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Welcome to the autumn edition of TreeLine, the third edition this year. As I write this, the Olympics has just concluded and the third cricket test against South Africa is pending. And it’s raining! Hope you enjoyed the summer! September is looking to be a particularly busy month for the Chapter, with a stand at the AA Amenity Conference (2nd and 3rd), the AGM (12th) and representation at the biennual APF 2012 trade show (13th to 15th).

This edition is equally packed. My thanks again go to Rus-sell Ball for directing contributors to me. It helps to ensure you, the reader, can enjoy a magazine with a good range of features. The efforts of Keith Sacre feature prominently, with a paper he co-wrote with Dr. Glynn Percival and Jona-thon Banks on the potential benefits of identifying greater hardiness in trees being planted in the landscape. We review the third Barchams Big Barn conference, for which Keith deserves considerable acknowledgement. We also put Keith In the Spotlight.

Dr. Glynn Percival summarises some of the tree health issues affecting Willows, and Paul Elcoat explains how be-ing accredited to ISO quality schemes could benefit your business. David Dowson provides an ‘end of year’ review of the revised Level four and Level six Diplomas in Arbori-culture. He has also written a summary of BS3998:2010, which he is keen for arborists to become acquainted with.

Steve Oram of the People’s Trust for Endangered Spe-cies begins a two part series considering some of the specialised management requirements of orchard trees, emphasising their ecological and historical qualities. Rod Waterfield, who has developed The Warren Woodland Skills Centre, starts a four-part series exploring some of the social benefits that woodland can provide.

Dr. Jon Heuch, who is working on an updated Area of Pro-fessional Competency for the Consulting Arborist Society on Amenity Tree Valuations, has generously agreed to discuss some of the challenges with valuing amenity trees, and how the arboricultural professional can be equipped. He will be speaking at the final ISA/G&T seminar on 22nd November 2012. It is a shame that the update from Colin Bashford, ISA President, didn’t arrive in time for the editor’s deadline. Hopefully, we can include it next time. Finally, your poet in residence has penned some verse reflecting the season. Let us know what you think. And enjoy!

Mark Chester

commentEditor’s

ContentsPresident’s Pulpit

Events Calendar

Putting the I in ISA - Meet the Team

The Upcoming G&T Seminar

How the ISA Helped MeTwo ISA members share their experiences

Barcham’s Big Barn Seminar 2012More than 400 arborists attended. Mark Chester reviews

In the Spotlight: Keith SacreA man of energy and passion, we caught up with Keith to talk ‘trees’

Sorting the Winners from the WimpsUrban planting selection processes, by Dr Glynn Percival, Jonathon Banks & Keith Sacre

Herefordshire Parklands ProjectMark Chester examines the case studies

ISO Certification - Making it PayRegular contributor Paul Elcoat explains how to make the most of this accreditation

What’s Wrong with the Willows?Ever wondered why each year our willow trees seem to be looking “scabbier” than usual?

ETCC Munich 2012This year the European Tree Climbing Championships on 23rd and 24th June was in Bernreid Germany

Managing Orchards & Fruit TreesBy Steve Oram, People’s Trust for Endangered Species

The Woodland Skills CentreAt the Warren Woods in Bodfari

Arborcamp 2012

Treeathlon 2012Tree-Athlon returns to Battersea Park

Book Review - Urban TreesA Practical Management Guide. Author Steve Cox, reviewed by Mark Chester

ABC New Certificates & DiplomasStatus Report Summer 2012, by Dave Dowson

PoemMark Chester continues this series

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Copyright ©2012 All rights reservedThe opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily the opinions of the ISA UK/I chapter

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President’s Pulpit Russell Ball

Russell Ball BSc. (Hons.), P.G. Dip. LM, CBiol., MSB.

From a very early age I’ve had a keen interest in nature which led me to study botany. It was whilst at university that I discovered the world of arbo-riculture – literally by picking up a “Tree Surgery” book at my local library. Since then I’ve never looked back. I have been lucky enough to hold some key industry jobs: Executive Officer for both the London Tree Officers As-sociation and International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) - European office. I’ve also worked as a Tree Protection Officer for Harrow Council (London) and spent two years in tree consulting in Madrid (Spain) where I researched how trees add value to property prices. I was on the technical editing com-mittee for the Spanish national standard for protecting trees on develop-ment sites: “NTJ 03E”. In 1996, I was voted Environmental Londoner of the Year and in the same year (jointly) won a Royal Horticultural Society (Chel-sea Flower Show) silver-gilt medal for Rainforest Belize. Presently, I’m a freelance Consulting Arborist working out of NW London, and the President of the ISA (UKI Chapter).

As a Chartered Biologist my qualifications also include an Honours Degree in Botany and a post graduate Diploma in Landscape Management.

Dr Glynn Percival

Dr Glynn Percival is the plant physiologist and technical support special-ist for the F.A Bartlett Tree Expert Company Ltd and manages their UK research laboratory based at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom. His research interests include factors affecting tree establishment following planting and the effects of environmental stress (salt, freezing drought) upon urban trees. In the past Dr Percival has been invited to present papers on his work at the International Society of Arboriculture and Arboricultural Association annual conferences and in addition the Inter-national Society for Horticultural Science, 1st International Symposium on Urban Tree Health.

He is the author of over 100 scientific papers, magazine articles and book chapters. In addition Dr Percival is also on the editorial board for the Jour-nal of Arboriculture and Urban Forestry Urban Greening. Reading University made Dr Percival an honorary visiting research fellow, citing his valuable contributions within the Plant Science department and the University.

Putting the I in ISAMeet the team behind your ISA ChapterAfter two over years at the helm, I finally take my last bow

as your President. On this occasion, permit me to briefly stroll down memory lane and recall some key moments from the past two years. I took over as President in the glorious sun of the Student Society of Arb. climbing championships at Moulton College. I was acutely aware the Chapter needed to improve member services. This included putting together a programme of technical seminars and to re-establish our quarterly newsletter: TreeLine. In March 2011, aided by Dr. Glynn Percival (Bartletts), a one day seminar on tree health was held at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew. Other numerous events have followed, and this year, in association with Gristwood & Toms, we will have hosted four seminars covering a diverse range of technical topics. Last year saw the first-ever ArborCamp in Kent that was run again this summer… perhaps the next ArborCamp will be blest with best weather! This year, we were delighted to host Jim Urban and his Up By Roots seminar looking at research into trees and soil. And of course, I’m pleased that the UKI Tree Climbing Competition continues to strive-on providing our best climbers with a platform to compete in the ISA European and international tree climbing competitions. Next year, our 21st anniversary, will include an exciting one-day conference (25th June 2013 at Kew) looking at trees and the law, led by Dr. David Lonsdale and Jeremy Barrell. In regard to all our events, much has been possible due to key sponsors such as Barchams and Geosynthetics. The past two years have seen the Chapter working with others to raise the profile of the profession. Events have been run with the support of Bartlett’s Tree Experts, FR Jones, Kingswood Training, the Consulting Arborist Society, and we have worked to develop good relations with others including the Arboricul-tural Association, the London Tree Officers Association and the Municipal Tree Officers Association.

We still have an uphill struggle with the perception that the ISA is run by the Americans. Well, apart from using the ISA international rules (that incidentally were developed by climbers around from the world & was probably the first real push in making the ISA truly international) all the above events were conceived and run by the UKI Chapter. To draw on a parallel, having just enjoyed the Olympics it was obvious to see the USA and China way out in front in the medal-tally. This is a result of demographics: popula-tion size from which to draw athletes. The same will always be true of the ISA in that the majority of its members will be from the USA and Canada. But beyond this, however, the membership services and focus of ISA is international (and becoming so year on year). The Olympics remains an international event despite being dominated by the USA and China, much like the ISA, whilst based in the USA, is an international association.

Whilst I will be stepping down as President, I will still be active, developing Fund4Trees and Ride for Research, supporting seminars and promoting the Chapter. In regard to the latter, I wish the next President all the very best and would urge that the momentum that we have created continues on… Finally, I’m pleased that thanks to Mark (our editor), TreeLine has been re-established as a key industry publication.

Hopefully, I’ll see you at an UK/I event sometime very soon or on a Ride for Research ride…

Russell Ball PresidentUK/I ChapterHelping to put the ‘I’ in the ISA

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What is the problem?A range of government initiatives is seeking to ensure that Government has a better informed understanding of the value of Natural Capital, to help it prioritise actions to support and improve the UK’s natural assets. Projects include Valuing Nature Networks and Payment for Ecosystem Services whilst RICS and CABE Space have produced documents discussing various valuation issues relating to amenity trees. In addition, the law courts have set a precedent on how the Courts will judge amenity trees.

In this complex environment, arboriculturists find themselves with four sets of tools: Helliwell, CTLA, CAVAT and now I Tree. How do the valuation tools that arboriculturists have developed fit with the current environment? Are they fit for purpose? Will they stand up to external scrutiny in an adversarial situation? If so, when a valuation problem arises, how should a professional address it, and what pitfalls may arise?

In advance on a two day course in 2013 preparing delegates for the Consulting Arborist Society’s Amenity Tree Valuation Competency, Dr. Jon Heuch will be considering these issues in this one-off seminar.

Dr. Jon Heuch has been involved with the valuation of natural resources for almost 30 years. With experience of accountancy and economics, he is able to explain the valuation framework within which professionals have to work. He practices as an arboricultural Expert Witness particularly with regards to valuation problems. He is a member of the CTLA Regional Plant Appraisal Committee for the UK & Ireland.

To book your place on this Free event, click here...Thursday 22nd November 2012 Shenley, WD7 9EG. 9.30am registration, 10-3pm

There will be a £10 per head charge to cover the speaker’s travel costs and to make a contribution to Fund4Trees, which supports research in arboriculture. Dr. Jon Heuch is not charging for his time.

ISA Gristwood & Toms Seminarin association with The Consulting Arborist Society

Professional Amenity Tree Valuation with Dr. Jon Heuch

Held at Gristwood & Toms Head Office

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How the ISA helped meThe ISA’s Certified Arborist qualification is internationally recognised. Two ISA members share their experiences, from different perspectives,of how it has benefitted them professionally.

Gavin BoothEclipse EnvironmentalI’m Gavin Booth and I run Eclipse Environmental, a contracting company based in Dudley. Apart from a stint in the army, I’ve spent all my life working with trees. I go back to the days in the 1970s when I worked on the railways clearing trees with little of the Health and Safety we are familiar with today.

I am passionate about good quality tree work, which means I’m not pruning during bud break. As the years have passed and climbing becomes more challeng-ing, I have increasingly appreciated the need to gain recognised accreditations. This is in part so that I can start to do consultancy work with assurance. I started by joining the ISA, and have been proud to be associ-ated with their logo since. I left school with no post sixteen qualifications, and without them found courses such as the AA Technician’s Certificate and Foundation Degrees generally unavailable. However, it became clear that passing the ISA’s Certified Arborist examina-tion would demonstrate my credentials.

I appreciated being able to study at my own pace, fitting studies around work commitments and reading key texts with added purpose. I passed the exami-nation in 2010 and immediately enrolled on TreeLife Trainings’ teaching course leading to the Technician’s Certificate. I passed this qualification in the summer of 2012. Since then, I become a Lantra accredited Pro-fessional Tree Inspector, qualifying me for membership of the Consulting Arborist Society, an umbrella under which I can develop my consulting skills.

Dylan Lewis I’ve recently been asked to provide some arboricultural consultancy services for my local Parish Council. The village sits within a Conservation Area and consists mainly of attractive Ironstone cottages surrounding a tree lined village green. There are a number of late mature trees that have managed to avoid damage from pests and disease, or from in-fill development, to make a significant contribution to the amenity value of the setting. In-fill development from the 1970s led to the planting of a number of interesting and attractive trees that are now starting to mature. However, it has become apparent that an increasing number of these trees have been disfigured or damaged by poor quality or inappropriate tree work. This has led the Parish Council to consider the adoption of guidelines which could be used in conjunction with existing Conservation Area and TPO legislation.

One of the most significant challenges that we have encountered is the difficulty in distinguishing the good arborist from the bad. Many of the councillors are aware of the local contractors who are capable of proving consistent high quality work. However, the Parish Council feels that a list of “approved” contractors based on personal opinion or experience and recommendation from individual members would be inappropriate. Certification programmes such as the Arboricultural Association Approved Contractor scheme look attractive as it covered an assessment of practical skills. However, there aren’t many of those guys around and so many professional arborists are not yet accredited to a formal scheme. ISA Certification therefore looks attractive as it can be used to ensure that there is a certified arborist working within the team and it is more accessible. It also enabled the Parish Council to employ reputable professional arborists within confidence, in an open and transparent way. This just leaves us with the conundrum: why are there so few good arborists with ISA Certification?

I appreciated being

able to study at my

own pace, fitting

studies around work

commitments and

reading key texts

with added purpose.

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10 Treeline Autumn 2012 Treeline Autumn 2012 11

Dr. Mark Johnston chaired the event. He began proceedings by reminding delegates of the im-

portance of trees within our urban settings and of the challenge of promoting them across the political arena. He acknowledged that we are living in challenging times, with many tree officers facing uncertain futures in the face of public sector cut backs and reduced budgets for the services the private sector provides.

He was also delighted to announce that the prestigious Master’s degree in Arboriculture and Urban Forestry run by Myerscough College is to be developed as an on-line course. It should be ready for the first students by September 2013. Mark then introduced Duncan Slater, the first speaker, a man prepared to challenge established views and keen to keep an open mind.

Duncan leapt to the stage wearing his tee-shirt with the phrase ‘for fork’s sake’. He explained how he was part way through a six year PhD course at Manchester University investigating tree forks with the aim of understanding their mechanical proper-ties. He started with the premise that tree forks have been unfairly criticised for being weak. Given that the wood at the heart of a fork is as strong as titanium, he suggests it is time for a re-think.

Alex Shigo produced the theory of seasonal overlap-ping colours based on stripping the bark from the branches of 30 oaks in the spring and repeating the exercise in the autumn. Duncan realised that the problem with the research was that the samples of

bark taken in the autumn were not from the same samples as those taken in the spring. He took sam-ples 10mm cubed from the forks and stems of Hazel, and analysed them. He found the vessels at the forks snaked whilst those in the stem wood were straight.

Recognising that inclusions are a weakness, Duncan suggested that we may be contributing to the prob-lem. We grow trees too closely on the nursery, grow-ing upright cultivars, provide excess shelter to young trees and delay thinning woodlands. Then we thin trees, exposing previously sheltered and under-devel-oped branches to winds, and wonder why forks fail.

Duncan described his presentation as a half-time update, three years in to his research. He concluded by talking of the need for more arborists, with practical experience in the industry, to undertake research. He has already worked as a climber and a tree officer, and is committed to remaining in arboriculture. There is a lack of quality research being undertaken but a great need. Although some good research is being undertaken in the field of arboriculture, when the prac-titioners are not arborists, they tend to move on to other fields when their tree-related work has concluded.

Philip van Wassenaer from Toronto in Canada spoke next. He explained that from an early age, he had a passion for climbing. He then learnt that as an arborist, he could earn his living by climbing trees, something he continues to enjoy. Since 1994, he has practised as a consultant, specialising in tree risk assessments.

Barcham Trees

Big Barn Conference 2012

Reviewed by Mark Chester

On Wednesday 20th June, more than 400 arborists and tree enthusiasts gathered at Barcham

Trees’ nursery in Ely, Cambridgeshire for the third ‘Big Barn’ conference to hear presentations

by Duncan Slater, Philip van Wassenaer and Dr. Ed Gilman.

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There are two types of whole tree failure: when the stem or limb breaks and when the root plate fails leading to uprooting. Key to understanding the role of roots is to appreciate that they are extensive and shallow and need space. They can also be bent beyond their ability to recover. Healthy roots can withstand heavy loads, but other factors can influ-ence the situation:

• Friction between roots and soil particles• Rotational failure in the shear zone. This can involve a tree which is mechanically sound, and can be described as soil failure, not root failure.

Philip uses Engineering-based Static Load Analysis. This simulates the wind and enables measuring of the tree’s response. Variations are recognised in the strength of the wind. This depends on the situation. The wind is generally stronger in open land whereas in urban settings, the trees can be protected.

The shape and geometry of the crown is also a factor. Smaller crowns with thicker stems are very stable whereas larger crowns with thin stems can be unsafe.

The results are measured in percentage resistance to the static load, in this case, the wind strength being

applied to it. If a tree has 100% resistance, it can withstand just to the given wind speed being used in that particular test. This is considered low safety. A 150% resistance indicates the tree has 50% the reserves (to withstand 50% greater wind speed than is being applied). Therefore a 150% resistance to 50mph wind indicates the tree can withstand wind up to 75mph. This is preferable.

Philip acknowledged that the pull test is not used on every tree, but for visually important trees which give cause for concern. He shared two case studies. In the first, two Lime growing as street trees were subject to root pruning due to damage to the footway. The authority’s highways engineers arranged for the work without reference to the parks department. The trees were subject to the pull test and had 27% and 46% strength. Both trees were felled due to safety con-cerns, having had their main anchorage roots severed. The engineers were involved in the process so that they could be informed.

In a second case, he was consulted by a couple wishing to develop a property near to heritage trees. They planned to build a garage within one metre of a row of Pines which had formerly been a hedge. Philip advised that the garage be moved two metres further

from the trees. Regrettably, the clients proceeded as originally planned. They then asked Philip to under-take the pull test as they were becoming concerned about the stability of the trees, with the annual hurri-cane season pending. Philip concluded that the trees had been affected and were now unsafe. He informed the client of these concerns, but before they could arrange for removal, one of the trees was uprooted in a storm. It fell on to a neighbouring property, causing damage and a claim. Philip simply wished the couple had listened to him from the start.

Philip concluded a presentation packed with informa-tion, which could easily have merited top billing itself, by sharing his appreciation for the ISA Tree Biome-chanics Research Week. A plot of trees was made available for research. Philip found 12 trees on the edge of the plot, in situations similar to urban trees, and pulled each to primary failure. This work has informed his research and corroborates the results of the pulling tests.

After a short break, Dr. Ed GILMAN began the first of his presentations. Professor of Arboriculture at the University of Florida, he spoke on Pruning in Urban and Suburban Landscapes. Introduced as an interna-tional authority on pruning, he modestly explained that he does not feel that he is an expert on this subject. He simply listens to lots of people, and has written a book. That it is a 600 page text regarded by many as one of the key references on the topic suggests that not only is it well written but, through his many conversations, Dr. Gilman has become well informed.

The focus of the talk was on the importance of the dominant leader, and how to develop it in the nursery and following planting in the landscape. Dr. Gilman showed numerous examples of how with careful prun-ing, poorly developing specimens have recovered to become quality trees. When trees grow in a forest set-ting, they develop a dominant leader. Lower branches are smaller, which minimises the decay risk.

When trees develop in the open, and often in nurser-ies, they usually have stems across the trunk. Lower branches develop and suppress the leader stem. Structural pruning is required to suppress growth of the lower branches. When the branch that is removed leaves a small wound, there is branch protection and the tree can recover. With larger wounds, which expose the heartwood, the ability of the tree to recover is reduced.

