Thousands of saplings taken from elms that survived the disease in the late 1960s and 1970s will be planted by his charity in the hope that a new generation of disease-resistant elms will re-establish one of the nation’s best-loved trees.
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The University of Leicester’s Harold Martin Botanic Garden has opened its eighth annual outdoor exhibition of sculpture.
Members of the public were able to watch Derby sculptor Laura Ellen Bacon as she created a new work yesterday (28 June) at the garden in Oadby, Leicestershire.
The event, entitled Celebrating British Sculpture, runs until 27 September.
The work of Laura Ellen Bacon focuses on sculptural, tactile forms and during the demonstration at the botanic garden she worked with the natural curve in willow to create a structure called Fallen Form.
Exhibiting firms saw an upturn in fortunes at this year’s Arboricultural Association’s (AA’s) Arborists’ Trade Fair.
The opening day (26 June) was marked by rain but more than 1,200 visitors flocked through the gates to attend the show at the Bathurst Estate in Cirencester.
AA director Nick Eden said it had been a hugely positive event. “The right people came,” he explained.
Exhibitors – which included sponsor Stihl as well GreenMech and Schliesling UK & Ireland – reported improvements on last year’s show.
In addition, television comedians Paddy McGuinness and Rory McGrath attended the fair as part of their show The Great British Adventure
A 54-year-old tree officer has become the 500th person to pass the Royal Forestry Society certificate in arboriculture.
George Findlay, who works for East Lothian Council, has worked with trees since leaving school but took a mid-career break before returning to the sector.
“The council asked if I wanted to take the course, and I’m delighted I did. It taught why certain practices are carried out and why some are no longer acceptable.”
The level-two “craftsman” exam included theory and practical tests certified by the National Proficiency Tests Council.
RFS chief executive Dr John Jackson said: “The RFS certificate in arboriculture is designed to meet the needs of today’s woodsmen.
“The course delivers a broad base of skills and is recognised as a certificate of competence by local authorities and many other organisations.
“It is suitable not just for those starting a career in forestry but also for people looking to update skills or to retrain.”
Compulsory modules included care of chainsaws; felling small trees and brushwood chippers. Optional modules included specialist pruning and stump grinding.
Organisers of this year’s Arborists’ Trade Fair say it will have more of a focus on “green-waste solutions”.
Arboricultural Association director Nick Eden said: “People are not just looking for woodchippers. They also want log splitters and mobile saw mills. There’s an awareness that too much material is simply being wasted.”
Perry Plant Hire is promoting BGU machinery from Germany. This machinery can be used for producing kindling wood as well as shredding and bundling wood. Hardmet is also showing ranges of towable chipping and shredding machines, while GreenMech is also featuring a range of tracked chippers and shredders.
Because of high fuel costs, there is obviously more interest in using arboricultural arisings for fuel. Boomeco Biomass will be promoting its services, selling green waste to the biomass and amenity markets. The firm claims that it can boost the profits of arborists by paying money for their waste products.