Organised by the great Suffolk Tree Warden network, with the great Alan Miller – what a combie – and based at the magical Hall farm of the Jellicoe’s in Wenhaston.
“Valuing and Managing Veteran Trees” course with Helen Read from the Ancient Tree Forum (whose family happen to come from Thrandeston). Also part of VETree (European Funded)
We were a small group, fascinating to exchange, and meet fellow tree wardens.
Ancient Tree: An ancient tree is one that has been allowed to grow old and with great age comes great habitats for wildlife. It is in the third and final stage of its life, which is not the end of the line – even though they are in the process of dieback and decay, it may go on for a long time. Typically they have wide trunks, which will likely be hollow. It could be an old coppice or pollard, which are some of the oldest trees and impossible to date through girth. Like humans, trees shrink with age so they may have a small canopy.
Veteran Tree: A veteran tree has features associated with advanced age (for its species), having the connotation of a ‘battle-scarred survivor’. As such a veteran tree has features which increase its value as habitat for wildlife (dead wood, cavities etc.) irrespective of its chronological age.
Characteristics of a VETERAN tree
- Landscape evidence maps
- Size, growth, volume
- historic pruning, scars,
- resiliance
- decay and deadwood, hollowing
- A tree of interest, biologically, culturally, aesthetically
- Sweden: A tree worthy of protection
We looked at the structure of a tree through it’s age. Like a human it diminishes in hight and widens in girth. Nice image of the King trunk, and then the king loosing his head.
Richness of a veteran tree as a living eco system
- Fungi/Lichen (brown eg chicken in the wood, and white rot
- Vertebrates and invetebrates
- Birds and bees
Roots – more like a wine glass, spread far larger than the top. 15 x the trunk or 5 meters out.
Management:
- do we need to do anything?
- retrenchment
- Light space
Surveying
Kaliwood 