janey

Reasonable jobs and salary, it's just a shame it's Redbridge ! Tree and Landscaping Officer & Tree and Landscaping Enforcement Officer | London Borough of Redbridge | Arbjobs.com find Arb jobs / Tree work

I haven't been in a relationship for over three years, I don't have a proper job, I have soddall money, I live in my Dad's home, I've had two breakdowns in the past five years, I watched my mother slowly and painfully succumb to cancer.... I could go on, but you know what? These things don't bother me any more because I have so many things to be thankful for: a loving family, good friends, a (reasonably) functioning brain and body and a huge appreciation for the beauty that's in this world. I used to get hugely stressed and I allowed it to literally drive me mad. The only way I have managed to get past that is to realise there nothing so important that it is worth that amount of anguish. Whatever I have in life, however small, I am thankful for and all the positives far, far outnumber the negatives. I'm not sure if this little posting will help anyone going through their own personal hell right now. The only advice I can give is to say that no matter how bad you think things are, they could be heck of a lot worse and that if you look for them, there are many good things in this life

Too much to list... I wish ! I only came away with a Silky, and a girly folding one at that

Think of AT as your saviour. If you wasn't on here, taken random lighthearted abuse from us, you'd have to do something nasty and constructive like the hoovering. You should be thanking us, really

Minimum clear width of 1m, as per NRASW. Most LA's work to 1.2m minimum though.

Are Glendales geared up for doing any OPM removals? Now that you have won the Surrey contract, as well as the London contracts you already have, you are right in the thick of it.

