Lancstree

I'd do it in a heartbeat if it didn't need renewing in three years. If I did it I would want to be fairly certain that I'd use it on riggs or something else and at least make my money back.

BTS how did you get on with your appeal. I take it you are in local authority? I went through the appeal procedure to get paid slightly more than a grass cutter but lost even though I gave them everything. Even all the gardeners said that arborists should be on a higher grade than themselves

Good on you mate. Have you got any jobs lined up or are you just getting qualified first?

Didn't like the chapter 8 course myself as it didn't seem to cater for a typical truck and chipper setup, rather more for a 'static' road excavation. The only bit that was useful was the order of the signs, the distances and setting up traffic lights.

I believe you can legally stop traffic for a maximum of 2 min using 'stop works' boards. Obviously traffic would have to be stopped both ways using two traffic control workers. I've seen people walk out in live traffic and throw a cone out in the middle of the road to stop traffic and that gets everyone wound up and they tend to go around you instead. I think you would need to give the highways agency 6 weeks notice for any other traffic control such as stop go boards or temporary traffic lights.

Just got back. Wow what a place... saw some awesome trees near Canchanaburi. The Hellfire Pass museum was a harrowing experience and the sea water was hot! The chicks were too

Don't forget if you have an American team member, they can call 911 in this country and get through to the emergency services. there is also a europe wide emergency number that I can't remember

The boss has a duty of care and should provide gear that is fit for use. If he wants a climber then he should have to pay to either train someone or pay more to hire someone already trained and experienced. You should not have to beg for usable gear. It will soon be payed off £50 per week. Granted some gear could be fettled into better shape. This person is not being disrespectful in my book.

How about this scenario. 3 person team, all qualified in aerial rescue but only two climb on a regular basis. Rarely practice aerial rescue. How would you feel if you are left on site with the person that doesn't climb? HSE require that there is at least one aerial rescuer but what about competence?

I reckon you could still get that stuck in a lombardy!

I have a toyota yaris and it has a chain rather than a belt. Recommended change before 90k

Are squirrels protected too? I haven't read the attachment yet so forgive my ignorance

You can get them in bolton

Thanks for both of your positive replies. I thought Paul Bullimore works for the woodland trust? I have a copy of the woodfuel inventory for burnley woodlands that was carried out by Robin Forestry Surveys, Cumbria. Are you a surveyor Arborist Sites?

We are of course considering all the value added products and opportunities to include a wide range of people in the community but there is a lot of thinning required and on these sites and there are new schools with woodchip burners in the area to supply. This income would then go back into the environment and community as well as building up the enterprise. Obviously there would be issues like machinery, wages, vehicles, and the like but there are grants out there.

I will be working with Hyndburn Prospects who I have just had a meeting with. It sounds really interesting so I'm keen to get involved and it would be even better if I could get a job out of it!

I found this which looks like a good model to study

http://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/pdf/SERG_Hill_Holt_Wood_research_summary.pdf/$FILE/SERG_Hill_Holt_Wood_research_summary.pdf

I will forward the link concerning grants to my associate so thanks for that. Thanks again for the replies and you may hear from me in the near future.

I have been approached by a charity organization about assessing the viability of a social enterprise that would manage woodlands initially for woodfuel production with the aim of benefiting the local environment and community.

Is there anyone with experience in woodland management that could give ideas or advice on the strengths and limitations of this idea? The local council and county council has planted areas of woodland in the past that have never been managed and they have little idea of where all these sites are. There is quite a bit of work to be done on the assessment and I have offered my help with the project as I would like to see better management of our local woodlands for the benefit of the community.

What other potential income sources are there besides woodfuel? Some of the benefits to the community is that it would provide the opportunity for people to learn new skills, help the disadvantaged and hard to reach groups get involved in the environment and community and generally improve the landscape for the future.

There is also potential for mass planting which would be funded by the company that deals with waste in our area.

Any advice or ideas welcomed

Cheers. I wasn't the climber on this job as I was the camera man. Not sure how long it has been carved but at least 4 years as that's how long I've been working here. We left the stump in situ for the benefit of the wildlife and fungi and we'll just keep check on its stability when it decays further. No doubt kids will be pulling lumps off to give their dogs and put on the chickens back by parents! We could have done with the long gaffs for the climber as it was soft as hell in places.

2.9 Tonne max but that with a really limited radius. We got really close to the stem with it but with 3 or 4 extensions out it could only lift about 850kg

We've only had it a few months. It was bought for use in graveyards but it has its uses elsewhere. We may have another job for it with removals down in a deep stream.

Brilliant!

The final few pics

Some more

Its primary use is intended to be for lifting grave stones. I can lift 2.9tonne max and is remote control. A very handy bit of kit indeed

Some more

Here's some pics of a job we did recently. The sculpture had to come down due to advanced decay of the old beech stump. We used our UNIC crane to lower it into a prepared hole next to the stump. The piece weighed about 700kg and at that angle we could pick around 850(swl).

I went to Uni after my ND in arb. I started a course in Environment, Economics and Ecology at York and it was hardcore. After one year I quit and jumped onto Archaeology, just for the sake of getting a degree but ended up enjoying it. So far its got me no where and part of me would like to go back in time and do something arb related. However I had some experiences that I'll never forget and that kind of makes it worth it. Being in debt is not that cool and while some people decide to pay it back quick as poss, I've decided to pay off my highest interest loans while paying back the minimum to the student loans company.

What I would say is don't be fooled into thinking that getting a degree will get you a high pay job as it won't, unless you have some idea of what you want to do with it and specialize within your degree. Right now I'm constantly volunteering and grabbing all the training I can to add feathers to my cap and its amazing how many doors seem approachable now.