Welcome to the LTOA website. The London Tree Officers Association (LTOA) constitutes the professional & technical voice for London's trees & woodlands. Its aim is to enhance the management of the Capital's trees.
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It is not often that local authority Tree Officers have the opportunity to engage with the decision makers of tomorrow and with that in mind, I pumped up my tyres, applied a liberal amount of chain lube and jumped aboard my trusty 30 year old Peugeot bike to aid Fund4Trees (F4T) to deliver their Young Tree Maintenance (YTM) workshops to primary school children, a local community group and even dog walkers.
A fine sunny day greeted ten likeminded tree professionals riding from the Greater London Authority (GLA) offices at Tower Bridge down through Southwark towards Camberwell Cemetery: the first our three YTM workshops. Each comprised a quick warm up encompassing exercises derived from Qi Gong and based on the tree biomechanics of Messrs Mattheck and Breloer. The resultant ‘Tree Gong’ introduced concepts such as lever-arm mechanics, growth stresses, compression and tension and bending moments by way of a gentle body-stretch and warm-up.
This was followed by a interactive presentation on the importance of urban trees, what they do and how they grow. Engagement was not solely academic though and we soon got started with workshop demonstrations on formative pruning, re-staking, mulching, watering, clearing weeds and competition (grasses) from the base of the trees. This was a first for Fund4Trees not involving tree planting but with the focus on the need for aftercare so often neglected and frequently resulting in moribund/or dead trees.
A short coffee-stop at Peckham Rye’s Cafe in the Park and we were back in the saddle again on our way to the community Meath Gardens in Tower Hamlets. Here we were joined by an eager gang of local community minded individuals to irrigate trees using local canal water extracted using buckets and wheeled carts. It was great to see Ben Connor, (GLA Senior Policy and Programmes Officer – Green Infrastructure) help with the watering.
The next cycle route was by far the most enjoyable, taking in a section of the canal towards Hackney; passing locks, houseboats and fellow keen cyclists along the way.
Next stop, lunch. Deferring to my esteemed colleague from Southwark, Oliver Stutter, we dismounted at a Basque Restaurant and tucked into ‘fish and bread’, burgers and chicken.
Fully fed and watered we resumed our ride for the YTM workshop at London Fields (Hackney). With an amazing set-up by Rupert Bentley-Walls with a tree contractor (N. Parkin Tree Specialists): kitted for a live chainsaw and a chipper demonstration. It was very rewarding to see a large group of pupils from Gayhurst Community School totally engaged in the Tree Gong warm-up, hand-on YTM activities and the value of trees Q&A sessions. I truly feel we have recruited thirty new young tree wardens to help with maintaining and protecting London’s trees. If anything, their excitement and motivation was infectious: reward enough for a most enjoyable day.
At the end of this 12 mile bike ride, of course there was one final duty, a quick imbibe at a local pub before heading our separate ways.
Mick Boddy (F4T Trustee) “This was a first for our charity not involving tree planting but with the focus on the need for aftercare so often neglected and frequently resulting in moribund/or dead trees. The school children were fully engaged with our YTM workshop and success rates relating to aftercare is a key focus within the F4T Five-Year Research Strategy”.
Liam Bullen
Graduate Planner-TPO Surveyor
London Borough of Southwark
Agenda
9.30am Tea and coffee
10.00am Welcome from Andy Tipping, LTOA Vice Chair along with a word from our sponsors Advanced Tree Services
10.10am Dr Mark Johnston, Independent scholar: arboriculture, landscape and urban forestry, “Street Trees in Britain: A History”
10.55am Questions
11am Brian Crane, Brian G Crane & Associates, “A case study showing the application of modern urban forestry principles and thinking in research leading to the preparation of an urban tree strategy”
11.45am Questions
11.50am Tea and coffee
12.10pm Professor Amir Alani, Dr Fabio Tosti, Dr Iraklis Giannakis, Professor Francesco Soldovieri, University of West London, “Recent advancements and development in the health monitoring and assessment of trees (tree trunks and tree roots and soil interaction)”
12.55pm Questions
1pm Lunch in local pub sponsored by Advanced Tree Services
Thank you to Dale Mortimer, LB Ealing and Professor Amir Alani, The University of West London for hosting and for providing tea, coffee and biscuits. And thank you to Advanced Tree Services for sponsoring the lunch.
The 2019 National Tree Officers Conference Programme is now live. We are looking forward to hearing from our International Speaker Gian Michele Cirulli , Urban Tree Manager from the City of Turin, Italy.
To look at the programme and book your ticket https://www.charteredforesters.org/event/national-tree-officers-conference-2019/
Urban tree benefits – notably for air quality across our Capital city – are becoming increasingly recognised. To secure these benefits, tree planting projects are well supported. In establishing trees, however, planting is only part of the story. As important is aftercare so trees can become independent and established in the landscape. All too frequently newly-planted trees are left drought-stressed, constricted by tree-ties and the victim of strimmer and mower damage. Consequently, their survival and long-term health can be at risk and hence their potential benefits may never be realised.
Our YTM ride aims to celebrate and promote aftercare best-practice by visiting a community garden including a public park and cemetery. Via group-led workshop sessions with community groups and local school children riders will carry out watering, tree-pit mulching, de-staking and formative pruning.
This approx. 12-14 mile bike ride will visit:
All monies raised will go to the Fund4Trees five-year Research Strategy https://fund4trees.org.uk/research-strategy/
For ride information and sponsorship details please contact
Russell Ball
Mobile: 0788 44 26671
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.