Tree News Autumn Winter 2012

TreeNews Making trees matter to everyone

ÂŁ3.95 Issue 23 Autumn/Winter 2012

Incorporating

the original bramley apple planting in AFRICA ANCIENt TREES

Putting trees on the map

A snapshot of the European green economy

Sylva

a journal of expert opinion, science and research

Reader offer Explore a nation’s living history Heritage Trees Wales £15 – saving £5, inc p&p A lavishly illustrated and highly informative collection of the most beautiful, historic and important trees in the country. This book is by the acclaimed tree photographer and writer Archie Miles. Published in conjunction with The Tree Council, with support from the Countryside Council for Wales and Forestry Commission Wales.

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Bodnant Laburnum Arch, Bodnant Gardens.

Photo: Archie Miles.

November | Tachwedd 2013

‘Enjoy the read and go see the trees.’

P. H. Ewing (My Green Lifestyle magazine April 2012)

MONDAY LLuN

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Design | Dylunio petergill.com

Graffeg 029 2043 6560 www.graffeg.com

Now you can enjoy Wales’s heritage trees the whole year through with this collection of 12 beautiful, historic and important trees.

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Wall calendar with space for notes Size A3 portrait (open) Full year month-to-view Bilingual Welsh / English dates Cello-wrapped with sturdy backing card

Order online at www.graffeg.com or call free 0800 043 0261

AUTUMN/WINTER 2012

OAKS ON ULLSWATER

by Thomas Cleeton, this issue’s photo competition winner (see p11)

tREE NEWS

Contents

5 From the top

In her regular column, Pauline Buchanan Black points out that there's no such thing as a free volunteer

The Spring/Summer issue of Tree News was incorrectly titled as issue 21, it was, in fact, issue 22.

6 News The latest news, events and announcements from the world of trees

12 Campaign The founder of the Ancient Tree Forum, Ted Green MBE, endorses The Tree Council's Green Monuments Campaign

14 Forest cover Following publication of Forest Europe's State of Europe's Forests 2011 Report, we consider ways of creating a green economy fit for the future

19 Sylva Research, opinion and more, including the response to the Independent Panel on Forestry Final Report

32 Deep roots We pay a visit to a humble cottage garden in Nottinghamshire, home of the original Bramley apple tree

34 Wild about...

Celebrating the rich variety of animals, trees and plants to be found in Britain's seaside towns

37 Column Green lifestyle specialist Joanna Yarrow advocates community engagement

38 Getting to know you An interview with Tony Hill, Programme Director of Tree Aid

40 Kit Tree and garden tools reviewed and rated, plus how to plant a tree

42 Out and about Two tree walks that will help you to get better acquainted with Britain’s exceptional woodland

45 Between the leaves Two new tree books reviewed by photographer Melanie Sangwine

46 Final words Poetry by Felix Dennis, illustrated

by Bill Sanderson

Editor Nicola Sinclair Deputy editor Andrew Cattanach Sub editor Andrew Littlefield, Cathi Thacker Designer Phil Long Advertising Alison Fraser alison.fraser@thinkpublishing.co.uk 0141 946 8708 Publisher John Innes john.innes@thinkpublishing.co.uk Think, 20-23 Woodside Place Glasgow G3 7QF Invaluable Assistance Pauline Buchanan Black, Malcolm Tait, Jon Stokes Printed by Benham Goodhead Print Ltd Distributed by Seymour Distribution Ltd To receive Tree News by post please refer to page 31.

For bulk copies of Tree News, please contact John Innes, at the address above.

Tree News is the magazine of The Tree Council, 71 Newcomen Street, London SE1 1YT Telephone 0207 407 9992 tree.news@treecouncil.org.uk www.treecouncil.org.uk Reg. Charity No: 279000 Limited company No: 1459056 Patron HRH The Duke of Kent Vice Presidents Esmond Harris MSc FICFor MIBiol, Bill Matthews OBE FArborA FIHort, Sir Sydney Chapman RIBA FRTPI FRSA, John Hillier VMH, Nicky Morgan MP, Simon Hughes MP, Brian Donohoe MP Tree News is produced by The Heart of England Forest Ltd Reg. Charity no: 1097110 Limited company No: 04309564 © Tree Council 2012. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of The Tree Council. Tree News has been produced on a selection of paper grades that are either recycled, or contain certified fibre.

Autumn/Winter 2012 Tree News 3

SPONSORS

Tree News is produced on behalf of The Tree Council by the Heart of England Forest Project.

The Tree Council would like to thank the following organisations for their generous sponsorship of Tree News.

Benham Goodhead Print Ltd Magazine Printers www.bgprint.co.uk

Simons Muirhead & Burton Solicitors www.smab.co.uk

Denmaur Independent Papers Text Paper Supplier www.denmaur.com

Bright Grahame Murray Chartered Accountants www.bgm.co.uk

Seymour Distribution Ltd Magazine Distribution and Marketing www.seymour.co.uk

James McNaughton Group Ltd Cover Paper Supplier www.antalis-mcnaughton.co.uk

HSBC Private Bank www.hsbcprivatebank.com and Bigwood Associates Ltd, Chartered Surveyors, www.bigwood.uk.com

4 Tree News Autumn/Winter 2012

FROM THE TOP

A Volunteer Don’t Come For Free Pauline Buchanan Black says that recruiting, training, equipping and supporting volunteers can be a costly business

below: The work of thousands of volunteer Tree Wardens is something that we can be rightly proud of

How many volunteers does it take to run an Olympic Games? Cautious estimates for those hosted by Atlanta in the summer of 1996 suggest that 51,881 people contributed around 4.98 million hours of volunteer labour – value, US$27.5 million, at the contemporary minimum wage. Fast forward sixteen years to the 2012 London success story, with 70,000 Olympic ‘Games Makers’ welcoming visitors, transporting athletes and helping out behind the scenes. That’s got to be worth a lot more, hasn’t it?

What about the other part of the equation, though? Volunteer labour is never free to an organisation, a point which is too often overlooked in romanticised discussions about harnessing the power of volunteers. For the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), the cost of training will appear in the

Our volunteers have been toiling away for decades to safeguard and enhance the environment

volunteer balance sheet. Then there’s the outfitting, support and management, and the ubiquitous insurance costs. On top of all that, there are resources, from information packs to iPads.

What did all that add up to? And without it, would London have hosted the most successful modern games? Probably not. The investment paid dividends.

Meanwhile, out in the parks, woodlands, streets and forests, our volunteers have also been toiling away for decades to safeguard and enhance the environment. Our colleagues at The Conservation Volunteers and in Trees for Cities will tell you a similar story, as will any one of many local, national and international environmental organisations who are members of The Tree Council. None of us could lay claim to what we have achieved without the dedication, perseverance and hard work that has changed the view, physically and metaphorically, for so many.

Though we’re quick to put a value on volunteering contributions, there are no accessible figures on how much it costs to recruit, train, equip and support a volunteer – but that’s not surprising.

Everyone deploys and sustains their volunteer force in different ways. And there are diverse levels of volunteering, from the wonderful people who will turn up to a mass tree planting or woodland event, through to the long-term local commitment, week in and week out, often over a period of many years, of tree wardens, some of whom joined the movement in 1990 and are still working with us today. How is it possible to generalise across such a wide spectrum?

What’s the point here? It’s a simple one: volunteers are not a free resource. To put in place structures, to invest time and resources on ensuring that volunteers are properly supported and gain satisfaction from their role, costs money and there’s no grand hidden down the back of the TV. The sooner that the non-volunteering public and politicians get that, the better the chance that it might change.

Until that day, to all the unsung millions who have ever dug, campaigned or fundraised for trees – thank you from the bottom of my heart.

You are the real heroes.

Pauline Buchanan Black is Director-General of The Tree Council Autumn/Winter 2012 Tree News 5

round-up

News

The latest stories from the world of trees

London trees mapped in 3D A three-dimensional digital map of London’s trees is helping to enhance urban green space and enable climate change adaptation.

Created by Bluesky, the tree map – known as ProximiTREE – uses aerial photographs to detail the location, height and canopy extent of all trees in the city.

The Ecology Consultancy and Green Roof Consultancy are utilising the technology to complete a Green Infrastructure (GI) audit on behalf of Hammersmith London Business Improvement District.

The audit, part of the Drain London project, ultimately aims to increase the quality and quantity of green space by enriching our understanding of the contribution trees make to the urban landscape.

In particular, the study examined the role of trees in reducing the effects of storm-water flooding, providing wildlife habitat and green corridors, minimising the urban heat island phenomena and improving the environment for residents, business and visitors.

Failure to bloom

The conservation charity Plantlife has warned that one in ten woodland flowers are under threat of extinction in Wales. It calls on the Welsh Government to make a radical shift in woodland care to focus on quality, not quantity.

‘Creating 5,000 hectares of new woodland a year is not the answer,’ says Dr Trevor Dines, author of the report and conservation manager at Plantlife Cymru. ‘We need to look at what’s happening to our woodlands, rather than blindly continuing to plant more.’

Factors blamed for the decline include: n A lapse in traditional woodland management leading to dark woods n Nutrients from atmospheric pollutants and agricultural run-off causing woods to be overgrown n The wrong trees being planted in the wrong place, leading to the loss of valuable habitats. This also leads to the introduction of potentially invasive non-native species.

These challenges do not only affect woodland flora: the woodland bird indicator is at its lowest in Wales since 1970, whilst the UK butterfly monitoring scheme has shown a 56% decrease in characteristic woodland butterflies.

The Forestry Commission Wales has acknowledged the need for better woodland management and has begun the process of thinning trees to allow more light to reach the forest floor, enabling wild flowers to grow.

Read the full Plantlife Report at www.plantlife.org.uk/wales 6 Tree News Autumn/Winter 2012

The Lesser Butterflyorchid (Platanthera bifolia) is in decline due to woodland clearances

One of the aerial photographs of London used by Bluesky to create a 3D map of all the trees in the city

tree council events Through its community action events, The Tree Council encourages everyone to get involved in planting, caring for and enjoying trees. Listed below are some of the main events coming up for autumn/winter. Find more events in your area on The Tree Council’s Community Action pages at www.treecouncil.org.uk 23 September to 23 October Seed Gathering Season Starting with the autumn Seed Gathering Season equinox and running for a full month in autumn, Seed Gathering Season is a chance for families and school children to Change your view - sow seeds get together Sunday 23rd September - Tuesday 23rd October 2012 and gather seeds, fruits and nuts to grow the trees of the future.

Growing trees from local seed is a great way of restocking areas with trees of local provenance, which are more likely to flourish, and to help restore urban and rural spaces.

To organise an event or find out about events in your area, visit the events map at www.treecouncil.org. uk/community-action The Tree Council’s

Tree Council infoline: 0207 9408180 For events and ideas: www.treecouncil.org.uk

Local contact or event details:

The Tree Council is a registered charity.

Whale does your perfume come from?

Made famous by Ishmael’s ponderings in Herman Melville’s novel Moby Dick, the organic product ambergris has been used by perfume makers for centuries to prevent scent from dissipating. Sperm whales secrete the wax-like substance to protect their digestive systems from sharp objects. When the animal vomits, the ambergris reacts to the salt water and is washed ashore in chunks.

Despite its rather unpleasant sounding origins, the product is a valuable commodity for the perfume industry and can cost in the region of $10,000 a kilogram. This hefty price tag also comes with an environmental cost, as the demand for ambergris could fuel whale hunting. Now, Joerg Bholmann, a professor at the University of British Columbia, believes he may have found a suitable alternative to ambergris.

