David Humphries

Summary: This comprehensive 200 page book focuses on our appreciation of old trees from the aesthetic, historical and ecological viewpoints and reminds us of our responsibilities as owners, managers, practitioners and enthusiasts to help prolong their lives and ensure continuity of their habitat & the myriad of associated species that rely on them. Edited by the renowned consultant and author David Lonsdale (Principals of Tree Hazard Assessment and Management – 1999) it is the collective work of the experiences & wisdom from a number of prominent members of the Ancient Tree Forum. It is visually appealing, being packed full of portrait and landscape photographs of iconic maiden and pollarded trees in their settings, selected reference images of fungi, invertebrates & their habitats, plus diagrams that help the reader in understanding how trees grow old and example images of the techniques to be employed whilst managing them. There are 7 chapters covering principles, surveying, protection, conserving habitat, tree work specifications, heritage & management plans. Appendices cover additional aspects of surveying, UK tree law, estimating mortality rates & method statements Personal review: Having read and been inspired by one of the main predecessors of this book, (Helen Reads’ Veteran Trees: a guide to good management – 2000) this has been a long time in the writing but has proved to have been worth the wait as there have been a significant number of new theories & techniques proposed and developed in the last decade or so, and this up to date book covers pretty much all of those. If I’m honest it’s not a book that I’ve read cover to cover, as for me, it’s more of a reference which I have (and will continue to) dipped in and out of depending on my need for information either at work as a Trees Management Officer or at home as point of reference for a term that I’ve read or heard somewhere. It would have been a great resource (sadly not published at the time) to have had access to, whilst undertaking units covering biomechanics and veteran trees during further education I undertook last year. There is a very useful 8 page glossary of terms that in itself I find a valuable resource. I like the way that you can quickly reference the chapters by thumbing the highlighted edge tabs. It’s not a coffee table book but the quality of the paper, print and layout is high end and at least what you would require from a working reference. The ‘Ent’ on the front cover is a great choice as it’s an iconic image summing up Mans connection to ancient trees through mythology and practical history. From my perspective I’ve struggled to find any negatives or oversights. I’ve not found any conflicting information in the book in comparison to what is currently being presented in seminars, courses or other related texts. I highly recommend this to anyone who is already working either in managing and/or consulting about veteran trees, & also for those that are work climbing or felling in and around them. Published by The Tree Council ISBN 978-0-904853-09-4 Priced at £30 (I think this is reasonable in comparison to other tree industry reference books)