Calling all MTOA’ers You are being invited to take part in a research study being carried out by Plumpton College student Dina J Mysko. The purpose of the study is to ascertain what current understanding is on recent pests and diseases that are threatening Horse Chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum and whether their impact has an influence on current and future tree planting. As a manager of individual trees, tree populations and collections in the UK, whether you are an Arboricultural Manager, Tree Officer, Arboriculturist or other your feedback is an integral part of this research project. You are only required to answer 8 short questions from an online questionnaire once. These questions should take just a few minutes to answer. Please follow the link to the questionnaire here: http://goo.gl/ forms/PFAzqjmXmF Your participation in the study is anonymous throughout. The feedback that you supply is also received anonymously through Google Forms. Should you require further information about the study please see the attached information sheet. Should you wish to contact myself or my supervisor you'll find our contact details at the end of the information sheet. Please follow the link to the questionnaire here: http://goo.gl/forms/PFAzqjmXmF Dina J. Mysko
Quirky Estonian oak tree entry wins Tree of the Year contest The results of the European Tree of the Year contest have been announced, with an oak tree in the middle of a football pitch in Estonia winning with 59,836 votes, nearly a third of the almost 185,000 votes cast in total. Thought to be around 500 years old, the tree on the island of Saaremaa survived efforts to pull it down during the Stalin era. Competitive matches continue to be played around it. England's Major Oak was the highest placed UK entrant in 6th place with 9,941 votes, while Scotland's entry was 9th and Wales' 10th out of 14 participating countries. Image: Elina Kalm
The trees also join the European Trail of Trees, where people have the opportunity to find out more about trees in the contest across Europe. The contest which began in 2011 is organised by the Czech-based Environmental Partnership Association. This was the first year that an entry for England was submitted, by the Woodland Trust, which intends also to enter trees into the 2016 contest