David Humphries

When did the tree lose its limb? Quanitifying the progression of dysfunction/decay is the key with Kretzschmaria, in our experience. Using VTA, tapping with a sounding hammer and tomography are possibly not realiable enough to inform your management decisions. Are you reluctant to use a Resistograph due to breaching barrier zones? What's the context and targets like in terms of losing individual branches/whole canopy? Any scope for reduction? .

Metasequoia that's done the job itself and forced the girdler to snap at its weakest point...... .

Stink horn disperses its spores in the 'gleba' which smells like rotting flesh, which attracts the flies. I don't think colour is used to attract, more likely smell. Plenty of bug activity around bland looking fungi. .

Yes, and vibrant .

Not entirely sure, it might of once said "Do not Limbo" Strange folks in Suffolkshire .

That particular tree in the images above is on the edge of a National Nature Reserve of ancient wood pasture containing about 200 very old oak pollards. I don't know the actual history of the planning/developement but about 20 of the pollards around the edge of the site were engulfed by the housing. Although they suffer from their proximity to people they're doing fairly well and are (as far as I am aware) not causing too many 'perceived' issues. They all have TPO's. . Not a perfect world, but a world where both people and nature can coexist .

Absolutely .

That same education must also include Arbs as well as the public .

Mmmmmm, oak trees growing old and living disgracefully right next to houses. Could that ever work............ .

Sorbus is fairly similar to Malus in my experience. This decay progressed fairly rapidly (perhaps 4/5 years after the branch tear) Reduction of this Malus in its orchard setting would have kept it going as a viable tree in its context but not so sure a roadside Sorbus would look so good being reduced in its setting. .

Overnighter from Portsmouth. You get to pretend to be pirates for part of the trip .

Ferry to Bilboa or Santander and then through the Basque and Pyrenees. Haven't actually done it myself as a road trip but my Brother's just came back from a couple of weeks on the road over there. His pictures looked way cool. .

Gills or pores on the shrooms? I can't really make out any Id features from these images. .

Nice shots, a random find or out on inspection? .

stupid time of year to have interesting seminars on ! .

Although not to do with Bats and Trees directly, this is an interesting case study of a property developer, where the police asked them to write about their experience as part of the Restorative Justice agreement made following a Bat Persecution case. A Property Developer Shares His Story - Bat Conservation Trust http://www.bats.org.uk/data/files/Bat_Crime_Letter.pdf In it they take the opportunity to highlight the main legal points around bats and their habitat. The law There are several bat offences in the UK: • Damage or destruction of a bat “breeding site” or “resting place”. This is one of the most strict offences (known as a “strict liability” offence), as no intention to commit the offence is needed, i.e. even if you destroy a bat roost unintentionally, by a mistake, you are still guilty of an offence. • Possession of live or dead bats. As above, you don’t need any intention to commit this offence, making it a “strict liability” offence. • Deliberate killing/injury/capture of bats. • Deliberate disturbance of bat species. • Intentional or reckless disturbance of a bat while it is in a place of shelter/protection – this applies to individual bats, unlike the above disturbance offence. • Intentional or reckless obstruction of access to a bat’s place of shelter or protection. Thought it worth sharing as a heads up/reminder..... .

Saw this earlier on FB Sean. Good capture of the emotion and interaction people have with trees and woodland. .

This is the same disease. http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/tree-health-care/100779-ceratocystis-platani-canker-stain-plane.html it is worrying, but we are actively looking out for it and continuing to keep us in the Uk designated as a Protected Zone Status via surveillance. This means that we have a ban on the import of plane trees from the affected areas of Europe. As a wound parasite, the key will be educating those arbs that may be cutting infected trees to have biosecurity in mind with regards the movement of diseased branches and cleansing their equipment (including saws) Have to say that although it's a given the British media like to sensationalise these things I was a little dissapointed that a 'representative' of our national Arb industry was qouted as saying that "The Mall would disappear practically overnight, as well as Broadway and Berkeley Square" Even if that was just to highlight the issue, it's a knee jerk assumption and not based on scientific fact. .

I'd imagine its G. applanatum or G. australe I suspect it's young and still forming toward a bracket. Sometimes they're sterile and don't go the whole way through to sexual maturity and just remain as a blob, I sduspect this one is the former. Spore size is pretty much the only sure fire way to tell the difference. .

that's Heterobasidion annosum. Heterobasidion annosum - Root Rot, Root fomes - David Humphries’s Fungi Directory - Arbtalk.co.uk | Discussion Forum for Arborists .

I think Martha sent it to me via email, but looks like it is open access now. Ecology of the rare oak polypore Piptoporus quercinus and the tooth fungi Hericium cirrhatum, H. coralloides, and H. erinaceus in the UK. -ORCA .

That's pretty darn cool .

Probably don't like the rain Mark. Your northern climate may be somewhat harsh for the wee green feathery things. .

Ongoing Mick. What's interesting is the amount of tourists taking selfies with them feeding off their hands. They aren't going away any time soon. .

Getting a taste for the local fruits of our forests, here munching away on Wild service berries from yesterday at Kensington Gardens