Professor Bholmann and his colleague Philipp Zerbe have been exploring the potential of cis-abienol, a component of sage and fir trees. The component has proven difficult to isolate in the past, but researchers have now successfully introduced a gene from the balsam fir into yeast, where it can be grown on a large scale.

This plant-based product could potentially provide a less expensive and more sustainable option than ambergris – and, as Professor Bholmann observes, ‘If you ask people what they prefer, a component on their skin from whale vomit, or resin from a faintly-smelling tree, they may not say the first choice.’

No 279000

24 November to 2 December National Tree Week Celebrate the beginning of the winter tree planting season with National Tree Week. Since 1975, Tree Council member organisations, schools, community groups, tree wardens and other tree lovers gather together in fun, accessible events across the UK. Up to a quarter of a National Tree Week million people get their hands dirty planting a million trees.

If you would like to roll your own sleeves up, see www.

Change your view - Plant Trees treecouncil.

Saturday 24th November - Sunday 2nd December 2012 org.uk/ communityaction The Tree Council’s

Tree Council infoline: 0207 9408180 For events and ideas: www.treecouncil.org.uk

Local contact or event details:

The Tree Council is a registered charity.

No 279000

Autumn/Winter 2012 Tree News 7

NEWS DIARY DATES 8 October, Edinburgh IUFRO: Forest Research International Conference ConFor is sponsoring this conference, which takes the theme of ‘Managing Forests for Ecosystem Services – Can Spruce Forests Show the Way?’ To book your place, contact Evelyn Hall at evelyn.hall@forestry.gsi.gov.uk 25 October Westminster: ConFor Conference 2012 Say 2012: do you think of the Olympics, or forestry? Yet 2012 is set to be a landmark year for forestry in England as two think tanks conclude their work. This ConFor conference provides a unique opportunity to influence Government’s response to the recommendations from the Independent Panel on Forestry.

Visit www.confor.org.uk for the full programme and booking forms.

Ancient woodlands are home to more threatened species than any other UK habitat

Spring 2014 (date tbc) Urban tree research conference Dr Mark Johnston has been appointed by the Institute of Chartered Foresters to chair a conference on ‘Trees, People and the Built Environment’. The event is currently in the early planning stages but is likely to take place in the spring of 2014. Keep an eye out for further details in future issues of Tree News or email Allison Lock at icf@charteredforesters.org

8 Tree News Autumn/Winter 2012

More ‘living monuments’ discovered in Wales The volume of ancient woodlands in Wales is 50% more than previously estimated, a new survey reveals.

Thanks to sophisticated digital mapping tools and new methods of measurement, the Welsh have identified thousands of hectares of ‘living monuments’ that previously lay undiscovered. Wales is now considered to possess more than 95,000 hectares of ancient woodlands in total. This represents more than 30% of all woodlands in Wales.

Ancient woodlands are areas that are believed to have been wooded for at least 400 years and may date as far back as the original Welsh ‘wildwood’.

Launching the Ancient Woodlands Inventory, Environment Minister John Griffiths said: ‘They are not just museum pieces which need to be preserved, but can also be a valuable asset, providing wider benefits.

‘Managed sensitively and sustainably, ancient woodlands can yield timber and generate jobs which will contribute to the Welsh economy, as well as improving biodiversity, sequestering carbon and providing diverse habitats which add to our stunning landscapes.’

No2

Concrete trees in a tropical garden city Tree News opens a new factfile exploring tree-inspired inventions

Towering at the heart of Singapore’s beautiful waterfront gardens is a series of giant, steel-clad ‘supertrees’.

Created by Atelier Ten for the 133-acre Gardens by the Bay, the supertrees feed cool air to two biomes, one recreating Mediterranean springtime, and another the cool mist of tropical mountains.

More than 162,900 plants have been planted on the steel trunks, which include photovoltaic cells, solar thermal panels and rainwater harvesting systems.

The separate areas of the gardens work in organic self-management, as the supertrees mimic the ecological functions of real trees.

Woodland biosecurity guidance published

Wonder wall International development and environment bodies have combined efforts to create a Great Green Wall in sub-Saharan Africa.

The 4,000 mile ‘wall’ of trees and shrubs, which began planting in July, will be nine miles wide and cross 11 countries.

Experts hope the wall will halt the southward spread of the Sahara desert and stop vulnerable sub-Saharan habitats from drying up. The vegetation will also help retain

moisture from water sources such as Lake Chad and provide a rich habitat for wildlife, a source of food and fuel, and a valuable focus for drought-related research.

The Global Environment Facility has invested $108m (£68.9m) into the ambitious project, while further funding of $3bn (£1.9bn) has come from a range of other international development institutions.

For more on tree planting in Africa see p38

The Forestry Commission has published guidance on a range of simple ‘biosecurity’ measures which can help protect Britain’s trees, woods and forests from damaging pests and diseases.

‘The UK faces unprecedented levels of threat from non-native pests and diseases,’ said Dr John Morgan, Head of the Forestry Commission’s Plant Health Service.

‘This guidance suggests ways that people who visit forests can avoid accidentally spreading damaging organisms on their clothes, footwear, vehicles and by other means.’

The document is available from www.forestry.gov.uk/ pestsanddiseases Autumn/Winter 2012 Tree News 9

NEWS Scots pine, one of the UK conifer families currently at a peak of timber production

Conifers are coming of age The latest reports in the Forestry Commission’s National Forest Inventory (NFI) series reveal an opportunity to increase softwood timber production over the next 25 years.

New conifer forests planted between 1960 and 1990 have ‘come of age’, creating a peak in the potential amount of timber available for market. Conifer trees in the UK, including Sitka spruce, Scots pine, larch and Douglas Fir, are generally harvested between the ages of 35 and 60.

The Forestry Commission has hailed the findings as an opportunity for private-sector forestry, while recognising that increased harvest and lower planting levels since 2010 could contribute to a decline in the numbers of softwood timber standing in the next few decades.

Peter Weston, Head of Inventory and Forecasting for the Forestry Commission, commented: ‘Being able to understand and illustrate the impact of different harvesting scenarios on the current conifer resource is an essential part of planning for many different interests, including industry development, biodiversity and climate change.’

Confor, which contributed to the research, urged UK governments to work with the forestry and timber industry to create thousands of green jobs in the forestry sector and help lift the economy out of the doldrums.

The report can be read in full on the Forestry Commission website at www.forestry.gov.uk/inventory

10 Tree News Autumn/Winter 2012

Rare fungi rediscovered

A rare fungus with potential medical benefits has been rediscovered on pony dung on a heathland in a Norfolk forest.

The nail fungus, called Poronia punctata, was thought to have disappeared from the area in 1944, and researchers were baffled when it was discovered during a routine inspection in Thetford Forest.

Forestry Commission ecologists say they are delighted with the find, which shows that heathland restoration and grazing by ponies can create the perfect conditions for its growth.

Medical researchers are particularly interested in Poronia punctata, which has natural antibiotic properties used to compete with other fungi and bacteria.

COMPETITION

Picture perfect Each issue of Tree News we’re delighted to receive your entries for our ever-popular photo competition. Choosing the winners is never easy, and this issue has been no exception.

A WEE DRAM The winner of this issue’s photo competition features on p3.

Send your best photos to Tree News, and our favourite will win a bottle of 12-year-old Aberfeldy single malt whisky – the perfect accompaniment to an autumnal evening.

To enter, send your photos digitally, in high resolution, to tree@ thinkpublishing.co.uk.

Copyright remains with the photographer, but entering gives Tree News and The Tree Council permission to publish your images. The closing date for entries is 20 December 2012.

DUsky evening

by Virginia Hodge

arches

by Pedro Clanders

birks and birch

Coed Dinorwig, Snowdonia

by Thomas Cleeton

by Rob Taylor Autumn/Winter 2012 Tree News 11

CAMPAIGN

Ancient trees, young trees, ancient soils Ted Green MBE, conservationist and founder of the Ancient Tree Forum, shares his personal campaign to conserve our living heritage

T

hey say an oak tree grows for 300 years. Rests for 300 years.

And spends some 300 years gracefully expiring.

Like the tree watcher who made this observation before me, I am fascinated with the oak. I call our oaks the Rolls Royces of the tree world because all the rest are mere imitations that can only dream of being as the oak is. The oak tree has an incredible longevity; few other trees can equal it and even fewer surpass it.

Today, entomologists, mycologists and other scientists view the oak as we might view some vast skyscraper: as having a living, pulsating ecosystem in its own right. No other tree in England hosts such a vast range of associated and dependent organisms.

Some are extremely rare, not only on the tree but also inside the tree and in surrounding soil. Since

they possess such enormous biodiversity value, why, therefore, shouldn’t we have individual trees designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest?

In life as in art?

My fascination with these trees has turned to concern when travelling around the continent in search of ancient oaks: simply put, where are they?

Without doubt Britain is now left as the principal custodian of perhaps the largest majority of Europe’s ancients and veterans, north of the Mediterranean. They are an integral part of our nation’s treescape, found primarily in parklands, on commons and in hedgerows. By contrast, such ancient trees as still do exist in continental Europe are usually recognised for their importance and uniqueness and recorded as part of their nation’s heritage. Often, their location is marked on maps

ABOVE: Ted Green at Windsor Park, home to a number of majestic solitary oaks

LEFT: Ted poses with a Saddle Oak in Savernake Forest, which has amongst the highest number of veteran trees in Europe 12 Tree News Autumn/Winter 2012

Are we, then, simply going to stand by and watch these ancients and veterans merely fade away?

All around us today we reap the benefits of our forefathers' vision and foresight in planting the trees that we take for granted at our peril. However, it now appears that, with the voices of concern, such as that of Oliver Rackham in the 1980s, together with the launch in the 1990s of English Nature’s veteran tree initiative and the formation of the Ancient Tree Forum, we may have turned the corner.

With luck and a following wind, no more will these vast reservoirs of biodiversity which graced the countryside for centuries be ignored. Of course, this has not been possible without initiatives such as The Tree Council’s Green Monument Campaign, which aims to leave a lasting mark throughout the tree world that will carry on down the generations.

Soil issues

and their significance revealed on a nearby information board.

By contrast, in the UK, apart from some individual landowners and organisations, we take old oaks and ancient trees for granted. Since the Dutch Elm disease outbreak in the 1970s, with the tragic loss of tens of thousands of the elms which graced the countryside, and the devastating effects of the hurricanes of 1987 and 1989, we have begun to realise the fragility and frailty of this uniquely British landscape that was portrayed in the past by painters such as Turner and Constable. Our ancient trees are actually what remains of our living heritage.

One has to ask, do we want future generations to look at their old paintings or photos and afterwards be unable to see art reflected in life? They might then ask questions: why didn’t we treat ancient trees like works of art? What has happened to nature’s sculptures, biological storehouses so full of life, gene banks of Europe’s future trees? The list of their forefathers' shortcomings would be endless. So, more reason to conserve what remains of our treescape. After all, no one would question the preservation of such art treasures, old buildings or our ancient monuments and burial mounds.

The thriving ecosystem surrounding our ancient trees will remain so only if we take some simple measures to protect our poor beleaguered soils.

The Crown Estate at Windsor has embarked on an important first step. Seizing the benefits of its huge acorn crop last year, they collected acorns from two ancient oaks known to be over 1,000 years old, as well as from other oaks of great age.

The acorns have been planted in a seed bed, close to three mature oaks, in an organic tree nursery free of fertiliser, pesticides or herbicides.

The theory is that this will allow the essential mycorrhizal fungi connected to the mature oaks, and other associated soil-inhabiting microorganisms, to establish themselves on the emerging acorn roots. Colonised by fungi and protected from soil pathogens and other damaging microorganisms, the young oaks should now get the very best possible natural start in life.

Of course, the benefits don’t stop there. Perhaps the most important reason to start acorns off in this way is that, when these trees are transplanted into the soil, they will be complete with their very own suite of fundamental mycorrhizal fungi. This is so different from nursery stock, which will be planted literally ‘bare rooted’, without the benefit of any fungal colonisation. These poor trees have to take their chances, perhaps in hostile soils, hoping some fungal partners will eventually arrive.

Maybe once we have achieved proper recognition for our Green Monuments, The Tree Council’s next campaign should be to encourage all tree nurseries to follow these common-sense principles and go organic. So, as we are about to designate Marine Reserves around our coasts, perhaps we should create and designate Woodland Soil Reserves.

After all, we have to ensure there are some prospective Green Monuments for new cohorts of tree enthusiasts to discover!

Over the last 30 years, Ted Green has been instrumental in transforming our perception of ancient trees as dangerous rotting hulks to historical and biological treasures. Ted is one of the most significant figures in the tree conservation lobby and has been an influential adviser to English Nature and the Crown Estates. He has been given an MBE for his work, and is one of the founders of the Ancient Tree Forum.

Autumn/Winter 2012 Tree News 13

forest cover

Green Europe The UK has the lowest tree cover of any country in Europe, so what can we learn from our continental neighbours? And how can the citizens of Europe pull together to create a green economy fit for the future?

T

he Libor rate of inter-bank lending.

Quantitative easing. Double-dip recession. A few years ago, these phrases were totally alien to the average person on the street, but the citizens of modern Europe now greet such terms with a cynical roll of the eyes and a deep sigh. Sadly, this peculiar combination of apathy and moral outrage is how we now experience the concept of the national economy.

So here’s an economic phrase with altogether different connotations: green economy. Which is to say, a low-carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive economic system. It sounds like a utopian dream, but perhaps this kind of progressive vision is just what Europe needs right now.

Ana Belén Noriega, Head of FOREST EUROPE's Liaison Unit, Madrid, thinks so. ‘We’re in the midst of a pan-European crisis, and it’s time that the full economic and social importance of the forestry sector is recognised,’ she says. ‘That encompasses consumer goods, services, renewable fuel, recreation and employment as well as environmental, social and health benefits. At FOREST EUROPE we are passionate about taking a bottom-up approach: empowering citizens to get that message to politicians. This financial mess we can’t understand, but what we do understand is nature, life, animals and biodiversity.’

Ana believes that forestry in Europe, though vital, is often overlooked by governments. ‘It’s more immediately profitable to turn land over for agriculture and produce crops every year than to wait for centuries as woodlands mature,’ she says.

‘This introduces a short-term attitude when it comes to sustainable land management.’

A case in point was the 2011 proposal in England to sell off the public forest estate – a plan that inspired the kind of civic outcry that Ana recognises as a powerful force for change. The plans were shelved, and pressure continues to mount on the English authorities to follow Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in setting targets for woodland expansion. The Independent Panel on Forestry Final Report does not mince its words when it states: ‘The value of the benefits [woodlands] provide to people, 14 Tree News Autumn/Winter 2012

nature and the economy has not been recognised in public policy, and successive governments have simply not seen them as a priority for public investment.’ The report calls for an expansion of woodland cover from 10% to 15% in England’s land area by 2060, and the area of woodland managed to the UK Forestry Standard increased from 50% to 80% over the next decade.

At just over three million hectares, the UK has woodland cover of just 13%, compared to a European average of 45%. There are myriad natural, historical and social reasons for this sizeable gap, but such comparisons are less helpful than an analysis of common challenges and opportunities for improvement.

‘It’s really not about which countries have more and which have less,’ says Ana. ‘We don’t need to rate our natural resources in such a way. How can you compare the Stone Pine forest of Greece with the open meadows of Spain or spruce in Finland? We have a wide variety of woodlands that serve very different purposes to different countries.’

ABOVE Lovcen National Park in Montenegro

Right Cork oak, Portugal

FOREST EUROPE’s State of Europe’s Forests 2011 Report provides a fascinating snapshot of this diversity (see www.foresteurope.org). In many cases, the forestry sector has to pull off a careful balancing act. Take, for instance, the role that trees play in mitigating the impacts of climate change.

European forests remove 870 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere every year – equivalent to about 10% of European countries’ greenhouse gas emissions. Forests also provide a key source of renewable energy in the form of wood fuel. Yet, as the State of Europe’s Forests 2011 Report points out: ‘A single cubic metre of wood cannot be simultaneously a store of carbon and a source of renewable energy.’ The challenge is to maximise the potential of forests to tackle climate change without neglecting the other aspects of sustainable forest management. Of course, there is also the economic factor that revenues from the supply of wood greatly outstrip that of carbon sequestration.

Indeed, wood fuel has been welcomed as a new ‘third market’ by many forest owners. The rising Autumn/Winter 2012 Tree News 15

forest cover State of Europe's Forests 2011 Report Russia Russia’s forests stretch to a massive 5.6 hectares per capita across eight time zones, and with more than one third untouched by man.

They are entirely publicly owned, but sustainable management is challenging due to the inaccessibility and sheer scale of some areas of forest. Despite the abundance of its woodland resources, Russia fells only 20% of its net annual increment (NAI), and the value it commands for roundwood and other goods and services is considerably less than the European average.

Northern Europe Finland and Sweden hold the European record for forest cover, at 75% each, and high levels of forest cover throughout the northern countries of Europe make forestry a crucial sector economically, environmentally and socially. Woodland cover has remained stable over the decades (efforts are focused on preservation rather than expansion) and although Northern Europe has a high number of single species, this is not down to artificial management – natural regeneration accounts for 50-80% of growth. Northern Europe fells up to 100% of its NAI and the value of its roundwood is exceptionally high. In five countries, the forestry sector accounts for more than 1% of Gross Value

Added (GVA) and 1% of employment. This is driven by high consumption of forest products and a growing market for wood fuel.

Central-West Europe In contrast with Northern Europe, the forestry sector is not central to economy or society in the largely urbanised countries of Central and West Europe. Woodland cover has, however, expanded steadily over the past 20 years, and growth rates have been above average in Ireland and Switzerland. At 24%, natural regeneration is very low in comparison with the European average. Silvicultural choices have resulted in between 6-56% single species stands, and more than 40% of tree populations are comprised of introduced species in the UK, Ireland and Belgium. However, the region benefits from the highest government expenditure in Europe and its forests are considered very accessible to the public.

Central-East Europe Central-East Europe is home to diverse woodlands, from Alpine forest to the Caucasus and the Volga basin.

Cover is expanding due primarily to natural regeneration combined with growth targets in most countries. The region fells between 35% and 78% of its NAI and there is intense use of roundwood, particularly in the Czech Republic

16 Tree News Autumn/Winter 2012

and Hungary. As such, forestry contributes 1.5% of GVA and is a significant job provider.

South-West Europe Due to data gaps, results for this region focus mainly on Portugal, Italy and Spain, all of which have distinctive Mediterranean forests, which are severely affected by forest fires.

These countries have 35% forest cover, with particularly notable growth from 31% to 37% in Italy over 20 years.

Portugal is home to a major cork and pulp industry, resulting in high numbers of introduced eucalypts and felling rates of 75%, compared with 35-40% in Spain and Italy.

South-East Europe In South-East Europe the Balkan Peninsula has high rates of forest cover, while Turkey has very little forest. Cover is, however, expanding as is growing stock. In common with South West Europe, Central East Europe and Northern Europe (excluding the UK), soil in this region is at high risk of eutrophication due to nitrogen deposits.

Yet despite these national variations, FOREST EUROPE has outlined four key challenges faced by Europe as a whole: forests and climate change, wood for energy, conservation of forest biodiversity and the role of forests in a green economy.

cost of fossil fuels and pan-European policies on renewable energy have created massive demand for wood fuel derived from roundwood, residues and waste wood recovery. However, the cascade approach (wood should first be used as raw material, then recycled then finally provided as fuel) is a more sustainable model that mitigates the risk of demand eventually outstripping supply.

This complex management process is a step beyond the capabilities of many small landowners, and the same challenge rears its head in the area of biodiversity. The EU has resolved to completely halt the loss of biodiversity by 2020, but how can progress be accurately measured, and how can this ambitious vision be achieved when there exists such a large number of small private holdings?

It seems that in both respects the answer may lie in collaboration, and innovative projects are springing up across Europe to prove that it can be done. In Spain, 98% of the Galician forest is in private hands, often split into tiny plots and managed by elderly owners. With the support of the Galician authorities and the forest industries, these owners took part in a land-swapping scheme to consolidate management to local units. This concentration of efforts led to higher profits, increased wood supply and a decrease in forest fires.

Meanwhile, in Estonia, the owners of smallholdings took part in a project which established joint selling procedures, land management training from accredited advisors and joint timber marketing procedures. This has resulted in the creation of a ‘bio-energy village’, which jointly

The glories of the Scottish Borders

sells roundwood and logging residues to industry for wood fuel production. In the Jõgeva region, forest owners have even formed a company to produce wood-based heat for the local community.

‘With a little bit of creativity, there is a lot that people on the ground can do to make a tangible difference to sustainable forestry,’ says Ana. ‘These case studies show that working as part of a larger community has benefits not just for the environment but also for the economy.

‘This is an important point to recognise. While European forest fulfils many of the criteria of a green economy, we still need to operate in a financial economy that is far from green. Just as the true cost of fossil fuels is not recognised in economic models, so the true value of the forestry sector is also overlooked. The task ahead for all of Europe is to manage our incredible natural resources in a way that protects our climate, feeds consumer demand and maintains the livelihoods of millions of forest workers. We want people to walk into their homes and look around at their furniture, books, medicines, foods and cosmetics, and see exactly what forests mean to all our lives.’

Sweden jointly holds the European record for forest cover

FOREST EUROPE (The Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe) is the pan-European policy process for the sustainable management of the continent’s forests. It is tasked with developing common strategies for its 46 member countries and advising the European Union on how to protect and sustainably manage forests. Spain currently holds the chairmanship for FOREST EUROPE. For more information visit www.foresteurope.org Autumn/Winter 2012 Tree News 17

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Ancient Tree Forum www.woodland-trust.org.uk/ancient-tree-forum Arboricultural Association www.trees.org.uk Bat Conservation Trust www.bats.org.uk British Association of Shooting & Conservation www.basc.org BTCV www.btcv.org.uk CPRE www.cpre.org.uk Centre for Sustainable Healthcare www.greenerhealthcare.org Confederation of Forest Industries www.confor.org.uk Consulting Arborist Society www.consultingarboristsociety.co.uk Country Land & Business Association www.cla.org.uk Hawk and Owl Trust www.hawkandowl.org Horticultural Trades Association www.the-hta.org.uk Institute of Chartered Foresters www.charteredforesters.org International Society of Arboriculture www.isa-arbor.com International Tree Foundation www.internationaltreefoundation.org Landlife www.wildflower.co.uk Landscape Institute www.landscapeinstitute.org Learning Through Landscapes www.ltl.org.uk Life for a Life Memorial Forests www.lifeforalife.org.uk National Association of Tree Officers www.nato.org.uk National Forest Company www.nationalforest.org National Trust www.nationaltrust.org.uk People’s Trust for Endangered Species www.ptes.org Plantlife www.plantlife.org.uk Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew www.kew.org Royal Forestry Society www.rfs.org.uk Royal Horticultural Society www.rhs.org.uk Royal Society for the Protection of Birds www.rspb.org.uk Royal Town Planning Institute www.rtpi.org.uk Scottish Native Woods www.scottishnativewoods.org.uk Silvanus Trust www.silvanustrust.org.uk Sylva Foundation sylva.org.uk Tree Advice Trust www.treehelp.info Trees For Cities www.treesforcities.org Woodland Trust www.woodland-trust.org.uk

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The journal of expert opinion, science and research

Sylva

The report advocates increasing woodland cover to 15% by 2060

The Independent Panel on Forestry: your verdict Following on from the release of the Independent Panel on Forestry Final Report, Tree News asks a cross-section of stakeholders for their views “The wood fuel market offers a bright spot in profitable woodland management”

ALAMY

Nicholas Halsey, President, Royal Forestry Society

The Independent Panel on Forestry Final Report should become a blueprint for forestry policy and for private and public woodland owners,

but it will need perseverance to see it through. The first and most fundamental challenge is to make woodland ownership profitable in its own right. Harvesting machinery is expensive on

small lowland woodlands and manual work needs paying for. Sometimes it is hard to see a satisfactory return after many decades of investment growing timber.

