National Tree Officers Conference 2018 - Call for Presentations closes 25 May

Building on the success of the last two conferences, the third National Tree Officers Conference is being organised by the London Tree Officers Association (LTOA), the Municipal Tree Officers Association (MTOA) and facilitated by the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF). This is a great opportunity for tree/woodland/planning officers to present to your colleagues on the latest research, best practice and innovation in different areas of local authority arboricultural and urban forestry work. 

The conference will be held on Tuesday the 6^th November 2018, at the Oakengates Theatre, Limes Road, Telford, TF2 6EP. Conference bookings will open later in the year at: www.charteredforesters.org/event/national-tree-officers-conference-2018

The submission period for presentation outlines that could be included at the conference is now open and will close on Friday 25^th May 2018 at 17:00hrs. In order to submit you must be employed by a Local Authority in a trees, woodland or planning role.

Outlines must include the following information:

• Name
• Email
• Presentation topic
• Presentation overview (500 word maximum)
• Time slot required (i.e. 20 minutes)

For guidance, some of the following subjects are suggested:

• Planting & species selection
• Pest & Disease
• Highways engineer engagement
• Contracts
• Green Infrastructure
• Planning conditions
• Ecosystem services
• Tree loss mitigation
• Prosecution & Enforcement
• Tree strategies/policy/tree database innovation

Additional relevant topics may be considered, following review by the selection committee. Presentations will be reviewed by a selection committee (Andy Lederer, ICF; Matthew Seabrook, MTOA; Al Smith, LTOA; Jake Tibbetts, LTOA; Becky Porter, LTOA; Hester McQueen, ICF) and selection will be based on overall quality, appropriateness, focus and the practical nature of material and appeal to the audience. 

We look forward to seeing you at the conference and receiving a wide range of submissions.

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

LTOA seminar on Tuesday 22 May 2018

Hosted by LB Bexley

Agenda

09:30 - Tea and coffee

10:00 - Welcome from John Parker, LTOA Chair

10:05 - Update from Becky Porter, LTOA Executive Officer

10:10 - A word from our sponsors Down to Earth Trees

10:20 - Greg Packman, Arboricultural Assistant, Royal Parks, Identification and Management of Massaria Disease of Plane

11:10 - John Parker, Arboriculture and Landscape Manager, Transport for London, Two new LTOA documents: Ceratocystis – Prevention and Outbreak

11:30 - Questions

11:40 - Tea and coffee

12:00 - Andrew Hoppit, Oak Processionary Moth Project Manager, Forestry Commission, OPM – the current situation and evidence gathering for a risk based approach for future management

1220 - Craig Ruddick, Arboricultural Manager serving Richmond and Wandsworth Councils, Oak Processionary Moth – Managing the pest within a ‘core zone’ London Borough

12:40 - Questions

13:00 - Lunch

Thank you to Mark Taylor, LB Bexley for hosting the meeting and for providing tea, coffee and biscuits and Down to Earth Trees for the lunch.

Visit of a Cambridge, Massachusetts Tree Officer to Croydon

Author: Richard Edwards, Tree and Woodland Officer, LB Croydon

After contacting the London Tree Officers Association (LTOA) David Lefcourt, City Arborist/Tree Warden for Cambridge Massachusetts (home of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology) paid a visit to the London Borough of Croydon. He was here to talk trees and have a tour of Croydon with Richard Edwards and Simon Levy, two of Croydon’s Tree and Woodlands Officers, along with John Parker, Chair of the LTOA.

It was David’s first time in Europe and he was in the London to follow his passion for Football, he had seen three games in the week he was here and commented that he had only seen the sun for about 12 minutes in that time but took time out from his holiday to catch up with fellow tree officers.     

It was interesting to learn the title ‘tree warden’ is used very differently in Massachusetts than it is here. Since 1899, Massachusetts General Law has mandated that all cities and towns in the Commonwealth have a tree warden who is responsible for trees on public property. The tree warden mandate is still in effect today under Massachusetts General Laws; more information can be found at http://masstreewardens.org/what-is-a-tree-warden/ but in effect they are a tree officer.

The day started visiting Elgin Road to view newly-constructed tree pits which have recently been planted with field maple, commonly known as hedge maple in America. It was interesting to learn that in Cambridge the tree pits would be twice as the size of the tree pits that are constructed in Croydon and that their services are located under the road rather than the pavement so they don’t have the same issues that we have in finding locations in the pavement. Also before putting in new pits they will also use stickers on the pavement saying “this is a great place for a tree” so people can show support for the planting.

Read more: Visit of a Cambridge, Massachusetts Tree Officer to Croydon