Trees with two or more leaders break more easily. However, as those in the audience would appreciate, topping, and thinning, do not help, the latter provid-

ing only a short-term effect on the tree. Over-pruning leads to the formation of lions’ tailing which causes over-extension and leads to an unbalanced crown. Restoration from this condition is nearly impossible.

During a shortened break, delegates were able to enjoy a substantial buffet provided free of charge by our hosts. There was welcome opportunity to network and visit the trade stands present.

In the afternoon, Dr. GILMAN provided a whistle-stop tour of areas of research which are both informing tree care and challenging some established views. These include the use of mulches to help establish trees. Whilst many of us appreciate the damage that piling mulches around the base of trees can cause, Dr. Gilmore presented research that suggests mulch should not be used on the root ball. He found that the material used can stop water reaching the ground, which is not beneficial. However, applying the material on the ground around the tree still helps, especially with weed suppression.

The issue of appropriate staking is often discussed and debated amongst arborists, and specifically the correct height for stakes. In his research, Dr. Gilmore found staking to secure the trunk rarely beneficial, and ties often remained attached long after they had finished supporting the tree. He found that trees left un-staked fared as well, or better than those with stakes, being able to withstand windy conditions and develop thicker trunks. Post-planting maintenance is often lacking, so he advised that untreated timber be used for stakes, as it usually rots within three years. His recommended choice is to secure batons to the ground around the root ball, using small stakes. The batons should only remain in situ for one to two years.

Dr. Giman had so much to share, but was beaten by the clock. It was a pleasure to be part of the audience and learn so much from this expert in his field. Keith Sacre concluded the day by thanking the speakers and presenting them with momentums of leaf prints. Two members of staff who helped beyond the call of duty and did much to ensure the event ran smoothly, Julie Tenney and Natasha Hutchinson, were presented with bouquets of flowers. Finally, the audi-ence was updated on the recent publication of ‘Trees in the Townscape: A Guide for Decision Makers. This is the latest publication by the Tree Design Action Group (TDAG) which Barcham Trees have been an active member of since its inception some five years ago. The TDAG aim is to present a copy of it to the Leader and Chief Executive of every Local Authority in the UK and use it to promote best practice.

The full guide is available as a free PDF at www.tdag.org.uk/trees-in-the-townscape.html

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Today, Keith is associated with young trees and nursery production. However, his early footsteps

were in a very different arena. Clearly a very talented, and modest, man, his artistic gift was spotted and Keith gained an A’ Level in the History of Art aged just 15. A place at Campbell Art College was duly offered. And declined. Keith muses briefly that life could have taken a very different path…

However, he is not one to dwell on the past and instead enrolled on a two-year programme training in administration for Southwark Council, a role he grew to dislike. A position as a trainee journalist with the South London Press came up and Keith was soon touring his local patch generating articles. However, he became increasingly frustrated at a lack of inde-pendence as articles had to reflect the political views of the paper. Matters came to a head when he was required to cover the Teacher’s Strike in 1971 from the newspaper’s view. It was time to move on.

Another art course place was offered at Croydon Art College, to start that autumn. Meanwhile, to fill the time, and provide an income, Keith joined the Parks and

Gardens team at Myatts Field Park in Lambeth for a six month interim. As weeks became months, he became interested in the trees and shrubs around him. And so Keith decided to stay. The work included climbing trees to prune and fell, and the Dutch Elm Disease epidemic kept him busy. He completed the City & Guilds in Horti-culture and served the team for four years.

In 1974, with his then girlfriend moving to Clacton, Keith moved too, becoming a Parks Supervisor. He was to stay at Clacton for the next eleven years. The work included nursery management and arboricul-ture including climbing (in those days, the prussek knot was new). Keith continued to work on Elms and became involved in general arboricultural and parks management. He then became a Parks Technical Officer and then, after two years, Parks Manager. During this time, he took a National Diploma in Hor-ticulture, a Diploma in Management Studies and the NALGO course in Garden Design.

With the introduction of Compulsary Competitive Tendering (CCT), Keith was appointed Parks Direct Services Manager, responsible for winning contracts

and generating revenue. To be successful, the role required Keith to be entrepreneurial, which was not feasible. He did not like the way the industry was progressing, and decided to change focus.

Notcutts Nurseries had a vacancy in their sales department and Keith was soon selling trees to local authorities and other nurseries, a role that included importing stock from Holland. This was a role he relished, and it included developing the Airpot unit, home to some 10,000 trees. In his spare time, he also took a degree in Social Sciences.

Then in 2000, Keith met with Mike Glover, Managing Director at Barcham Trees. Mike offered Keith the position of Sales Director, leading the work promoting the sale of tree. Keith took up the offer and moved. It could be said that he has not looked back. Keith may be too modest to comment, but Mike evidently saw something special, and the industry has benefitted.

In this new role, Keith has been able to actively pursue his professional development, attending semi-nars, conferences and sitting at the feet of those from whom he can learn. He was at a seminar organised by the London Tree Officer’s Association when he discussed the possibility of taking the Technician’s Certificate with David Dowson of TreeLife. David is keen to ensure candidates that he trains have a good grounding in arboriculture and are well-placed to suc-ceed. He was reluctant to take Keith as a candidate, not being sure that this candidate would pass, and not wishing to disappoint. However, Keith reassured David that he, Keith, would take the risk. And he might even pass. He passed the theory, but chose not to take the Management Exercise, as he was only taking the course for his own personal interest.

The Professional Diploma, taught by Andy Summerlee, followed and Keith completed five of the six papers. He then enrolled on, and completed, the BSc degree in Arboriculture at Myerscough College, which he passed. He is currently taking the Master’s degree in Arboriculture and Urban Forestry run by Myerscough.

The Barcham SeriesKeith recognises the importance of professional development, product development and information dissemination. Having attended a seminar which included an eminent speaker from Belgium he sub-sequently met with a tree officer who was unaware of recent industry developments. The information was not being disseminated, especially to the tree officers who needed the updates. Barchams were in the process of building a new room which could be used

to host events. The aim was to offer courses free of charge, an opportunity to give back to the industry and help those who have no budget for training. When speakers realised that Barcham’s were not charging delegates, they were often willing to waive fees. For Keith, this has been a ‘win-win’ situation.

In 2008, for the visit of Professor Claus Mattheck, Barcham’s brought in extra seating, and more than 400 delegates were able to hear the professor’s recent research, free of charge. Following the success of this event, Keith was able to persuade Dr. Gary Watson, Head of Research at Morton Arboretum Illinois USA, to be the lead speaker at the second ‘Big Barn’ event in 2010. This seminar, again provided free of charge, pre-sented research on the potential of water stress within the nursery for equipping trees for the harsh urban environment in which they will become established.

For 2012, Dr. Ed Gilman was the guest speaker and all 430 places were taken three months before the event, an indication of the demand for knowledge and desire to improve our understanding.

Keith is concerned about the disjointed service that exists in the supply and establishing of young trees. Some 25% of trees planted by local authorities die within two years of being planted, and too often, when one visits a nursery, instead of informed advice on what suits the location, Keith considers there is a tendency for customers to be offered just what is available, and best of luck.

Back in 2008, frustrated by this situation, Keith spoke to Mick Boddy. Mick was the newly appointed Chair-man of the B/213 Committee which is responsible for managing the British Standards that relate to arbori-culture. What was required, suggested Keith, was a British Standard to bring the various aspects together and set an agreed, industry-wide approach. Possibly to his surprise, Mick agreed. So did the British Stan-dards Institute, which allocated it the title BS8454. Keith was then appointed as Chair of the committee formed to write the new standard. Keith now finds himself leading writing of the document…

To this end, Barcham’s are in the process of establish-ing a Small Trees consultancy with a team equipped to inform users. This recognises that pre- and post-planting advice is needed. This includes species choice, suitability, management, vagaries, the needs of different species etc.

The Consulting Arborist Society, which represents as-piring and practising arboricultural consultants in the

For many who have attended one of the regular seminars

held at Barcham Trees in Ely, Cambridgeshire, or followed

progress on the fledgling BS 8545, Keith Sacre is a familiar,

friendly face. A man of energy and passion, I caught up

with him to talk ‘trees’, and to put him ‘in the spotlight’.

In the SpotlightKeith SacreBy Mark Chester

It is lovely to be able to do some-thing that may actual-ly do some good in the future.

16 Treeline Autumn 2012 Treeline Autumn 2012 17

UK and Ireland, is working with Keith to provide train-ing on how to properly implement the new standard. The aim is to promote it as an Area of Professional Competency within which consultants can practice.

The last three to four years, spent touring the UK, Europe and the States, meeting key people, experts in their field, have, for Keith, been a dream. This is in-dicated when asked to describe a typical week. For Keith, there is no such thing as typical, just plenty of variety, lots of travel and meeting people seven days a week. When we met, he was heading off to Myer-scough College for a day of lectures on the Master’s degree. The previous week, he’d spent three days as Dr. Ed Gilman’s guest, touring nurseries in Florida, an experience he described as ‘amazing’ with produc-tion operations and techniques on a different scale to those here in the UK. On his return from Myerscough, a day on site was planned, followed by a study day. Friday would be a day off and Sunday would involve another site visit.

When we meet a key individual, we like to know if someone has been influential in their professional

development; did they have a mentor? For Keith, those who have guided him read as a who’s who of the profession, people he is privileged to have met, and whom he is delighted to call valued friends. He has learnt from Dr. Dealga O’Callaghan, Dr. Mark Johnston, Dr. Glynn Percival, Dr. David Lonsdale and David Dow-son, among others. These are people who love what they do, are passionate about it and willing to share.

