David Humphries

one of the team had his last day with us yesterday, bringing an end to two years of great banter and team development. He's moving on into tree officer territory here's a selection of some of his most (in)famous moments....... all the best mate .

caught this out of the corner of my eye as I went past it last week but didn't really focus on it tbh (bit busy getting a tracked Mewp off site) must be getting slack Got a call from a local aquaintance who knows a thing or two about fung that it was Hericium cirrhatum the tiered tooth. (relatively uncommon) First time I've seen it on a standing dead tree (here on one of our beech monoliths) usually have come across it on fallen birch. .

Lycogala epidendrum - wolfs milk. is a very common plasmodial slime mould, here on dead fallen poplar second shot showing both the juvenile & mature forms & wormy type things having a graze on a ruptured globe, last shot. aka tooth paste slime .

Possible, certainly the poplar in question. But similar others in London where there is a concerted effort to drive canopy increase? Who knows? A revision/re-sequencing of pollarding regime perhaps. The failed poplar looked to have significant sized re-growth. Decision to pollard a pop next to a bus stop or to site the bus stop next to a potential future pollard is a debate transport for London & the boroughs will need to visit. .

Sadly another urban tree failure/fatality Thoughts go out to the poor lady & her family. Grandmother crushed to death by falling branch while waiting for bus | Mail Online .

me and the team were over working in bucks today and stopped off for some refreshment at the 900 year old 'Royal Standard of England' this painting caught my eye........wild service perhaps .

flies having a good graze on Laetiporus sulphureus on this oak .

fine rack of Ganoderma applanatum (lipsiense) on this dead beech .

Here at the 'talk that is Arb' ? I would find that of great interest .

Give Keeley a call at Treelife Training 01162606939 [email protected] They have training centres in Leicester, Harrow, Westonbirt, Ely and others....... .

Very interesting video from a Chief Economist (not a tree manager being the interesting bit) at TD Bank of Toronto, who is saying that the urban tree population within the that city has been valued at $7 billion the interview starts after about 30 seconds of adverts, worth being patient. Toronto's trees worth $7B - Lang & O'Leary Exchange - CBC Player .

Petition went to Downing Street today 3000 signatures short of 100,000 Intrigued to see if this type of campaign holds any clout http://www.change.org/p/globally-important-conservation-and-science-under-threat-at-royal-botanic-gardens-kew-due-to-uk-government-cuts-5m-deficit-will-lead-to-loss-of-over-120-posts/u/53948b515cc4b77b1d012c0e?tk=wKAXyHhw-e9XXPJcBleVbWRwmUTGVF57MaqFYF63w_o&utm_source=petition_update&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_update_email .

You don't miss a bloomin trick Mr Haine Just you wait till the cobwebs start setting in for the record I did stop and glance at a beech today whilst on the drive up to the beach, to the great frustration of the family von Humphries or was it a chestnut.......... .

Thanks Paul, off to the beech with friends and family, should be a good one Again, great show. I know you wouldn't have seen my comment as being negative, rather observational. If I don't say something soon after, things have a habit of sliding in to the distant vague memory. Have yourself a great relaxing rest of the weekend .

I believe Glenn mentions the historic reduction work on the failed limb to counter a perceived lever arm effect, which I take as perhaps the reason for his surprise at the failure. Tbh, I've posted this up more as nod at the style of his documentation rather than the content. But good talking point .

I think this is a really clear & well presented visual tree assessment video from Blair Glenn in Saratoga Like his style .

I guess there's always the great works of the likes of Butin, Ryvarden & Gilbertson on the Polypores. I wish I'd spent more time looking closer at the Mycos a few years back when we were recording what we came across in the sandy soil oak woodlands at work. Picked up Geoffery Kibby's work on the Genus Amanita in the UK whilst having a look at what Sommerfield had at the trade show yesterday......looks really useful as a field guide. Will have to keep an eye out for the others Do you have any/all of the series? any thoughts? .

also, this short article of Helen's in Essential Arb might be of interest http://www.ancient-tree-forum.org.uk/ancient-tree-forum/atfinternational/spain/pdf/AncientPollards.pdf .

hello Dan, hope you're well mate? Where you at? Did you get a chance to read Helen's piece in the Arb journal last year? "Restoration of lapsed beech pollards: Evaluation of techniques and guidance for future work" If you've not got access, give me a shout & I'll get you a copy. No definitive evaluation of deliberate fracture associated bud response that I know of (as yet). I think these were axe created at the beeches back in 2006 and/or '07 .

Off finishing a bit of business at a local wood burning showroom and the junior Humphries bagged a corking Laetiporus in the cherry across the road (reflection) .

Blimey, that's an early start ! I'd of made the most of a comfy bed and and a slow start to the day if I were you Thanks for getting back so soon, look forward to reading back further thoughts when time is less pressed. Have a great day .

Hello Paul Apologies but I didn't get the chance to say hello today, you were obviously a very busy man as were the rest of your colleagues. Fine show (weather certainly helped ) food and beverages were certainly a vast improvement on past shows, well done to who ever sourced that, though a tad miffed as Karen managed to get the last pork & stuffing roll as she was ahead of me in the queue No doubt there will be enough threads/posts agreeing with how well the show was put together and rightly so However, one thing struck me today when I first arrived and then whilst walking around the show..........where was the dissemination of information on bio security within the industry. Here was an event that was inviting tree workers from all over the country to gather (like the clan gatherings of yore) bringing with them their lust for new shinny things and knowledge and also perhaps bringing with them spore and other nasties clinging on and hitching a lift to find transit to pastures new (things like Phytophora, Chalara, Massaria, OPM etc....) ??? Perhaps some posters at the gate, or a specific tent or demonstration or other PR.........I dunno, haven't given it much thought tbh Just think it was a missed opportunity Maybe there was and I just missed it? No hurry for a reply, you're obviously busy and will then be on a beach someplace having a few jars for the next month or so recovering Regards David .

Current Membership card should suffice http://www.trees.org.uk/aa/documents/ARB-Show_2014_lflt-WEB.pdf .

Not on the ones from today Sean .

Will do .