robust, reliable and e cient solution for almost any arborist requirement, and complements the existing range perfectly,” said PSD Groundscare sales director Stuart Mercer. www.psdgroundscare.co.uk

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

NewsOct.indd 7

in the new Forestry Bill. It is heartening to see that the Scottish Government sees the forestry and timber industry as an important player as we look to create a fair and balanced system of rural support and funding in future.” www.confor.org.uk

INNOVATIVE TORBAY ‘TREE TRAIL’ TO LAUNCH ACROSS THE BAY An initiative is bringing three new tree trails to Torbay. The project will see a series of tree focused walks being promoted via a phone app across Brixham, Torquay and Paignton. Torbay Council, the South Devon and Torbay NHS clinical commissioning group, contractor Hi-Line and social enterprise Treeconomics all worked on the plan, designed to encourage Torbay residents to get out in the fresh air while appreciating nature. “The i-Tree Trail is the perfect opportunity for people to get out and about in some of the fantastic nature that Torbay has to oﬀer, said enton ogers, co founder and of Treeconomics. “A new app developed for the trail will provide some insight into the history of Torbay’s trees.” Paul Hurrell of South Devon and Torbay NHS Clinical Commissioning Group added: “Across Europe, approximately 1 in every 15 deaths is associated with a lack of physical activity, and taking regular exercise, such as walking or cycling these trails, can reduce these types of ﬁgures The Project has an interactive element through the Curio app, which has a specially designed i-Tree Trail Feature. www.facebook.com/itreetrail

Pro Arb | October 2017

obe onﬁrmed

Confor has welcomed Nicola Sturgeon’s new Programme for Government as a “very positive sign that forestry is at the heart of rural policy thinking” in Scotland. The programme, called A Nation With Ambition, has a section called A Growing Forestry Industry, which highlights a £4m increase in the budget for woodland creation for 2017-18. It promises to implement the Mackinnon report

27/09/2017 16:39

confor woodland show

longleat estate, wiltshire PRO ARB REPORTS BACK FROM THE CONFOR WOODLAND SHOW WITH ALL THE DETAILS ON THE LATEST INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE AND BEST PRACTICE SHARED AT THE EVENT

he Confor Woodland Show 2017, which took place between 7-8 September at the Longleat Estate in Wiltshire, was visited by forest owners and growers, landowners, forestry professionals, contractors and arboriculturists. Providing an excellent platform for those in the industry to meet with existing and potential customers, this was the largest and most exciting sho yet, ith an e tended ﬁeld demonstration area oﬀering the 120-plus exhibitors the space and e ibility they needed o er the two-day event. Among the exhibitors were a variety of manufacturers and distributors of forestry machinery and equipment, including Först, Bomford Turner and Predator, forestry advisory and management services from the likes of Tilhill Forestry and wildlife and conservation bodies such as the Woodland Trust. The

Pro Arb | October 2017

ConforWoodland.indd 8

two-day event was also packed with events, talks and seminars hosted by Confor and the Forestry Commission. The many political and technical seminars took place in the Confor tent, discussing everything from forestry beyond Brexit, grants to support forestry investments, woodland on farms and grey squirrel management to timber security and technology, hardwood prices, the importance of quality woodfuel and competitors working together in the forestry industry. Throughout the two days, visitors could also attend impressive practical demonstrations and gain valuable information on subjects such as horse logging and chainsaw carving from a variety of suppliers across the forest, woodland and arboriculture sectors including insurers, publishers, machinery manufacturers and dealers to consultants and contractors. The Woodworkers Zone saw a

number of drop-in clinics on subjects including health and safety, new technology, nutrition and ellbeing, e ciency, and the new apprenticeship standard. Similarly, the Forest Workers Zone provided up to date advice on using organised felling techniques to improve productivity and save back strain and coaching on tools for business gro th on the first of the two-day event, while practical guidance about managing risk and a chainsaw maintenance workshop could be attended on the second day. Running since 2009, the successful event at the Longleat Estate has continued to grow year on year and the 2017 show sa a significant e tension to the site after increased interest from exhibitors in the initial stages of planning. Confor itself is a non profit organisation that works and lobbies on behalf of the private forestry and wood

sector, providing a strong voice, with a focus on the strategic issues that are vital to success and a sustainable future. Involved in a variety of conferences, on-site demonstrations and machinery shows, Confor allows those within the industry to stay up to date with what’s going on in the forestry and timber sector. The Confor Woodland Show provides an excellent opportunity for those working in the industry to shop around, meet with their suppliers and fellow landowners and discuss the future of forestry and woodland management in the UK.

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

28/09/2017 11:16

Advert template.indd 2

27/09/2017 10:05

Come & See Us At Saltex Stand G180

W NAVAILNOW S/ E ABL 16 W E -3 5D

Powerful & robust wood chippers

WS/16-35D / WS/16-35DT WS/18-35D Ideal for arborists

Innovative & robust

WS/20-50DT

• • • • •

• Kubota 35hp, 4-cyl, diesel engine • 270º adjustable chimney • Quick and easy access to all service points • Up to 18cm material diameter • 360º rotatable turntable (WS/18-35DT only)

• • • • •

WS/23-75DT

Wood - PTO Range

• • • • •

• • • • • •

<750kg Kubota 34hp, 3-cyl, diesel engine 270º adjustable chimney 360º rotatable turntable (DT model only) Up to 16cm material diameter

Always ready for action

Kubota 50hp, 4-cyl, diesel engine 270º adjustable chimney Rotatable turntable Hopper: 1290mm(l) x1540mm(w) Up to 20cm material diameter

All-purpose & efficient shredders

Convenience & safety • 20cm max material diameter • Mixed rotor technology (blades & hammers) • Eco mixed chips

Kohler 75hp, 4-cyl, diesel engine 270º adjustable chimney Rotatable turntable Hopper: 1290mm(l) x1540mm(w) Up to 23cm material diameter

Functional & cost effective

270º adjustable chimney WS/10 – 18-30hp, 10cm max diameter WS/15 – 25-35hp, 15cm max diameter WS/18 – 30-50hp, 18cm max diameter WS/20 – 40-75hp, 20cm max diameter WS/23 – 45-75hp, 23cm max diameter

Please contact us for more information: Tel: 08450 773 773 Email: sales@psdgroundscare.com Web: www.psdgroundscare.com

Advertwoodchip template.indd PSD-TS advert3210mm x 265mm.indd 1

27/09/2017 25/09/2017 10:11 10:56

manchester’s city of trees

COLIN HAMBIDGE ATTENDED A DAY OF SEMINARS ON THE WORK DONE BY MANCHESTER’S CITY OF TREES MOVEMENT, HOSTED BY BARCHAM TREES AT ITS CAMBRIDGESHIRE NURSERY

n audience of tree o cers, landscape architects, urban foresters and oodland strategists en oyed a fascinating day of presentations from anchester s ity of rees team at archam rees ambridgeshire nursery on ugust he e ent as led and introduced by ity of rees green infrastructure planning and technical manager ete tringer, ho or ed as a to n planner at anchester ity ouncil before oining ed ose orest in to manage the reen treets pro ect since he has deli ered many green infrastructure projects in anchester and alford ete e plained that the mo ement s aim is to rein igorate the landscape, transforming underused or unlo ed oodland and planting a tree for e ery person li ing in reater anchester ithin a generation his translates as three million trees to be planted in the ne t years, ith the plan for , ha of currently unmanaged oodland

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

BarchamTrees.indd 11

barcham trees seminar

to be brought into a productive, beneficial condition Times are changing, Pete e plained there ha e been significant local authority budget cuts, hich has resulted in core funding for their work being greatly diminished here has, however, been increased private sector interest, including from the glesby haritable rust, which has invested to support the de elopment of the mo ement ity of rees no has many public and private sector partners, including archam rees, nited tilities, atural ngland and ransport for reater anchester ity of rees has had to loo at ne and inno ati e sources of funding to support its acti ities t pro ides pay as you go support from districts within Greater Manchester for specific pieces of or , and acti ity based corporate social responsibility days are pro ing popular ith organisations een to promote team building among their employees ity of rees offers guidance for de elopers

and conducts tree replacement opportunity sur eys for ne de elopment, as ell as running public appeals using tools such as crowdfunding to support projects that ha e a high public realm proﬁle ete concluded this part of the day by emphasising that there is signiﬁcant support for the urban orchards, green streets and schools pro ects that ity of rees deli ers, ith , trees already ha ing been planted and more than , olunteer hours gi en to the cause ity of rees is trying to build lasting partnerships ith both communities and businesses, and utilises a range of opportunities to engage potential corporate

partners t also organises a monthly olunteering e ent for hat it terms its citi en foresters Other seminars throughout the day focused on ood resilience there as also a or shop entitled ery ree ells a tory led by ity of rees de elopment o cer iranda lar e, and then there as an opportunity to head out on a tour of the nursery he day ith the ity of rees team as thoroughly en oyable and incredibly informati e on the issue of ho e can all engage better ith trees t left many attendees at a loss to understand hy there are not more mo ements li e it operating throughout the

Pro Arb | October 2017 11

27/09/2017 16:20

preview

national tree officers conference

PRO ARB TAKES A LOOK AT WHAT ATTENDEES CAN EXPECT FROM THIS YEAR’S EVENT

ovember sees the return of the ational ree cers Conference, the only major conference dedicated to the needs of tree o cers he e ent, aimed at professionals in all areas of local authority arboricultural work, provides a platform for future collaborations and partnerships, hile also oﬀering the latest in industry research. Organised and hosted by the ondon ree cers ssociation , the unicipal ree cers Association (MTOA) and the Institute of Chartered Foresters

Pro Arb | October 2017

PreviewTreeOfficers.indd 12

(ICF), the event will highlight the real issues facing today’s tree o cers and ho they need to adapt to meet these challenges. From tree risk management to policy, from best practice to planning, the conference will deliver practical guidance and learning from the shared experience of the speakers. Last year’s event hosted more than 200 delegates from local authorities around the UK, with more than 97% of delegates feeling that the content and programme met their reasons for attending the conference.

This year’s conference will focus on a range of topics, including: Planning Best Practice and Innovations; In-House or Out-Sourced Services; Innovation and Research, and i-Tree Projects. The event showcases the latest research, as well as the best practice and innovation in diﬀerent areas of local authority arboricultural work. Matt Seabrook, chair of the unicipal ree cers Association, will open the show, discussing planning best practice and innovation. Other highlights include: Becky

orter, the e ecuti e o cer of the ondon ree cers ssociation, discussing the i-Tree Projects; The Impact of Three Periods of Housing Development Upon the Urban Forest of Shrewsbury with Stephen Shields, and Using i-Tree to Inform a Strategic Approach for Future Management of Ealing’s Urban Forest with Dale Mortimer. The conference will be held on Wednesday 8 November 2017 at the Oakengates Theatre, Limes Road, Telford, TF2 6EP. Join in the conversation by following ree cer www.theplacetelford.com

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

27/09/2017 16:41

Advert template.indd 4

27/09/2017 10:20

Over 405,000 trees flourishing globally.

YEARS 25 years of experience allows GreenBlue Urban to provide you with tree pit solutions to establish and increase leaf canopy in the urban area.

1992 - 2017

greenblue.com

WINCH, SPLIT, MULCH

All your equipment requirements resolved

Advert template.indd 5

CONTACT Tel 01685 810148 Email info@bioequipmentltd.co.uk Twitter @BioequipmentLtd Facebook BioequipmentLtd

27/09/2017 10:26

KIT | FEATURES | NEWS

AN INTERVIEW WITH

SIMON PARSONS OF My Tree Company

SIMON PARSONS, DIRECTOR AT MY TREE COMPANY, DISCUSSES ARBORICULTUREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GENDER IMBALANCE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALIFICATIONS

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

Interview.indd 15

Pro Arb | October 2017 15

28/09/2017 10:52

KIT | FEATURES | NEWS

“

We have a full commercial and domestic department, so we do everything from tiny trees to massive clearings

What makes MyTreeCompany different from other tree surgeons? e are a little diﬀerent, as tree surgeons go e do a lot of our o n or , but e also ha e our o n it e use a andit chipper, a andit stump grinder, and a a euchi digger, all of hich are a ailable to hire ome companies see other tree surgery businesses as competition, but see someone ho might ant to hire a massi e chipper or grinder, so gi e them a card e ha e a full commercial and domestic department, so e do e erything from tiny trees to massi e clearings Does this versatility help you find more work? t does it allo s us to ta e commercial it to domestic obs, so e can do the ob in the morning and then ha e the afternoon to focus on the smaller things such as clearing up and ma ing sure it s perfect hat s something that e focus on as a company f it s not perfect, on t charge for it

“

Unusually, half your arbs are women – do you feel the industry is doing enough for female arborists? do thin the industry is ery male oriented, and do thin that some guys in the industry see omen as a ea point ha e noticed, ho e er, that a female arborist ill focus on the details more than a male arborist ale arborists ill often loo at the mess left after a ob and thin , ell, a leaf ill fall oﬀ in the

Pro Arb | October 2017

Interview.indd 16

inter, so a little bit of mess isn t much of a problem he omen ill uite often loo at the mess and ma e the men clear up t has al ays been a male dominated industry, but it s changing, using more machines for less labour customer tends to li e seeing a mi of males and females in the company At what point did you decide to take the leap and work for yourself? ent to college first and studied landscaping as or ing for a company in usse , doing landscaping, but they also had a tree surgery department, hich found interesting nce finished my landscaping course ent bac to college to study arboriculture and changed my place in the company fter a fe years there ent to or for a local firm for around t o years a ing

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

28/09/2017 10:52

KIT | FEATURES | NEWS

atched ho these ﬁrms had been run, then set up my o n company as or ing on diﬀerent elements ithin these companies and belie ed that hat as doing could be done better he ey as modern technology nstead of using arborists to remo e a oodland, you could put three out one to use the machine, one to cut the trees and one to operate the chipper his ay, you can condense a lot of the ris aspect

How important are the qualifications? lot of the students ho attend lumpton ollege ill start the first year and not ma e it to the second, and a lot of ne firms starting up offer students tic ets and ualifications in ee s eople ill come out after those ee s thin ing that they are tree surgeons, but they ha e only really learned ho to dri e a car t s a great industry to get into ho doesn t ant to be s inging around in trees and en oying the outdoors all day long but thin it s important to eep safety in mind the hole time ou can go to college and learn about arboriculture, but you re only going to learn ho to cut a tree the right ay through or ing ith someone ho has the e perience thin people need to bear in mind that, hen you or ith a tree, you are preser ing it for future generations it s not al ays smash

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

Interview.indd 17

and grab f you thin about it from the customer s perspecti e, you see ho much the tree is alued, and you ant it to be done correctly eople ho lac e perience and ualiﬁcations bring the price do n for e eryone they loo at the tree ith a rough idea of ho much they ill do the ob for, based on ho much they fancy at the time e, on the other hand, ill loo at the ob and gi e a uote based on costs, tic ets, e uipment, and hat e need to brea e en and pay our staﬀ a li ing age tell my employees that if they drop out of college they might as ell not come in it sho s a lac of interest f you re going to do something, you need to do it because you ha e a passion

“

A customer tends to like seeing a mix of males and females in the company

“

In what way has modern technology changed your business? f you ta e people oﬀ the oor, here there is falling timber, and put them in a cab, it completely changes the industry ou re doing e erything you can to protect your operators and your cutters he less people you ha e outside the cabs, the less people you ill ha e in ol ed if an accident happens he safety aspect needs to be pushed ithin the industry e go to so many obs here an un ualiﬁed person has carried out some or and it has not gone as planned ish that there as more of a focus on chec ing insurance and tic ets, as it ould sa e a lot of people money and could also stop the industry from being undercut man in a an can run around stating that he can do a ob for less money, but he is missing the safety aspect, hich can be potentially dangerous lot of people don t realise hat it ta es to do it by the system

How would you recommend helping the general public understand the need for tickets? here are things such as being appro ed, hich thin is necessary o do you push it for ard suppose through ad ertising, but that is going to cost f the public ne that they ha e to get someone ho is an appro ed contractor, then more money ould be going into the industry f you re getting someone in to do something that you can t, you re employing someone to do the best that s the hole point of getting someone ith industry no ledge huge part of the industry is being undercut by the man in the an , hich is sad What is the next step for MyTreeCompany? ore commercial or e do push for it, but e re interested in eeping our best customers e ant to cater for both hile e panding

Pro Arb | October 2017 17

28/09/2017 10:52

NEWS | FEATURES | KIT

30 under 30

WINNERS ANNOUNCED SOON...

