Doug Blease

I would mention that you have accurately identified the soil type/classification and how you did this (i.e. soil examination pit / soil classification map) and reference this research. Only my tuppence worth. Feel free to dismiss.

Bat Conservation Trust will give you a lot of info. Bats can be a little bit fussy about where they rest their heads. It takes practice to identify suitable trees as roosts. Many bats will always opt for a building if they have the choice. Perhaps you could also design bat boxes for buildings where mitigation needs to be in place during alterations to a building known to have an existing roost. Look at Alana ecology bat/bird boxes for inspiration. Tree roosts need to be at least dry, warm, safe from predators and close to foraging areas. Preferably away from direct light such as street lighting, security lights etc. Theres much more to it than I can explain. Join your local Bat group and learn about the behaviour of the species in our area and you will get a good idea of what will be required in your design. I applaud your enthusiasm for diversification and skills transfer in your job, plus a committment to a European Protected Species which is all too often ignored in the commercial arb industry. Let me know how you get on. I will send you any links I come accross.

I know some people think that Brodie's posts are arrogant and pointless. I see them little differently. I see a guy who is desperate for that "career" that he set out to achieve 11 years ago. In my honest opinion, this industry does not demand a high level of knowledge/training to become employable. There is little scope or pressure to better ourselves past cs38/39therefore why should we expect £10ph plus? A few years ago at the age of 24 I was a senior arborist for a very busy company on £10per hour. I wont be shy, I did the hours and made this up to £20k per year. But I was basically in a position where I wouldnt get any further. That to me is not a career so I left. I applied for FC jobs, private estate jobs, forestry jobs and didnt ever get an interview. The reason was that I was only a Tree Surgeon. In the big wide world that counts for absolutely nothing. I did come very close to being accepted into the Fire Service. But still no joy. All the blood sweat and tears of becoming a decent tree climber and chainsaw operator counts for nothing. Sorry, but its true. I am now 29. The guy who now fills my position at the previous company is on £1 an hour more than I was five yeas ago and has received no further professional development than tree climbing tickets. So I am confident I made the right move to leave when I did. For the last three years I have studied full time and completed a few extra curricular, generic courses in order to expand my knowledge. I freelance climb when I can and I have a part time job labouring on a beef farm every weekend. I do not have days off....ever. I have paid tax on less than 12 grand a year. Next year is my Hnours degree year, and I am pretty sure I will complete a Masters degree in the future. Do I earn less? Yes Am I happier? Yes Is there a career in Arb just as a climber? Absolutley NOT. Do you have to better yourself? Yes Do I now have a career in front of me? Absolutley YES. Before people presume that they couldnt survive on £12k. I am married with two kids, high(ish) rent, high utility bills (in-efficient house), a little bit of debt to service, two cars....usual average stuff, no exceptions. The difference is I found that the wages are NOT there, so I am making it work in a different way. You cant climb trees (commercially/production climbing) for ever. No matter how good you think you are. You can climb for ever for the love of it. I like to think I will have a varied career which will challenge me mentally as well as have the pleasure of climbing a tree every now and again too. All the best Brodie. Good luck. Dont limit yourself.

As far as I understand it, you have to be a fully licensed Batworker in order to make invasive Bat surveys. (i.e. Climbing and using endoscopes to identify roosts.) You do not need a license to carry out activity surveys of trees and buildings. (i.e. Using a Bat Detector to identify foraging and commuting bats, and potential roost sites if your lucky.) Its quite a long drawn out process to become a licensed Batworker. I have said this before to people on ArbTalk. First step is to join your local Bat group.

Arghsh, Sorry to just fire off a quick reply before. It reads a bit blunt and I didnt mean it to sound that way. I am currently doing an Honours Degree, and this summer I have scored a summer placement. The real advice I can give you is that you are possibly too late to get a decent summer placement as all the good ones are gone well in advance. The easiest way in is to get a rapport going with your local FC offices, i.e. voulnteering during term time, using personal communication as references when completing essays/reports. What I am saying is, get on speaking terms with them LONG before you apply for anything. That way its less of a cold call. I woudnt wait for placements and work experience to be advertised. Get your CV etc in early, then follow up with a phone call - try and arrange a meeting with regards the direction of your education in relation to career prospects. That way your name is already at the top of the list for prospective placements. Remember there are more people in Further/Higher Education than ever before, and jobs have decreased slightly in the last three years. So the competition is fierce. Some of my fellow students are only just wondering why there are suddenly no summer placements around.....answer...they are all gone. If I was you I would try UPM Tilhill, EuroForest, any land agents (Strutt and Parker, Bell Ingram, etc), Woodland Trust, National Trust, Natural England (is it still called that?), Private Estates, Chartered Foresters. THe list is endless and they are all involved in innovative woodland/land management. Good Luck! Let us all know how you get on.

Why are you ringing around? Has the art of CV/personal statement/covering letter gone for good? What about private Woodland Consultants or organisations such as The Woodland Trust etc etc. The world does not start and end with the FC. You might gain much more knowledge from a slightly different angle. Then in the future you will have 'transferable skills' to take with you to the FC if you are still committed to working for them.

