Open British Arboricultural Record Dataset (OpenBARD) is finally available

The data that we used to develop the Handbook of UK Urban Tree Allometric Equations and Size Characteristics, is now available on Zenodo for all to access.

This is the next stage of the Big Tree Data Project that we delivered with the Open University and Joe Fennell, which received financial support from The Open University’s “Open Societal Challenges” Programme under a grant awarded to Dr Kadmiel Maseyk, Dr Phil Wheeler and Dr Joe Fennell.

Jo Fennell has been working since we published the Handbook of UK Urban Tree Allometric Equations and Size Characteristics, to put the data and equations to work.

There are over 15,000 anonymised tree records in the dataset, mainly form our BS 5837 surveys for Desing Planning and Construction.

We also put a call out for measured tree survey data and were grateful to receive over tree records from Arbor-eco consultancy, Bartlett Tree Experts, Barton Hyett Associates, Forest Research, Oxfordshire County Council, Sharon Hosegood Associates, TMA Environmental Consultants, Tree Frontiers and Wharton Natural Infrastructure.

Natalie Cook, Supritha Hudgur and Magda Mach form our CAD/GIS Team managed the data and delivered it to Joe and the Open University.

Luke and Joe will be presenting on this project and the opportunities that the allometric equations offer the arboricultural profession, at the Arboricultural Association Conference in December. They will also be leading workshops to explore the opportunities that the arboricultural sector has to put its combined tree data to work to answer burning questions and develop innovative systems. More on this in future posts…

Making the data freely available will enable new analysis to be developed and we hope will benefit the whole arboricultural and landscape disciplines.

I want to acknowledge the many people who have contributed to this work through data preparation, advice, analysis, preceding studies and publications and support, including:  Carl Walters, Natalie Cook, Supritha Hudgur, Magda Mach, Sharon Durdant-Hollamby, Madalena Vaz Monteiro, Hannah Walker, Kieron Doick, Kadmiel Maseyk and Phil Wheeler.