It won’t be long now until we ﬁnd out the names of the 30 Under 30: The Next Generation 2017 winners. We have had some great applications come in from across the landscaping, arboriculture, and landscape architecture industries, making the job of choosing the top 30 a tricky one. In the meantime, before our winners are announced, we have been speaking to our previous winners to ask them:

What have you gone on to achieve since winning the award?

Melissa King

Rob Dwiar

Andrew Ryder

Pro Arb | October 2017

30 under 30.indd 18

“For future career prospects and opportunities, it is a great accolade to have. Since winning this award, I have continued to progress and have achieved promotion to head of studio at JPS, where I am able to make a real diﬀerence to the business, projects and clients.” Head of studio, Janine Pattison Studios

“We are continuing our work on large, overseas projects in places such as Dubai and Pakistan, encompassing golf design and public realm landscape architecture. We also enjoy a good level of UK-based work, from school grounds to housing development masterplans and landscape design.” Landscape architect, International Design Group

“Since the award I have been focusing on the acquisition of Wright Landscapes in North Wales, celebrating the win of the £1.5m Northern Hub Central Alliance contract in Manchester, working on projects with the RHS and securing schemes that have sparked interest from Gardener’s World.” Business development co-ordinator, Hultons Landscapes

Paul Sellars

“Making the 30 Under 30 list helped me want to improve and keep working my way up. Since the ceremony I have become a team leader at idverde. The whole experience was amazing, especially to be around all the top landscapers and see other people that have achieved so much. That made me want to become better and continue to achieve.” Team leader, idverde

Lexi Harrison

“Following on from the success at the awards, on a personal level it has increased my conﬁdence and resulted in me achieving £1m of new sales within the grounds maintenance division. The event has been a great topic of conversation at networking events, and perfect for raising my proﬁle within the industry.” Business development executive, Hultons Landscapes

Dean Jackson

“Being part of 30 Under 30 was a great experience, and I shared it with some great people. I experienced further recognition within the industry, and our customers became aware of the event through me being a part of it. I have been continuing to manage my team and ensure that targets are hit!” Sales manager, Green-tech Ltd

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

27/09/2017 16:08

OPINION ROB MCBRIDE ASKS WHY THE PUBLIC LOVE OF GETTING OUT INTO NATURE HAS FADED, AND TELLS OF HIS RECENT EXPERIENCES OUTDOORS

“

As you will know, fruit trees provide so much besides their fruit – whether it’s their role as a source of nectar for insects or their spectacle of wondrous o ers, they enrich our li es in so many ways. ecently, as part of my ﬀas Dyke Ancient Tree Hunt (ODATH) project, I had the pleasure of getting lost in Herefordshire. After gaining permission to visit an ancient oak of over 8m girth, I wandered a little further into a dilapidated orchard. When I say dilapidated, what I really mean is enhanced – enhanced for nature, that is. The old apple trees were a joy to behold. Some were collapsing while others were decaying away nicely, and there were several newly planted trees. In all, there was a great

“

hen was the last time that you or the family went out and picked apples, pears, damsons, plums or blackberries and brought them home to eat or make tasty dishes with? If you are the same as the majority of folk I speak to, the answer may well be a very long time ago – perhaps even in childhood. Why have we lost the ability or desire to go out into nature and gather its bountiful harvest? My reintroduction to going out and picking fruit came in 2004, when I was quite ill and took my then ﬁ e year old daughter Poppy to a local neglected orchard. We picked several boxes of gorgeously tasty apples; a photograph from that day is one my all-time favourites.

Why have we lost the ability or desire to go out into nature and gather its bountiful harvest?

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

Rob McBride.indd 19

age class structure that should ensure the survival of any special saproxylic invertebrates and insects for many years to come. A fox, happily relaxing in the orchard, jumped up and scooted oﬀ in front of me as andered around taking photos; a buzzard squawked overhead as he looked to swoop on the rabbits thereabouts. As for management, this particular orchard had it all. It wasn’t sanitised, nor ‘tidied up’ as happens all too often – it was just a wildlife haven that provided a bountiful harvest every year. I felt as if I was magically transported back to an era long gone. In 2016, I had the joy of meeting Harvey Marks, who lives in the Welsh Marches and has a pretty unique orchard of perry pear trees. Harvey told me that his pears are known as ‘chokers’:

you cannot just swallow them, because they are so dry, but they make amazing perry. His fruit, perhaps three tons every other year, is much sought after by the local perry producer Gwatkin of Abbeydore. Another hedgerow fruit I have been fortunate to stumble across recently is the damson. These take me back to childhood and my ery ﬁrst taste of alcohol, damson wine. They also make great jam. So please do take to the lanes and lost byways, and grab yourself a free autumn treat. Bon appétit!

ABOUT Rob McBride, ‘The Treehunter’, is a campaigner for ancient trees. www.treehunter.co.uk

Pro Arb | October 2017 19

27/09/2017 16:43

Spe Want to install Resin Bound Paving yourself?

There’s a SureSet TradePack for every project...

Attractive, c

sustainable

than traditio

SureSet you

Easy to install Low maintenance No loose stone Huge colour range For more information: T: 0800 612 8037 E: contact@sureset.co.uk

UV stable

Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

paving a porous no loose a huge ch no puddl an 18 yea no weeds

W: sureset.co.uk

Forestry & Firewood Machinery Specialists

PA6

Biomass Chippers

Firewood Processors

Portable Sawmills

Log Splitters & Saws

www.fuelwood.co.uk

Advert template.indd 6

t: 01926 484673

e: sales@fuelwood.co.uk

27/09/2017 10:29

KIT | FEATURES | NEWS

glendale apprenticeships PRO ARB SPEAKS TO GLENDALE TO FIND OUT WHY THE COMPANY HAS INVESTED SO MUCH INTO ITS APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME, AND HOW HIRING THROUGH THIS METHOD CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

GlendaleApprenticeships.indd 21

Trailblazer Apprenticeship scheme for horticulture and landscaping was approved in July of this year, setting new standards for the way that apprenticeships in the sector are run. The standards have been created by an employer-led team. Apprenticeships are growing to be an increasingly popular form of education. With tuition fees rising, the option of being able to earn while training is an attractive one. Jane Thomas, senior HR manager at Glendale, explains that railbla er pprenticeships also oﬀer plenty of beneﬁts to the employer “We look to apprenticeships to attract new talent and upskill the

Pro Arb | October 2017 21

27/09/2017 16:26

NEWS | FEATURES | KIT

Pro Arb | October 2017

GlendaleApprenticeships.indd 22

staff numbers o spread interest in the positions that are a ailable at the company, lendale s managers isit schools and colleges, encouraging leavers to consider building a career with them. The apprenticeships are usually completed in partnership ith a local college, ith apprentices gaining ualifications hile they are or ing this means that they are still in education while getting practical experience. e as ane hat the company loo s for hen hiring an apprentice hen e are loo ing to recruit an apprentice e are not loo ing for the finished product, e are loo ing for somebody ho has the interest, the aptitude, the ability to learn, and the desire to be in the sector s the e tra training needed orth hile e do find that they need to be pro ided ith ongoing support, ane tells us uite a bit of mentoring is key to their success. Management of apprentices is an important area to make sure they adapt to the workplace and understand the role and their obligations ithin it t is uite a different process, and there are more demands internally than there are ith other employees, but it is important he benefit of training them oursel es means that they are immediately shown the way we work and they buy into the way we do things.