Pollard or Fell and re-plant? Much better aesthetically than leaving two feet stubs and half a tree. I think a full crown thin and slight lift will allow a lot of light into the garden, along with some treatment along the same lines of the adjacent trees. But the customer might not be able to see the merits of that. Do you have photos of other crown thinnings for the aim of increasing light penetration to the property that you could show them?

Not excessive lean but I would bet there is a pulling rope on the tree which is under a lot of tension. Interesting techniques for large spaces. Cant help thinking that there is a bit of heli-logger ambition going on there.

Alana ecology sell the best boxes i have seen so far.

Have you found your local Bat group? Try the IEEM for realistically priced courses. I have always wondered how many commercial arbs "honestly" consider Bats etc when pricing up trees. I know in the past I havent, but I have recently started down the bat route and its incredibly intersting.

I much prefer this style of reduction over the manicured 'lollypop' effect. Nice work, fully justified in terms of tree management. Essentially you have removed Xkg of mass from the tree, but passers by will hardly recognise that anything has happened. Therfore its value in terms of amenity has definately not been comprimised but its long term management has been fulfilled for the next 5-10 years. Its funny how every thread of this nature inevitably turns into economics over management prescriptions. Had this tree not been pruned 10 years ago, then not pruned now, the management prescription in another decade could well have been to fell it. Not worrying about replanting, as its only a Birch after all! So I dont think reductions are ever 100% pointless. Achieving the customers/owners aims and objectives are the deciding factor in my opinion. Its just up to us to interpret how we are going to achieve this. The truck looks smart too Rupe! Cheers for posting the thread.

Beautiful work, is any of it for actual livestock enclosure anymore? At what point can the hedge replace the stock netting? Is there a way of doing it without using the 'modern' fenceposts?

If you are really keen on it ring the MLURI and they will produce exactly that map for you in about ten minutes. You can highlight all the areas of shrinkable clays in a few clicks of the mouse.

Check some of the maps produced by the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute.

Rupe, I think you know that some people will definatley need it spelling out.

I dont think the : is too bad. It is just a play on words. Definatley not a Scots thing (careful now!). I would have probably chosen a hyphon, as that seems to join two slang words/abbreviations in the English language. I am always wondering about a bit of signwriting. But can never decide on a business name (other than my own name), or a logo which I think is important too. So good on you for using some imagination and putting it all out there.

Its an interesting one isnt it? What qualifies anyone to Consult? I think your ND does cover the principles of consultancy, however you should have also aimed to become Cert Arb (ISA, RFS) and a part of this is keeping abreast with legislation and best practice. I think its 30 seminar credits a year? (correct if wrong please). You would be amazed the foundations your ND has provided. But moving into consultancy is a little more specialist, with many more considerations than even the most rigorous surgery quote. I am presuming that you would like to do this in the future? So why limit yourself? Get updated and go for it.

Nature Conservation Estate Worker Closing date: 19/06/2010 (please assume unsuccessful if no response received within 2 weeks of closing date) Location: Mendip Hills & Somerset Levels Salary: £14,000 pro rata; mid-August /September 2010 - end March 2011. Possibly longer. Employer: Green Mantle (Ecosophy) Limited (see Green Mantle Environmental and Habitat Management Service and Consultants Southwest UK) Exciting opportunity to gain invaluable experience of countryside management and discover extensive networking possibilities. Full-time staff required to join small dynamic team undertaking hedge-laying, felling, fencing, coppicing, tree planting, footpath maintenance and scrub clearance, mainly on SSSIs. Essential: N.P.T.C. Chainsaw Certificate Unit 31; Work experience & a high degree of practical aptitude; Qualified in nature conservation/ecology; Physically fit and willing to work outdoors in all weathers; Will need own transport and must be prepared to transport tools and staff if required; Must be prepared to live locally; Must have a mobile phone which is available for use during the working day in order to keep in contact Desirable: N.P.T.C. Herbicide Certificate Units PA1 & PA6A; First Aid at Work Certificate; Deep Ecological approach Send: CV and short letter to: Green Mantle (Ecosophy) Ltd, 8 Langleys Cottages, Midsomer Norton, Radstock BA3 4DX

Would those with experience of Chris's software packages please give me their honest opinions? I would appreciate all insights. Thank you

That is one tree species I do not miss from the South Coast. I know of only a handful in the North East of Scotland. None of which are anywhere near the size of the brutes down there. Dusty - Spiky - Sticky - Heavy etc etc. HAVE FUN!

Am I right in thinking that I can re-sharpen my Sugoi?

Jesus, £2000 for a wee van! Have you tried commercial insurance? It should apply to you and be cheaper. Congrats on the new wheels, dont crash it, refrain from the testosterone road-rage and make it earn you some readies. All the best DB

We are bias Jamie as we see a fair share of big trees. Your 880 is out every week when we're on jobs. I am sad to say that guys like this is why I dont miss working in Sussex. There is plenty of big trees down there. Obviously not enough to go around.

Thanks, Your right, thats not what I was asking . It was more an interest as to the amount of BIG work you would expect the components of the rig to take before replacing. Therefore an economics question rather than an official one. Surely the wear and tear aspect of your gear is an important financial factor, the majority of us are not testing our gear to such limits, therefore expect them to last longer. All the best Doug