Away from the world of trees, Keith loves football. He is a passionate fan of Arsenal and loves to coach. He has the UEFA B licence and coached at Colchester United for six years. He enjoys hill walking, reading, has retired as a Morris dancer and, occasionally finds time for water colours and drawing. He may take this further in the future, and could belatedly take his degree in the History of Art.

What motivates him? There is only one life: live it. For Keith, it is lovely to be able to do something that won’t cause any harm, and may actually do some good in the future.

Sorting the Winners from the WimpsBy Dr Glynn Percival, Mr. Jonathon Banks & Mr. Keith Sacre

18 Treeline Autumn 2012 Treeline Autumn 2012 19

Consequently, what are the processes by which trees are selected for urban plantings and are

the right choices being made? If not, what alternative options are available to enable appropriate spe-cies/site selection? These questions will become of greater importance as future resource allocations to urban tree management declines, increasing pres-sure to deliver services at fewer costs.

Selection from ListsBecause tree selection can be primarily driven by aes-thetics, trees are often simply selected from lists. This selection process suffers from the major drawback that it neglects considerations related to survivability. This has to be an area for future research. For example re-lease of a new commercial agricultural crop such as a potato cultivar requires at least eight years of exhaus-tive trials to determine performance in response to

pest and disease resistance and environmental stress. As a result any new crop released onto the market has a full physiological “blue print” about how it would respond to drought, waterlogging, disease attack etc. Such rules do not apply for woody plants.

Selection From Nearby LocalitiesThe significance of climatic factors on tree per-formance is broadly appreciated by profession-als involved in tree use and management. When, however, it is necessary to make decisions on tree selection for a specific site it is soon apparent that “hard” data on climatic suitability is poorly developed or non existent. In these circumstances trees are selected for use on the basis of what can be seen to grow well locally. Whilst of value in reducing the risk of species being selected with poor climatic fit, this approach has negative implications in that it excludes from consideration other species that are equally or better suited, but for historical reasons have never been widely planted. The net effect is to reduce or restrict the diversity of species planted into an urban green space; an undesirable characteristic when this occurs on a regional scale.

Use Of Suitable Alternative TreesA simple and effective option would be the planting of trees with the desired aesthetic and functional design qualities that are not currently planted. For example, the silver birch (Betula pendula) has been widely planted as a street tree. The genus Betula, however, consists of over 40 species found across the northern hemisphere; a great many of which have their own attractive arboricultural qualities but whose performance in the urban landscape is relatively unknown. Landscape architects, managers and contractors often fail to utilise this wealth of alterna-tive species and in many cases continually plant the same species on a regular basis. For example in an extensive survey of street trees planted into the UK in 1991 55.4% of all species recorded consisted of maple, rowan and cherry. The UK is not unique in this respect. In a compilation of tree inventories from twenty seven US Midwestern municipalities. A total of 385,646 trees were catalogued comprising of 157 species. Out of that total number 52% (200,000 trees) were comprised of only 6 species, Acer saccharinum, A.saccharum, A.platanoides, A.rubrum, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, and Ulmus americana.

Scientific ExperimentationUnder artificially induced drought, waterlogging, salinity conditions research has been able to identify trees with high levels of stress tolerance and sub-

sequently recommend them for amenity plantings. However, such a scientific selection process can be expensive, requiring time consuming and labour intensive glasshouse, street and/or field trials. Given the fact that there over 1500 different trees species available for UK plantings (Plant Finder, 2012) many whose stress tolerance is unknown, evaluating all these species would be a mammoth task. Systems are now needed to “fast track” this scientific selection process and identify stress tolerant trees for future urban plantings.

Chlorophyll FluorescenceChlorophyll fluorescence works on the principal that photosynthesis occupies the central position within plant biosynthesis that provides an interactive link between the internal metabolism of a tree and the external environment. Consequently, initial symptoms of environmental stresses are manifest by reductions in the rate of photosynthesis. Assessing the health or integrity of the internal “apparatus” within a leaf driving the photosynthetic process using chlorophyll fluorescence provides a rapid and non destructive system of detecting and quantifying tree tolerance to environmental stresses. Research undertaken in the 1980’s by two crop physiologists known as Greaves and Wilson (1987) demonstrated that chlorophyll fluo-rescence was able to distinguish between degrees of freezing tolerance amongst wild and cultivated potato plants and quantify their freezing sensitivity using de-tached leaf material and subjecting to a -5oC freezing

It is now well recognised that trees and shrubs planted into streets, public recreation areas, car

parks etc., are faced with a range of environmental stresses (soil compaction, waterlogging,

drought, air and soil pollution, de-icing road-salts) hostile to their growth and survival. The

consequences can be short-lived planting schemes and wasted time and money as 100’000’s

of trees degenerate and die on an annual basis after planting. Inappropriate species site

selection is a major factor implicated in the deaths of trees used for urban plantings as selection

is based primarily on aesthetic qualities (flowers/bark/berry/leaf colour) with little knowledge of

tree tolerance to the stresses they will face once planted. Such losses can prove to be a heavy

financial burden to professionals involved in tree and shrub management.

20 Treeline Autumn 2012 Treeline Autumn 2012 21

regime. In essence their research showed chlorophyll fluorescence values of detached leaves correlated well with whole plant stress tolerance. Similarly, in an investigation to evaluate chlorophyll fluorescence as a means of testing different cultivars of blackcurrant hardiness to spring frosts researchers from the Scottish Crop Research Institute concluded that chlorophyll fluorescence values from detached leaves provided a rapid system for assessing whole plant blackcur-

rant frost hardiness. Since then further research has shown detached leaf material of plants can be used to quantify plant tolerance to freezing, chilling, heat and salinity using chlorophyll fluorescence.

For this reason collaborative research between Bar-cham Trees and the Bartlett Tree Research Labora-tory and has been attempting to identify the stress tolerance of ornamental trees widely planted within urban landscapes and evaluate species which pos-sess the required aesthetic characteristics by those involved in the horticultural and arboricultural industry but whose potential for urban plantings is unknown. Table 1 shows some of the results of the effects of leaf dehydration (a useful indicator of drought toler-ance) on leaf photosynthetic efficiency as measured by chlorophyll fluorescence of eight oak species. Results clearly show a marked difference in the tolerance of the eight species selected. Dehydration actually increased the photosynthetic efficiency of Quercus robur fastigate Koster indicating this species to be drought tolerant yet decreased photosynthetic efficiency of Quercus rubra by 85% indicating this species to be more drought sensitive.

Why Does This Relationship Between Detached Leaves And Whole Plants Exist?Leaves are the major photosynthetic organ responsible for producing the essential carbohydrates required for growth and repair of damaged plant tissue. High rates of photosynthesis during periods of stress have been shown to be an important factor in determining a plants ability to survive prolonged stress. If the photosynthetic system, as measured by chlorophyll fluorescence, is badly damaged then the carbohydrates required for repair cannot be produced. If the photosynthetic system is still intact then the plant has the ability to repair any damaged tissue grow and survive.

Results presented here show that wide variation of the leaf photosynthetic system in response to drought indicates considerable potential exists for the use of chlorophyll fluorescence for the selection of drought hardiness in ornamental trees. On-going research aims to identify differences in drought tolerance within other tree genus.

A Note Of CautionIt is important to emphasise, however, that results from this type of experiment should be interpreted with some degree of caution with respect to providing species with an absolute drought tolerance rank-ing. Many tree species are propagated from seed

and subsequent progeny may possess wide genetic variation. Alternately, many Quercus species possess a very broad ecotype range that will vary in drought

tolerance depending on a trees geographical location i.e. Quercus rubra selected from a hot dry climate will be more drought resistant than Quercus rubra selected from a cool wetter climate. Where species are propagated clonally, however, and possess a very narrow genetic base, chlorophyll fluorescence offers a more positive means to rank drought tolerance.

ConclusionWide variation in response to drought indicates considerable potential exists for the use of chloro-phyll fluorescence in the selection of foliar drought hardiness in ornamental trees. Consequently, further investigations to evaluate a wider range of species in response to environmental stress such as freezing, atmospheric pollution, herbicide etc., are in progress. Similarly, although information is available concerning the influence of individual stresses on woody plants, single stress studies do not reflect the multiplicity of stresses which trees experience in urban environ-ments. For example frost damage to spring foliage usually corresponds to a time when de-icing salts are applied, yet the interaction of salt and frost on woody plants remains unknown. How differing environmental stresses interact upon trees is another area currently under investigation.

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Trees In Arable LandEarly veteranising parkland tree. Signs of stress, stag-heading, poor canopy growth – ploughed up to the roots, nitrogen tolerant crustose lichens indicate high nitrates levels nearby – probably slurry spread too close. This 150 y/o tree could be a valuable open grown veteran for the future but is likely to die in the next few years. Standing and fallen deadwood is potentially a valuable invertebrate habitat, especially in older trees.

Conflicting DemandsThis veteran hawthorn is maybe only 100 - 150, pos-sibly once part of a laid hedge. It is growing into and displacing the brick and stonework of an archaeologi-cal feature - a Victorian or late Georgian culvert and drain, possibly part of the water control system for a cascading series of fish pools. The hawthorn is suffer-ing root compaction but probably has a good source of water for the roots.

Veteran hawthorn is a valuable habitat for saproxylic invertebrates, whilst the flowers are essential nectar sources for emergent adults of other deadwood spe-cialists, often only found on parklands. Archaeology v Ecology. How should this be managed?

Signs Of DecayThis pollarded tree is again growing close to an arable margin. The huge rot hole and scar makes a great place to prop a sec-tion of post and rail.

Signs of decay may be a trigger for the felling team to get in there and deal with a tree which could fall over, pull the fence down, let the stock out into the grass ley. Lots of good firewood there. Another option might be to move the fence by 10 meters, give the tree a chance. Leave a good 10-15 exclusion zone around canopy edge without cultivation or compaction and the tree will probably outlive us all. Decay is a natural process in trees, often accelerated by poor management nearby. Decay-ing wood is one of the most important habitats that a tree can provide in its life. Can some decaying trees be left?

Good Exclusion Zones… This magnificent ancient oak tree may be one of the oldest in Herefordshire. It is growing in an ancient hedgerow alongside an equally old byway, just outside a parkland boundary and had not been recorded until I visited it in 2010. Just visible in the picture is a cattle trough and a gate into the field. There is evidence of soil compaction most likely due to cattle gathering on both sides of the fence to drink from the trough and around the gate, as well as from tractor movements.

Root compaction will stress trees of all ages, especially ancient trees. The tree is actually well balanced (old squat trees rarely fall over!) and is growing without competition but clearly there is little epicormic growth to sustain it for the remainder of its life. Compare the previous image with the vigour of the equally ancient tree in the image below it.

Good practice is to prevent soil compaction so simple measures can make a huge difference. Can the trough be placed another 10m away from the tree? Can the fence be moved around the tree? Could the gate be positioned further along the fence line?

An example of a sheep exclusion fence around a veteran (ancient yew), protecting the root plate from the livestock which would inevitably gather there for protection from the sun, snow, wind etc.

Herefordshire ParklandsProject Case Studies By Mark Chester

In the final part of our series on the Herefordshire Parklands Project, we look at some case

studies associated with the project.

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There is a cost to getting these in place so it is very important to make good use them once you have

achieved them. Part of the process is actually decid-ing whether having the certificates will assist your operation. To inform your decision and to help you to make the most of your investment, I have compiled a list of the top ways to you can use an ISO system to add value to your organisation. I have also provided pointers on how to promote this in marketing and sales of your business.

The ISO CertificateThe person responsible for meeting clients and discussing their requirements must carry a copy of it when meeting customers. A useful tip is to show the certificate to the customer at an early stage, even before showing examples of previous commis-sions. This helps to ensure that the customer will see everything that you want them to see, including NPTC, insurance and CHAS certificates, and that the ISO certificate is part of this. It also reminds you to give this important document its due priority, and that this importance is conveyed to your client (you wish to avoid it being an after thought).

Display your certificate in the office alongside the H&S poster and your policies so that all visitors get the right first impression.

Using the certificate in this way is clearly showing ev-eryone, staff and clients, that the company has been independently audited by a third party and found to be working to good practice, to have quality checks and controls in place. In short, you are running a professional operation. This is a very strong market-ing message; potential customers are unlikely simply to take you at your word. Afterall, many businesses say they are the best at what they do – prove it to everyone and get ISO certified.

Operational ProceduresIn reality, how you do business, says much more about your operation than your sales and marketing brochure and company website.

A customer is always observing, and asking them-selves the following questions:

• Where does this operation fit in the market place?• Can I trust this organisation?• Are these people likely to let me down?• Am I buying ‘cheap and cheerful’ or a ‘Rolls Royce’ service?

They know that given time your true colours will show through so having strong operational controls in place will ensure that everyone in the organisation is singing from the same hymn sheet and undertak-ing work in the agreed way. Customers will notice this consistent approach and will keep you as their contractor. Having a quality system in place helps to ensure you are not let down by a member of the team not working to the expected standard.

Customer Feedback and TestimonialsIf facts are not a big part of your marketing material you are missing out. You need to ensure that you are pro-actively seeking feedback from customers by clause 8.2.1 of the ISO9001 quality standard. Why stop at feedback? Why not ask your satisfied cus-tomers to provide you with testimonials that can also be used in sales and marketing? If you want to see how good this will make you look to potential custom-ers go to the testimonials page on our website and see how you feel about us after you have read ours (www.elcoat.co.uk). We also use testimonials on our Linkedin profile and even on the footer of our emails.

Environmental Performance in MarketingISO 14001 creates opportunities for marketing more than any other ISO standard. I have said it repeated-ly in my articles; the things that are ticking the boxes at the moment are sustainability and social responsi-bility. There is something very attractive to customers in finding out that you recycle all arisings or that you have sponsored the creation of a wildlife garden for a local school for example. It shows that you are good people and the first rule in sales is to understand that people buy from people they like.

By putting green messages in your marketing you are also adding to a conversation that is going on in your customers’ mind about the environmental impact that will result from what they are planning.

The ISO and OHSAS LogosIt is essential to place the ISO and OHSAS logos on the company website, letterheads and vehicles. This clearly show everyone that the company has been independently audited by a third party and found to be working to good practice.

Customer CommunicationsClause 7.2.3 of ISO9001 states that the organisation shall determine and implement effective arrange-ments for communicating with customers in relation to product information, enquiries and contracts. The clause is really talking about marketing and sales. Using the guidance in the standard will refine and improve your marketing and sales practices.

Enter Environmental or Business CompetitionsOnce all of your systems are in place, enter your company or one of your projects for awards. This is a great way to get valuable publicity and to meet other like minded companies in other industries.

Measuring and Monitoring your Marketing ActivityISO9001 requires that you perform certain monitoring and measuring activities so that you know the things that you are doing are successful.

If you apply this clause to your marketing activity you will be able to see exactly how many customers relate to which aspect of your marketing. In management speak; it is all about the Return on Investment (ROI). You should be in a position of knowing the cost of attracting every enquiry.

Let these words echo through your mind before you take out your next advert…

Do not spend another pound on advertising until

you have a system to track the ROI

Best of luck and if you need any help please just give me a call.

Reassure your customers with your quality controls

Reassure your customer with the number of checks that are carried out.

Here is a question from a pre-qualification questionnaire that we filled out with a client who was applying for a Local Authority contract recently:

‘How is current performance measured internally? Please explain the pro-cedures you have in place to monitor and continually improve the service.’

This was my answer:

‘We operate a documented quality management system which is certified to ISO9001; self checking, critical reflection and continual improvement are intrinsic to the system.

Our administrative practices are subject to multiple levels of checks in or-der to ensure their integrity. This in effect confirms the process of agreeing the contract with the client through to ensuring that the correct specification and instruction is communicated to the team.

Multiple level checks:a) Audit of all office processes, site organisation and work standard by senior arborists from the Arboricultural Association every two years in line with our Approved Contractor statusb) Ongoing process checking and development by our advisors Elcoat Ltd. Mr Elcoat spends at least one day per month with us in our office check- ing systems, documents and records, and making sure that we are up to date with industry developments.c) Internal auditing: key business processes have been identified and documented so that the task can be done in the same way every time and the outcome is as required. Every process is internally audited at least twice per year by either a manager from our company or a profes- sional auditor from Elcoat Ltd.d) Health and safety documentation and systems are checked every twelve months by assessors from CHAS.e) Our business management system including health, safety, environment, quality, work site operations and traffic management interface arrange- ments are rigorously examined annually by an auditor from SGS UK Ltd in line with the ISO9001 and National Highways Sector Scheme 18 certi- fications.f) Operational worksites are checked on a random and unannounced basis and a report is produced which highlights any required corrective and preventive actions.

With particular relevance to this question; the inspection sheet for the random and unannounced site checks was designed and provided by Elcoat Ltd. It was developed and regularly evolves with feedback from their network of contractors across the UK.’

I am sure that you will agree that an answer such as this sends a clear message to your customer that you are professional and you are checking and looking after their interests.

We are receiving many of enquiries for ISO9001 (Quality Management), ISO14001 (Environmental

Management) and OHSAS18001 (Health & Safety Management) as clients are recognising that these

accreditations are increasingly becoming requirements of the pre-qualification process.

Paul Elcoat and Elcoat Ltd specialise in helping contractors become certified, find and win contracts and become more efficient and profit-able. He likes results and hates nonsense.

Any questions, com-ments or insults to Paul at paul@paulelcoat.co.uk or 07800 615 900

ISO Certification Making it Pay

26 Treeline Autumn 2012 Treeline Autumn 2012 27

Foliar symptoms include irregular brown to purplish lesions (dead areas) develop usually along leaf

veins. Alternately discrete curricular or angular le-sions may occur on leaves.

Lesions on the foliage often coalesce, resulting in dis-tortion, blight and defoliation. Blight and defoliation usually occur in early spring when leaves are small and succulent. Crowns of severely diseased trees appear thin and scrubby. Often, the foliage is tufted on ends of branches, while the center of the tree is defoliated. Willows defoliated by anthracnose usu-ally produce a second set of leaves in late spring or summer. New shoots may be killed as a result of an-thracnose. Cankers may also form on twigs and small branches resulting in twig distortion and dieback.

Several consecutive years of defoliation will severely weaken willows, predisposing them to invasion by insect pests and secondary disease causing organ-isms such as canker and root decay fungi.

ControlCultural Practices: Sanitation practices, which elimi-nate sources of the overwintering fungi, will provide some degree of control. Diseased leaves should be collected and destroyed in the autumn, and dis-eased twigs and branches should be pruned out and destroyed to whatever degree possible. Periodic pruning will allow optimum light and air penetrations of the crown, which will inhibit disease development by allowing more rapid drying of plant tissue following rains. Periodic fertilisation will maintain tree vigour and help offset the deleterious effects of any prema-ture defoliation from anthracnose.

