10 Bears

The husky has it.

I'm a little confused by the last message Nepia. The OP says its on his parents drive - tucked up. I assume not being driven. Your link clearly says if its SORN and off road, you don't need insurance. If you use it on the road or in public - you do need it. Have you mis-read something or are you assuming that his parents are using it or its not on SORN right now?

As the advice above - retain as much root ball and soil as possible around the roots, don't leave the roots to dry out ie cover/keep wet and out of wind while transporting, and they will generally be fine in their new location. Personally I would use a digger/bucket to save my back and increase the chance of the trees surviving.

Well, no. Any good surveyor/consultant would be able to do this whilst at the tree and take the key information away with them straight away. If you can fell/chip etc. in a matter of 5-10 minutes max I would be very surprised, as that is all this would take to assess in the field. There is a big difference in what people think is hazardous, compared to what actually constitutes a hazard. How could you differentiate without making some efforts to find out? Unfortunately though, there are far too many in this industry who just want to fell trees and run so they get a pay day and are not inclined to take an objective view on the situation as this would affect their turnover. It appears that lot of arborists operate on the basis of kicking the tyres a bit, sucking their teeth and saying, 'It'll cost ya!' Either way you look at it, guessing what is the best thing to do is unprofessional at best, and massively irresponsible at worst. Capturing key data to make an informed decision is at the very least, the most defensible way to tackle potential hazard issues like this. I wouldn't simply rely on 'someone else said...' as a method for my decision making, I would rely on my assessment of the facts. As for the next comment and getting a grip - clearly, I already have.

Hello Claire, With regards to subsidence - just because you have clay soil, it doesn't mean that it is the right type of clay. There are only two types of clay soil that can shrink or swell, and you may not have either. I wonder, have you ever seen any cracks appearing in your walls in the summer, then for them to close in the winter? This would indicate a clay shrink/swell situation. In all honesty, I would expect that the grass is taking more moisture from that small lawn rather than the Lilac, so I would not worry about this as an issue in any case. As for pruning, you will be fine to put it in for an annual haircut, and to maintain it like this long term. Ideally about 8' is the best time to start but no problem here. You are best advised to prune no more then 1/3 of the stems each year, and to prune back the shrub just after the flowers have faded. This will give a longer period for next years flower buds to regenerate. Leave it too long and you will not get next years crop. Hope this helps. Regards 10B

One day or short term insurance is at a premium, of course - you don't need me to tell you that after what you have just found out! Have you looked in to the cost/benefit of paying the full year premium, then cancelling the insurance after for example 6 weeks use? You will probably have to pay a pro-rata amount for the time used, and probably an early exit fee - but you may find that it is cheaper then running the car on the short term insurance alternative.

Lots of discussion on *I think* there is decay - but where are the actual assessments of sail area of the canopy, strength loss calculations and consideration of localised topography? I would prescribe all the above before simply saying fell and replant. Yes, I do look to retention as the first option and work from there. From what I have read, there appears to be far too much reliance on guesswork or assumptions before any objective thought of how to manage this in my opinion.

Mine is also free - the farmer is a pal and I dont take up much room. If I had to pay I guess between £50-£100pcm

I've been doing a bit of shopping on the flea bay this afternoon and through a few emails the seller and I have agreed on a price on a piece of kit. We have exchanged in the region of 10 emails trying to get a deal struck, and in one, he offered me free postage which of course I accepted, although if you look on the advert it said free postage in the US - I just thought he was being a decent chap and sealing the deal with me. Then he realised I was in England, and tried to back out of the agreed price a bit. I said it was part of the deal and he sent this: "Oops, I did it; OK I will just add $20.00 as shipping cost and make it priority international rather than first class mail. Your English were so good I did not suspect international sales". I couldn't reply for laughing at the irony...

One of my favourite songs too. Always preferred the Ugly kid version, but then I like Harry Chapin's original and Jonny Cash's version too.

Ive seen that video before - brave chap to take it on!

Yes, I set up a 3-1 for my kids so they can prussik up as they like, even my youngest a 4 year old, can do this successfully. Depending on where is easiest for you to get to, I'm just south of the Lakes and would offer the same as Rachel - if you need a hand to get started...

After responding to another post about GIS recently, I was thinking of the very same thing as you mention Paul - Arb/surveying specific GIS training. I have been on various related courses over the years with different organisations, and I believe that for anyone to get the best out of a course, you have to have a combination of both theory (introductory at least) and to some degree a practical element. The practical can just be demonstrations and doesnt have to include hands on equipment for everyone, but I would feel that if someone was attending a course like this then they would really want to get hands on if they could.

Very interesting and thanks for sharing. Just a point of interest though; am I correct in assuming that you are referring to a laser hypsometer here eg Trupulse or similar? I have had a brief look in the measuring guidelines and it refers to options of using a construction laser which I have never seen used for tree assessment over here. Is it used often for this in the US? You also mention that some say for the particularly big trees that volume is discussed as being one method for comparison. I would agree with that, ie that champions are decided on which could produce the most overall biomass, but then you could also have champions of different measure eg champion height, champion crown width and so on. I think multiple categories could be used to determine the overall champion i.e. trees that score high in more than one of the different categories would accrue points and this would decide the overall champion. Also to my mind, this data could be used to make the basis for a tree specific top trumps set!

Excellent thanks again Btggaz. Ill contact them this morning. Just an observation as I've tried to research this, it seems that the majority of companies that are doing this are based down south. It could just be that's were the market is, but perhaps an opportunity for a company further north?

Charles, Whereabouts in the country are you, and what is your age/academic level? There are a few colleges who run National Diploma courses in arboriculture, or if you are the right age and have the qualifications you could do a foundation or undergraduate degree. The ND and FdSc would give you some background knowledge of trees/tree biology/ID etc.etc. and a host of practical skills - most of these courses include the training for your tickets but assessment is extra. If you ever want to go into the supervisory/management side of things, then completing the undergraduate degree is almost essential as most employers nowadays see a B.Sc as a minimum standard for management. Don't forget you will almost certainly get weekend work on the job with a local contractor whilst completing your education - which will enable you to consolidate your new knowledge. As suggested by Dan, you could spend some money and get a few tickets from completing short courses and then simply go out chopping for someone. Whilst this seems to be the fast route - if you want to be in the industry for the long haul, just being able to climb or to fell a tree or two without having detailed knowledge of what you are really doing behind it, or an understanding of how to minimise the negative effects of your work on the environment, will just make you yet another saw monkey and this industry could do with a few less of them in my opinion. Of course you could get some tickets, find an employer and try to fit college in around work - but with the economy being the way it is and you are likely to end up working for a self-employed contractor - its unlikely that you will be able to do this as your employer will want you working rather then sitting in a classroom or training on a college site. Ultimately, all of this will depend on your outlook for this career and what you are really prepared to commit to. Best of luck either way.

Thanks for the response Btggaz. I have managed to price the membrane as a stand alone item, from a couple of manufacturers at: £6.75 m2 (1.5mm thick) £12.94 m2 (2mm thick) but really it was a price for the whole job based on experience of similar. Its a linear installation not tree pits, so there would be a big civils/excavation to do. Possibly with a hydrovac or similar. Thanks again though.

Just bumping this - Ive had no info come in... Or, does this mean that no-one has done this sort of work?

Other - It has to be the legal minimum wage for his age* or you could be fined - irrespective of what he agrees to on the day ie pay my worth, you are still obliged by law. You did not agree a piece rate. *21 and over - £6.50, 18 to 20 - £5.13, Under 18 - £3.79, Apprentice - £2.73

People from Stockport are called Stopfordian, not Mancunian, as Stockport is a different city. The clue is in your photo where it says 'Stockport' on the bin.

Conservation inspired by the Simpsons (taken from Bart the Mother): Skinner: Well, I was wrong. The lizards are a godsend. Lisa: But isn’t that a bit short-sighted? What happens when we’re overrun by lizards? Skinner: No problem. We simply unleash wave after wave of Chinese needle snakes. They’ll wipe out the lizards. Lisa: But aren’t the snakes even worse? Skinner: Yes, but we’re prepared for that. We’ve lined up a fabulous type of gorilla that thrives on snake meat. Lisa: But then we’re stuck with gorillas! Skinner: No, that’s the beautiful part. When wintertime rolls around, the gorillas simply freeze to death. (tried to find a short clip of this but no luck...)

Could anyone who does this type of work - both the supply and fitting of root barriers, give me a *hypothetical* price please - all things considered ie that the work can be done with no major snags, ease of access etc. The spec would be: 15m length 2m depth Linear install Either smooth membrane or ridged deflectors (please specify which) This is purely hypothetical as it is for a report regarding a boundary/tree dispute and not an actual job. I need to supply an approximate figure as to what it would cost if this work had to go ahead. You can post your answers here, or PM me if you want to keep your price on the quiet. No companies will be identified as the supplier of the price in the report. If you need any further information regarding what is needed - please just contact me or reply to this. Thanks in advance.

Not read it, but have a look at this: Woodland and archaeology (Forest Research)

Not likely. Apex predators only change their main method of getting food when there is a shortage of prey, i.e. they wont change from hunting to scavenging when there is a food abundance as you suggest there is anyway. There are some comments here that appear a little reactionary and not based on any review of facts in my opinion, so in order to understand the habits of the Lynx, I read this: Eurasian lynx description, behaviour, diet, life cycle, habitat, threats, distribution, where the information clearly states that the animals habits are to hunt in dense forests or rocky outcrops, remain almost entirely hidden or secretive and only very rarely to take livestock. This Norwegian research Fear of the Unknown has looked at the affects of peoples perceptions on the Lynx, which to paraphrase suggests that although in European woods there are also bears and wolves, a lot of people fear the Lynx as the main threat to humans and animals - despite no-one in the study being able to confirm they know of someone who was attacked by a Lynx. It is a consequence of lack of knowledge and repeated myths, concluding with a comment, that "there is thus a need for a large-scale outreach programme focused primarily on hunters but also for other rural residents, such as gamekeepers, foresters, livestock breeders and shepherds" - in other words a BIG consultation process. I also found this article about Why the Eurasian Lynx Kills Sheep - it is a student review of published works, not independent research, but it will do for a reference for now. In short, the published works on the subject suggest that sheep density in a given area is not the main cause of sheep attacks, i.e. that just because the sheep are there it doesn't mean they will be hunted by choice. Instead the main factor is the Roe Deer population numbers in the Lynx hunting area have to be sustainable for the Lynx population and when they are not, then there may be sheep losses (this also supports my earlier comments about Apex predators not switching to scavenging unless they don't have enough prey). So after this briefest of research, I believe that this information combines to suggest that the released Lynx: - Will not be a threat to humans - Will be able to control an environmentally damaging pest (Deer) - Will lead to more positive and wider scale conservation efforts - Will require an ongoing consultation and information exchange - Will only have a minuscule effect on livestock population (assuming correct conservation practices are undertaken for prey levels in the hunting area of the Lynx eg reduced Roe stalking) So, my opinion based on the research is that to release Lynx back in to the wild within a defined set of parameters, will be a wholly positive undertaking and will potentially offer new environmental management opportunities. As such I support the re-wilding of Lynx.

hmm - wont work for me either...