“

It gives us the opportunity to mould individuals and develop new talent to meet our own specific needs

“

workforce. By taking on apprentices we are better equipped to address any skills shortages. “The majority of our apprentices have been really enthusiastic and easy to train. They also free up e isting staff to ta e on more responsibility, hich is great for them and their development. It gives us the opportunity to mould individuals and develop new talent to meet our o n specific needs Glendale is a member of what is known as the ‘5% Club’ – a scheme in the UK which has a focus on encouraging employers to hire apprentices and graduates into the workforce. Members of the club are asked to publicly declare that 5% of their workforce will consist of people on formal apprenticeships, ith the target to be reached o er a fi e year period Jane tells us why it was important for the company to become a member of this club. “It was really to demonstrate our commitment to achieve this 5% ithin the or force o er a fi e year period rom a business point of ie , it ensures that e ha e a target, hich helps to dri e the numbers e are ery committed to investing in the next generation as we feel that it is such an important thing to do, and a ey part of our business Glendale currently has 82 apprentices at the company, ma ing up an impressi e of the o erall

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

27/09/2017 16:26

KIT | FEATURES | NEWS

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

GlendaleApprenticeships.indd 23

ho uic ly they get through the specific training modules, but each apprenticeship frame or ill recommend a time period he ne railbla er standard states that it should be completed o er a month period f you are de oting this period of time and spending resources on training ne staff, it ma es sense that you ould li e to see that in estment pay off ith this in mind, e as ane ho many of the apprentices at lendale remain ith the company once their training is complete e or hard to identify roles and path ays for their continued de elopment here seems to be a sense of loyalty from the ma ority of apprentices at lendale t is ithin our best interest to eep our trained staff in the business, that is ey to our sucession model e ha e lots of success stories e ha e former apprentices ho ha e been promoted to team leaders, e ha e recently appointed a contract manager ho has been ith the business for about se en years but started as an apprentice, and no of at least one general manager and t o regional directors ho also started as apprentices t pro es that the process or s and is orth the in estment or more information on the financial incenti es a ailable to employers, head to the pprenticeships section on the go u ebsite

“

Glendale currently has 82 apprentices at the company, making up an impressive 6% of the overall staff numbers

“

Incentives he go ernment does offer incenti es to employers to hire apprentices n ay, the pprenticeship e y as introduced, hich has changed the ay apprenticeships are funded he ne rules mean that if you are an employer ith a pay bill of o er m each year, you must pay the pprenticeship e y to through the process on le y paying companies are able to share the cost of training, ith the go ernment contributing up to of the cost ane e plains that there are also non financial incenti es on offer from the go ernment to support employers anting to hire apprentices hile there is some financial help on offer, thin employers and the pro iders are still finding their feet ith it he pprenticeship e y is ery ne , so it ill ta e time for e eryone to get used to it ne other incenti e a ailable is the ational pprenticeship er ice, hich is part of the ills unding gency that coordinates and supports the hiring of apprentices ur apprentice recruitment ad erts ill be placed on there for free he agency is a central recruitment resource, hich is ery useful as all of the training pro iders and colleges that e or ith ha e direct access to it he length of time that an apprenticeship ill last aries depending on the ability of the indi idual and

ABOUT 01257 460 461 info@glendaleservices.co.uk www.glendale-services.co.uk

Pro Arb | October 2017 23

27/09/2017 16:27

NEWS | FEATURES | KIT

the evolution of the

arborist’s climbing harness “

PAUL GEORGE, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF LANDMARK TRADING, DISCUSSES HOW AND WHY CLIMBING HARNESSES HAVE DEVELOPED SO RAPIDLY IN RECENT YEARS – WITH THOSE INSIDE THE INDUSTRY DRIVING THE CHANGE

The physical demands of a job like arborism, and the time spent within safety equipment such as a harness, can have a huge effect on job performance and the body itself

“

Pro Arb | October 2017

ArbKitFeature.indd 24

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

27/09/2017 16:19

KIT | FEATURES | NEWS

“

Change from within If you talk to any arborist who has been in the business for more than a decade, you ll ﬁnd that the harnesses they used when they were starting out could have been anything from a parachute harness without leg loops, to a simple waist harness with two lanyards. These same arborists, who have grown with the industry, are now the people who are moving into product development and manufacturing. They are putting their years of onthe-job insight into creating high performing products

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

ArbKitFeature.indd 25

“

he roots of modern arboriculture in Britain can be traced back to 1854, when the Arboricultural Society of Scotland was established. While an understanding of trees as living organisms is still central to the industry, the practical aspects have progressed exponentially over the subsequent decades. The industry has developed to reflect wider societal advancements in technology, safety standards and services, investing more than ever in the comfort and safety of its workers. Now, arborists’ equipment is not only being built to mitigate safety risks – it is tailored to better facilitate the role of the end user, allowing you to work harder and more efficiently. Harnesses are some of the most rapidly developing instruments in an arborist’s arsenal. Within the space of 20 years, there’s been a dramatic shift from gear that gets the job done, to specialist, feature focused harnesses that excel on both an ergonomic and functional level. And the driving force behind these advancements has largely come from practicing arborists themselves. Whether it is to meet the needs of new climbing techniques, or simply to ease the considerable strains of the job, it is arborists like you or I that have catalysed the accelerated progression of climbing harnesses.

within the space of 20 or so years, there’s been a dramatic shift from gear that just gets the job done, to highly specialist, feature focused harnesses that work alongside the arborist, improving their job performance and mitigating the short and long term risks of the job – such as the deterioration of the body from physical exertion. This, coupled with an expanding market that has enabled arborists from across the globe to connect, collaborate and export their products to international markets, has given us the most exciting age of arborists’ equipment to date. Products from manufacturers such as Teufelberger and Petzl are now readily available in the UK, allowing British arborists to access some of the most high-tech gear on the market. Custom kit When I started out almost 20 years ago, the Willans was pretty much the only harness cut out for the job; while it is still inherently useful today – the core functions of arborism have remained the same – the features included in modern harnesses far outshine its simple utility. The variation on the market now affords arborists the ability to fully customise their harness to their working requirements – whether it’s the e ibility of a oating bridge saddle, a harness that aligns specifically ith ouble ope echni ue such as the et l e uoia, or the first harness that has been specifically designed for omen, the Simarghu Gemini. The rate of development is phenomenal, yet expected. The physical demands of the job, and the time spent in equipment such as harnesses, can ha e a detrimental effect on the body t is natural that external technological developments have facilitated a movement towards deeper investment in the science and people of the arboriculture industry. If the current trend of growth is anything to go by, the future of the arborist climbing harness is one to keep a close eye on.

ABOUT Paul George is the managing director of Landmark Trading Ltd, and has worked in the arboricultural industry for more than 15 years. Landmark Trading is one the UK’s leading suppliers of arborist equipment. You can connect with Paul on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or call Landmark Trading on 01780 482231. www.landmarktrading.com

Pro Arb | October 2017 25

27/09/2017 16:19

NEWS | FEATURES | KIT

ESS

N BUSI

THE FUTURE

OF ARB

THINGS HAVE COME FULL CIRCLE FOR JONATHAN HAZELL AS HE CONSIDERS THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF ARBORICULTURE

o coincide with the FutureArb debate at this year’s FutureScape event in November, m loo ing bac to hen ﬁrst started as a member of the Ealing tree gang, having graduated from Bangor in 1980. There have been enormous changes in how tree work services are delivered, as well as in the day to day delivery of such work. As I said, my career began on the tree gang in Ealing, learning the ropes when tree services were delivered by the in-house team, lead by some very knowledgeable o cers he ser ice as fully staﬀed and properly resourced Later in my career I returned to Ealing with Glendale as the service provider, following the advent of compulsory competitive tendering under the Local Government Act of 1988.

This one piece of legislation completely transformed the organisation of the industry; the norm had been that the public services were the major employer, with 40 or so in the team, and the private sector was dominated by huge numbers of two or three-man teams selling their wares to the householder or the commercial market. Overnight, this was turned on its head; the business model changed as commercial organisations began to chase local authority contracts, and thus had to mirror how the service had been organised and resourced. The emphasis in the o ce became asset management and administration rather than arboriculture

(with all due deference to the tree o cers and the o cer s role tended to migrate toward the planning department. I suppose the most striking change in terms of delivery of the service – we’d stopped using Arbrex by then (in most cases!) – is the availability of skills training and the need to demonstrate evidence of training that is commensurate with the task that you are performing. Don’t get me wrong, all the lads I worked with had local authority training at least, and some had been to Merrist Wood, but I wasn’t aware of the suite of NPTC competences. Technological advances have made chippers more freely available and chainsaws lighter

“

and more powerful; alternative fuel sources are now commonplace. Climbing techniques have advanced: there are all sorts of gizmos to connect your harness to your rope now. We also have a presumption now that rigging techniques will be used to help ma e tree or more e cient and ser ice more effecti e Another huge change, this time across society at large, is the advance of mobile and wireless technology. Smartphones have now taken over (in most cases) and the presumption is that you are always available and always informed. In parallel, there’s another change in society that means everyone is so busy (doing what?) that they don’t have time to do anything. Curiously though, for me, it’s almost full circle – I joined orthampton for my first professional role in 1982, and I find myself bac here holding the fort while a recruit for the full-time role of tree o cer in the planning department is being sought. www.jhazell.com

Smartphones have now taken over in most cases and the presumption is that you are always available and always informed

Pro Arb | October 2017

Jonathan Hazell.indd 26

“

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

27/09/2017 16:34

top 10 tips

Young Tree Maintenance DARREN KILBY OF GRISTWOOD AND TOMS OFFERS ADVICE ON HELPING A YOUNG TREE ESTABLISH AND THRIVE

SPECIES SELECTION

CHOOSE WISELY

PERFECT PLANTING

Choose a species that will be suitable for its surroundings when it is mature. For example, if you are planting your tree in a suburban street, select a small to medium tree that is in keeping with the area – a large, broadleaf species may look out of place.