If we can solve this economic challenge then we have the tools with which to persuade farmers and landowners – many of whom

are not engaged – to manage their woodlands. People own woodlands for many reasons, one of the most prevalent being ownership ‘by accident’, where woods come as part of a farm. Some owners may manage them for shooting, others as nature reserves, but many simply leave woodlands to their own devices or use Autumn/Winter 2012 Tree News 19

Sylva them as dumping grounds.

The bright spot is the woodfuel market, which many woodland owners could profitably make use of.

If we can encourage enough people to grow timber, then this could lead to a growth of smaller-scale sawmills and wood-using enterprises.

To help, we need to persuade buyers, including local authorities, not only to establish a ‘wood first’ policy, but for their planning departments to look favourably upon such businesses and to call in woodland professionals to advise them.

While we applaud the objective of increasing woodland cover from 10% to 15% by 2060, this will need, as the panel says, a profound culture change. An increase in woodland cover should

not come at the expense of food production – another challenge for our age!

On the political front, the Government and its successors need to invest in forest services and research. Forestry policy generally and the body managing the public forest estate must be free from the parliamentary cycle. Both of these may be tall orders.

Finally, we need more skilled professionals in all sectors of the industry. Where better to start than with the people of the future – our children – through a real boost for Forest Schools?

Those of us who have the privilege of working in forestry must lead by example, not only by keeping our leaders pushing for a successful forest sector, but also by doing our own bit to spread the message.

“The challenge is to reflect the value of forestry back to those who create it” Dr Tony Whitbread, Sussex Wildlife Trust

One of the most laudable aspects of this report is its recognition that we must move beyond looking at simple economic costs towards an understanding of the wider benefits of the forestry ecosystem. The Forestry Commission may cost £20 million to run, but we get twenty times the public

The report also recommends the preservation of the public forest estate

20 Tree News Autumn/Winter 2012

benefit back when the returns are fully enumerated.

I’m relieved to see that the report recommends the preservation of the public forest estate. I have always felt that public ownership must run alongside private ownership in order to deliver meaningful public benefits.

The report could have gone further in protecting ancient

woodlands and open habitats, such as heathland, but overall it has reinforced an important principle: that we need to start valuing our natural heritage.

The chairman’s foreword expresses this particularly eloquently: ‘Our forests and woods are nature’s playground for the adventurous, museum for the curious, hospital for the stressed, cathedral for the spiritual, and a livelihood for the entrepreneur. They are a microcosm of the cycle of life in which each and every part is dependent on the other; forests and woods are the benefactors of all,

purifying the air that we breathe and distilling the water of life. In short, trees are for life.’

The main challenge ahead lies in reflecting the value of forestry back to the people who produce that value.

There’s already lots of work going on in areas such as carbon sequestration, timber production and water catchment, which are an important step in the right direction.

In short, the report has done a good job of setting the stage for future work to begin.

Forests and woods are the benefactors of all, purifying the air that we breathe and distilling the water of life.

In short, trees are for life

The journal of expert opinion, science and research

The important role that trees play in our daily lives is highlighted in the report

“Trees need to be planted where people are” Sharon Johnson, Chief Executive, Trees for Cities 40% of our accessible woodlands are under public ownership

“There’s a strong relationship between accessible woodlands and ownership”

David Babbs, Executive Director, 38 Degrees campaign group

38 Degrees fought hard against the proposed sell-off of the public forest estate. More than 600,000 members signed the petition and hundreds took part in lobbying activities – there were 38 Degrees representatives ready to meet the panel in every area they visited.

At Bedgebury Forest in Kent, I was delighted to meet some 50 people who shared my passion for the cause and had their own experiences to draw from.

90% of responses to the panel’s public consultation came from 38 Degrees members.

It’s encouraging to see an acceptance in this report that

you can’t separate issues of ownership from access and biodiversity. There’s a strong relationship between accessible woodlands and ownership – 40% of our accessible woodlands are under public ownership.

While we welcome the recommendations of the panel, the caveat lies in implementation, and we won’t fully relax until we hear Defra’s official response.

The proposed sell-off was led by a desire to make a quick buck, and we want to ensure it doesn’t quietly go ahead now that all the fuss has died down.

If this campaign has proved anything it’s that people power really works. That message resonates beyond forestry.

Given that the Independent Panel on Forestry came out of the debate over the sell-off of Forestry Commission woodlands, it’s disappointing but not surprising that the report offers no real detail about individual and city trees.

The decline of the urban forest is an issue which will affect over 80% of the population of England by 2050. We urgently need a national assessment of our urban tree cover, with targets to halt the decline or, better still, reverse the trend.

This effort requires coordination at a national level with a specific national framework for urban trees.

As the newly re-organised Forest Services will become a ‘champion’ for woodlands, the urban forest needs its own champion, with experience and expertise in urban forestry, to lead this national framework.

There are many laudable elements of the report.

The tone is positive in terms of the role trees play in our daily lives and the need to protect their contribution to our health and wellbeing against the dangers of underinvestment and loss.

This emphasis on valuation of benefits is welcome, but it needs to broaden out from woodland to cover all trees.

It’s encouraging to see Forest Services’ current consultation with the urban forestry sector on priorities for the Forestry Commission’s Science and Innovation Strategy. I also welcome the recommendation that local tree and woodland strategies become mandatory and integrated into other policies, but again I would call for a national framework.

While I applaud a canopy cover increase target, I feel the priority is to set a target for an increase of the urban forest. Trees need to be planted where people are, and since eight out of 10 people will live in urban areas, a priority must be to increase the urban forest, which is a vital asset for our future.

Autumn/Winter 2012 Tree News 21

Sylva

Tackling new threats to Britain’s trees

Part of a sycamore tree damaged by ALB in Kent.

The round exit holes of the adults are clearly visible

How can we best protect our woodlands from non-native pests, such as the deadly Asian longhorn beetle? Dominic Eyre and David Slawson from the Food and Environment Research Agency present the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Action Plan

E

very year, the UK Plant Health Service intercepts a wide range of non-native plant pests and pathogens. They often arrive on imported plants and produce in the luggage of international passengers before unleashing havoc among our plant and tree populations.

In this, the first year of the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Action Plan, staff at the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera), the Forestry Commission and Forest Research have found themselves fighting a number of new pest incursions.

One of the most concerning was an outbreak of the non-native Asian longhorn beetle (ALB), Anoplophora glabripennis, in Kent this spring.

ALB is a highly damaging pest of deciduous trees. In China it is estimated that it causes An adult Asian longhorn beetle

22 Tree News Autumn/Winter 2012

losses of $1.5 billion per year and it reportedly killed 142 million trees in one province of China over a six year period. Over $400 million has been spent on eradication programmes for this pest in the USA. ALB larvae bore through the wood of living trees, which increases their vulnerability to infection by pathogens and can eventually kill the trees.

Most of the lifecycle of longhorn beetles is spent underneath the surface of trees, which means they are difficult to detect and to eradicate. Once ALB has become established in a tree, the only way of getting rid of it is to remove and destroy the trees.

The first recorded interception of this pest in the UK was in 1994 and since then there have been

approximately 30 interceptions. In common with the other countries in Europe and North America, most interceptions have been associated with wooden packaging material.

The first outbreak of ALB found outside Asia was detected in New York in 1996.

Since then, outbreaks of the pest have been found in six states of the USA and Canada and six countries in the European Union: Germany, France, Austria, the Netherlands, Italy and the UK. In most cases, the outbreaks have not been discovered until many years after the probable date of first introduction.

Some of the outbreaks have now been successfully eradicated, others are in the process of being eradicated.

The original source of the ALB outbreak in Kent is not known, but the apparent centre of the current outbreak is close to a former stone importer, which is a possible source, based on experience elsewhere. The lack of chemical or biological methods to eradicate this pest means that infested and potentially infested trees have had to be removed and destroyed by incineration.

In addition, all trees within 500 metres of infested trees have been surveyed from the ground twice, with a further

autumn survey planned, and a public awareness programme is in place within a wider 2km zone.

Unfortunately, the wide range of hosts that can be infested by ALB means that the tree removal has had a significant impact on properties within the infested area, but experience in other parts of the world has shown that this is the most effective eradication technique. The tree removal that has taken place in 2012 will reduce the chances of a continuing outbreak, but further

The journal of expert opinion, science and research

Tree clearance work near Paddock Wood, Kent

surveys will be needed in 2013 and beyond to confirm the absence of the beetle.

Taking action In response to the increasing biosecurity threats from new pests and diseases, Defra and the Forestry Commission launched the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Action Plan in October 2011. Since then, progress has been made across the four key action areas: n Protecting the UK through import controls From the end of 2010 to the end of 2011, the level of plant

health inspections at points of entry to the UK has increased from 20% to over 70%, thanks to 12 new plant health inspectors at Heathrow and six other ports. The EU Plant Health Regime review also reports this autumn, and the UK Plant Health Strategic Advisory Forum has been established to influence regime change and help stakeholders to prepare.

Through international collaborations, the UK hopes to see the introduction of common approaches to border controls, and UK

inspectors are participating in EU working groups on new measures, such as electronic plant health certification and consignment tracking. n Practical actions Work is under way to create a risk framework ranking the priority of plant pest and pathogen outbreaks, such as Phytophthora, oak processionary moth and Asian longhorn beetle.

Various working groups have also been formed with key stakeholders to ensure that any approach to biosecurity is tailored for different sectors – for example, checks of plants and propagating material in the nursery sector and new guidance on the condition and sale of trees in the landscaping sector.

The outbreak of four pests in the spring and summer of 2012 also led to close working between Fera, the Forestry Commission, the Scottish Government and Natural England, together combining resources for better surveillance, diagnosis and reaction to future outbreaks. n Better communications and public engagement Improved engagement and communication with the public and professional stakeholders will increase awareness of tree health and broader plant biosecurity.

With that in mind, Fera, the Forestry Commission and Defra have started to collaborate more closely on public outreach and

information. This was helped by the high level of media interest in the outbreak of the Asian longhorn beetle, and the cross-Government group seeks to raise further awareness through a potential publicity campaign at ports and airports and the creation of two educational films.

Education will also continue through best practice protocols and a series of new ‘Forest Health Days’. n Research opportunities and evidence priorities Defra has allocated £7m from existing resources for new research into tree health over the next three years, and of the seven new research priorities identified, five are now progressing as live projects.

Also, the Forestry Commission has increased its investment in tree health research, from existing resources, by some 30% over the next three to four years.

Beetle watch

Hosts of Asian longhorn beetle that are commonly grown in the UK are: maples, sycamores, horse chestnut, birch, poplar, willow, elm, alder, hornbeam, hazel, beech, ash, plane, cherry, plum and mountain ash. n If you see an Asian longhorn beetle, report it to Fera using your PC or smartphone.