I'll save you the effort of signing up. Here's the article: Battle tactics - combatting oak processionary moth By Gavin McEwan Friday, 01 April 2011 Be the first to comment The Dutch experience of oak processionary moth offers some guidance for the UK, says Gavin McEwan. Methods used to control moths include spraying a pesticide that is active for 7 days - image: Klippen Boomverzorging With the Forestry Commission switching from a policy of eradicating oak processionary moth (Thaumetopoea processionea) to one of containing it (HW, 11 March), the experience from the continent suggests that the tree care industry is facing a challenge, in both cost and hazard terms. The moth's caterpillars release what are known as urticating hairs ("urtica" is Latin for nettle) when disturbed. Less than a tenth of a millimetre in length, the hairs have small barbs that hook onto skin and other exposed parts, causing rashes that can last weeks or even months. They can also cause a more serious anaphylactic reaction - and there has been at least one case of blindness. Despite this, the problem is not considered a public health issue in the UK, unlike in the Netherlands, which has been colonised by the moths over the past two decades. There, Kuppen Boomverzorging (Kuppen Tree Care) specialises in controlling the pest, and it was to founder Henry Kuppen that UK tree care specialist Gristwood & Toms turned for expertise when it became apparent that similar methods would be required on an ongoing basis in this country. The two concluded a "partnership agreement" last year. "I think it was only a matter of time before the UK got it too - it likes the climate here," Kuppen told a recent conference on the moth at Gristwood & Toms' Hertfordshire headquarters. A complex problem Explaining the many-faceted nature of the problem, Kuppen says: "People doing the eradication are at high risk, whenever they do it, as the hairs persist in the nests. And you react worse each time - some of my guys can't work around oaks any more. "Then there's the general inconvenience to the public. Dogs and horses are also very sensitive to the hairs, which they sniff up from the ground. Then there is the cost of medical care and lost opportunities for recreation, study and work where areas are closed off." The moth first appeared in the southern Netherlands in 1989, prompting a control programme in 1991, but this failed to stop its advance, which happened at a rate of around 7.5km northwards per year. "Now the Netherlands is completely covered," says Kuppen. In the UK, the problem was first detected in the London Borough of Richmond in 2006, but is still largely confined to west London. "We have an enormous number of oaks. In some areas, they are three-quarters of the tree population - much more than in countries further south," says Kuppen. "It became clear that, short of cutting them all down, we couldn't get rid of the problem." Dutch municipalities are responsible for control measures, which in 2007 typically cost EUR1,000-EUR10,000 per municipality, or around EUR2 (£1.70) per tree. The problem is not completely restricted to Quercus because while the moth prefers European deciduous oak species, it will also take up residence in Prunus, Fagus or Betula, he explains. As a European pest, the moth does have natural parasites. "With enough, they will stabilise the problem, but won't eliminate it," says Kuppen, adding that a beetle, the forest caterpillar hunter (Calosoma sycophanta) "is coming back to the Netherlands" in the moth's wake, along with parasitic larvae of tachinid flies. "Bats and birds will eat the caterpillars until L3 (a stage of the pest's life cycle, see box above). After that, they throw up." Effective control He outlines five control methods that his company has employed with varying degrees of success. The first involves an electrostatic spray of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) based pesticide, the droplets being given a positive electric charge to bind them to the weakly negative-charged trees, minimising drift. The toxin remains active for seven days. "We will spray this way for 24 hours a day for four or five weeks in season," says Kuppen. "We can do between 60 and 120 trees an hour, depending on the size." The second method of applying a blowtorch to the nests has been used by the Belgian army - several were hospitalised. "It will blow the hairs 100m away, and at 1,000 degC it's damaging to trees, particularly younger trees," explains Kuppen. "My message is to please stop using blowtorches." To manually pick off the nests, they must first be sealed with hairspray to stop the spread of hairs, then bagged and incinerated. "It's relatively easy and low-profile, but very labour-intensive, and there is some hair spread," Kuppen adds. A fourth method involves sucking the caterpillars into a mobile oven that incinerates them on site. "It's quick and has high capacity and the waste ash is harmless and can be disposed of normally," he says. "But if you bury the hairs, they can still be toxic five years later. Controlling the problem effectively calls for a mix of methods." In the UK, Gristwood & Toms is still evaluating different sprays and application methods, says contracts manager Alex Austin. These have included Deltamethrin, a broad-spectrum pesticide that remains active for 12 days. However, regional manager Mark Townsend says Natural England will not allow Deltamethrin on its land. He adds that using the Bt-based DiPel together with Dimilin Flo "means that you need less overall". But Townsend points out: "The cost of the chemicals is low compared to the cost of applying them. We probably won't spray this year - we are trying to find ways of proactively managing the problem." In 2009, the company also tried manual nest removal, using hairspray to prevent the hairs drifting. It has also removed nests on 12 public and 26 private trees using vacuum cleaners to suck up the hairs, Austin adds. "The vacuums were key to the safe physical removal - they reduce though don't eradicate the health risks." Strategic monitoring Kuppen also emphasises the importance of data gathering to guide a control strategy. "It allows us to produce an annual nationwide overview," he says. "Even so, we have municipalities that aren't recording. It's been common in the Netherlands for 20 years, but still people don't know about it." An online GPS-based recording application, www.digidis.org, collates data in the Netherlands on complaints and control measures, which can be logged on-site using a personal data assistant. Kuppen has also developed a risk profile map, with each area graded from one to three, depending on whether it includes facilities such as schools. "It dictates how fast you have to act," he explains, adding that areas such as Amsterdam's Vondelpark, which draws four-million visitors a year, are regularly inspected as a precaution. Besides visual inspection, pheromone traps placed in the upper tree canopy indicate the spread and intensity of the problem. According to Townsend: "You have to track the spread so you can target your resources, rather than just finding it on spec. Right now the recording is very piecemeal, but we are working to get an online recording system for the UK - we will pool information with other organisations." London Tree Officers Association (LTOA) chairman Dave Lofthouse adds: "We are planning how to manage this year's outbreak. By putting all the information we have in one place, we will be better able to predict where the target areas will be - if we have the funding." London Borough of Ealing tree section manager Ben Clutterbuck, who chairs the LTOA's oak processionary moth working group, emphasises the expense required and the need for coherent action to be taken. "My costs were £25,000-£30,000 last year, but it could start costing a lot more," he warns. "You could be managing it, but the person next door might not be. Why invest when you may have to spend it again next year when you're recontaminated?" KNOW YOUR ENEMY The female adult oak processionary moth lays around 300 eggs in small strips or "plaques", usually in the canopy of a free-standing mature or semi-mature oak tree. Detection at this stage is near-impossible - even close up the 2-4cm long plaques are difficult to spot. Not all the eggs will necessarily hatch in the same year. Once hatched, the caterpillars pass through six instars (stages): - At L1 (April-May) the freshly hatched caterpillars are 3mm long, red and have no toxic hairs. - At L2 (early-mid May) they have turned black but still lack hairs. - At L3 (mid-late May) the caterpillars "process" down from the top of the tree and begin developing urticating hairs. - At L4 (early June) they start to form silken nests, incorporating hairs and frass. They develop orange dots on their backs. - At L5 (June-early July) silken trails are visible from the nest back up to canopy, where they return to feed. - By L6 (mid June-July) they have reached their maximum length of 35mm. From mid June to September, they pupate in the nests, from which the adult moth emerges. It lives for four to five days.