Chemical Control: Mancozeb (Trade name Karamate Dry Flo Neotec) was registered for the control of dis-eases of amenity trees to include willow anthracnose in 2012. Mancozeb has useful protectant properties in that it will prevent infection of non-diseased tissue but will have limited effect on tissue already infected. Consequently mancozeb applied after pruning out all diseased tissue is recommended. Phosphite sprays and/or soil drenches to stimulate tree vitality are also recommended. Bartlett research trials conducted at the University of Reading show phosphites useful in the suppression of this disease. Ideally apply phos-phites during the spring in order to protect develop-ing plant tissue from infection. Once infection occurs, however, phosphite treatments are generally ineffec-tive in preventing further disease development.

The effectiveness of mancozeb and phosphite based control is dependent on spring weather conditions,

the proximity of untreated trees to sprayed trees, and the thoroughness of the sanitation program. Generally, more frequent applications of products are necessary to obtain a high degree of control during cool, moist springs.

What’s WrongWith the Willows?Dr Glynn C. Percival, Messers J Banks and Adam Clarke

Ever wondered why each year our willow trees seem

to be looking “scabbier” than usual? The reason is that

they are suffering from attack by a fungal disease known

as anthracnose; a term applied to a group of foliage

diseases that affect many hardwood tree species. Within

the UK anthracnose of willow is caused by the fungus

Marssonina salicicola which has become very prevalent

over the past few years. This disease is most destructive

in early spring when cool, moist weather conditions favour

disease development. Weeping, corkscrew and golden

willows appear the most susceptible.

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The trees weren’t huge and the local authorities had strict rules about the amount of pruning and dead

wooding that could be carried out prior to the event. This proved a challenge for organisers and climbers alike.

The prelim day went well for team UK & I with Stuart Witt the overall winner of the men’s prelim events.

Jon was really pleased with his Work Climb but Stuart absolutely smoked it. Stuart gained first place and Jon Second.

The Throw line was another matter entirely for Jon; in fact, I think it’s safe to say that it was a bit of a disas-ter! He was on track for scoring 15 points for the first side of the tree. He got the top shot with the throw line, scored the throw line, went to pull in the access line and then the throw line snapped as he was pull-ing in the rope! In the end he scored 7 points. Jon’s foot-lock went fairly well, he came third with a time of 16.10 seconds.

This year’s speed-climb event was great. The base of the tree had natural holds strapped to it. When the climbers were looking at the tree on Saturday morning they new the times were going to be fast. It was 20 metres to the bell and the fastest times

were between 20 and 30 Seconds Jon did it in 29.37 seconds.

The Arial Rescue provided a great demonstration of a possible real life situation. The scenario was that there were only two climbers on site, the casualty and the rescuer - a very realistic situation. The casualty had a chainsaw cut to the back of his thigh and the rescuer had to simulate making the emergency call, assess the tree for hazards and rescue the casualty. Reaching the casualty was fairly straightforward but there were small obstacles in the way such as the ca-sualty’s chainsaw and his leg was wedged in a fork. Adding to the reality of the scenario the dummy used to represent the casualty weighed 90 kilos.

Stuart, Jon and Jo Hedger went through to the Mas-ters Challenge the next day. It really is a testament to the quality of climbers that we have in the UK & I that 3 members of our team made it through to the Masters in such a competitive field. The ETCC really does showcase some of the best climbers, not just in Europe but also the World.

The Masters Challenge on the Sunday provided an exciting spectacle for all those watching. I have never seen so many spectators at a European or Chapter level tree climbing competition, there must have been about 200 + people watching, it certainly added to the atmosphere of the event. Competing in the Masters Challenge for the men were:

Stuart Witt – UK & I

Giovanni Ugo - Italy

Johan Gustavsson – Sweden

Beddes – Germany

Jon – UK & I

And for the women:Anja Erni – Switzerland

Veronika Ericsson – Sweden

Jo Hedger – UK & I

The Challenge was set in two oak trees it was well set up and challenged everyone who climbed it. Unfortu-nately Jon was haunted by his blasted throw line and took 5 shots to get his line into the tree. This put him under a lot of time pressure. He felt he was rushing through the tree and as a result set off the limb walk. In the end he did manage to complete all the stations and get all of his gear out of the tree in time – just! Sadly Giovanni timed out and Stuart was DQ’d for dropping a karabiner. Beddes had a good climb but the man of the hour was Johan. He had a great climb and was announced the winner of the 2012 ETCC.

It was a tough competition for the women. Annoy-ingly both Veronika and Jo were DQ’d for breaking a branch, it’s so heart breaking to watch because you know how hard they are working and in a split second it’s over.

All in all I can say that the 2012 ETCC was a superb competition. Not only does it showcase some of the best tree climbing in the world, it’s a wonderful chance to meet up with friends that we only see once a year. I was really proud, not just of Jon but also of the whole of team UK & I and everyone who was there to support them.

ETCC Munich2012

By Katy Turnbull

This year the European Tree Climbing

Championships on 23rd and 24th June was

in Bernreid Germany - about one hour from

Munich. As always the ETCC was a fantastic

competition and the setting was beautiful.

The Site was right next to a stunning lake - the

Starnbergersee with glimpses of the German

Alps in the distance.

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Perched within the multiple disciples of woodland, amenity, crop, garden plant and habitat, orchards

and fruit trees present some idiosyncratic consider-ations to the arborist. I will look at these under four sections. The first two, the orchard as a whole, and individual trees, will be covered in this feature. For those of you well acquainted with the techniques, please bare with me as I cover the basic principles. The second article covers the needs of certain types of fruit tree, and concludes with biodiversity consider-ations, expanding on the concept of the orchard as a habitat and how to manage them with such sympa-thies in mind.

Modern orchards, with their efficient plantations, are generally pruned to precise farm specifications according to the intensive management strategy being applied to the site. It is the so called ‘traditional

orchards’ and their remnants that will mostly concern the arborist. The character of traditional orchards var-ies across the country. The topic is too great to cover here, suffice to say that the definition of ‘traditional’ is slightly ambiguous. We’re referring generally to orchards that have not been modernised since the agricultural advances that began in the 1940s, and to smaller hobby orchards planted since then. The official Natural England definition considers organic management as a key characteristic. Although often the case, this is not an essential requisite.

The Complete Orchard Many people appreciate the aesthetics of the single specimen tree. Within the landscape, when trees are in groups, they, too, can provide a distinctive feature. The pinnacle of collective trees is ancient semi-natural woodland (ASNW). Whilst mature coniferous

plantations may have their virtues, these are incom-parable to mature native woodland in terms of bio-logical diversity, native habitats, and cultural heritage. Replanting or promoting natural succession of PAWS sites (Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites) with mixed deciduous trees is now the trend and rightly so. The objective use of woodland is unambiguous, and its cultural and amenity value well understood.

Orchards, however, have a few extra layers to con-sider. Their principal purpose is that of an agricultural crop, but during the halcyon days of inter-war self-suffi-ciency their prominence in the British landscape el-evated them, in the eyes of some, to iconic status. This has ensured their place in the pantheon of all things British, and every market had varieties rarely available to the modern-day supermarket customer, these typi-cally only surviving now as scattered relicts. So when approaching an orchard, this is the milieu into which you are entering and it would be foolhardy, possibly even irresponsible, to fail to appreciate that these are much more than just trees: you may be cutting down the last example of an ancient lost variety, a thing of heritage and value greater than mere appearance. It may contain valuable genetic information.

Orchards can have many roles, normally fulfilling more than. Before starting work, it is important to gain an understanding of the tree varieties present. Try to establish which rootstock they are on, enquire about the orchard and its history and take in the sur-rounding landscape. It is important to establish the main use of the trees and land. Is there grazing? Is the harvest important? What are the wildlife, amenity and landscape values and what needs to be done to preserve this? Observe the soil condition, drainage and ground flora. Make an assessment of the general health of the orchard. If a problem is apparent, seek to establish what may be causing it and try to remedy the cause rather than treating the symptoms. This may require seeking additional support, for example from a soil specialist if drainage seems to be an is-sue, or to establish nutritional levels.

Over-shading branches higher up the tree or from neighbouring plants can cause dieback. Other plant health issues can be affected by insufficient water, soil compaction or erosion where the land has been overused. If drainage problems are suspected, this can be assessed by digging a narrow hole a foot or so deep and filling it with water. It should drain away after a few minutes. If it drains too quickly or is still

Managing Orchards & Fruit TreesBy Steve Oram, People’s Trust for Endangered Species

Whilst many arborists are knowledgeable about how to properly manage fruit trees, this is

a specialist area. For those without experience in this discipline, it can seem daunting. The

principles may seem basic and straight forward; however, it is unwise to assume that everyone

knows them.

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holding water after ten or fifteen minutes, recommend remedial action. Where disease is present, remember that pathogens normally only attack unhealthy trees.

Individual Fruit TreesUnlike amenity tree management, managing fruit trees is an intensive, long-term process, not a one-off job. If you are asked to prune a fruit tree, it is likely that the tree will have been neglected for years. With amenity trees, this is neither unusual nor a problem, but for many top-fruit trees maintenance is generally required at least biennially. Consequently, the years of neglect can not usually be undone with a single pruning.

Primarily no more than 25-30% of the actively growing crown should be removed in a single year as the shock could kill the tree. For restorative work, this would normally mean returning the following year, or years. The first year should concern major work to reshape the tree, remove dense growth, or if the ne-glect has resulted in little young growth, the reduction of spurs and old unproductive laterals.

