You don't need any qualifications...

[arb culture]

... to do tree surveys.

 

According to the National Tree Safety Group a few years experience as a gardener is all that's required.

 

 

A chainsaw ticket might be handy as well.

[Amelanchier]

I dunno, it might well be proportional and reasonable to have your gardener look at your trees - 75% of the stuff I see in tree surveys is obvious. Dead wood/trees, hangers, fruiting bodies the size of Madagascar, big splits, partial root failures etc. Ol' Barry the gardener will spot these too if he's been asked to look.

 

Its what happens after the problems have been identified that is critical...

[Ian Flatters]

I dunno, it might well be proportional and reasonable to have your gardener look at your trees - 75% of the stuff I see in tree surveys is obvious. Dead wood/trees, hangers, fruiting bodies the size of Madagascar, big splits, partial root failures etc. Ol' Barry the gardener will spot these too if he's been asked to look.

 

Its what happens after the problems have been identified that is critical...

 

The gardener would probably fell it due to Money Fungus:lol:

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

As Tony says having the gardener (informally, or maybe even formally to a point) inspect the trees in the first instance may be deemed 'reasonable', this is what the Lantra Awards 'Basic Tree Survey' course covers, essentailly spotting the obvious hazards.

 

The professional comes in thereafter to advise the tree owner about the 'significnace' of what "Ol Barry" has spotted and what (if anything) needs to be done AND by when. Obviously the professional can covers all apsects, including the 'hazrad spotting', if the client requires.

 

In part I think the NTSG is trying to counter the potential implications of the 'Poll v Bartholomew' case which may be interpeted as meaning ALL trees within a targer area require a 'level 2' inpsection, i.e. by a competent professional, as this effecteivly threatened tree populations as some land owners decided it would be better, and cheaper, to fell thier trees to remove 'any' risk, and thereby by any possible liabilities, and be more cost effective as a management approach.

 

Just my thoughts..

Paul

[arb culture]

Paul, the basic tree inspection is a form of training. The NTSG draft doesn't even mention that the gardener should have done it.

 

If the basic training included a very basic assessment at the end of it to prove competence, then I would agree that this would indeed be sufficient in spotting most tree hazards.

 

Using the term 'unqualified gardener' raises far more questions than it answers. Does the chap who cuts the grass once a week meet the criteria of an unqualified gardener? If so, are they now qualified to undertake the intitial assessment of trees?

Edited June 21, 2010 by arb culture
typos

[arb culture]

The gardener would probably fell it due to Money Fungus:lol:

 

That's one of the things I'm worried about.

[arb culture]

I dunno, it might well be proportional and reasonable to have your gardener look at your trees - 75% of the stuff I see in tree surveys is obvious. Dead wood/trees, hangers, fruiting bodies the size of Madagascar, big splits, partial root failures etc. Ol' Barry the gardener will spot these too if he's been asked to look.

 

Its what happens after the problems have been identified that is critical...

 

I agree to point, but, a) what about the 25% of stuff that's not obvious, b) what about the stuff that's obvious but not actually hazardous, and, c) do you seriously think that the average unqualified gardener is going to give good arboricultural advice?

[arb culture]

Paul, I don't think I've yet come across any land owners who have felled all their trees because of the Poll v Bartholemhew judgement.

 

I've met quite a lot that have felled trees on the back of dodgy advice from gardeners and dodgy tree surgeons though.

[arb culture]

Oh, and I've also seen children nearly killed by a large tree which collapsed after an under qualified tree officer said it was safe and refused permission to fell.

[Bundle 2]

... to do tree surveys.

 

According to the National Tree Safety Group a few years experience as a gardener is all that's required.

 

 

A chainsaw ticket might be handy as well.

 

Here we go again....!