Early??? I thought you were used to being up at silly o'clock. You haven't gone and got a LA job on the quiet have you ? I'm waiting to hear from the FC if I'm going to be surveying the buffer zones this year. Failing that, I might be doing a bit of voluntary work for Ealing or Hammersmith. These nasty lil' things have become slightly addictive

This should be of particular interest to those of you working in London, especially in the Boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Hounslow, Richmond and Hammersmith and Fulham, which are the affected Boroughs to date: Battle tactics - combatting oak processionary moth | Login | Horticulture Week

Thanks for that - I've now got to clean my keyboard where I just spluttered with laughter all over it :lol:

That's stunning Bart :thumbup1: You've really done that piece of wood justice. I like the way that you have a pictoral history of it's transformation from fallen tree to piece o art.

Darn it! You beat me to it again! Several London Boroughs use the CAVAT system for putting a monetary value on their tree stock. It is primarily designed as a management tool and to be used alongside JMP (Joint Mitigation Protocol) for dealing with tree related insurance claims. You could also use the fine levels for Planning Reg's infringements.

For something a bit more unusual, how about a Quince (Cydonia oblonga), a Mulberry (Morus nigra) or Medlar (Mespilus germanica)? They'e all small trees, very attractive and have great fruit. Google them if you want some more info' on them and try the RHS Plantfinder to source them. RHS Plant Finder / RHS Gardening

Other than the lesbian bit, you have just described a large number of MALE arborists. See some of the above

Grubbing out = sweating and possibly swearing profusely while using a mattock, or axe even, to dig ("grub") out the larger tree roots. A job that's best given to young relatives who are after some extra pocket money . Do you have access to a bowsaw to cut up the tree? Failing that, even a teneson (if that's how it's spelt ) should be able to deal with a small tree like yours.

Yep, that tree's a goner I'm sorry to say . Even if the local yout' hadn't vandalise your tree, it was still on it's last legs. There is a lot of dead wood in the crown and very few flowers or new growth and the base of the tree shows extensive decay that has seriously weakened the trunk. One of the most common initial cases for that type of decay is damage from strimmers or lawn mowers when the grass is being cut. Are you able to remove the tree yourself? It will be reasonably easy to grub out the remains of the trunk and larger roots as it is so decayed. You can then use the larger bits of wood to create a wildlife pile somewhere at the back of your garden Add lots of compost to the soil and you're ready to replant. It's now past the dormant season when it's best to plant trees, but if you are prepared to water your new sapling regularly and use plenty of mulch then you should be able to replant straight away. What do you have in mind to replace it with? Do you want any suggestions?

Would you consider doing the Foundation online on a part time basis? There are several AT members doing / have done this course that would be able to advise you if it is something you're thinking about

There was only an article about dodgy plumbers when I flicked over . I went back to Beeb 2 and the lovely Chris Packham and wetlands instead.

Whoa, you posted a not entirely serious comment??? I kinda guessed . My fingers are crossed for the future of the human race and that the other posts are in the same lighthearted vein. I can but hope....

It's so refreshing to see women being taken seriously by the industry and that male arborists don't fall back on being stereotypes...

I'm female, I'm good, I'm a joy to work with and I'm a super model . So that's blown that theory out of the water. I also have been lucky enough to have worked with two other highly competant women arborists in the past . When I was at college there was a Japanese woman there with me. She wasn't that great at the practical side, admittedly, but she was frighteningly intelligent and enthusiastic.

I bet you throw a damn good party (And I bet you a bit tired of those kind of comments )

Fascinating . Amazing photography and narrated by one of my all time heros. Great lil' find

Aw, what a cutie You haven't gone for the metallic Hammerite, have you ?

I echo Tony's comments on this. The term "crown clean" may well be understood by the majority of arbs' but it is lazy terminology. Which is not the same as saying that the people who carry out the work are lazy. I have never used the term in the many years that I have written work specs as, by it's definition, it is not a specific term. It would save me huge amounts of time, but then would saying every tree should have a "general prune". All non specific terms and open to individual interpretation.