Comments on: Treework Environmental Practice Conference XV

By: Dave Lofthouse

Dave Lofthouse — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:21:41 +0000

At the seminar, after the presentation of erroneous canopy cover figures for London, I arranged with GLA staff to pass a briefing on the LTOAs ideas for accurate canopy cover measurements for London – including historical figures so we might know the direction we are currently travelling in. Isabel Dedring of GLA, expressed a wish to help with this project. I did this a week or so later, so far there has been no response. As many at the seminar also expressed interest this is being pushed forward as a possible theme in the arboricultural research conference scheduled for May 2010.

By: Clive Stevens

Clive Stevens — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:53:11 +0000

As a volunteer tree activist in Bristol I have been able to use some of Susannah Gill’s slides at a couple of small public meetings and have to date raised £5,000 to plant some more street trees in our area of Bristol. In my view once you bring the impact of Urban Heat / Floods to the effect on people’s streets and houses then they sit up and take note. Keep up the good work Susannah and colleagues.

By: Ellen Elena

Ellen Elena — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:04:15 +0000

The PDF versions of speaker presentations are now available for download from our website. Please go to http://www.treeworks.co.uk/seminars.

By: Simon Bates

Simon Bates — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:34:50 +0000

Could I have Pdf versions of presentations given at the conference please? ta!

By: Sarah Kiss

Sarah Kiss — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:03:08 +0000

The conference bought home the need for a consistent and loud voice to get a national strategy adopted so trees become as expected a part of the planning process as drainage or CCTV in our urban environments. The single largest group of arborists placed to respond to political pressure to generate national tree data to a consistent level are the local Authority Tree Officers. We estimate that we plant only one tree for every four we lose. Is there mileage in pushing for adopting the 10 targets outlined in Trees in Towns II as a baseline that all local authorities must achieve? then build on this the replanting targets to start reversing the trend: most LA’s don’t have a replant budget let alone targets. This could be helped by more robust mitigation planting on developemnt sites.

By: Simon Bates

Simon Bates — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:59:29 +0000

In the south west, I’ve taken up an action to get a challenging target for canopy cover in urban areas adopted and achieved. It would seem that a good place to start would be to repeat Susannah Gill’s analysis from Manchester. Bristol? We already have a key piece of green infrastructure in North Somerset threatened by 9,000 houses so we better get going now!

By: Eugene Dreyer

Eugene Dreyer — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:55:20 +0000

I think green infrastructure in cities, and the way in which green infrastructure helps to resolve the interface between cities, towns and villages and the countryside will become an increasingly important issue this century from a planning point of view, so the work you are doing is likely to become more and more important.

Eugene Dreyer
Urban Design Director, Farrells

By: Dr Mark Johnston

Dr Mark Johnston — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:58:03 +0000

I’m sure that time will show that this Treework seminar was a turning point in the debate about urban climate adaptation. At long last, trees were put at the centre of this issue – to reflect their place as the most important single element of green infrastructure. The mood of the seminar clearly demonstrated the frustration of the arboricultural industry that insufficient attention and resources are being given to our urban trees.

Dr Mark Johnston MBE FICFor FIHort (Chartered Arboriculturist)
Research Fellow – Arboriculture and Urban Forestry
Myerscough College

By: Pete Stringer

Pete Stringer — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:52:01 +0000

The conference demonstrated that the need for increasing tree cover and green infrastructure in addressing our changing climate is unequivocal. However, it was evident through the feedback from the question and answer sessions that a major challenge lies in effectively managing both existing and future tree planting and green spaces.

Communities can help to lighten the burden on local authorities by taking responsibility for watering trees during their establishment period however the long term management of trees is a specialist undertaking and creative thinking is required to help resource this service.

Pete Stringer

Special Projects Manager
redroseforest