Structuring, Major WorksThe shaping of the fruit tree requires taking into ac-count that the objective is to produce fruit. Even if

production is not a high priority, the tree should be managed to remain healthy and disease free. Apples, pears, and stone fruits are all in the Rosaceae fam-ily so are vulnerable to a wide range of pests and diseases. Air needs to circulate freely and plenty of light must reach the centre of the tree both for health and ripening purposes. Aim for a balanced, strong framework with evenly spaced primary and second-ary laterals. This should have been done as formation pruning, but has often been neglected.

Start by removing crowded or crossing branches and dead, diseased or damaged wood (‘the Three D’s). Wind throw is a high risk for older apples in particular, especially as fruit tree rootstocks have often been specially selected for their low vigour. Consequently they are ill-equipped to deal with the force of high winds against a 25 foot sail of top growth. This vulner-ability can be reduced by dehorning. Entirely remove any run-away central leaders or branches that have sprouted through the centre, whilst selecting young growth that will eventually provide replacement later-als. As this may require the removal of a large amount of crown, it may be the only work you can safely do in the first year. In a relatively healthy tree this treatment will likely result in vigorous growth the following year.

As always when pruning, leave branch collars intact when removing limbs, and avoid snags or long stubs where disease can set in.

Strong unions are important with all trees, but take on a more significant role with top-fruit due to the potentially considerable weight of the crop. Plums, gages, damsons, bullaces and so on are particularly prone to branches ripping off in a good year. This isn’t a big problem for the tree; it often happens and self-regulates the size. However, it is undesirable and can lead to significant crop loss.

One more thing to establish before commencing ma-jor works is to ensure that you are pruning the variety, and not the rootstock. Occasionally a tree will send out a sucker or reverted branch that grows through the tree, often more vigorously that the variety. This can occur most strikingly in pears where the varieties are often very weak growing but the rootstock has ‘escaped’ and dwarfs the original tree. The other sce-nario is when the tree has been ‘top worked’ and the graft is higher than normally expected. Cutting back to below this point will result in a branch or tree of an unwanted variety or rootstock producing inedible fruit.

Pruning TipsPruning on a smaller scale requires more subtle considerations. A tree may have been previously managed following a certain pruning style to promote development of fruiting wood. If this is evident, aim for continuity. Ideally find out what variety the tree is and do your research. With apples this is an important con-sideration as a few varieties are tip-bearing, where fruit is borne on the ends of the previous year’s growth.

Some rules can be applied universally when pruning:

• Disinfect your tools between jobs, and even between trees where disease is evident. Although many handbooks and professionals recommend constant disinfection, a recent study showed little chance of disease transmission from tools, but it’s best to err on the side of caution.• Always remove dead damaged and diseased wood first. This doesn’t count towards the 25-30% limit.• Take out crossing laterals, suckers and branches from below the main framework, and those growing into the centre of the tree. • For winter work, to stimulate a weakly growing tree, prune back over two-thirds of the year’s new growth. Conversely on a vigorous tree, lightly prune to discourage growth. Extensive winter work will induce vigorous water shoots on a tree in good health. The year wood is easily identified by tracing the fresh wood down to the first change of bark texture. • For summer work, the rule is more or less inverted: strong pruning is not recommended as it will remove energy from the tree outright whereas light summer pruning will encourage the formation of fruit spurs.• Needless to say, topping and lopping is not a suitable practice for fruit trees.

Spur PruningThis is an intensive operation that requires attention to each branch individually. The year’s growth is cut back to four or five fresh buds, the lower of which develop into fruiting buds in the second year and the outermost probably, but not definitely, take over as the leading growth point. At the end of the second season, if no further growth of the lateral is desired,

34 Treeline Autumn 2012 Treeline Autumn 2012 35

the branch can be taken back to the two-year wood leaving only the spurs that will have developed below the first cut. Fruit will continue to be produced from this point until the spur system becomes overcrowd-ed and requires replacing or reducing.

Regulated PruningThe least work-intensive method of pruning requires only the wholesale removal of branch systems that have become overcrowded or unproductive. Little detailed work is done. The advantage of ease is offset by poorer quality, often smaller fruit and biennial bear-ing on susceptible varieties – this is a glut of fruit in one year followed by few or no fruit-set in the following.

Renewal MethodA half-way house between regulated and spur prun-ing, the focus here is on individual branches. As in the regulated method, but on a smaller scale, productive laterals are allowed to grow more or less unpruned and removed when they get too large or become unproductive. A year or two before removal, a suitable replacement should be selected and nurtured from lower down the branch or from an entirely new lateral.

Tip-Bearing TreesMost trees develop fruit on spurs on two-year wood. However, a few prominent varieties including bram-leys and Worcester pearmain are partially or entirely tip-bearing. The obvious consideration here is that if all the maiden growing tips are removed, there will be little or no crop. Instead of the usual treatment, prun-ing should be restricted to cutting out older, under-performing laterals and selecting suitably positioned replacements to grow on, as per the renewal method.

A technique that can be used to reduce upward vigour is ‘nicking and notching’. This is tree micro-management and cannot be done with a chainsaw, silky, or even secateurs: for this you’re going to need to dig out that little pen-knife from the bottom of your tool-kit. The final bud at the top of the tree or end of a lateral will be next year’s ‘leader’ and suck up most of the vigour and sap. This tyran-nical behaviour can be exploited by ‘nicking’ the bark from about a half to two thirds of the twig’s circumference just underneath the bud. Next select a healthy bud two or three nodes down the same branch facing in the desired direction (i.e. outward and away from other laterals). This time do a similar ‘notch’ above it. Pinch out any buds inbetween the leader and the bud to which you wish to direct vigour. It is self-evident the affect this will have on the flow of sap, but the key is that the vigour will not go into the tree’s natural leader, so it will grow tangentially into a new lateral or bi-lat rather than adding size to the tree.

It is evident that the management of fruit trees differs in a range of ways to that of amenity deciduous trees, and as such, involves special considerations for the orchard’s multi-faceted place within the landscape. There are few people specialising in the manage-ment of fruit trees, with considerable demand for their services. It is hoped that this article, and part two, will equip you with the right tools to work in this niche area of arboriculture with confidence. In part two, I will look at some of the management considerations that specific species require and how to manage fruit trees to enhance biodiversity.

36 Treeline Autumn 2012 Treeline Autumn 2012 37

The woodland had been rough grazing until about 1945 when it was allowed to revert to woodland

as the trees which were on the old hedge banks seeded onto the bare ground. Most of the new trees were sycamore which were overstocked and same age with little ground flora or natural regeneration. The first job for Rod was to remove most of the syca-more and plant a range of native hardwood trees with the aim of creating a coppice with standards wood-land. A considerable amount of timber was extracted which exceeded what was needed for the wood-burning stoves in the house and so it was necessary to look for other uses. One of the first ventures was to turn some of the wood into charcoal using a ring-kiln and this proved successful.

From the outset the woodland management had three equal objectives : social, environmental and financial. The woodland was opened to permissive public access with over 2 kilometres of maintained paths and is well used by the local community and is also the base for Forest School and various courses. The environmental objective is that the woodland should contain all the plants and wildlife that one would expect to find in such a setting and so habitats have been created to protect and encourage different species. The coppice rotation has seen a noticeable increase in ground flora and wildlife. The financial objective is that the woodland should provide enough income in cash and materials to pay for its manage-ment- it should be financially sustainable.

As the coppice woodland became productive, Rod be-came interested in coppice and greenwood crafts and went on a number of courses with Tim Wade, Gudrun Leitz and Mike Abbott.

In 1997 Rod took early retirement from teaching having decided that, even though he had greatly enjoyed teaching, it was advisable to leave while he still had time and energy for another career. He was then able to turn his hobbies into a full-time job. He was also able to buy two adjoining pieces of land, some woodland with grazing and an old sand quarry, bringing the total block up to 50 acres. The sand pit was planted up with a mixture of native hardwoods to extend the coppice with standards. By this time he had developed a small tree nursery of local provenance stock and the nursery provided the 20,000 trees that were needed in the extended woodland. The business diversified into other environmental areas and there were regular orders for such products as hazel hurdles, stools and chairs.

As the biggest producer of charcoal in North Wales, Rod was asked by people who wished to find out more about charcoal burning if he would run some courses. These went well and he has run over 50 charcoal courses in the last 10 years. Then some of the people who had been on the charcoal courses asked if they could come back and do courses on other woodland topics, particularly coppice and greenwood crafts. These started to run in 2005 and met with success.

There were some redundant farm buildings on the

land including a large sheep shed. These were adapted to provide covered work-shop areas, w.c. and shower and the Studio, a living space with wood-burner stove, comfortable seating, cooking facilities and a small library of books.

Having developed the Centre, Rod then started ask-ing friends who were skilled craftspeople and also good teachers to run some of their courses at what was by then called the Woodland Skills Centre. Regu-lar tutors now run courses on basket making, bush-craft, coracle making, bee-keeping, gypsy crafts, timber frame building, chair making, willow sculpture, wood carving and ancient technologies such as tool making from stone, bone and bronze.

In 2007 two of Rod’s children, Alan 34 and Helen 29, joined the main business which carries out woodland management, grounds work, play area design and con-struction, environmental contracting, firewood, charcoal and sawmilling as well as the coppice and woodland crafts which they demonstrate at shows and fairs. In 2009 they took over all this work with their new company – “Bodfari Environmental”. Alan and Helen are now also part of the Tutor team at the Woodland Skills Centre and are training to become Forest School Leaders as there are now two successful Forest School sites in the wood-land working with children from local schools. As part of the Woodland Skills Centre programme Rod, Alan and Helen run the courses on coppice and greenwood crafts and woodland management.