Go to http://albwatch.fera. defra.gov.uk/ Autumn/Winter 2012 Tree News 23

Sylva

Our woodland gifts – time for real debate on their value Every tree lavishes its own gifts on our landscape, wildlife, economy and wellbeing, but how can these benefits be translated into funding? Sophie Churchill, Chief Executive of The National Forest, ponders the dilemma

T

he National Forest is a prime example of ‘multi-purpose forestry’. This is an uninspiring term, but one which captures something different from commercial plantations: the aim being, through varied woodlands, sensitively planted, to transform the landscape, regenerate communities, improve health and wellbeing, stimulate jobs and provide ecological healing.

In The National Forest, we are beginning to achieve some of this. Major mining and extraction sites have been restored, tourism is worth something nearing £300 million a year, a woodland

economy is emerging and already the net value of the public investment is calculated at around £140m.

Despite the recession, we attract business sponsorship and we plant somewhere around 150 new hectares (including a mix of trees and other habitats) each year.

With forest cover approaching 20%, we are well on the way to the overall aim of around a third of the forest’s 200 square miles being greened, with all the carbon, wildlife and recreational benefits this represents. Who would have thought that modest rows of tiny trees, often barely visible in their

early days, could, as they grow, nurture so many things in their wake? This has been achieved through public money – and, as importantly, ducking and diving to bring in many other forms of support.

More telling than figures, perhaps, is seeing so many cyclists at the weekends, residents rising up against threats to the forest – such as an ill-judged ‘ecotown’ a while back – or businesses using The National Forest logo. I am never more delighted than when The National Forest is exploited for another person’s use: one challenge I should set myself is to get revenue from house sales whenever estate

agents quote The National Forest as a selling point.

If all that is the case, then it is no doubt perverse to ask whether forestry really is worth further investment. But since it has a higher profile nationally than in many years, and we are awaiting the Government’s response to the Independent Forestry Panel, we should indeed be having serious debate about proposals for increased woodland cover, which the panel and many other forestry enthusiasts advocate. I’d like to echo and answer these, from The National Forest’s experience.

Let’s do it well

Woodland in Staffordshire: giving the gift of tranquillity

24 Tree News Autumn/Winter 2012

The panel, like the Read Report a couple of years ago, advocates a step change in forest creation. But given land scarcity, and the Lawton Report’s eloquent argument for resilient mosaics of all the most valuable habitats, should planting trees trump other land uses, including nonwooded habitats, housing or farming? The answer to this has to be no: people need homes and food and you can have too much of even such a

The journal of expert opinion, science and research first thinnings can be used to encourage management of existing, neighbouring woodlands.

Thirdly, the carbon absorption of trees, one of their many claims to genius, has been rebuffed by those who say that this is not a cost-effective way of addressing climate change.

It is said that the average person needs a tennis court of new woodland each year to offset their carbon emissions and this is clearly unrealistic, given cost and land scarcity.

Maybe it’s even an Olympic stadium, given our lifestyles: the point is made.

Carbon costs

Derbyshire woodland: one of the nation’s natural benefits

splendid thing as woodland.

‘The right tree in the right place’ is no empty mantra.

In some areas, heathland may be a scarcer habitat worth restoring and trees are not the solution to ecological diversity by themselves.

However, many areas of the countryside are used predominantly for settlements, industry and conventional, intensive and non-biodiverse agriculture.

Judicious woodland creation, including wetland and other habitats, preserving agriculture around and within it and combining with other land uses, can achieve the best of all worlds. The more urban setting is important, too. Our vision is for any resident to open their front door and find their way easily to a green and special place.

Woodland sustains physical and mental health and is a relatively robust habitat for populated areas.

Let’s just do it well: some areas will ‘take’ more trees than others. It is possible to retain and even improve the diversity of land uses, within a strategy for more woodland.

Here’s to better developmentrelated planting, to agroforestry, with grazing around parkland trees, better managed hedges and what the Secretary of State for the Environment, Caroline Spelman, calls ‘sustainable intensification’ of agriculture.

‘More, bigger, better, joined’ habitats, as in recent policy, can and must co-exist with other land uses.

Secondly, it is often and rightly observed that too much existing woodland is undermanaged. This can lead to the claim that there should be a focus on tackling this, rather than new plantings. In the experience of The National Forest, this is a false conflict.

In around twenty short years, many of the new woodlands require first thinnings, which can be a driver for wider forest management. There is no reason why The National Forest, in the future, should not be as well known for good forest management as it has been for creating new woodlands. Landowners can get more than enthusiastic about pruning: networks, advice and activity around

Only a forestry carbon innocent would claim that trees are the solution, and nobody who has ever walked through a wood would reduce its value to a carbon abatement machine. Carbon absorption is one amongst the many gifts of a tree, and is part of what we most revere in this amazing organism.

Everyone and every business has to address their carbon footprint in every way possible. In The National Forest we enjoy relationships with business sponsors who are not obsessing about every tonne of carbon absorbed but want to be part of something which is undeniably on the right side of the sustainability argument.

So, to the killer question.

If woodlands and forests provide a whole range of gifts, for us and for future generations, do they justify more investment and where would this come from? The Independent Forestry Panel has called for more public investment: will the Treasury simply dismiss this given the fiscal outlook and the real pressures on statutory expenditure? The National

Forest has been fortunate in steady income over its lifetime, which I believe we have spent wisely, but we have to be realistic about the bleak outlook for public funding over the medium term.

Happily, there will always be many individuals who will plant and love their trees. However, to achieve a national step change, more and steady public investment would be needed.

This will never be anything more than a pinprick in public expenditure and we believe that, with care about the quality and justification for planting, this investment should be protected.

Here are our criteria for wise spending on forestry: n Grants and incentives are at realistic levels but ask a lot of the benefits expected.

They link woodland with other habitats and national ambition for ecological restoration and public health. n This particular woodland, here, is justified: it sits well within the landscape and the priority ecosystems of this place; the number, species and distribution of the trees are sound; other habitats are included where appropriate; people will enjoy it. n The prospects for long-term management are good. n Other sources of enthusiasm and funding are likely to support the woodland going forward. n Even as the whips go in, our best estimate is that this woodland will contribute to the overall wellbeing of local communities, economies and future generations.

Times are somewhat precarious. It is to be hoped that the country walks the walk in forestry, through some of the best woodlands in the world.

Happily there will always be many individuals who will plant and love their trees Autumn/Winter 2012 Tree News 25

Sylva

Something for the man in the street It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it.

A new report on how trees can improve urban air quality says little that’s new, but it does a very good job in making the science accessible to the layman. By Malcolm Tait

‘A

lthough much can be done to improve the choice and siting of trees and other vegetation for air quality, the greatest benefits will be achieved if people can be close to green infrastructure when moving around towns and cities.’

In short, urban trees are good for your health. The recent Urban Air Quality Report, prepared by The Woodland Trust with support from the universities of

Trees can help residents of large cities such as London to enjoy a better quality of life 26 Tree News Autumn/Winter 2012

Lancaster and Birmingham, doesn’t really conclude by telling us anything we don’t know. ‘The health benefits to people are greatest if pedestrians use parks and other green spaces rather than the pavements alongside busy roads’ is not a summation that’s going to raise eyebrows.

No, the conclusions of this report are not in themselves enlightening. The route to them, however, is much more substantial.

Drawing upon research initially conducted by the National Environment Research Council, Defra and many others, the report begins by enumerating some of the human health hazards that accompany urban life. Air pollutants – as caused by transport, power stations and more – cost the UK something between £9 billion and £19bn a year, it announces. It’s a vast amount of money, but that’s the kind of figure that’s needed

to tackle the seriousness of these pollutants’ effects upon human lives. Life expectancy, for example, is reduced by up to eight months. Asthma and heart conditions can be exacerbated, or even created. Lung disease can be increased – and we’ve got around eight million sufferers in the UK already.

Clean-up time Now, this is all information that’s been in the public domain for some time, but much of it would rarely be seen by the general public.

Pulling it together to launch the report, and putting it all in layman’s terms, certainly grabs the attention, and sets the report up for the punchline. What can we do about these problems?

The answer lies in trees.

The report goes on to cite a number of studies that provide evidence that urban trees remove large amounts of air pollution and improve urban air quality. Yet the answer isn’t just to stick trees around towns randomly – there’s a simple science to all

The journal of expert opinion, science and research this, says the report, and if we can get that right, then huge differences can be made. Trees and other vegetation in parks and gardens serve many purposes, but the middle of a park is where air pollutants are likely to be lower. Trees at traffic junctions, for example, will yield proportionately greater rates of pollutant removal. Rows of trees can be even more effective: if a single tree, as one reported study suggests, can reduce concentrations of airborne particulate matter by up to 20% in the area immediately behind it, then two or three rows can provide an impressive cumulative effect.

It’s a good point.

So, too, is the one about tree planting in streets with tall housing on either side.

These streets effectively trap the pollutants between their two sides – the report calls it a ‘canyon’ – which increases their intensity. Councils often don’t have room for trees on both pavements, so the best solution is to line the windward side of the street.

Prevailing winds will

therefore push more of the pollutants towards the trees than away from them. Simple, but effective. There is a rider though: studies have suggested that in very heavily airpolluted canyons, trees might exacerbate the problem, causing an even greater trap that they’re unable to solve.

As ever, councils should tackle these issues case by case.

Airing the choices But once the decision to plant has been made, there’s a second question: which species to go for? Fairly obviously, evergreen trees can contribute to ‘pollutant scrubbing’ all year round, while broadleaf species are probably better than needle-leaf species, due to their greater leaf surface area.

But then things get more scientific. Trees emit biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) which can themselves cause increases in ozone pollution, which has a counter-effect on the pollution-scrubbing value.

The thing is that some trees release BVOCs at a greater rate than others. So you could

plant a species that is nicely broad-leaved, and therefore good at dealing with air pollution, but which has a high BVOC rate, undoing some of the local good. Similarly, a tree which has a low BVOC rate might not be so strong at sucking up particulate matter. How confusing! It would be great if someone could produce a chart which showed which trees provide the best of both worlds.

Fortunately, someone has.

In 2005, a fascinating study was put together* which resulted in the construction of the Urban Tree Air Quality Score (UTAQS). It classifies 30 tree species by weighing up their pros and cons. Alder, hawthorn and silver birch are among those that score the highest; aspen, English oak and white willow are some that score poorly.

The report republishes the

chart in full, and it’s an important contribution.

That, in a nutshell, is that. Urban pollution is a killer; trees can help mitigate its effects; here are some ways they can best be used; here are the species to best think about.

Much of it has been said before, but in a vast variety of places.

The value of the report is that it has pulled it all together in a compact, palatable publication.

Town planners no longer have any excuses. *Donovan, R., Hope, E., Owen, S., Mackenzie, A., and Hewitt, C. (2005). Development and application of an urban tree air quality score for photochemical pollution episodes using the Birmingham, United Kingdom, area as a case study. Environ. Sci. Technol., 39, 6730–6738.

The answer isn’t just to stick trees around towns randomly – there’s a simple science to all this

Autumn/Winter 2012 Tree News 27

Sylva

Uncovered: British woodlands’ hidden pipelines Kirsty Monk of the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Oxford presents an innovative fungi study from the Heart of England Forest Project that can help to keep our woods healthy and productive

I

n this age of rapid, humaninduced environmental change it’s more important than ever that we act to mitigate the damage to our landscape and ecosystem.

As components of carbon, nutrient and water cycles, woodlands have a crucial role to play. One way of stemming the damage caused by climate change is to increase the afforested area of the UK, ensuring that new plantings consist of native species mixes typical of British temperate woodlands, as opposed to the recent history of non-native conifer plantations.

