Following the success of our 2009 programme, the full details of our new 2010/11 programme is outlined below. We have been successfully running one day workshops since 2000. Each workshop is carefully designed for a maximum of 20 participants and is held in a high quality conference and training venue.
We have a total of 10 workshops planned between September 2010 and March 2011. We are using venues in Manchester (Staff House, part of the University Conference Centre), London (MIC, close to Euston Station) and Barchams in Cambridgeshire.
Some of the workshop titles (such as tree disease and tree hazard and risk assessment) are split into 'introductory/beginner' level workshops aimed at those who have recently come into local government tree officer posts and 'advanced' level for those with more experience who need to either refresh their knowledge or update themselves on new and challenging issues that they face in their current jobs.
Entry level workshops are keenly priced and will all take place at Barcham Trees close to Ely in Cambridgeshire.
Tuesday 7th September 2010: CAVAT: Using Tree Valuation as an Asset Management Tool (Ref: 1007) presented by: Chris Neilan, Andy Tipping and Jake Tibbetts, held at: Staff House, Manchester
Tuesday 26th October 2010: Hard Surfaces and Trees - an introduction (Ref: 1008) presented by: Richard Nicholson, held at: Barcham Trees, Cambridgeshire
Wednesday 27th October 2010: Tree Hazard and Risk Assessment – an introduction (Ref: 1009) presented by: Jack Kenyon, held at: Barcham Trees, Cambridgeshire
Wednesday 3rd November 2010: Tree Hazard and Risk Assessment – advanced (Ref: 1010) presented by: Jack Kenyon, held at: MIC, Euston, London
Monday 13th December 2010: An Introduction to Tree Diseases and their Diagnosis (Ref: 1011) presented by: David Rose, held at: Barcham Trees, Cambridgeshire
Wednesday 19th January 2011: CAVAT: Using Tree Valuation as an Asset Management Tool (Ref: 1012) presented by: Chris Neilan, Andy Tipping and Jake Tibbetts, held at: MIC, Euston, London
Monday 7th February 2011: Understanding Tree Diseases and their Diagnosis – Advanced (Ref: 1013) presented by: David Rose, held at: Staff House, Manchester
Wednesday 16th February 2011: Trees in Towns II (Ref: 1014) presented by: Keith Sacre, held at: MIC, Euston, London
Wednesday 2nd March 2011: The Effective Tree Officer (Ref: 1015) presented by: Richard Nicholson, held at: Staff House, Manchester
Monday 14th March 2011: Understanding Tree Diseases and their Diagnosis – Advanced (Ref: 1016) presented by: David Rose, held at: MIC, Euston, London
The Effective Tree Officer workshop is designed for the less experienced arboriculturists who have to deal with Planning matters. This course is therefore ideal for those who wish to develop their set of skills or who need to widen their effective role within the planning team.
Richard Nicholson, the workshop presenter, has drawn on 17 years of experience at the sharp end of local authority arboriculture to produce this one day workshop.
We will be covering:
Levels of information required: when and why do you ask for it;
Communication with Development Management: dealing with blockages;
Amenity assessments: visual and non-visual amenity;
The influence of potential land use on making a TPO;
Assessing benefits v disbenefits;
Planning conditions: Circular 11 of 1995;
Meeting with Site Agents;
Validation of Planning applications;
Engineering Plans and BS guidance;
Enforcing Planning Conditions;
Pre start meetings;
Con 29 Notices;
Permitted Development Rights.
These two workshops are aimed at individuals engaged in the processes of tree hazard assessment. This may include consulting arboriculturists, landscape architects, highways engineers and open space managers. The workshops will involve participation of the delegates throughout the day. Recent case law has focused attention on the level of knowledge, training and competence of those assessing the hazard potential of trees. It is vital that the professionals involved are well equipped to assess the risk of failure of trees. Apart from the high demands of individual expertise, other facets, knowledge of science, the recording methodology and auditing of records, are essential. The aim of this workshops is to increase an understanding of biology and biomechanics relevant to the structural integrity of trees. Also to adopt a systematic approach to assessing the hazard potential of trees within the framework of current legislation and requirements for record keeping. Specific aspects to be covered include: legislation and lessons to be learnt from case law; biological and bio-mechanical assessments; the process of assessment of potential failure of trees; assessing the level of risk; record keeping.
The introductory workshop is aimed at those who have recently come into their jobs in both local government and the private sector. The presenter will be able to quickly assess knowledge levels and experience/expertise and enable those attending to come away with a solid grounding in the subject area. Additionally, the workshop will be especially useful for those who are inexperienced in tree hazard assessment as they should benefit from participating, with other professionals, to develop understanding and a practical approach to tree hazard and risk assessment. The advanced level workshop is aimed at those with more experience who need to either refresh their knowledge or update themselves on new and challenging issues that they face in their current jobs.
This workshop will explore the implications of the government’s Trees in Towns II report on the current status and future of our urban trees. It will focus specifically on Strand 2 of the research, which looks at the policies and practice of urban tree management within local authorities. This will include the 12 case studies looking at good and innovative practice in various aspects of urban tree management. Finally, the workshop will explore the opportunities and constraints in implementing the 10 targets for tree management that the government hopes all local authorities will try to achieve. Mark will present the workshop in Manchester and Keith will present the workshop in London.
These two workshops explore in some depth a number of different disease types using examples drawn from diseases of current importance. The introductory course is intended as an introduction to disease and decay, with the advanced course looking more closely into specific diseases and their diagnosis. Both workshops will introduce the latest research findings and will involve a significant amount of practical work and evaluation. Any laboratory techniques used will be those within the capabilities of most Local Authority Arboricultural Departments. Clear guidance will be given on when it is appropriate to utilise specialist laboratories and expert tree pathologists. Both workshops are aimed at those who need to investigate tree problems and provide recommendations for their management.