The most important part of the process is visiting the nursery and selecting your tree(s) in person. Look for a dominant stem, good branch structure, a minimal amount of crossing branches and a tree that is not pot bound.

Dig a square hole that is slightly larger than the rootball, and rough up the sides to allow the roots to move. When you are happy, carry out a formative prune on the tree, then remove the bag from the rootball and place it centrally in the pit. Install stakes, and tie the tree in using your method of choice ac ﬁll ith a mixture of fresh soil and the topsoil that was removed from the pit, heal the ground in so that it is ﬁrm but not too compacted, and ater

JUST ADD WATER

Make sure you provide the tree with su cient ater throughout the spring and summer months. Many street trees have an irrigation pipe that allows water and air to the root system. A successful modern method is an irrigation bag that zips around the stem of the tree. It holds around 90L of water and allows water to slowly permeate through the roots from above over a period of hours, providing the deep saturation which is essential to growth.

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

Top10tips_Oct.indd 27

CUT THE COMPETITION

STAKE YOUR CLAIM

ON GUARD

Young trees need as much help as possible to help them establish. Keeping a one-meter diameter free from the competition of grass and weeds should allow the young tree access to all of the nutrients available.

Newly planted trees need stakes and ties to keep them upright until a root system has established. Good practice states that a stake should be installed between the prevailing wind and the tree, although in an urban environment other factors can dictate that a stake is placed roadside, to protect the tree from vehicles.

In urban environments, tree guards are predominantly used for protection from vehicles, dog damage and general vandalism. Within parkland environments, they also prevent bark stripping by rabbits and deer. It’s important to keep the guard secure and away from the stem of the tree. If the cage rubs against the stem, it can create a wound, which can allow an infection to establish.

MULCH ADO

Once any weeds and grass have been removed, mulching with wood chip helps to maintain a weed free area and retain vital moisture. Avoid using mulch that is less than six months old; if it is too fresh, it can remove necessary nitrogen from the soil. A mulch ring of around one-metre diameter with a maximum depth of 10-15cm is acceptable. If the mulch is too deep, it can generate heat as it decomposes, damaging the root system.

PREPARE TO PRUNE

WATCH THIS SPACE

Formative pruning is the process of shaping a tree when it is young. This is achieved by creating a proper stem height and by pruning young growth back, encouraging the tree to grow in the right direction and develop healthy branches. The removal of broken or damaged limbs promotes healthy growth and keeps infection at bay.

A robust maintenance plan of about three years will see the young tree through to establishment n the ﬁnal year, a gentle sha e of the tree to see if the root plate moves should show if it has established. At this point, stakes and ties can be removed: tease the stake out and ﬁll the hole ith soil and ater mulch if needed. If there is still root movement, retie the stake and review the maintenance plan.

ABOUT Gristwood and Toms is the UK’s largest privately owned specialist tree contractor and arboricultural consultancy, operating nationally from strategically based depots across the UK. 03458 731500 info@gristwoodandtoms.co.uk

Pro Arb | October 2017 27

28/09/2017 10:56

NEWS | FEATURES | KIT 1

apple scab PESTA& SE DISE

“

Resistant varieties, which have the desired aesthetic foliage, fruit, and flower characteristics, should be used when possible

“

Pro Arb | October 2017

Bartlett Tree Experts.indd 28

pple scab is one of the most devastating diseases aﬀecting ornamental crabapples and apples. If early spring weather conditions are optimum (warm and moist), hawthorn and mountain ash may also be seriously aﬀected

Symptoms While the scab fungus Venturia inaequalis infects the leaves (Figure 1), petioles, and fruit (Figure 2), the leaf and petiole infections are the most signiﬁcant when it comes to landscape trees. The initial symptoms appear as olive-green, sooty or smudgy spots on the leaf or leaf petiole. On older leaves the infected areas form deﬁnite spots, hich are slightly raised, black, and velvety in appearance. The lower sides of leaves become depressed, which may cause leaf cupping. As the infection

GLYNN PERCIVAL FROM BARTLETT TREE EXPERTS EDUCATES ON HOW TO IDENTIFY AND TACKLE APPLE SCAB

develops, the leaves turn yellow and drop prematurely. Premature defoliation makes the tree aesthetically undesirable and greatly weakens it. Infected fruit becomes deformed and scabby, and usually drops before maturity. Causal agent Venturia inaequalis overwinters in infected fallen leaves. During late winter, the fungus enters the sexual or perithecial stage. Each dead leaf will have many perithecia and each perithecium ill be ﬁlled ith ascospores Warm spring rains cause the perithecia to forcefully discharge the spores into the air, where they are carried by wind currents to young leaves. If weather conditions remain favourable, the ascospore will germinate and infect the leaf or fruit. Since all perithecia do not mature at the same time, ascospores are produced over a period of several

months. With each spring rain, ascospores capable of causing infection are discharged. Management Some varieties of crabapple have demonstrated resistance to apple scab. Resistant varieties, which have the desired aesthetic foliage, fruit, and o er characteristics, should be used when possible. ungicide sprays ill eﬀecti ely control apple scab if applied at the proper intervals with good coverage. Sprays should be applied at seven to 10-day intervals, from bud-break until two weeks after petal fall. Remove fallen leaves and any mummiﬁed fruit during autumn to reduce inoculum potential. During winter clean and/or lightly thin the crown to improve circulation of air through the crown. Fertilisation has been shown to reduce the disease severity of apple scab, and is recommended. www.bartletttree.co.uk

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

27/09/2017 16:21

USING THE SKILLS OF OUR ENGINEERING TEAM AND HIGH QUALITY KESLA PRODUCTS WE PROVIDE SPECIALISED FORESTRY EQUIPMENT.

West Third, Tullibardine, Auchterarder PH3 1NJ T: 01764 663798 E: sales.cfs@hotmail.com

First Choice for Forestry Machinery

Advert template.indd 7

27/09/2017 10:32

NEWS | FEATURES | KIT

safety boots

PRO ARB HEARD FROM SIMON ASH, UK SALES MANAGER AT HAIX ABOUT STANDARDS IN FORESTRY FOOTWEAR

sole survivors

n 2015-16, across the forestry, agricultural and ﬁshing industries, there were an estimated 15,000 cases of non-fatal injuries in the UK, according to Confor. Forestry professionals are exposed to a number of risks, and face potentially serious situations. Having the right protection is vital to reduce that risk – and that starts with safety boots. When choosing boots it can be easy to overlook the standards that distinguish a basic boot from the specialised footwear required. While many people are aware of the various EN ISO standards, many are unacquainted with what they should be looking for.

HAIX

HAIX Protector Pro • Oil and petrol resistant • Classical lacing system with high quality hooks • Abrasion resistant and anti-slip rubber sole • Four-ply GORE-TEX membrane provides water resistance

specialised features, providing protection during everyday tasks. The forestry sector includes the following standards: SB – Safety basic, 200J toe protection, oil resistant outer sole SBP – As SB plus midsole for penetration resistance S1 – As SB plus anti-static properties and fully enclosed energy absorbing heel area S1P – As S1 plus midsole for penetration resistance S2 – As S1 plus water resistant upper and absorption S3 – As S2 plus midsole for penetration resistance and cleated outsole. HAIX’s Protector Pro, for e ample, oﬀers lass cut

F.R JONES & SON

protection and meets the S3 standard. The steel toe cap protects the feet from falling ob ects, and a e ible heel cup guarantees freedom of movement during diﬀerent types of acti ity “The Protector Pro has been created for all weathers, with a four-ply GORE-TEX membrane providing water resistance and breathability, a fast-drying insole in the footbed that absorbs sweat immediately and a sole providing outstanding insulation,” says Simon. “The boots are comfortable and secure, with a deep tread pro iding ﬁrm grip on any terrain and puncture resistance that protects against sharp objects that could be encountered underfoot.”

