To advance the science of arboriculture for the public benefit

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

 The Arboricultural Association, which was founded in 1964, is the leading body in the UK for the amenity tree care professional in either civic or commercial employment at craft, technical, supervisory, managerial or consultancy level.  There are currently over 2,000 members of the Arboricultural Association in a variety of membership classes.

 The objective of the Arboricultural Association is:

 “to advance the science of Arboriculture for the public benefit”

 and that objective is met in a number of ways, particularly through the holding of seminars and conferences and by the marketing and distribution of a range of publications dealing with tree care, for example both a quarterly Newsletter and Arboricultural Journal and suites of other publications such as booklets, leaflets, Guidance Notes, Standard Conditions of Contract and News Releases.

 The Association publishes two up-dated national Directories each year, the Directory of Approved Contractors and the Directory of Registered Consultants, the named individuals in the Directory of Approved Contractors have undergone a rigorous examination of a wide range of their craft and technical skills combined with a detailed check of the resources available to them.

 For inclusion in the Directory of Registered Consultants the named individual must display a fully rounded knowledge of arboriculture and an intelligent application of that knowledge.  The assessment is in two stages, in the first a series of the candidates reports are studied by the two assessors; they are looking for clarity and an ability to sustain a logical argument in a well-structured report.  In the second stage of the assessment the candidate sits an oral examination which is designed to fully test his arboricultural knowledge.

 The Association stages a three-day Conference each September, delegates, speakers and guests come from all over the world to this premiere event.  Each day of the Conference tends to concentrate on a particular theme of interest to a core group of the Association membership, for example the Local Authority Officer, the commercial contractor or those involved in arboricultural education.

 Throughout the year the Association organises one-day seminars or workshops on arboricultural themes, the target audiences for such events may be quite distinct from Association members.  For example a previous seminar entitled “Quality Street” was promoted amongst landscape designers and specifiers, planners urban designers and town centre managers, whilst another one entitles “Delivering Diversity” was actively promoted amongst designers, specifiers and managers.

 Seminars may be organised centrally from Ampfield House or by any group of members of the Association, for example a regional branch of which there are nine or a Committee.  Seminars may be organised by the Association alone or in co-operation with any other organisation, such as the Institute of Chartered Foresters or the Landscape Institute.

The Association promotes itself in the media and by exhibiting at national, regional and local events such as the Chelsea Flower Show or in the foyer of a Branch seminar.  We have our own Newsletter published four times a year and we try to place stories of interest in the trade press, local and national newspapers and radio programmes.  We are sometimes able to provide names of speakers or spokespeople to respond to particular arboricultural questions for the media, newspapers, radio or television.

 The Association’s Continuing Professional Development scheme is compulsory for Fellows, 50 qualifying hours are required over a two-year period.  Associate members, the tier below Fellow, may take part in the CPD scheme if they choose; this is to encourage Associates who aspire to Fellowship.  The Arboricultural Association offers its own Technician’s Certificate, which is recognised by the DfEE.  The leading arboricultural qualification is the Professional Diploma in Arboriculture.  Members of the Association are actively involved in helping develop and refine university arboriculture degree programmes, and latterly postgraduate qualifications (Advanced Diploma and MSc).

 The affairs of the Association are administrated by a variety of standing Committees, consisting of democratically elected members of the Association serve on each Committee.  Members of the Association can nominate themselves for election (for a four-year term) to any committee; each committee can co-opt as required.  The meeting of Branch Officers is the Association’s formal link with its wider membership with an interest in arboriculture.  The policy making body of the Association is the Executive Council; the Chair of each committee sits on Executive Council together with the national officers (the current Chairman, Chairman-Elect, Vice Chairman, immediate Past Chairman and Treasurer).

 The day to day running of the Association is managed by the Executive Manager, the Administrative and Financial Officers, all posts full-time, all based at Ampfield House near Romsey in Hampshire.  The fourth employee of the Association is the Technical Director who would generally expect to spend part of the week at the central office.  The Technical Director and Administration and Financial Officers report to the Executive Manager who in turn reports to the National Chairman, an officer elected by the membership for a one year term at the AGM in September.

 The interests of the Association are championed locally by Branches, the local Branch Committee will stage seminars, evening meetings or field visits of local, regional or national interest.

 The Arboricultural Association is represented on a number of national bodies including the Tree Council, the British Standards Institution, The Forestry and Arboriculture Safety and Training Council, the Joint Council for Landscape Industries and the committee for Plant Supply and Establishment.  It has also developed a good working relationship with central government, notably the Department of the Environment Transport and the Regions, and is consulted on proposals for new or revised legislation and other matters, which might have an influence on amenity trees.  In addition, the expertise and experience of the Association’s members is called upon by Government and other bodies to provide practical advice on matters affecting trees to ensure they receive adequate advice on publications such as:  BS 3998 Recommendations for Tree Works, BS 5837 Guide for Trees in Relation to Construction, Tree Preservation Orders:  A guide to the Law and Good Practice (published by the Do E), Guidelines for the planning, Installation and Maintenance of Utility Services in Proximity to Trees (published by NJUG) and the Loss Prevention Council’s Report LPR3: 1995 Property Subject to Structural Movement: Guidelines on the Assessment of Cracks and the Institution of Structural Engineers guide to Subsidence of low rise buildings.

THE HISTORY OF THE ASSOCIATION

In 1964 a group of local government horticulturists and forestry officers, dismayed at the increasingly rapid erosion of the amenity trees in the landscape, formed the Arboricultural Association. These people also recognised that standards of tree care and management were very low.

At the same time as the Arboricultural Association was formed a group of equally concerned commercial tree surgeons established the Association of British Tree Surgeons and Arborists. Ten years later the two organisations amalgamated to provide comprehensive representation of local government, commercial and lay interests. This is the Arboricultural Association of today.

Some of the notable areas in which the Association has influenced include positive support for the development of Tree Preservation Order and Conservation Area legislation, (Town and County Planning Acts); and the establishment of education courses in both tree surgery and arboriculture.

The Association has created professional standards of conduct and acceptable levels of workmanship and assessments leading to listing in the Association's Directories of Registered Consultants and Approved Contractors. This is combined with promotion of safe working practices and encouraging research into and the sale of equipment suitable for the work of practitioners.

The Association presents the Arboricultural Association Award, an annual prestigious Award for services to arboriculture.

Furthermore the Association has sought to liaise and co-operate with other kindred organisations in the interests of improving the landscape tree cover of Britain.

The progress of the Arboricultural Association would not be possible without the dedication and enthusiasm of its Officers, Editors, Committees, Branches, and its members, whose work is co-ordinated by an Executive Manager, Administrative Officer, Finance Officer and one Technical Director from its Central Office in Hampshire.