The introductory workshop is aimed at those who have recently come into their jobs in both local government and the private sector. The presenter will be able to quickly assess knowledge levels and experience/expertise and enable those attending to come away with a solid grounding in the subject area. It will cover the following aspects of diseases and decay in trees:
The processes (strategies) of disease and decay;
The significance of the different disease and decay strategies for the tree;
The principles of investigation and diagnosis and their limitations;
How disease and decay affect the health and safety of the tree and the management options available;
Demonstrate the above using case studies of different types of diseases;
Introduction to new and potential tree diseases.
The advanced level is aimed at those with more experience who need to either refresh their knowledge or update themselves on new and challenging issues that they face in their current jobs. It will build on the Introductory workshop by looking at some of the topics in greater detail. It will look at the following new topics:
Complex diseases;
Diebacks and declines;
Recent advances in diagnosis;
Quarantine diseases and the plant trade;
The effects of climate change on tree diseases.
Both workshops will encourage active participation and will involve a number of scenarios aimed at demonstrating the practical application of the techniques developed in the workshop.
This workshop is specifically aimed at local authority tree managers, though it will benefit those responsible for any stock of trees managed as a public asset. Chris will present the national and international policy context for tree valuation and demonstrate how CAVAT is designed and tested specifically to enable arboriculturists to become pro-active asset managers, able to defend their existing budgets and make the case for their expansion. Andy will show the results in practice including a CAVAT valuation in his complete survey of Barnet’s tree stock in Barnet, and particularly how it has changed his management priorities.
We have now introduced this new introductory level workshop on Hard Surfaces. It is aimed at planning arboriculturists who have a responsibility for determining schemes. The workshop highlights the importance of engineered solutions designed before granting planning permission to avoid detail having to be left to a planning condition. It highlights how to use BS 5837 and various government guidance to obtain sufficient levels of detail.
Richard is the Chair of the BS 5837 Review group. He is employed by Borough of Poole where he has a responsibility for Council owned trees following 22 years in charge of arboriculture in planning for 3 local authorities. Richard also runs ATI a training organisation aimed specifically at local authority arboriculturists. He has been delivering workshops for NATO since the commencement of the training programme in 2000.
Jack Kenyon (BEd Hons. ND Arb RFS. F Abor A) is a Course Team Leader and lecturer in arboriculture at the Merrist Wood Campus of Guildford College. His work involves both higher education for the Technicians Certificate and Professional Diploma, bespoke courses for industry and craft training for tree surgery. He is a Fellow of the Arboricultural Association.
David has presented NATO courses for the past 7 years and has over 40 years service with the Forestry Commission, firstly with 15 years as a Forest Manager, and with the last 27 years as a Tree Pathologist in Forest Research (the research agency of the Forestry Commission). Currently Head of the Tree Health Division’s Diagnostic and Advisory Service, he is responsible for providing a service for the diagnosis of, and provision of advice on, the diseases and disorders of trees in the southern half of Britain. As part of his consultancy work, David undertakes disease investigations throughout Europe and co-presents a four-day workshop on decay and decay fungi for French arborists. He also undertakes talks, seminars and workshops in the UK and worldwide to disseminate information collected by the Tree Health Diagnostic and Advisory Service.
Dr Mark Johnston is Research Fellow at Myerscough College, Lancashire, the national centre for education in arboriculture and urban forestry. He is also Course Leader for its MSc Arboriculture and Urban Forestry. Mark is a Chartered Arboriculturist with nearly forty years experience in the arboricultural and forestry industries, including working as a contractor, a Tree Officer in local government and consultant in private practice. He has initiated and managed a number of major urban forestry projects in Britain and Ireland and has worked overseas in the USA, Hong Kong and Southern Africa.
Chris is the author of CAVAT (Capital Asset Value for Amenity Trees). He is Landscape Officer and Arboriculturist for Epping Forest DC, and past Chairman of EATaLOG. He has extensive experience in both private and public sector arboriculture. Chris holds an MA in English from the University of Cambridge, is a qualified teacher and an experienced speaker and lecturer. He began research for CAVAT in 1998 and first publicly presented it to the Arboricultural Association Conference in 2003, leading to a continuing collaboration with the LTOA in particular to test, develop and implement the methods.
Andy is Principal Arboricultural Officer at London Borough of Barnet, past Chairman of the London Tree Officers Association and is still an active Executive member. He has been involved in several LTOA initiatives including development of the website, the Risk Limitation Strategy for Tree Root Claims, CAVAT and the Joint Mitigation Protocol. He represents Arboricultural Officers on the National Tree Safety Group and in 2008 was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in recognition for his work in arboriculture.
Keith Sacre BSc (Hons) DMS has been Sales Director at Barcham Trees for the past eleven years. Prior to that he gained extensive experience in tree production methods and sales at Notcutt’s Nurseries. Before joining Notcutts he was Parks Manager and Direct Services Manager with a large local authority in Essex and gained valuable hands on experience in both nursery management and arboriculture. Keith is a Chartered Arborist with the Institute of Chartered Foresters.
Jake Tibbetts has been the Arboricultural Manager at Islington Council for the last ten years. He is an executive member of the London Tree Officers Association. Islington recently won the London Tree and Woodland Awards for Excellence in Tree and Woodland Work by a Public Body. When presenting the award the judges made particular mention of how Islington's Tree Service had not only valued its street tree stock but applied this information to prioritise the management of its trees. Jake will demonstrate how he has applied asset management principles to trees using CAVAT, as well as how he has used CAVAT to raise awareness and promote the Tree Service and the trees of Islington.