STIHL

Arbortec Scafell Lite chainsaw boots

ADVANCE GTX trekking chainsaw boots

• Conforms to EN ISO 17249 Class 2 (24m/s) • Steel toe cap omposite e ible pierce resistant midsole • 100% waterproof and breathable • Speed lacing system • Removable comfort footbed • Padded collar and tongue insert

• High quality, comfortable and water-repellent pecial proﬁle sole for e ceptional grip • Cut protection over front of foot plus tongue • Breathable and waterproof GORE-TEX membrane helps keep feet dry • High-rise rubber edge • EN ISO 17249, cut resistance Class 2 (24m/s)

Price: £194.90

Price: From £213.60

Price: £295.80

www.haix.co.uk

www.frjonesandson.co.uk

www.marlowropes.com

Pro Arb | October 2017

Kit_Boots.indd 30

The EN ISO standards ensure protective footwear meets the agreed standards of safety and provides protection for the wearer. he first of the three standards that must form part of every user’s footwear selection process is EN ISO 20347: 2012; which all safety boots must adhere to. Requirements include water penetration and absorption, antistatic and penetration resistance. EN ISO 20345: 2011 specifies basic and optional additional requirements for general purpose safety footwear, while specifies resistance to chainsaw cutting. As well as meeting standards, protective footwear must have

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

27/09/2017 16:35

UK and Ireland For All Your Biomass and Recycling Needs

• SALES • SPARES • REPAIRS

● Eliet Green Waste Shredder ● Toro Stumpgrinder ● Timberwolf Chippers ● Supplier of Husqvarna, Arbortec, Treehog, Marlow, Silky Saws, Stein, Petzl ● Chain and chipper blade sharpening ● Sales, service, spares for all makes and manufacturers

www.steelviper.co.uk david@steelviper.co.uk 07721 612 485

TOUGH TOOLS for a TOUGH JOB! ■ Mulching mowers from 10HP-500HP ■ Tough & versatile ■ Many attachments available for every forestry job

Purchase direct from the UK Importer: Tel 0115 9615431

Email info@psmmowers.co.uk

WWW.PSMMOWERS.CO.UK Advert template.indd 8

T: 01892 890364 E: info@lameng.com Lamberhurst Engineering Ltd Priory Farm • Parsonage Lane Lamberhurst • Kent TN3 8DS

www.lameng.com

27/09/2017 10:40

us a

17 x 20 e t l Sa d See

Stan

5 H07

www.greenmech.co.uk

01789 400044

Pedestrian

Landscape Application

Road Tow

Tracked

Tractor Mounted

Proven Landscape Technology

For every

With a global reputation for innovative engineering and product reliability, Bomford Turner has a range of machines for all your agricultural landscaping requirements.

Robin Compact yet powerful entry-level hedge and verge arm mower

Flailbot Mini Compact remote mowing technology

Landscape

Forestry

Remote

Tel +44 (0) 1789 773383 E-mail info@bomford-turner.com Website www.bomford-turner.com

Cultivation

See us at SALTEX 2017

Stand J124

Advert template.indd 9

27/09/2017 10:43

KIT | FEATURES | NEWS

chippers

PRO ARB EXAMINES HOW THE LATEST GENERATION OF CHIPPERS ARE CONFORMING TO NEW EMISSION STANDARDS

the chipping forecast

he wood chipper industry has e ol ed enormously in recent years, ith companies constantly releasing ne products to satisfy the needs of arborists, tree surgeons and foresters mong the more po erful ood chippers are the petrol-powered models, ith the fuel allo ing the device to chip even the thickest pieces of ood in large uantities he highest concerns around this variation of machine are the noise, pollution and e ciency le el many in the industry ha e therefore taken a shine to the more e pensi e but highly e cient diesel wood chippers. However, these models do have the same noise

and pollution issues that hinder the petrol machines. Innovative electric machines solve these problems of noise, pollution and e ciency, but come at a cost to the power, as well as the incon enience of ﬁnding an electrical outlet for e ery use or po er ta e oﬀ ood chippers allow the machines to be completely portable as they are po ered and dri en by a tractor, also sol ing many of the problems posed by machines that are po ered by electric and fuel longstanding consideration that has taken prominence more recently is the e olution of emission standards for engines used within new non-road vehicles

FORST ST6 P

rst s ﬁrst sub g ood chipper in in capacity hp t in petrol engine tage compliant rst rip feedroller system pen top y heel system ensures chips are thrown, not blown

and e uipment ach successi e update to these regulations has introduced ne challenges, ith tage due to be implemented in hese impending changes to engine legislation ill aﬀect much of the e uipment and machinery regularly used by arborists and landscapers, most notably for chippers The next update comes into force on anuary from this date, only tage fueled engines should be supplied on new machines. Market leaders such as Först, Timberwolf and TS Industrie ha e ta en on the challenges put for ard by the ne regulations, all producing impressi e sub g wood chippers.

TIMBERWOLF

TW 230PAHB & TW 230PWHB ub hp

anguard t in petrol engine or hp ubota petrol engine lass leading mm mm feed opening p to tonnes hour throughput uad force rollers for ultimate crushing po er

rst, a leading supplier of high performance wood chippers, has prepared for the tage emissions regulations ith the launch of a ne fuel e cient, petrol po ered ood chipper, the imilarly, the chipper from ndustrie is po erful and e cient but compact, ma ing it ideal for arborists ith its outstanding petrol range, imber olf also continues to oﬀer all the features demanded by professionals hile the ourney re uired to achie e tage compliance certainly presents a number of challenges and complications, it can be ie ed as an e citing e olution of e isting technology, rather than a daunting re olution

TS INDUSTRIE WS/16-35D

ub g hp ubota diesel engine cm material diameter cm disc diameter imensions , mm , mm , mm erfectly si ed ood chips

Price: POA

Price: £20,520

www.forst-woodchippers.com

www.timberwolf-uk.com

www.psdgroundscare.co.uk

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

Kit_Chippers.indd 33

Pro Arb | October 2017 33

27/09/2017 16:36

www.marshalllogging.co.uk tel: 01892 770788 â&#x20AC;˘ mob: 07836 274164 email: sales@marshalllogging.co.uk

Advert template.indd 10

28/09/2017 11:11

ARB

KIT A roundup of the latest products

KIT | FEATURES | NEWS

FLYMO

Contour Cordless XT strimmer

• • • •

ﬀers complete cordless freedom and enables quick and easy results 25cm cutting width 1.5 mm cord diameter 18V battery Weighs 2.4 kg

Price: £69.99

www.flymo.com/uk

MAKITA UK

EA5600F45DN 55.7cc chainsaw

TIMBERPRO

26cc top handle 10in topping chainsaw • • • • • • •

One-cylinder, two-stroke air-cooled motor 25.4 cm³ cylinder capacity 1.22hp 10in (25 cm) saw blade Technical details of the chain: 3/8in – 1.3mm – 40 links 250ml tank capacity Weighs 2.9 kg without blade and chain

Price: £99.99

www.timberpro-uk.com

• • • • • • • • •

Two-stroke engine 4.1hp 45cm bar length 0.325in chain pitch 0.058in chain gauge 0.57L fuel tank capacity 0.23L oil tank capacity 3.0kW output 5.8kg dry weight

Price: £612

www.makitauk.com

MCCULLOCH

GB 355 BP backpack blower • • • • • • •

46cm³ cylinder displacement 98.34 m/s air speed 455cm height 1,515 cm length 380 cm width Weighs 9.2 kg 2.2L fuel tank volume

Price: £198

www.mcculloch.com/uk

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

Arb Kit.indd 35

Pro Arb | October 2017 35

27/09/2017 16:17

NEWS | FEATURES | KIT

TIMBERWOLF

TW 280PHB wood chipper

• Kubota 57HP WG1605 fourcylinder petrol engine • 280mm x 210mm feed opening • Two quick-access double sided reversible blades • 210mm (8in) cutting performance • Quad force rollers for ultimate crushing power • 280º adjustable discharge • Average chip size 19.5mm Price: On request

www.timberwolf-uk.com

POSITIONING RESOURCES

CE UK

• Collects data to produce tree survey reports • Direct from smartphone or tablet • Ideal for BS5837, hazard reports, TPOs and tree safety inspections • Fully customisable

• Two-in-one saw and shovel cuts on the push and pull stroke to help digging out deep roots and debris • Serrated teeth on either side cut roots, branches and soil fast • Commercial grade carbon steel construction • Teeth can be sharpened • Ridged step for secure foot placement • Available in two shaft lengths – Mini (32in) and Original (48in)