However, planting alone is unlikely to produce healthy, productive and effective Kirsty Monk holding the wood decomposing fungi Auricularia auricula-judae and Daldinia concentrica

28 Tree News Autumn/Winter 2012

woodlands as they lack the associated flora, fauna and fungi to support the full range of ecosystem services typical of the landscape type.

In an attempt to address this issue, the Heart of England Forest Project in conjunction with the Plant Sciences department of Oxford University is about to embark on an exciting new endeavour, the Heart of England Forest Ecosystem Project (HOEFEP) – otherwise known as the Roots and Shoots Project.

Carbon sink Forests globally store roughly 110 gigatonnes of carbon in their soil and biomass reservoirs – that equates to

47% of the terrestrial carbon stock. The sink potential of forests in Europe and Britain in particular have been increasing over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries as forest management practices have changed, reducing reliance on unsustainable practices, such as conversion to agricultural land.

In the UK, the majority of native woodlands are broadleaved, with some coniferous natives in the more northern and upland areas.

Broadleaf woodlands have the greatest carbon sequestration potential (5860t/Km2), almost three times that of coniferous woodlands (2130t/Km2). This highlights the importance of restoring native broadleaf woodland, where appropriate, in conifer plantations dating from the early 1900s.

Replanting since 1870 has increased the percentage of woodland cover in Great Britain from 4-15%, with the overall aim of achieving 25% cover by 2050. This will increase the amount of carbon sequestered in Great Britain as biomass stocks.

However, we could achieve still greater results by managing our woodlands for ecosystem services rather than timber volumes.

Hericium clathroides

The restoration of agricultural land to woodland will initially increase carbon sink potential. However, without improvements in the associated woodland organisms and networks, the true environmental potential of the land will not be realised.

In the UK, soil carbon stocks are four times greater than that sequestered in woodland biomass. Therefore, maintaining and enhancing the soil micro-flora and fauna will be critical to realising soil storage potential, ensuring British woodlands are resilient to environmental change, such as warmer temperatures and alterations to precipitation regimes.

The role of fungi One of the major groups responsible for delivering this resilience and resistance to environmental change is the fungi. Fungi are a kingdom in themselves, a group as wide and varied as the animals and plants. Within woodlands,

The journal of expert opinion, science and research

The tube-like rhizomorphs of Armillaria spp

The wood-decomposing Hydnum repandum

various categories of fungi serve a vast range of roles, one of which is the decomposition of dead matter – releasing the components to the environment, maintaining nutrient cycles and enhancing woodland health and productivity. Mushrooms and toadstools are probably the most recognisable wood decomposing fungi, but their most effective mechanism for nutrient cycling, and other ecosystem services, such as maintaining water balances across the woodland floor, is cords.

Cords are fungal organs made of fungal hyphae which align together, producing a tube-like organ similar to a fibre-optic cable. The exterior hyphae of the bundle become encrusted with salts that cause it to become waterproof, while the interior hyphae become adapted to move water and dissolve nutrients through the organ.

Such cord networks can be over 300 metres in diameter,

making them vitally important to increasing woodland health and productivity. Although the salts in cord walls have a waterproofing effect upon the tube, this is not complete.

Along the length of the cord, water and dissolved nutrients can slowly leak out, enriching the soil nutrient pool and supporting and enhancing plant and tree growth.

Such underground nutrient highways can provide a buffer against environmental variation, seasonal shortages and uneven nutrient distributions in the woodland soil system.

Understanding the patterns governing the distribution, diversity and establishment of these fungi will allow us to better understand how resilient British woodlands may be to environmental change. Knowing the effect that these fungi have on woodlands and how to encourage these fungi to grow will also equip us with an

important tool to enhance the longevity and success of newly planted woodlands, and the environmental benefits they can provide.

Fruitful forays The HOEFEP aims to investigate fungal colonisation and succession on newly planted woodlands at different times since planting.

Knowledge of the fungi present at different times since the land was converted from farmland to woodland will allow us to work out how long it takes a fully functioning woodland to develop, providing a baseline against which we can make management decisions.

To date the project has attracted a team of six volunteers, who worked on the project full time over the summer break. Most of these students are second year biology undergraduates from the University of Oxford, although there are also volunteers from a range of

backgrounds, from amateur to graduate student. Our team of volunteers carried out a series of detailed fungal forays in 45 sites across the Heart of England Forest to look for fungal fruiting bodies and fungal cords.

This project provides a basis for studying all aspects of woodland health and regeneration. We hope that by following the changes in organisms from woodland creation through development, we can inform future management decisions and policies.

A more holistic approach to woodland management – one that conserves and improves ecosystem functioning and service provision – will ensure that British woodlands can withstand the pressures of environmental change, and even mitigate these effects.

Discover more about the Heart of England Forest Ecosystem project at www. heartofenglandforest.com Autumn/Winter 2012 Tree News 29

Counterblast

Invasive species: it’s time to take control Hannah Freeman, Conservation Policy Officer at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, explores the potential of biocontrol and biosecurity measures in tackling pests

I

nvasive non-native plant species are a growing problem throughout the UK, harming ecosystems and their biodiversity, and incurring huge costs and land management commitments.

An invasive non-native species is (according to Fera) any non-native animal or plant that has the ability to spread, causing damage to the environment, the economy, our health and the way we live. Examples include rhododendron, Himalayan balsam, mink, harlequin ladybird and the Asian longhorn beetle. Invasive non-native species can reach the UK in a variety of ways, such as on container ships, in cargo or through accidental (and sometimes intentional) release from gardens and aquaria. Concerningly, some species which are not currently invasive may become so as the climate changes.

Where we are compelled to manage for these problem

Human introduction brought Himalayan balsam, seen here plaguing wetlands, to the Northern Hemisphere 30 Tree News Autumn/Winter 2012

species, this can unfortunately also cause damage to the delicate ecosystems they have managed to infest. For example, spraying with herbicide can kill surrounding non-target species and can disturb nesting birds and other animals; mechanical weed removal impacts on invertebrate populations, and the current control for Asian longhorn beetle is through tree felling and incinerating.

However, in most instances this is temporary damage.

Biocontrol offers a potential alternative which lacks the knock-on effects associated with other management options, but research into this option needs to be all-inclusive.

Biocontrol species need to be host specific, or else there is the risk of the apparent saviour becoming the pest.

The well-known example of this is the cane toad being introduced into Australia to control the prickly pear.

However, biocontrol can be extremely successful, as is the case for Azolla, which can be successfully controlled by the Azolla weevil with no negative effects elsewhere.

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) believes that many of the species plaguing our wetlands shouldn’t be on sale. Poor biocontrol in domestic situations can lead to non-native species escaping into the wild and infesting local habitats.

Many of these plants can grow from tiny fragments of existing plants and are therefore highly mobile.

A ban of sale would hugely reduce the chances of more populations establishing themselves in the wild, giving us the chance to manage and remove current populations with less risk of re-invasion.

Animal species are more likely to travel to the UK hidden within cargo such as wooden crates, and in this case biosecurity measures for all imports and travellers is needed. For example, in Australia incoming travellers are not simply searched for food, but objects such as tents are checked for grass seeds and hiding insects.

Floating pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides) is a particularly problematic plant which is readily available on the internet, and it ought to set off a warning siren. It can grow up to 20cm per day and may quickly dominate a water body, out-competing native species by blocking out light, causing de-oxygenation, obstructing air breathing insects from reaching the water surface and reducing water temperatures. It is estimated that H.ranunculoides costs Britain around £25.5 million per annum to manage.

From WWT’s perspective, managing invasive species costs us thousands of pounds and hundreds of man hours each year. Often, due to lack of resources and the sheer aggressiveness of some of these plants, we are merely scratching the surface, and we have great concerns over what might turn up next.

Read more about the work of the WWT at www.wwt.org. uk/about-us/

There is the risk of the apparent saviour becoming the pest

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DEEP ROOTS

The original Bramley apple tree has flourished for some 200 years

The original Bramley apple tree From a humble pip grew a British culinary staple

E

very Bramley apple you have ever eaten, and every Bramley apple tree ever grown, all came from a single, ancient tree planted in a humble cottage garden in Nottinghamshire.

Two centuries since it was planted, that tree is still thriving, and is responsible for an industry worth over £50 million in the UK alone.

The Bramley brand is known around the world, and yet the cooking apple should perhaps have been called Brailsford, after the little girl who planted the pip in the early 19th century.

Mary Anne Brailsford lived with her family in Church Cottage, and planted the seed in a flower pot some time between 1809 and 1815. The seedling quickly took root and was replanted in the back garden, but it didn’t bear fruit until 1837, by which time the Brailsfords had moved on, and Matthew Bramley lived in the cottage.

In 1857, a local nurseryman named Henry Merryweather asked Mr Bramley’s permission to take cuttings of the tree. Bramley agreed, but on the condition that it should be called ‘Bramley’s Seedling’. The trees proved to be highly 32 Tree News Autumn/Winter 2012

resilient, and produced fantastic crops of large, bitter apples that became popular in a range of traditional British dishes – most famously, of course, the Bramley apple pie.

By 1944, the fruit census recorded more than two million Bramleys all taken from the original tree in Church Cottage. Today, there are 500 Bramley apple growers in the UK alone, selling 25,000 tonnes of apples each year plus a further 58,000 tonnes used commercially.

At one point in its 200-year history, the original tree was blown over in a severe storm, but it survived the ordeal and, incredibly, is still bearing fruit today.

The latest custodian of the tree, Nancy Harrison, grew up next door to Church Cottage and bought the property in 1959. Nancy nursed the tree back to health with the help of a local fruit farmer.

‘Everybody who comes to see the tree is very impressed by it,’ she says. ‘It has wonderful crops of fruit each year. We eat them, we cook them, we stew them and fry them. I absolutely love it here, no-one can understand why, but I love the house and the tree.’

Green Monuments The Tree Council believes in the importance of protecting trees such as the original Bramley apple tree, which have such a rich history and important role in our cultural heritage. Its Green Monuments Campaign calls for safeguards to protect our ancient trees, and supports people like Nancy in looking after them. If you would like to support the campaign, please visit www. treecouncil.org.uk/ community-action/ green-monuments

NLS

WILD ABOUT

The coast

From hardy trees to delicate warbling birds, a rich habitat of sea-loving wildlife graces the British coast

1

Water baby

The ability to cope with salt winds meant that many English elms thrived on the coast, and young elm suckers can still be found here in some abundance.

The wood of the English elm has long been prized for its strength, durability and resistance to water. The elm also used to be associated with death, perhaps because of its popularity as a material for coffins!

34 Tree News Autumn/Winter 2012

2

I’m a survivor

The winged seeds of the sycamore tree line many a street in the UK – its ability to cope with harsh environments makes this shade tree a popular choice for urban planting. However, the sycamore is happy in the fresh coastal breeze, and takes the salty sea spray and cold winter in its stride. Ultimately, this tree is a survivor, flourishing in almost any type of soil, wherever it grows.

3

Stunted glory

Did you know that, in times gone by, the ash tree was considered a tree of rebirth and healing? Children with broken limbs or rickets were passed naked through the split trunk of an ash in a ritual to bring forth recovery. The ash can often be found in coastal habitats, albeit suffering from its own injuries, its growth stunted and shape windblown in rough weather.

4

a drop of Mother’s ruin

The bitter sloe berries of the blackthorn tree are still regularly harvested as the nights draw in, and then soaked in sugar and gin to make a tipple of ‘mother’s ruin’. Widely planted in hedges, scrub and heavier soils, the blackthorn can still survive – and even thrive – by the sea.

