rcarolina

I went in to Arb/Hort work at 39 - taught to climb at 42 and althogh not doing it all the time loving it all the same. You're never too old - at least that's what they all told me on herewhen i asked.

Arborist/Tree Climber with Harrow School | 306057 Closing date seems to have passed but may be worth a pitch.

I also work for the Trust (this reply is my own personal belief rather than anything official). I think the main focus behind this is not to try to short cut or avoid full on professional arb advice more to instill in all NT staff FT and vollies the need to 'keep em peeled'. All full time staff attend a two day tree hazard managment course - giving them the basic skills to visually assess tree hazards - there is always a 'reporting up' to a higher qualified authority aspect to this work. Selected staff from every property will also attend a 4 day tree hazard management course run by the NT's forestry advisor - this adds additional skills such as fungi id and a more in-depth series of risk assessment. Although vollies are generally lay people they do have eyes and ears and this can only assist in helping to keep a really good eye on general tree safety. I like to think of them as our own Home Guard! With the numbers of properties under the NT banner I think it would be impossible to manage the entire portfolio without the inavaluable help of our vollies. I would not imagine for five minutes that a vollie would be asked to take on any task that if not managed properly would present a risk to the public. There have been high profile cases recently and so this is more a case of deploying all resources available to the same end rather than trying to do something on the cheap. The paper trails for all tree related safety work would probably go round the globe a couple of times. The Trust will carry out any work within its own capability but beyond this would always use the most competant person (contractor or otherwise - insured up to the hilt) to carry out full on arb consultancy or technical work. This isn't me jumping to the defence of my employer or being an arse licker but the Trust do get a bit of a kicking every now and again and I just wanted to put another view forward.

Trouble is, there's no way of nicking Mulberries without leaving an incriminating trail of red juice all down your front. We have a nice one at Scotney and whenever I have a chat with visitors I'm always amazed at how few people know about them and even fewer have ever tried them. Do you think you can't buy them because they just don't travel well? Best way to eat them = pick and shove.

Try Myerscough - they are running the RFS cert arb via online learning from Sept this year: Advanced Course Search - Royal Forestry Society Certificate Arboriculture (On-line) I'm going to go for this one myself.

She (Honey the fastest lurcher in E Sussex) stays at home and sleeps but comes alive at evening rabbit time.

I think Silkys have this inner need to cut. It doesn't seem to matter if its wood or flesh/bone. People look at me strangely when I say to them BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THE SILKY, but they soon learn! Lesson to self - if Silky falls out of your hand, don't try to catch it. We were speculating the other day about how useful they would have been in the Napoleanic Wars or the Crimea. "Canon ball wound? No worries mate, let me get my Sugoi and away we go." I hope you patch up soon.

I should point out that it was a statement rather than an invitation. Thanks again dudes.

Thanks for the prompt replies cahps - glad I'm on the right track. Shouldn't we be tucked up in bed though - work in the morning!

Hello - these nasties have appeared on our big old European Lime - I'm thinking they look like young Pleurotus ostreatus or am I way off course? Any advice gratefully received.

Wow! We have one here at Scotney with about three handkerchiefs on it - that one is amazing. It's a positive hankie factory. Where was it?

As far as i know, the course is changing from Sept and there will no longer be a need for the NPTC ticks - that's what i have gathered from Myerscough. The assessment has cahnged too and will all be done via course wirk rather than exam. As I say, they were very helpful - the guy running the course is Tom Devine, might be worth an email: [email protected] This is what tom told me a few weeks back - don't think he'll mind me quoting directly from our correspondance: "We currently run both the RFS (level 2) and AA Tech Cert (level 3) certificates in Arboriculture as online options at Myerscough. The difference is that as from Sept 2011 the RFS moves from an external exam to coursework based assessment. The period of time is the same Sept to June for both courses but for the moment the AA Tech Cert will remain and external exam and management days assessed qualification (however I do believe that this will change in the near future). With regards to NPTC's - there is no requirement on either course to hold them, however I think that you would agree that having them will help you understand more easily the theory based learning. Practical experience really helps you understand the application and simply consolidates your learning. Currently we cover 6 Units with one being Basic understanding of Forestry (incl ecology) but as you have read next year this will change to 5 compulsory units and the 6th will be an elective unit which gives you 4 options to choose from including managing special trees. So you would opt for the one that interests you the most. The RFS online course is spoon fed approach where you get to cover 2 units per academic term (3 terms in total) and you get a weekly download of materials and learning activities to undertake. I would recommend that you spend somewhere between 5-8 hours a week minimum (depending on your level of intellect and interest) on the materials. The online learning is supported by Myerscough staff both on academic and IT levels. As yet I cant comment on what the coursework will entail as I am currently working on them for next year but I would be thinking along the lines of a couple of pieces of work per unit to be submitted at the end of each unit taken - but more on that when it is confirmed. The AA Tech Cert for next year will remain the same as this year where you study the materials etc (approx 15 units/elements) over the 3 terms and then you sit 3 exams in one day in June followed by some management exercises on later days in the year as part of the overall assessment process." Hope this helps dudes.

Myerscough are doing the ABC RFS L2 course online and as far as I know it's changed so you don't need NPTC tickets to get the RFS qual. Advanced Course Search - Royal Forestry Society Certificate in Arboriculture On-Line Email them for info - they are mega helpful and very quick (unlike the numpties in the admissions dept at a certain Kent land based college I could mention! - Just outside of Tonbridge......on the way to Paddock Wood.....).

I have to say that my experience since joinng 2 years ago has been nothing but positve. The help and advice I have had has been second to none (even when I have asked dumbass questions). Amen.

Or is anyone selling one secondhand?

PM sent.

Frankie - yes at Scotney, it's an ailing Beech at the back of our yard - we're parking there now and we don't want crushed cars! Are you one of Mick's lads?

Wow - long thread! Will read this when I'm not snoozing at the keyboard. Cheers for that.

Hey Monkey D - loved the pics and think the tree in question would stand up well to this. Is the coroneting just for decoration then and is this done just by eye with the saw? Surely leaving a tree in an architecturally interesting state and monitored is better than simply removing it from its place. Fatastic work. Love this forum. Cheers Dave.

...but moving away from STDs for a moment () the term 'obelisking' is not in common use as far as you know. Basically the term was used to describe what i think, was a plan to effectively delimb entirely a fairly poorly tree and just leave standing at approx 5-6M. Personally, I would prefer to have it carved into good old Obelix.

Has anyone heard of the phrase 'Obelisking' in relation to tree work before. I am assuming this is the removal of limbs and leaving a trunk standing? Dave.

Great book - really makes you want to go to see/climb them. Probably not the best book to read if you have a fear of falling from height but the descriptions of some of the remotest/tallest trees is amazing. Can you belive that these were felled for timber?

We had every confidence in you! It's amazing what a few days off can do to help you get your head straight. I think as adults we don't cope too well with someone scrutinising our work/technique at such close quarters. Even worse when other people are seeming to have no probs. What next?

That's what I love about this forum. Posted a message - went away to have my tea and then come back to six very helpful replies.

Have just bougt a Grillon - realsied though that it has no onnectors. Can fit a standard karabiner on the gri side but the spliced eye with palstic protection is too small for this. What should I be looking at on this side? An 8mm biner or something. Spose it would be okay to slide off the plastic cover and use a standard biner? If you use one, how is your Grillon set up? Cheers. Dave.