PocketGIS ARB

PocketGIS®Arb Collect Process

Price: From £750

Report On The Job

www.posres.co.uk

BS5837 Haza zard reports Tree safety inspe ctions

Root Assassin Shovel

Price: Mini £44.99 Original £59.99

www.RootAssassinShovel.com

EGO POWER+

CS1600E 56V lithium-ion chainsaw

• • • •

Built tough to tackle even the hardest jobs Double Oregon bar and chain, with a 40cm bar length 13.5m/s cutting speed Up to 450 cuts with a 7.5Ah battery igh e ciency brushless motor • Easy set up thanks to tool free tensioning • Increased user safety, control and protection with chain kickback and electric brake, with autolubrication system that keeps the chain spinning freely Price: £239

www.egopowerplus.co.uk

Pro Arb | October 2017

Arb Kit.indd 36

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

28/09/2017 08:54

unfogable mesh eye protection

www.meshsafetyglasses.com 0845 2222 039

Secateurs, hedgeshears and the world’s finest pruning saws in superb, tempered Japanese steel KST 230

KST 217

Silky Fox Saws

KST 103

Foxley Estate Office, Mansel Lacy, Hereford HR4 7HQ

Hayauchi 490

Pocketboy 170

Tel: 01981 590224 Fax: 01981 590355 enquiries@silkyfox.co.uk

Visit silkyfox.co.uk to find your local stockist

Plantoil ad 118x91 Sept'14_PROARB 25/09/2014 14:44 Page 1

SoilsCon 2017 “Best conference I’ve been to in years! Look forward to the next one!” SoilsCon 2016 delegate

caring for the environment Wednesday 18th October 2017 Henley-on-Thames Join us for the third annual landscape industry soils conference and hear from respected industry speakers including Tim O’Hare on podium landscape soils, Phil Askew on the client’s perspective of project success, and Carolyn Willitts on designing successful landscapes from the soil up.

New for 2017 – Soil Surgery

Book online at www.toha.co.uk

Advert template.indd 11

• CHAINSAW OIL • 2-STROKE OIL • SAW BLADE OIL www.plantoil.co.uk 0800 013 7363 27/09/2017 10:53

NEWS | FEATURES | KIT

TOOLBOX PRO ARB TALKS KIT WITH BEN SCOBLE, DIRECTOR AT CENTAUR TREE SERVICES IN WHEATLEY, OXFORDSHIRE CHIPPERS

We went for a Bandit 75 – definitely a more expensive option for a company as small as mine. It’s almost archaic looking, like it’s from a different age compared to many of the modern chippers. They’re certainly built to last. This machine wasn’t built to be pretty, it wasn’t built to be light, it’s only built to chip, and it’s particularly useful on the bigger jobs – it definitely steps up our productivity. The warranty on these machines is better than anything else from its competitors. The downside is obviously the weight, but the infeed rollers are cavernous.

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES We have a primary works vehicle, the Toyota Hilux, which has been converted to have a tipper on the back. We are looking at getting another one. I was tempted to go down the Transit route, because Transits are really adaptable vehicles, but we do a lot of rural work so we need the off-road ability that comes with the Hilux. I’m really happy with Toyota, it’s very reliable and built to last. I have a chipper that’s above 750kg, so it’s important to have a vehicle that can tow it comfortably rather than borderline.

PPE Trousers I often wear STIHL X-FIT, which are the thinner ones – they’re light and the most comfortable trousers I’ve had. They are something of a luxury, but when you’re wearing them every day I think you’re justified in spending that extra. I’ve gone back time and time again to SIP Progress trousers, I think they have a good balance between cost and durability. Personally, if I’m equipping my crew, I would choose SIP. Boots I’m on my fourth pair of Meindl Skywalkers. They last about two years and I see nothing wrong with them. What I like about Meindl is it makes boots first – it’s not a chainsaw company, it’s not a PPE company, it primarily makes boots, and it’s adapted something for tree surgeons and arborists. Helmets We have Petzl. People use them in almost every other leisure industry, which speaks volumes. A feature I like is the build quality. It’s a shell with a space and your head is suspended away; most helmets now are made to be destroyed through kinetic force, which I think makes them weaker. The Petzl has a stronger shell, which is meant to either take an impact or bend and pop back out. They’re also durable and can fit many attachments.

Pro Arb | October 2017

ToolboxOct.indd 38

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

27/09/2017 16:45

KIT | FEATURES | NEWS

CHAINSAWS We use Stihl. I think both Stihl and Husqvarna are really good brands, but I’m nearly solely Stihl because the dealership is very close to where we are based – I haven’t got that with Husqvarna. I do have a battery powered model, which is a good, viable, professional tool. I don’t think the technology is quite there yet to compete with two-stroke engines, but it’s definitely coming though – it just needs time. I think ECHO is going to be an up and coming thing, it’s no longer the cheaper alternative. If they released a new top handle full size chainsaw I’d probably be looking to replace my Stihl 201 range.

HEDGE CUTTERS I’m still using the Stihl HL 95s – we haven’t had any problems in the last four years. Going forward, it’s going to be a choice between going battery powered or continuing down the two-stroke route. The biggest factor that would make me side with battery powered hedge cutters is the lack of vibration – from my own experience, I find the vibration from hedge cutters worse than from chainsaws, so would prefer to use battery powered.

RIGGING

SmartWinch The SmartWinch has been a bit of a game changer on big takedowns. The ability to safely lift loads of up to 500kg means it can in effect be a mini crane, plus tip tie techniques have improved and the technique is very safe. It’s productive and adaptive, and we all get excited about using it! Antal rigging rings These have been brilliant – they can often replace pulleys. They are cheap and unbreakable and they give the climber more options when rigging. It’s taking another look at an old idea, but there is some innovation there.

BLOWERS We have backpack and hand held blowers, both of which are Stihl – again, we have the dealership support with those. I do like the range of smaller backpack blowers that Stihl do, they certainly suit our work better.

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

ToolboxOct.indd 39

Pro Arb | October 2017 39

27/09/2017 16:45

The

ANCIENT TREE

column

SPECIAL BRANCH

Each month we feature an ancient British tree. This month the Ancient Tree Forum introduces us to...

Lap sed pollard beech trees, Epping Forest There are over 50,000 veteran trees in Epping Forest, with a large proportion being pollarded trees. Traditionally, pollarded beeches and other trees at Epping would have been cut to provide a sustainable source of wood for fuel and building, and fodder for animals. The trees were cut above the grazing

level so the new crop of branches wouldn’t be damaged by browsing. As the need for fuel wood and animal fodder declined, and coal became more widely available, the need for actively managed wood pasture decreased, and the resulting

lapsed pollards were left uncut. These lapsed pollards present unique management challenges for tree managers: the re-growth is large, heavy and balanced on top of decaying trunks. Management to stabilise these trees is a balancing act – cut too much and the damage caused may lead to extensive dysfunction and decay, but cut too little and branches may still pull away from the trunks or cause the entire tree to collapse. Tree managers at sites such as Epping Forest have been leading the way in this type of veteran tree management for the past 30 years. With no handbooks to follow at the start of this period, they had to use trial and error. The outcome wasn’t always as planned, but the good and bad results were recorded and fed back into the management plans to inform

future management. At the Ancient Tree Forum’s summer conference visit to Epping Forest in July, one of the hollow beech trees pictured had unfortunately just succumbed to strong winds which split the bolling, despite the tree being previously managed. That is not the end of the story, however; the remainder of the tree will continue to be managed, and the broken limb will be left where it has fallen, continuing to provide decaying wood habitat for a wide range of saproxylic organisms such as invertebrates

and fungi. The Ancient Tree Forum champions the biological, cultural and heritage value of Britain’s ancient and veteran trees, and provides advice on their value and management at www.ancienttreeforum.co.uk ©Ancient Tree Forum

Ancient Tree Oct.indd 40

27/09/2017 16:15

KIT | FEATURES | NEWS

MEET THE

SUPPLIER

nicky & phil wade directors of sorbus international NICKY AND PHIL WADE OF SORBUS INTERNATIONAL DISCUSS PROACTIVE MARKETING AND HIGH STANDARDS Can you tell us a little bit about Sorbus International? We are a family owned business that is currently celebrating its th year in business e oﬀer specialist and high-tech products for arboriculture, forestry, utilities, landscaping and grounds maintenance, supplying both UK and overseas customers. What are your bestselling products? We have such a comprehensive product range that it is di cult to pinpoint exactly what our bestsellers are, as this depends on the market sector involved. Our range of equipment, PPE and clothing for arboriculture is very

popular, as are the ARS Japanese pruning products – for which we are the UK master distributor. We also supply high-tech equipment for decay detection in trees, utility poles and wooden structures, being the exclusive distributors for the IML and PICUS ranges. These products are either owned or speciﬁed by many local authorities, but we also supply them to major utility companies, such as BT. Recently we have added the Haglöf Sweden range of innovative forestry mensuration systems to our portfolio and these too are generating a lot of interest in the UK. How do you market the business? We like to be proactive rather than reactive in our marketing – never resting on our laurels. Although we continue to embrace the traditional methods of marketing, social media is now an important feature for us. We also have an ongoing

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

Meet the Supplier.indd 41

outreach programme to personally visit existing and potential future customers. Modern methods of communication are great but still no substitute for a face to face conversation. We have had a record year of success at the trade shows we have exhibited at during 2017. Customer service and satisfaction is a cornerstone of our business and will continue to be so. What are the key selling points of your products? e stri e to oﬀer ery good uality products at good prices, but also with excellent customer support. As a key supplier we are constantly oﬀered ne products, and e ha e to be very careful which products we select to be part of our range because we set our standards high.