5

Colour me pretty

The Guelder rose shrub lights up the countryside with its bright white flowers, which in autumn give way to equally bright red berries that complement the golden leaves of the trees.

Although it needs time to fully establish itself, this ‘rose’ loves the dampness of the coast.

6

Welcome Holm

The Holm oak's spiny evergreen leaves give it the look of our native holly.

However, the introduced Holm oak has been planted along our coastline, where it tolerates sea spray and strong winds. This coastal shelter from storms has also helped new species to colonise our shores, such as the Sombre Brocade moth.

7

Any tree will do

Lichens can be found in some of the most extreme environments on earth, from Arctic tundra to hot deserts, toxic slag heaps and, yes, even in the chilly environs of the British seaside. Lichens love trees and can be found clinging to the bark of the hardy sycamore in coastal situations, where the clean sea air makes for good growing conditions.

8

Warbling dream

Willow warblers are very difficult to tell apart from the chiffchaff, but those with a keen ear will recognise their distinctive song – a beautiful liquid warble that rises in volume. Look out for the warblers in autumn, where they can be seen fluttering at the ends of coastal sycamore branches, snacking on insects in preparation for their long winter migration to the Sahara.

Autumn/Winter 2012 Tree News 35

‘Life for a Life’ is a charity that offers you the chance to celebrate and commemorate your loved ones by planting memorial trees and installing memorial benches in one of fifty woodland locations across the United Kingdom.

Beacon Fell, Goosnargh, Preston

Planting a new tree, or installing a bench with a plaque helps people to come to terms with their loss and creates a special place for friends and family to visit to remember and reflect.

Alternatively, a tree can be planted to celebrate a new life, a wedding, anniversary or any other major event.

After your tree planting, you will be issued with a lovely certificate of plantation and an inscription will be recorded in a Book of Remembrance by our calligrapher.

Queen Mothers Meadow, Strinesdale, Oldham

‘Life for a Life’ is proud to be a Not For Profit, Non-Denominational, Non-Political, Registered Charity, that makes donations to hospices, hospitals and health related charities throughout the UK. For further information and a free fully comprehensive information pack please contact us on 0161 624 2299 www.lifeforalife.org.uk

Love Someone, Miss Someone, Help Someone, Plant a Tree - It’s For Life

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COLUMN

Into the wilderness

Joanna Yarrow, founder of Beyond Green, recently took over her parents’ private forest. Here, she reflects on the importance of public access and community engagement joanna yarrow

W

hen my parents bought 62-acre Wilderness Wood in 1979, they knew the importance of local support.

A previous attempt to realise their vision of combining sustainable woodland management with recreation and education in another Sussex woodland had met with local outcry. Neighbours – perhaps fearful of an influx of unsavoury daytrippers spoiling their countryside – launched a campaign, forcing my parents to abandon their plans.

So as new owners of Wilderness Wood they sought local engagement from day one, hosting volunteers on regular work parties, getting the village school applying dung to a new wattle and daub timber-frame barn, and providing local walkers with free access on well-maintained paths – despite the lack of public rights of way through the wood. Consequently, when they obtained planning permission to build a family home in the wood, and visitor numbers grew into the tens of thousands, the ‘friendly hippies’ were supported rather than chased away. Gratifyingly, 33 years on, local estate agents now list proximity to our wood and its café in their sales particulars!

My partner and I took over the wood when my parents retired in 2010. We’re perhaps not quite such hippies, but we’re continuing in the same vein, building upon the wood’s legacy as a much-loved

local visitor attraction and broadening its remit to enable visitors to engage with sustainable living from a range of angles. The wood is now visited by well over 30,000 people each year, from schools, disabled and elderly groups, to corporates, families, diners and campers. Local residents still have free access to the wood, which they use as a local park, adding another 10,000 visits per year. Some local residents volunteer at the wood and most staff are local – a number have worked here for over a decade.

We also host a range of local school and community groups throughout the year, and have just established a Green Village group to help local residents improve the sustainability of their own homes and the village in general.

Our key challenge is finding ways to balance the maintenance of productive, responsibly managed woodland while attracting a broad range of visitors with widely varying interests, who might not otherwise engage with ‘green’ topics. And to find ways of achieving this balance without any external funding, all whilst being a good neighbour…

In response, our business has diversified, with a broad range of inter-connected areas of activity, including nature trails, woodland playgrounds, courses, workshops and events. These are delivered in collaboration with local people and visitors, and activities are developed in response to their ideas, desires, inspirations and needs – just as they should be.

Joanna Yarrow specialises in sustainable living, making green, healthy lifestyles attractive and accessible to broad audiences through broadcasting, writing, consulting and practical projects. She presented BBC3’s Outrageous Wasters and has appeared on TV covering sustainability stories.

Wilderness Wood is a 62-acre Sussex working woodland, which Joanna is developing into an example of rural sustainability in action, running experiential activities, courses and events for people of all ages and walks of life. wildernesswood.co.uk

Autumn/Winter 2012 Tree News 37

Getting to know you

Trees mean life Tony Hill, Programme Director of TREE AID, explains how rural development initiatives in Africa are planting the seeds of a brighter future

You have travelled extensively across a 30-year career in forestry. Were you always interested in the role that trees play in different cultures?

Yes, trees have always been a big part of my life. I grew up in Essex, next to Epping Forest, and my walks there inspired me to study forestry at the University of Aberdeen, where I took my first degree and my Masters. After graduation I spent three years working in plantation forestry in Malawi, and was well and truly bitten by the travel bug. I returned to Scotland and worked in commercial forestry, but I found it hard to adapt to life back in the UK and was itching to work internationally again.

When an opportunity arose for a forestry and conservation officer on the isolated British island of Saint Helena, I jumped at the chance to discover its interesting trees and plants. Working on initiatives ranging from conservation of rare endemic tress to wood fuel production provided my first taste of rural development and paved the way for my current role as Programme Director at TREE AID. Can you tell us more about your role?

TREE AID runs programmes in four countries in West Africa and Ethiopia, all of which focus on helping poor rural households unlock the benefits of trees. We work with local partner organisations and our own team of locally recruited professional staff, and my role is concerned with building and 38 Tree News Autumn/Winter 2012

co-ordinating the programmes, maximising their benefits to the local economy and promoting our work to potential supporters. Of course, I also support our fundraising efforts, though that’s not a core element of my job. We need to build awareness of how important trees are to villagers in Africa – how they use them, their potential as a base for enterprise development and the campaign for more secure access.

ABOVE Tony Hill with the leader of a community forest management group near Bankass in Mali

In your fundraising activities, do you find that people here in the UK are receptive and engaged with the role trees play in rural development in Africa?

I think in many ways it’s difficult for people here to fully grasp the crucial role forestry plays in villagers’ livelihoods. Here in the UK we do value our trees, but they’re more divorced from our daily lives so it’s a leap to understand how integral they are to African business and culture. Africans use tree fruits and leaves in their cooking; wood accounts for 80% of energy and it is a major material in construction; and in farming communities trees offer fodder for livestock, maintain the environment and preserve soil fertility for the growth of crops.

What are the biggest challenges facing African communities in terms of managing tree populations?

Climate change is obviously right up there, and although it’s difficult to pin down the exact

RIGHT Tony at a degraded watershed in Bongo, Northern Ghana, where TREE AID has a project supporting the restoration of riparian forests

direction it will take in Africa, it’s safe to say that the climate is getting hotter and climatic events, such as drought, storms and flooding, are getting more extreme and more frequent. This introduces a need to diversify the sources of income from trees, with tree products becoming an important insurance policy. There is a big market for edible products, such as fruits and leaves for enriching the flavour and nutritional value of stews. Many town dwellers are still close to their rural roots, so they still have a taste for authentic local cuisine, but TREE AID also helps local farmers to tap into the growing opportunity in more distant sub-regional markets.

There is also a big international market for shea butter, which is harvested by women and traditionally processed in the village, and for gum arabic, which is used in a variety of confectionary, and soft drinks such as Coca-Cola. Also known as Acacia gum, gum arabic is harvested from the acacia trees of the Sahel/Savannah zone, which is a key geographic area of focus for our programmes.

Trees such as the acacia and balanzar are crucial in agro-forestry, as crop yields under their shelter increase 50% compared with crops planted in open soil without fertiliser.

What initiatives is TREE AID responsible for and how have they benefited African communities?

For the past six or seven years we have focused on building enterprises based on non-timber forest products. In West Africa we have supported more than 600 small enterprises, which are now functioning at community level and boosting household income. One of the most positive aspects of non-timber production, such as shea butter, is that around 70-75% of participants are women from poorer households, who would otherwise have few

We all need trees in our landscape options for employment. TREE AID supports them to come together in small, informal co-operatives, then build up their businesses and collaborate at district level, to increase their efficiency and exercise more influence in the market. A recent survey revealed that household income from non-timber products for TREE AID project beneficiaries in Burkina Faso has increased by 150% over the past five years to £212, which against a total household income of £600 is a huge difference.

That money goes straight to the women, to invest in their children and in household nutrition.

Are there any lessons from your work in West Africa that could influence our attitudes here in the UK?

Many people in the UK don’t know where their food comes from or really engage with the natural landscape, but if they saw how important it is in Africa it might help to illuminate the importance of sustainable management and biodiversity here too. We all need trees in our landscape.

What places provide your natural haven when you’re not busy with work?

Recently my work at TREE AID took me to Wof Washa Forest, a relict of Afro-Montane juniper forest in Ethiopia. To me, this has to be one of the most magical places in the world. It’s full of huge old juniper and Podocarpus trees, and the landscape is spectacularly beautiful, like a relic of another time.

Back in the UK, I now live in Somerset and often find quiet refuge in the woods around Westonsuper-Mare and the Mendips. I can never resist the magnetic pull of the great outdoors.

Autumn/Winter 2012 Tree News 39

KIT

The cutting edge Neil and Rosie Hooper of Perth & Kinross Tree Wardens review the latest tools on the market

Samurai jet cut curved saw GC-330-LH Very sharp blade, clean cut and good grip on handle. The long curved blade is great for old fruit trees.

Easy to use: lllll Versatility: lllll Overall quality: lllll

Spear & Jackson razorsharp garden saw Draper expert heavy duty bypass secateur The enclosed gear mechanism seems to work quite well, and some people might find them comfortable, but these secateurs are probably not as useful as the Samurai KS-4T. Easy to use: lllll Versatility: lllll Overall quality: lllll

Ergonomic, with push/pull action and rigid blade. Excellent at cutting through thick branches quickly and painlessly.

Easy to use: lllll Versatility: lllll Overall quality: lllll

Spear & Jackson razorsharp 4.5lb felling axe Good design and well made. Sturdy, nicely balanced and cuts well.

Easy to use: lllll Versatility: lllll Overall quality: lllll

Samurai sheathed straight saw JS-300-H Very sharp blade, smooth cut, and good grip on the handle. However, a shorter blade might be better for work in confined spaces.

Easy to use: lllll Versatility: llll Overall quality: lllll 40 Tree News Autumn/Winter 2012

How to…

How to plant a tree Autumn/Winter is tree-planting season.

Nick Dunn shares his top tips for planting success

Samurai pruning shears KS-4T Sharp cut. The handle has a good grip and is ergonomically shaped. Spare blades are available and are easy to replace.

Easy to use: lllll Versatility: lllll Overall quality: lllll

Samurai pruning shears KS-55C (snips)

1. Dig Mark out the diameter of the hole – it should be at least twice as big as the pot or tree. If you’re planting in grass, remove the turf entirely. Dig the hole to a depth that allows the root to be one or two inches below final soil level, and ensure the bottom of the hole is well broken up and raised in the middle. In very heavy soil the edge of the hole should be scoured with a fork. Knock in a post for support.

