Tree Inspection Courses?

[skyhuck]

AA is that arb assosiation i guess in the end all organisations are all about the money mostly.

 

If not it would be free to join.

 

How could they?who would pay for admin?

[benedmonds]

You may have got from my last post I was a bit cross.. about the AA course. I am self employed and It was a 3 day £400+ course! I have a BSc in Ecology and a PGCE in Secondary Science and at the time over 5 years as a climber..

 

I know how to teach (I spent a year learning) and the course did not even try to give any training. In 3 days you should be able to teach tree inspection to people who know about trees but have not had any survey training. Having studied plant science as an undergrad I didn't need a biology lesson but some basic methodology and survey techniques.

 

I may have been miss-sold it as a course but the assesment took 3hrs what is the rest of the 3 days for?

[Amelanchier]

I may have been miss-sold it as a course but the assesment took 3hrs what is the rest of the 3 days for?

 

I fully sympathise Ben, did you take the course with Paul Smith?

[Lee Winger]

You may have got from my last post I was a bit cross.. about the AA course.

 

I may have been miss-sold it as a course but the assesment took 3hrs what is the rest of the 3 days for?

 

 

I wonder why we never see anyone on these forums from the AA!

 

I'll be calling the AA tomorrow, the way I read about the course it seemed to me it was 2 days of or 2.5 days of report writing, with training etc and maybe a short exam paper at the end!

 

We are talking about the Lantra course run through the AA aren't we?

 

 

The course advertised here http://www.trees.org.uk/course.php

 

I notice the course has been somewhat re-worded since I saw it advertised earlier in the year!

[benedmonds]

I was on one of the early courses and I admit they have changed the wording, but I was really looking forward to it, and it was not what I was hoping for... The instructor was not good.. A half decent teacher could have delivered a decent course, simply doing group inspections where we discussed our results would have made the course worthwhile.

 

Put me right off the AA..

[cerneARB]

Well I was looking into a tree survey course, after having seen the AA Calendsr in this month's Essential Arb magazine... But after reading this thread I don't think I'll bother. Thanks guys - you've saved me time and money!

 

I will second that. Think il get some books by matteck i.e stupsi and other good tree mechanics books..nothing beats a good book and some indepth study. Just sad i cant have a go on your fractometers and the like..anyone used one of those? What they like and how accurate are they?

[Lee Winger]

fractometers went out with the ark mate, along with core samplers!

[Steve Bullman]

nah, they are still a good tool for certain situations

[Arbocop]

Hi chaps

 

shame really, i've read through this thread, and well its just a shame that a body such as the AA is begilled over some poor marketing in the early days of a cource.

 

ive looked but cant find a thread praising there crucial work in getting the banning of top-`handled chainsaws withdrawn.

 

nor a detailed account of how the AA brought together all trade groups over the 2 stroak engine banning issue and securing a stay of execution for the thing that keeps us all going.

 

i could right a list of many benefits members and non members have gained from the work or the paid and the volunteer staff of the AA, but i wont bore you all.

 

with regard to the ATI couce it is a shame you did not enjoy the training nor did you feel you got any thing from it, but it does show why it is important to fill out happy clappy forms at the end of a course so that amendments can be made. i know that a large amount of feed back on ATI is positive and reflects a gain in self knowledge but not always.

 

just think in stead of slating the body why not become bart of it and help guide it, if you feel it is that far away from what is needed to support UK arb???

[Lee Winger]

nah, they are still a good tool for certain situations

 

 

I disagree with you on this one mate