The Woodland Skills Centre

at the Warren Woods in Bodfari

About 30 years ago (1980) Rod Waterfield bought 21 acres of neglected woodland in the

Wheeler Valley which cuts through the Clwydian Range of Outstanding Natural Beauty. At the

time he was working as a teacher in a community comprehensive school in Queensferry and

the woodland was a place where his children could play and where he could enjoy a different

type of work to his teaching.

38 Treeline Autumn 2012 Treeline Autumn 2012 39

As part of the drive to increase access to the woodland and the activities associated with it, the Centre now runs Days, Weekends and Week in the Woods courses which are aimed at families with children. Activities on these courses include exploring the woodland, some bushcraft with fire-lighting, shelter building and camp cooking and a range of coppice and greenwood crafts with the programme tailored to suit the age and interests of the members. Rod, Alan and Helen each contribute different activities to the courses. There is also a big programme of Bushcraft courses run by highly experi-enced bushcraft expert Matt McIntyre.

By 2009 the educational work of the Centre had grown to the point where it needed to move from private own-ership and so all the educational work was transferred to a new not-for-profit Social Enterprise Company called Warren Woods Ltd. The 7 Directors are all local resi-dents with an interest in supporting the work.

Details can be seen at www.woodlandskillscentre.co.uk or a course leaflet can be obtained from Woodland Skills Centre, The Warren, Bodfari, Denbigh, LL16 4DT (tel 01745 710626)

Arborcamp2012

Held at the FR Jones Show in July. Tree

professionals from around the country

converged despite the poor weather for this

event in Kent.

Russell Ball presented the proceeds of the prize draw raffle to Victoria Golding of the Kent Wildlife Trust.

We owe a big thank you to all who presented as part of the Arborcamp, and to everyone who attended.

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Taking place in one of London’s most beautiful parks, the Trees for Cities annual Tree-Athlon is

a three-part event with a green twist, in the spirit of a traditional triathlon.

Last year almost 900 people took part in the 5km fun run in the award-winning Battersea Park, raising over £40,000 for Trees for Cities. 416 people also took part in the successful world record attempt for the 100m barefoot run, including Radio DJ Gaby Roslin, who hosted the fundraiser.

This year the charity are looking to encourage even more people to sign up, take part and help raise vital funds which help keep our cities green, healthy and beautiful.

Organised by Trees for Cities, an urban tree-planting charity dedicated to turning the world’s most deprived urban areas green, the first part of the day is the 5km run around the park. This year every runner will also receive an exclusive free T-shirt designed by critically acclaimed London based fashion designer Markus Lupfer whose designs have been worn by the likes of Rihanna, Madonna and Gwen Stefani.

The second part of the Tree-Athlon is a 100m barefoot

run – hopefully setting a new world record for the most people taking part in a barefoot race at one time.The third segment is a family festival with live music from the VW Campervan stage, a free UK-native sapling tree for everyone to take home and plant, children’s games, bird box-making, a golden face painting caravan, hula hooping, stilt walkers and nature themed arts and crafts.

Sharon Johnson, Chief Executive of Trees for Cities, said: “Our Tree-Athlon is a fun day out for all the family. The money raised by the Tree-athletes helps towards the planting and care of thousands of urban trees across the UK and internationally.”

The fun starts from 9am on Saturday 15th September with the 5km race starting at 10.15am.

The charity’s previous Tree-Athlon supporters include supermodel Lily Cole, fashion designer Giles Deacon, Radio DJ Gaby Roslin, TV Presenter Ben Fogle, come-dian Shazia Mirza, and Channel 4’s City Gardener Matt James and Blue Peter Gardener Chris Collins. The Tree-Athlon is also kindly supported by Festival Republic.

Register now: www.tree-athlon.org

Tree-Athlon returns to Battersea Park in aid of Trees for Cities Saturday 15th September 2012 Steve Cox has produced an extensive text. It

covers many of the basic principles involved in managing urban trees. The historic context is appraised in a section on the development of towns which summarises how the population of Britain grew and was housed within spreading urban sprawl. There are nuggets throughout, including the effect of trees on shade, and other challenges that can occur when managing trees in private spaces.

So many topics are covered that the author does not always provide the necessary depth to properly in-form the reader. For example, the main tree valuation techniques are mentioned, but the tools to equip the reader to use any of them (e.g. the Helliwell scores table), and to appreciate the differences, are omitted. References to the relevant texts on this topic are buried within the list at the end of that chapter leaving the uninformed reader none the wiser.

The list of contributors reads as a ‘who’s who’ of modern arboriculture, and they have no doubt informed valuable reference points throughout. However, it is unclear who the author is targeting as a reader. For those actively involved with manag-ing trees, the text spends notable time on the basics and the nuggets tend to be tucked away. However, the student, young or mature, may appreciate the author’s evident experience. With this in mind, the title is a misnomer.

In places, the text is conversational and becomes wordy. Much of the content is a summary of what many arborists already know. However, for those seeking to develop technical skills, including local government officers needing to be informed, this could be a valued book.

Urban Trees: A Practical Management GuideAuthor Steve Cox, reviewed by Mark ChesterISBN - 978-1-84797-298-9RRP £19.99 Published by The Crowood Press

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ABC New Certificates & Diplomas inArboricultureStatus Report Summer 2012

By Dave Dowson

One year on after the introduction of the Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) to

arboriculture here is a first year report. To be honest it is damned hard work for all concerned!

The principles of the scheme are holding up well under the weight of assessment criteria (AC).

The learners tell me that learning is definitely taking place despite the hard work of completing

assignments one after another and very often simultaneously, I guess the real enjoyment will

only be appreciated once all the work is in and passed as attaining the standard required. The

motivation being, (I assume) no final examinations, either theory or the dreaded management

exercise day in the Autumn rain for levels 4 & 6.

It has been a big learning curve for all concerned. A wide range of assessment methods have been

employed to carryout assessment of learning at the various centres which is a very positive change from the ‘high stakes, high risk’ examination process. The centres have the opportunity to be innovative in their selected assessment methodologies, as it is they that decide on how the subject material is to be assessed. A range of different techniques and methods should have stimulated both staff and learner interest. This also allows for the fact that all learners have individual strengths and weaknesses when it comes to assess-ment procedures. Note that students are now called learners under the QCF banner!

The learners have had to learn that AC do not have to be met first time around and that it is perfectly ac-ceptable to have to re-submit work – that is all a part of the learning process. A new phrase for them has sprung up and entered their vocabulary – ‘Assess-ment for Learning’. In this concept, the feedback each individual gets is very important and allows learning to develop and progress towards achieving the standards as required by the AC. The assign-ments set should not be perceived as assessment but as a medium for learning.

This is an entirely new system for many of the learners replacing the Royal Forestry Society/ABC examinations on the National Qualifications Frame-work (NQF). Historically we are all mainly tuned in

to traditional final high stakes examinations and rote learning often just to pass an exam. The (QCF) is a very different species and for many, the system is very foreign. The work has to be completed in full to meet the AC therefore, the learner is getting a better learning experience than before and the employer will have at the end of the period of training, a more competent employee.

The first external moderation of centres has taken place successfully conducted by a new team of moderators. Further to that, a standardisation meeting for moderators has taken place as part of the overall quality assurance procedures mandatory to the quali-fication process.

A small number of centres have so far registered with ABC to offer the new qualifications particularly at levels 4 and 6 however, this number is improv-ing slowly. Compared to the past NQF and beyond the centres now offering this training provision have a tremendous amount of work to do to deliver the qualifications made up of teaching, determining as-sessment methodologies and assessment of leaners. This may in part, explain the low numbers of centres currently registered to offer the provision. Potential learners wishing to take any of the qualifications may contact ABC awards (abcawards.co.uk) for informa-tion regarding which centres offer which qualification.

BS 3998:2010 Tree work RecommendationsA concise guide by Tree Life

The guide is a concise version, it is not the intention to replace or replicate the full standard or the contents of the commentary and explanatory notes. The guide conveys in an A5 size handy booklet what should be done when working in accordance with BS3998 standard recommendations. Throughout the sections reference is provided to guide the reader to the relevant section in the full version.

Improve your learning and understanding of tree work through better access and knowledge of the contents of a very important British document that provides recommendations and guidance for our arboricultural industry.

The guide is printed on tear proof paper and bound in a wire comb to provide durability when taken out of the office.

The booklet can be purchased from Tree Life AC Ltd at www.treelifeac.co.uk

Price: £35.00 Including Postage

44 Treeline Autumn 2012 Treeline Autumn 2012 45

A new season is arriving.

Sometimes with the fanfare of a sharp overnight frost.

Sometimes merely the subtleties of shorter days and cooler nights,

and the thermometer remaining stubbornly in single figures.

A time to celebrate the fruits of the summer,

Which cause trees to become adorned with nature’s storehouse

Of berries in reds, yellows and black, presented in abundance.

Chlorophyll withdraws to unveil a rich array of colours in the leaves

As Maples and Limes, previously camouflaged in even greens and deep reds,

Now emerge with yellows, subtle reds, oranges, and numerous shades in between.

Producing a display as delightful as any firework, but longer-lasting,

A sight of wonder to stop and enjoy, lasting sometimes for days and weeks,

Vividly showcased against a cloudless sky of deep blue,

Until passing winds force the shedding of each leaf.

The last hurrah of the year’s colour.

Birds feast enthusiastically on the plentiful larder,

Preparing for winter, napkins and etiquette abandoned in the moment.

People busily pluck apples and pears from the orchards,

Storing them safely until the winter, for snacks or juice, or a more potent tipple,

Of cider and perry to warm a winter afternoon.

This is a magical season, each moment of richness to be breathed in with the refreshing crisp air, and meditated on,

So they can provide sustenance, for the palate and the soul,

In the months ahead as we wait for the fanfare of spring.

AutumnBy Mark Chester