Fund4Trees: grants and bursaries available

Are you looking for research funding in 2015? Can Fund4Trees help?

Since 2011, Fund4Trees (F4T) has raised substantial funds and our focus is to allocate the money to innovative, practice-based grants and bursaries (see application details in box below).

To date F4T has part funded a high-powered microscope for Forest Research to better investigate acute oak decline and has contributed to the Trees & Design Action Group’s publication Trees in the Townscape: A Guide for Decision Makers. We will consider projects big and small for funding, as long as they meet F4T’s charitable objectives, which are to support sustainable treescapes by:

1. promoting for the benefit of the public the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment by promoting sustainable treescapes.

2. advancing the education of the public in the conservation, protection and improvement of trees in the physical and natural environment.

3. advancing research for the public benefit in all aspects of trees and to publish the useful results.

Fund4Trees is modelled on the Stihl Tour de Trees (stihltourdestrees.org) and was established in 2011 to organise fundraising events within the UK to raise money for UK-based urban tree research/best practice. Since that time a number of successful sponsored city bike rides have been organised – for example, in London, Birmingham and Glasgow – with well over 100 riders.

Fund4Trees is managed by a Board of Trustees with an independent Research Advisory Committee (RAC). The committee’s role is to evaluate the scientific merit of research proposals/bursaries and to advise the Board in regard to its funding. The RAC comprises a mix of research specialists and practitioners – Jon Banks, Jeremy Barrell, Roland Ennos, Gabriel Hemery, Jon Heuch and David Lonsdale. Jon Banks is the newest member of the team: he is the plant diagnostician for the Bartlett Tree Expert Company Ltd, has been involved in Bartlett research at the University of Reading since 2010 and is a member of the London Tree Officers’ Association’s Biosecurity Working Party.

“Arborists this is our industry and we look forward to your grant and bursary submissions so that Fund4Trees monies can be directed at worthwhile best-practice projects to enhance arboriculture within the UK”.

Grants and Bursaries

Fund4Trees offers research grants of £5,000 and bursaries of £500. Consideration will be given to all applications from those working in the arboricultural and forestry sectors.

For more information about how to apply, visit http://fund4trees.org.uk/grants-and-bursaries.

Brighton Elm Study Day

Craig Ruddick, Arboricultural Manager, LB Richmond

In July over sixty delegates from both the London Tree Officer Association (LTOA) and Arboricultural Association took the trip to Brighton to take part in an elmstudy day.  The day provided a fantastic opportunity to not only see the prized National Elm Collection but to also hear from the people who were responsible for safeguarding Brighton’s elms and from those that are continuing to do so. The event was sponsored by David Archer Associates.

Read more: Brighton Elm Study Day

National Tree Officers Conference 2016 - call for papers now open

The first National Tree Officer’s Conference is being organised by the London Tree Officers Association (LTOA) and the Municipal Tree Officers Association (MTOA) and facilitated by the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF). The conference will provide an opportunity for tree officers to present to their colleagues on the latest research, best practice and innovation in different areas of local authority arboricultural work.

The conference will be held on the 9th November 2016, at the Oakengates Theatre, Limes Road, Telford, TF2 6EP (www.theplacetelford.com).  Conference bookings will open later in the year at www.charteredforesters.org/tree-officers-conference

The submission period for abstracts is now open and will close on the 14^th April 2016.

Abstracts are to be a maximum of 500 words and will be considered on a wide range of subjects that are relevant to the remit of a tree/woodland/planning officer. (Abstracts will only be considered from local government (LG)-employed tree officers and woodland officers.) For guidance, the following subject headings are suggested:

• Tree strategies/policy/tree database innovation
• Biosecurity
• Tree risk management
• Case studies – tree projects and or best practice
• Tree related planning and enforcement case studies
• Raising the profile of trees with the LG setting/working effectively with Politicians
• Tree planting
• Working well with the public/tree groups/forums/friends of groups

Abstracts will be reviewed by a selection committee (Russell Horsey MICFor, Matthew Seabrook, Al Smith MICFor, Jake Tibbetts) and selection will be based on overall quality, appropriateness, focus, and the practical nature of material and appeal to a tree officer audience.

Submissions by email to: Becky Porter, London Tree Officers Association This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

National Tree Officers Conference 2016 - call for papers now open

The first National Tree Officer’s Conference is being organised by the London Tree Officers Association (LTOA) and the Municipal Tree Officers Association (MTOA) and facilitated by the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF). The conference will provide an opportunity for tree officers to present to their colleagues on the latest research, best practice and innovation in different areas of local authority arboricultural work.

The conference will be held on the 9th November 2016, at the Oakengates Theatre, Limes Road, Telford, TF2 6EP (www.theplacetelford.com).  Conference bookings will open later in the year at www.charteredforesters.org/tree-officers-conference

The submission period for abstracts in order to do a presentation is now open and will close on the 14^th April 2016.

Abstracts are to be a maximum of 500 words and will be considered on a wide range of subjects that are relevant to the remit of a tree/woodland/planning officer. (Abstracts will only be considered from local government (LG)-employed officers.) You will need to indicate how long your presentation will be, the shortest being 10 minutes and the longest 30 minutes please. For guidance, the following subject headings are suggested:

• Tree strategies/policy/tree database innovation
• Biosecurity
• Tree risk management
• Case studies – tree projects and or best practice
• Tree related planning and enforcement case studies
• Raising the profile of trees with the LG setting/working effectively with Politicians
• Tree planting
• Working well with the public/tree groups/forums/friends of groups

Abstracts will be reviewed by a selection committee (Russell Horsey MICFor, Matthew Seabrook, Al Smith MICFor, Jake Tibbetts) and selection will be based on overall quality, appropriateness, focus, and the practical nature of material and appeal to a tree officer audience.

Submissions by email to: Becky Porter, London Tree Officers Association This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..