Trees - Our Botanicultural Heritage

[sean freeman]

What an impressive tree David, have you contacted the Ancient Yew Group? taxus baccata, The Ancient Yew Tree

 

You probably have, I am confident they would help you do everything practical to help keep the tree in place for as long as possible.

[David Humphries]

Have it mind too sean.

 

Just want to make contact with the Vicar again to see if anything is already in hand.

 

Will try to get over there in the next week or so.

 

i'll keep this updated.

 

 

 

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[David Humphries]

Couple of interactions with people, that got me to thinking of this thread today

 

Firstly, I had an e-mail from a lady whos 90 year old Mother was very concerned that the Pear tree that she spread her late husbands ashes under, was not looking very well. Refering specifically to a rustyness on the leaves.

 

I mailed back, not knowing which specific tree it was, and explained that the Pear rust was relatively harmless & that I'm sure that the Tree would be Ok.

 

The elder lady later rang me back to tell me which tree she was actualy on about.

Turns out she had been visiting this park since she was a child back in the 1920's & 30's.

She loved this particular Pear & remembered the area when it was still a working Orchard.

 

Because of her long fond association, this is why she chose the tree to spread her husbands ashes.

 

Well, it turned out to be this Tree.........

 

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/tree-health-care/2847-mulch-not-mulch.html

 

Suffice to say, she was delighted that someone would spend so much time and care on it.

 

I could tell that this simple phone call meant the world to this old girl.

 

 

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[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Nice one david, its these little things you do " beyond the call" that make you what you are, a great story and I bet that you made this old girls day knowing that the tree is so well tended.

 

It simply doesnt get any better than this.

 

How is it doing now david?

[David Humphries]

.............I think this second ones even beter.

 

Got an email from a guy in Sweden, who was enquiring as to a specific Tree on the Heath.

 

Turned out that he had visited the Uk a couple of months back, and came on up to the Heath to catch up with a "an old family friend".

 

This "tree" had been having visits by generations of his family for a long long time.

 

Basically he was very concerned to see the tree in ailing health and had been tracking down someone to speak to about it.

 

I explained that the Beech is nearing it's time, is probably in the region of 250-300 years old, and is just slowing down. Classic symptoms, of a Vet beech, Gano's on the stem, Merip at the base & out on the roots, Polyporus out of the many decay pockets. The tree is even still yet attempting to retrench, putting on foliar clusters back down its scaffolds.

 

We've mulched her & tried to keep people away from the roots, but it's getting to the stage that we will have to start thinking of a reduction interms of safety.

 

This saddened the gent, but he was open & understanding to the reality.

 

He then went on to say that his dad had carved his initials up on her back in 1948 (he had a picture), and that if we ever did come to reduce the tree, could we please (if at all posible) keep the section of "family graffiti" and at his expence, ship it over to Sweden for him.

 

I actually might just do that.

 

 

Trees & people are connected in many more ways than we usually perceive.

 

 

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[Bart]

Great storys Dave another quality thred.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I am sooo looking forward to iether your own book, or your guest chapter in mine, if you dont do "something" to put all these things down, it would be a shame.

[Bart]

I am sooo looking forward to iether your own book, or your guest chapter in mine, if you dont do "something" to put all these things down, it would be a shame.

 

One or both of you should.

[RobRainford]

yet more inspiring stuff david. Indeed. im sat here in awe.

 

The old pear story was truly striking. Some good karma coming your way, if you believe in it.

 

we took down an old beech, probably looking to be 100 years, merip at the base, some daldinia on some limbs, looking back on the situation, it could have been managed well. Instead it was taken down because of targets, main road, substation, bus stop, residential all within 15m of the tree. Was a lovely old fellow. Lots of pictures were taken of the takedown, some good finds, i look back on them now and i get so much more out of the situation.

 

Back on track, mind, in the bottom of the stem is carved

 

T. Jones

8 October

1957

 

 

i was the first to notice it as it sat in our shed seasoning. Needless to say, for some reason, i feel a connection to this tree, as the wood sat there in the shed, i would walk over to it and just have a look over it, stand on the wood lying there, i enjoy the smell of the wood. I put it down to my first big step, more of a shove, into the big arb world, it was a bit of a make or break situation, some hard times, lots of new experiences, but i stuck it out, came out of it wanting to carry on with this stuff.

 

As i was processing some of the other pieces, i found various pieces of metal, not nails, as this tree was in liverpool, im suspecting it to be shrapnel from the war, yet to retrieve the two largest pieces found so far though. Would love to finish cutting and find more.

[David Humphries]

Nice one david, its these little things you do " beyond the call" that make you what you are, a great story and I bet that you made this old girls day knowing that the tree is so well tended.

 

It simply doesnt get any better than this.

 

How is it doing now david?

 

 

 

The best part of the job for me.

 

The pears showing some very encouraging signs Tony

 

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