How do you ensure the quality of your products? Everybody at Sorbus is focused on the continuing quality of our products and also on the level of customer service we provide. We have been ISO 9001 accredited for many years and are currently working towards meeting the requirements of ISO 9001:2015. We also ensure our suppliers meet the appropriate quality standards, so if we do experience any problems they can be dealt ith uic ly, e ciently and to our customers’ satisfaction.

Are you releasing any new products in the coming months? New products are always on the horizon but in particular the latest handheld laser measurement device from Haglöf – the Laser Geo, available from October – is a remarkable piece of kit, having multifunctional capabilities that will beneﬁt customers in a broad range of market sectors

Pro Arb | October 2017 41

27/09/2017 16:37

NEWS | FEATURES | KIT

For full details on all jobs, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

Call 01903 777 580 or email laura.harris@eljays44.com with your vacancy

SENIOR ARBORICULTURAL CONSULTANT

PROJECT MANAGER, UTILITY ARBORICULTURE

Bartlett Consulting is the consultancy arm of Bartlett Tree Experts and part of The F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Company operating throughout the UK, Ireland, America and Canada. Bartlett Consulting is looking to recruit a full time senior arboricultural consultant to be based at our St Albans ofﬁce and manage the team including a trainee to support the Bartlett UK and Ireland ofﬁces. We offer a wide range of consultancy services including impact assessments, subsidence risk assessments, tree health surveys and tree structure evaluation, including a variety of internal decay detection services. Applicants should be able to demonstrate their knowledge and experience in these areas.

The utility arboriculture project manager will work in liaison with the contract delivery manager to ensure overhead power line arboriculture work is completed within a geographical area utilising a team of operational staff. The candidate will ideally have some, but not necessarily all, of the following: NPTC Utility Arboriculture Units 1, 2.1, 5.1 and 5.2; a full, valid driving licence; LANTRA Basic or Professional Tree Inspectors Qualification; three to five years’ experience in similar job role; practised and strong negotiation and influencing skills, and an ability to prioritise workload and balance demands from numerous sources to ensure that all stakeholder needs are met.

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

TREE SALES SUPPORT – MIDDLE EAST & ASIA PACIFIC

TRAINEE AND EXPERIENCED CLIMBERS

BARTLETT TREE EXPERTS Location: St Albans, Hertfordshire

PLATIPUS ANCHORS LTD Location: Redhill, Surrey

Platipus is a leading worldwide manufacturer of tree anchoring and irrigation systems. To maintain our continued international success and growth we have an exciting opportunity for the right candidate to join our landscape division to support and increase export sales of our products. We are seeking someone who is ready for the challenge to develop, strengthen and maximise sales opportunities within the Middle East and Asia Paciﬁc markets amongst others. The successful candidate will be proactive in their approach and able to demonstrate experience and a proven track record in a similar sales/sales support role.

GROUND CONTROL Location: Northampton

ADVANCED TREE SERVICES Location: Dorking

Advanced Tree Services is the current term contractor for London Borough of Ealing, The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Royal Parks (Bushy Park), Epsom and Ewell District Council, Surrey County Council, Wycombe District Council and primary contractor with the Forestry Commission for OPM control. Due to expansion we are seeking to employ full time, trainee and experienced climbers. Ideally you should hold the relevant NPTC or LANTRA units (use of a chainsaw in a tree and aerial rescue as a minimum). Drivers licence and access to your own transport are desirable but not essential.

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

CLIMBERS/ARBORISTS

SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR

JSA Landscape Group is a prestigious company providing services to both commercial and domestic clients in London and the South. Our trained staff are fully industry qualiﬁed, providing expert services in all aspects of agricultural/ arboriculture/landscape services. We are currently seeking two experienced and enthusiastic tree climbers to join our team. Along with aerial rescue certiﬁcates CS30/31/38/39 as a minimum, excellent communication, client liaison and leadership skills are a requirement for this role. A full driving licence is necessary. The role will involve performing all climbing duties, identifying basic trees and shrubs, demonstrating sound risk assessment skills and an understanding of plant healthcare services, and providing a high level of customer service.

Glendale Horticulture is one of the UK’s leading growers with production nurseries in the Midlands, Kent and Lancashire. With its head ofﬁce in Gloucestershire the company serves garden centres, the DIY and retail markets as well as the amenity sectors and garden designers. We are looking to recruit a sales & marketing director to lead the sales teams and contribute to the strategic leadership of the company. Reporting to the managing director, you will develop and lead the sales and marketing function, be responsible for overseeing the management of key accounts, develop new relationships and maximize sales, and focus on new business development.

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

JSA LANDSCAPE GROUP Location: South West/London

Jobs.indd 42

Pro Arb | October 2017

GLENDALE HORTICULTURE Location: Fretherne, Gloucestershire

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

27/09/2017 16:29

KIT | FEATURES | NEWS

the

little

INTERVIEW UICK-FIRE PRO ARB ASKS Q ARN MORE QUESTIONS TO LE PLE WHO MAKE ABOUT THE PEO ... UP OUR INDUSTRY

Ellie Foster

Editorial assistant, Pro Arb

Favourite species of tree? Wild cherry tree.

Karaoke song of choice? Something by Simon & Garfunkel, which also means I can drag a friend with me to do a duet.

If you had to work in a different industry, what would you be doing? Attempting to make it as an author.

Who would play you in a film of your life? Claire Foy.

Best moment in your career thus far? Visiting Hilliers Tree Nursery and meeting some great people from the industry. One piece of technology you couldn’t live without? My iPad mini.

Favourite sporting memory? Going to watch the London 2012 Olympic tennis on Centre Court at Wimbledon – saw Andy Murray, Lleyton Hewitt and Caroline Wozniacki.

Favourite sandwich filling? Ham, lettuce and tomato on crusty white bread.

Top of your bucket list? To visit Italy.

Julian Montague

What’s your go to reference book? Principles of Tree Hazard Assessment and Management. Favourite species of tree? Mature ash tree or white poplar. If you had to work in a different industry, what would you be doing? Football.

WWW.PROARBMAGAZINE.COM

Little Interview.indd 43

Best moment in your career thus far? Becoming general manager of the largest arb contract in Glendale with Western Power Distribution in the south west (and then this interview!).

CD player though.

One piece of technology you couldn’t live without? I wouldn’t miss modern technology, but maybe the internet for Surf-check. I’d deﬁnitely miss my record and

Who would play you in a film of your life? Paddy Considine.

Favourite sandwich filling? Baked bean and cheese toastie. Karaoke song of choice? There is no way I’m doing karaoke!

Favourite sporting memory?

General manager, Glendale

13 May 2012 – Sergio Aguero’s last minute goal to beat QPR 3-2 and crown Man City Premier League Champions. What’s top of your bucket list? Sequoia National Park and Yosemite National Park to see giant trees, bears and wolves.

Pro Arb | October 2017 43

28/09/2017 09:35

 HI-TECH  CLIMBING  LOWERING

& RIGGING

 CLOTHING  SAFETY & PPE  CHAINSAW

ACCESSORIES

 BOOKS  TOOLS  WORKSHOPS

& COURSES

www.sorbus-intl.co.uk 01373 475540 Advert template.indd 12

27/09/2017 10:55