LTOA carried out a survey of Plane trees in 2014 looking for Ceratocystis platani

On behalf of the Forestry Commission, the London Tree Officers' Association (LTOA) surveyed 2,979 London plane trees (Platanus x acerifolia) in 2014 for symptoms of C. platani. Inspections were undertaken at 53 sites across 28 London boroughs. More than half of the sites surveyed included potential hosts planted during the past 10 years, and the sites ranged in size from a minimum of 20 to, in some cases, more than 200 trees. No positive findings of C. platani were detected in any of the trees inspected.

For more information please see this link http://www.forestry.gov.uk/planetreethreats.

London Tree Officers Association seminar 15 December 2015

Agenda

1.15pm         Welcome from LTOA Chair and a word from our sponsor Gristwood and Toms

1.25pm         Gianmichele Cirulli, Argronomist, Green Space and Tree Heritage Department, Turin Municipality, Italy. “Plane Wilt in Turin: history and strategies around an endemic disease”

2.25pm         Questions

2.55pm         Afternoon tea with scones and cakes

3.25am         Iben Margrete Thomsen, Senior Advisor, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. “Urban ash dieback – the Copenhagen experience. What are the implications for future management of ash in London?”

4.25pm         Questions

4.55pm         Finish and down to local pub, the Skinners Arms, Judd Street for LTOA Christmas drinks. We have the section at the back of the pub reserved.

Thank you to Scott Farens of City Suburban for sponsoring the travel and accommodation cost for our European speakers and to LB Camden for hosting the meeting also to Gristwood and Toms for providing the refreshments.

This seminar is for members only.

​Resilient Woodlands: Meeting the Challenge 1 October 2015

The event in Birmingham brings together a unique line up of experts to discuss the questions which impact on all woodland owners and managers, and on everyone who loves or is involved in woodlands – what should we all be doing to ensure our woodlands are resilient to the threat of environmental change?

Full details of the conference, the speakers and how to book are attached, or go to www.rfs.org.uk and follow the conference links. Please circulate the attached to colleagues/members and anyone else you feel would be interested. The conference counts towards CPD for a number of organisations, and  places are limited, so book early!

RFS President Sophie Churchill and The Woodland Trust CEO, Beccy Speight will be chairing the day.

Speakers are: Resilient Landscapes - Mike Townsend, Woodland Trust; Ecological Resilience in Woodlands -  Duncan Stone, Scottish Natural Heritage; Making Woodlands Pay - Graham Taylor, Pryor and Rickett Silviculture; Resilience: a research perspective - Professor Rob MacKenzie , BIFoR; Forest Resilience and Climate Change - Jonathan Spencer, Forestry Commission; Resilience in Living Landscapes - Stephen Trotter, the Wildlife Trusts; Natural Capital - Professor  Dieter Helm, Chairman of Natural Capital Committee (by video); Marketing your Woodland: innovations in wood product markets - Jez Ralph, Timber Strategies; Are pine martens the answer to grey squirrel control? - Dr Tom Tew, Chief Executive Environment Bank and Chairman of Vincent Wildlife Trust; A Practical Guide to taking Action on Resilience - Dr Gabriel Hemery, Sylva Foundation.

We look forward to seeing you there

Simon Lloyd                                                               Beccy Speight

Chief Executive,                                                        Chief Executive Officer

Royal Forestry Society                                              The Woodland Trust

LTOA members visit Thames Chase Community Forest on 11 August 2015

A dozen or so members assembled at the Thames Chase information centre for what proved to be an informative and inspiring day. In an introductory session indoors we were fortunate to have Jim Lyon, Forestry Management Director for the East of England, to give us an overview of the vision behind the creation of the park, and how it had been sustained, despite the catastrophic changes to local authority finances, through the creation of the Thames Chase Trust and with support from the Forestry Commission. This was followed by a more detailed look at the running of the park and the use made of it from Jenny Austin, the Trust Manager.

Before lunch in the café we were then taken on a short walk. What made the greatest impression here was the sheer number of visitors using the area, clearly enjoying their days out, and how the dense forestry style planting had created a new landscape on what had been an entirely open site before its restoration.

In the afternoon we were taken a little further afield to see a couple of nearby restoration projects with Yianni Andrews and Jenny Austin​, one on the edge of the built up area, and with substantial investment to increase its capacity for recreational use, and another site which was more simply and economically designed and planted. We were able to see the progress in the design of the woodland blocks, and also the impact of the degree of restoration of the land on tree growth.

It was an excellent day useful not so much for specific lessons to be taken away on the style of planting etc., but memorable for the determination of those involved to put a vision into practice, and not to allow that vision to be abandoned. It was particularly interesting to hear the thoughts of Jim Lyon, and we are indebted to his friendship with Richard Edwards that he found time for us.

Chris Neilan

Principal Officer - Trees & Landscape Strategy - Epping Forest District Council