Borough set to host second National Tree Officer conference
Telford & Wrekin Council is gearing up to host the second National Tree Office Conference – with more than 200 delegates expected from across the UK.
The conference will take place at Oakengates Theatre @ The Place on Wednesday 8 November.
It follows on from last year’s successful inaugural conference which took place at the same venue.
Telford was chosen as the host last year because Telford & Wrekin Council’s tree officer Matt Seabrook was the chair of the Municipal Tree Officers’ Association.
It is an opportunity for those who care for the UK’s arboriculture to share best practice, keep up with new initiatives, promote community involvement, discuss safety tips and how enhance the service that a tree officer provides.
Tree officers will also have the opportunity to discuss threats to the country’s woodlands including diseases like ash dieback, xyllela (which is prevalent in olive groves in Spain and Italy) and London plain wilt. Discussions will include what to look for and prevention techniques.
This year’s conference includes a range of presentations and workshops. Highlights include “The Hackney Tree Cycle” by Thomas Campbell of the London Borough of Hackney. Thomas showcases a hands on approach by cycling around his borough with a small saw, cutting back overhanging branches.
There will also be a presentation by Stephen Shields on how housing estates being built in different eras have led to changes to the urban forest.
Telford & Wrekin Council leader Councillor Shaun Davies said: “We are extremely proud to again be hosting the National Tree Officer conference after the huge success of the inaugural event last year.
“This year’s conference has the theme of Promoting Best Practice In Urban Forestry Management and promises to be a fascinating day,
“I think some view Telford and Wrekin as a predominantly urban area but we actually have 15 million trees and 400 hectares of woodland in our beautiful borough.”
The event has a Twitter hashtag: #TreeOfficerUK
A short film about the conference can be viewed here:
