Where do you see arb heading in the next decade?

[Andy Collins]

I'm beginning to wonder, from a point of interest. With many advocating the retention of deadwood in trees, leaving standing dead timber, not removing ivy and all the other fads that arise, I do wonder what there is left for us to actually do when we turn up for work. Maybe charge for advising not to do anything when we get there? Of course we could make dead limbs safer by ripping off a couple of limbs with a fracture technique, and of course if the trees could talk they wouldnt choose to have anything cut off at all, but where would this leave the scores being churned out of college, or for that matter any of us? There is only so much maintenance work that trees require, and in theory that should last around 5years. I do think this may be why tree work is slacker than for many years, an over-populated industry hacking away at every available tree in the neighbourhood til there is nothing left needing doing.

Many of the conifer hedges planted in the 70's/80's have now been ripped out and replaced with larchlap fencing, as people realise how detrimental they are to the gardens, and indeed how expensive they are to maintain. Another of the arbs bread-and-butter jobs disappearing.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Andy, I think thats a pretty negative perception of the future of arb, and not really embracing the posative aspects of arbor ecology or a better understanding of "right tree right place"

 

These are things that mean arboriculture is progresing, and shouldnt be seen as backward, or limiting.

 

i think thee will always be a place for the "loppers and toppers" but as with all industries, things move on and get better, more informed and more professional in their application.

 

Trees are at the core of world ecology, and world ecology is an increasingly important subject as mans influences upon the earth become "point break" and we need to adress our impacts with some urgency.

 

managing the earths resources and ecology, maintaining biodiversity and eco system health, the well being and function of gaia for all our benifits is vital to the human endevour.

 

arbor ecology is the future of arboriculture, embrace it or be fased out open your minds, adapt and survive.

[Frankie Lawrence]

I think the so called climate change could have an impact the fact we are going from one winter to the next not knowing what we are going to get thrown at us and this year has proved that. Whats there to stop us geting a storm like 87? and making and breaking bussiness? I remeber someone telling me that the 87 storm almost killed off tree work I said thats mad I thought it would of been the other way I forget what else was said.

 

I think it will also become difficult to keep trading with inflation and the cost of living rising and everyone geting low monney from arb related work just to actullly get the work.

 

But then there will always be trees therefore there will always be us.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

We have to remember, that until very recently, there has been a massive shortage of guys doing the job as the industry grows, maybe it has just reached saturation point and in combination with a poor economic climate, were bound to see a slowing of employment within our sector, thats the way it is in all businesses.

 

Some of us have just been lucky to have had the last 20 years to thrive in, its getting a lot more competative, were also tied in some respects to the property markets which have slowed.

[Andy Collins]

Tony, the thread, and my intention is not to be negative (may not have expressed it too well) but to make a few observations. I take on board your comments on Arbor-ecology, but how much of this is taught in college? How many (outside of tree work) really care? But generally the (paying) Joe and Joanna Public really dont care about the little bugs and fungi, a tree is just that, it drops leaves in their gutters, blocks their light and so on and so forth, all we do is alleviate their problems and issues. My observations from the last few years say that general tree work has been over-subscribed, over-done to the point that there just isnt the work out there to support the ever-growing numbers joining our forces.

I can sell a prune, a fell, even planting and after-care, but I doubt I could sell bats, beasties and fungi to many. So back to my question.....

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Tony, the thread, and my intention is not to be negative (may not have expressed it too well) but to make a few observations. I take on board your comments on Arbor-ecology, but how much of this is taught in college? How many (outside of tree work) really care? But generally the (paying) Joe and Joanna Public really dont care about the little bugs and fungi, a tree is just that, it drops leaves in their gutters, blocks their light and so on and so forth, all we do is alleviate their problems and issues. My observations from the last few years say that general tree work has been over-subscribed, over-done to the point that there just isnt the work out there to support the ever-growing numbers joining our forces.

I can sell a prune, a fell, even planting and after-care, but I doubt I could sell bats, beasties and fungi to many. So back to my question.....

 

You may not be able to sell bats and beasties, but legislation is driven by a need to incorporate Biodiversity and eco system health into our work, and wether joe public likes it or not, these things will be increasingly IMPOSED, sold or not, youll have to embrace it or youll not be able to work, for fulffiling your legal obligations to carry out tree work will require you to have the training and understanding of all the life of the forest.

 

bats, red data fungi etc etc etc, it is going to increase, get more involved and more important, and the public believe it or not, given the information will slowly embrace it.

[Amelanchier]

Maybe charge for advising not to do anything when we get there?

 

Some of us do that already...

[Amelanchier]

I would like to think planting is going to become more important. Why on earth do we let landscapers call the shots alone when it comes to tree selection and establishment? We're the specialists right?

 

As far as I can tell, developers (most of them at least!) still scrimped on landscaping/planting and continued to think of existing trees as an afterthought or liability when times were good. Now there's less money around we need stronger planners and enforcement to ensure that standards don't fall away.

 

Can't see that happening with the savings needed from local government.

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Hmmm,

 

Over-saturated certainly. You've only got to look at "Todays Posts" on here every day and there is often another newbie asking all the irritating Stihl vs Husky, which course, which trousers questions over and over and over again. No sign of tree workforce abating, still the opposite I reckon. I blame the extreme sports image!

 

I remember the 90s as being the "Leylandii removal" decade too!

 

Sudden Oak Death / Decline next? Imagine the tragedy; imagine the firewood!!!

 

Replanting and then some?

 

Lots to think about.

 

PS - I will never not remove ivy. Can't abide the stuff.

Edited May 22, 2010 by TimberCutterDartmoor

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

... observations from the last few years say that general tree work has been over-subscribed, over-done to the point that there just isnt the work out there to support the ever-growing numbers joining our forces...

 

Totally.