2. Prepare Water your container-grown trees before planting. For bare root trees, root pruning is acceptable in dormant season. If roots are dry, soak for up to two hours before planting. Root pruning before soaking increases the uptake of water into the tree more effectively.

3. Plant Tease out the roots of the container-grown trees and add a handful of bone meal on the dug-out soil before backfilling, adding compost if that soil is very heavy.

Firm soil gently at the halfway stage for container-grown trees, and firmly for bare root trees. Make sure all the soil is used to produce a raised area, and leave as a loose tilth to sink on its own.

4. Protect Apply a suitable tree tie and fix to the post or place above a lower branch. Spiral guards are an option but will need to be removed once a year to inspect the tree trunk. Wire guards are more effective and one can see the tree trunk at all times. Bend the guard round the tree and fix at two points, leaving ragged edges around the top to deter rabbits and hares.

Planting advice reproduced from Nick Dunn’s book Trees for Your Garden, The Tree Council, 2010, £14.99

Useful for light cutting and easy and comfortable to use, particularly for small-handed people.

Easy to use: lllll Versatility: lllll Overall quality: lllll

Spear & Jackson razorsharp HD forged bypass secateurs Cut well and easy to use, but the safety catch is rather fiddly.

Easy to use: lllll Versatility: lllll Overall quality: lllll

Successfully planting a tree in your own garden takes care and attention, but the results can be rewarding Autumn/Winter 2012 Tree News 41

out and ABOUT

Dazzling autumn walks Explore the great outdoors in the UK’s finest woods and forests Carrigan Forest, Fermanagh, Northern Ireland

RACHEL BECKLEY

A window into the past Need to know

Chapel ruins in Castle Caldwell Forest Park, County Fermanagh, part of the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark

Step into history and discover some of the finest natural landscapes in Northern Ireland. Carrigan Forest is part of the world-famous Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark, which is located between the mountainous uplands and gentle lowlands of Fermanagh and Cavan. The caves provide a window into the archaeology, history and folklore of the area stretching back some 650 million years.

However, this region is not just popular for its historic roots. The Lough Formal Walk through Carrigan Forest also offers up sweeping views and rich wildlife.

This five-mile walk is almost entirely on forest tracks, and also features a short path through the heather to the summit of Formal More. From the 42 Tree News Autumn/Winter 2012

car park, follow the black route as indicated by the way-marked posts. You will head west onto a track that winds through the corridors of the forest, opening up near Lough Formal.

Benches are provided to rest for a moment and let the wildlife come to you.

You will then proceed along the shores of the lough and up Formal More. You will be wellrewarded for the short climb, with beautiful views towards Lough Melvin, Donegal Bay and Cuilcagh Mountain. Retracing your steps, the next section of the walk traces the Roogagh River deep in the forest.

This walk is very popular with locals, who come here to enjoy the mountain air and the peace and quiet.

Opening times: All year round (please note that this is a working forest environment, so may be subject to diversions and closures from time to time.)

Facilities: Information panel and car parking available.

Nearest amenities in the town of Derrygonnelly.

Getting there: For public transport in Northern Ireland – including Belfast to Derrygonnelly – visit www.translink.co.uk By road from Enniskillen, follow the signs to Derrygonnelly and turn left at the end of the main street. Take the Garrison Road via Knockmore and drive into the hills.

Approximately 10km from Derrygonnelly, take the lane on the right signed for Big Dog Car Park.

From Belcoo, take the Garrison Road. After approximately 11km turn right at the Cashel Cross Roads. Continue along the country lane, and after 8km take the lane on the left signposted for Big Dog Car Park.

Access: Wheelchair access is not possible due to path gradients. The walk contains steps, gullies, fences and streams, with severe gradients in places.

There are rest areas and way-finding markers along the way.

Further information: Tel: 028 9030 3930 Email: info@walkni.com Visit: www.walkni.com/ Walk.aspx?ID=618

The fossilised tree stump in the grounds of St Thomas' Church is over 300 million years old

We want your walks!

Tree News would like to hear about your favourite woodland walks. Please email your review and photos to info@treecouncil.org.uk All submissions will go into a prize draw to win one of three copies of Heritage Trees Wales

Stanhope Dene, Durham

Need to know

alamy

A golden riot The market town of Stanhope in Weardale, County Durham, offers a lovely woodland walk with a touch of the prehistoric.

The imposing Stanhope Hall marks the start of the riverside path that passes through the woodland of Stanhope Dene. The Dene boasts a wonderful collection of trees, including beech, oak and birch.

The woods are nice to visit at any time of year but really come into their own during the autumn months, especially late October and early November.

At this time of the year the woods explode into a riot of golden and bronze colours, with the forest floor covered in a carpet of crispy fallen leaves and nut casings. The path through the woods can be narrow and slippery in places, so tread carefully.

For all its tranquil beauty, the area was once a hive of industrial activity. The remains of old lead mines and quarry activity can still be found in and around the woodland. Now the only sounds that can be heard are birdsong, the river and the gentle rustling of trees blowing in the wind.

No visit to Stanhope is complete without viewing the fossilised tree stump in the grounds of St Thomas’ Church, overlooking the Market Place.

The tree originally grew around 320 million years ago during the Carboniferous Period in a forest north of Stanhope. As the tree decayed, the wood and sap was replaced by ganister, a type of sandstone which is made up of a hard, fine-grained

Stanhope Dene Woods are particularly picturesque in the autumn

silicon dioxide. The ganister formed a perfect reproduction of the tree, which is of the genus Sigillaria, a Carboniferous ancestor of modern clubmosses. Today, clubmosses are small mountain plants, only a few centimetres high, but in the tropical swamps of the Carboniferous Period they grew into 30-metre high giants. The fossil tree was reassembled from large pieces and transported to Stanhope in 1964. Combining history and outstanding natural beauty, this is an enchanting autumn walk.

Thanks to reader Stuart Meikle for contributing this walk. If you would like to let Tree News readers know about your own favourite rambles, please email your review and photos to: info@treecouncil.org.uk

Opening times: All year round.

Facilities: The Durham Dales Visitor Centre is located in Stanhope. Includes free parking, gift shops, tourist advice, cafe and toilets.

Getting there: Stanhope is located in the upper end of Weardale 20 miles from Durham City along the A689. Durham is well served by public transport, with National Express coach services between London and other major centres, and high-speed National Rail services. From Durham, the Weardale 101 bus service runs to Stanhope, or take the picturesque Weardale Railway.

Access: A designated footpath through the woods.

Further information: Tel: 01388 527650 Email: durham.dales. centre@durham.gov.uk Visit: www.durhamdales centre.co.uk

Autumn/Winter 2012 Tree News 43

The Consulting Arborist SOCIETY

Need a consultant but can’t see the wood for the trees?

CAS Members are accredited for a range of services including: Tree reports for planning applications to BS5837:2005 standard Tree reports for mortgages & insurance Tree inspections (Lantra accredited) Tree valuations Help with Tree Preservation Orders

Want to know more about trees, and a career as a tree consultant?

Looking for technical information on trees, case studies and opinion?

Visit The Consulting Arborist Magazine website now: www.tree-industry-news.com

Expert Witness support

www.consultingarboristsociety.com

More than just a listing site!

book reviews

Between the leaves Melanie Sangwine, photographer and botany enthusiast, reviews two inspirational new publications

Living With the Trees of Life – Towards the Transformation of Tropical Agriculture Roger Leakey, Cabi Publishing, £27.50

A culmination of 30 years of research on tree domestication and agroforestry, Living With the Trees of Life presents common-sense solutions to the issues facing farmers and communities in developing countries. It is suitable for both the student and the practitioner, as well as anyone with an interest in the future of the global food crisis. It is an immensely engaging read, reinforced by Professor Leakey’s appetite for travel, and his deep respect and appreciation for the unique cultures and traditions that he encountered along his journey.

The author’s vision for the future is an ambitious one, but he provides compelling evidence that ‘if we put our minds to it, a better world, a new Eden, could be around the corner’. The challenges facing our global society are by no means easily resolved, but Leakey’s humble yet optimistic voice advocates an interdisciplinary and holistic approach towards a sustainable future for humanity.

Photographing Trees Edward Parker, Kew Publishing, £18

In Photographing Trees, renowned wildlife photographer Edward Parker proves that there is more to photography than just expensive equipment.

With an egalitarian voice, Parker shares his technical expertise and contagious enthusiasm for the natural world.

The book is divided into three main sections: how to improve your photographs, how to take control of your camera and how to photograph trees. Parker willingly shares his accumulated knowledge in these three sections, with additional ‘expert tips’ interspersed throughout the book, where even more details on photographing trees can be found.

In the first section of the book, Parker summarises how the brain interprets an image and how to use this understanding to produce accomplished photographs with the most modest of equipment: through better composition, subtleties of light, and a conscious use of foreground and background.

In the second section, Parker explains techniques on how to control your images through a better understanding of your camera’s functions: aperture, shutter speed, exposure, image quality and the use of a flash or a tripod. The author also outlines more advanced techniques, such as macro, fill flash and night photography. In addition, each of the book's 120 colour photographs are accompanied by a descriptive caption and technical details.

In the third and final section of the book, Parker focuses on the decision-making process behind photographing his subject – trees. Full of charming anecdotes, which add another dimension to the book, the author provides insight into the commitment, tenacity, enthusiasm and patience required to produce many of the beautiful photographs displayed in the book – not to mention the need for a good set of waterproofs.

Not only is Photographing Trees a practical guide to improving your own photography skills across numerous photographic disciplines, it is also a personal account of one man’s career and experiences of connecting to the natural world through the medium of photography.

Autumn/Winter 2012 Tree News 45

FINAL WORDS/FELIX DENNIS

The Weeds Of Warwickshire

Their rotting bones lie scattered in each hedge; I leant on one today and drank some beer, Attentive to each rough leaf’s double edge While conjuring the shade of what stood here...

Before the beetle plied its lethal trade, When pestilence rained down in deadly tide And one by one, those giants on parade, Succumbed to their peculiar suicide.

Armadas in full sail, fair emerald fleets, The inshore squadron’s glorious men-of-war, Tall sentinels of shaded village streets, Of warded pasture, hedge and cottage door.

The Weeds of Warwickshire they called them once, And shall again as centuries slide by, These colonies of rotting stools and stumps Will succour saplings blotting out the sky.

Man’s span is short— his tribal lore truncate, Yet ulmus minor flourishes below; Within the dark, elm’s patient roots await The passing of her parasitic foe.

Taken from Felix Dennis’s latest collection of poems, Tales From The Woods, £9.99 (Ebury Press).

Illustration by Bill Sanderson

To tree lovers, the onset of Dutch elm disease was a catastrophe. For elm trees, I suspect, it is a minor irritation, to be endured for a few decades. Elms are alive and well, flourishing even. It’s just that we can’t see them, except as untidy shoots emerging

46 Tree News Autumn/Winter 2012

from felled boles, ‘testing the water’, so to speak, for parent roots safe in the sanctuary of the soil. So did they commit a form of ‘peculiar suicide’ to combat this latest invasion? Arboriculturists will swiftly discount the notion as anthropomorphic nonsense.

But can it be denied that neither beetle nor pupae nor the disease they carry definitively kill elms?

Or that elms shut down their own sap systems to retreat underground? Just as they have done, we may surmise, in cycle after cycle for millennia.

Field and Container grown semi-mature and specimen stock Trees, shrubs and instant hedging

Deepdale Trees Limited * Tithe Farm * Hatley Road * Potton * Sandy * Beds SG19 2DX www.deepdale-trees.co.uk T: 01767 262636 F: 01767 262288 mail@deepdale-trees.co.uk