Conference Workshop Sessions

How do we identify the next generation of arboriculturists, including those starting out in employment and those seeking a career change? How do we ensure that these professionals are representative of the communities in which they work? How do we encourage people to join the arboricultural sector, and then support them in developing their career over many years? In this workshop Michelle Ryan (Arboricultural Association and Transport for London) and Luke Fay (Treework Environmental Practice) will share some of our ongoing work and will invite delegates to contribute to this vital discussion.

Join Charles Mynors, barrister and co-author of The law of trees, forests and hedges (Third Edition), to explore current tree work regulations and discuss how the system could be simplified. Charles will deliver a presentation outlining his thoughts, and then delegates will have the opportunity to participate in a discussion session to consider the question – do we need the law anyway?

Reg Harris (Urban Forestry Bury St Edmonds) will be giving guided tours of the Major Oak Gallery Tour. Explore highlights of Reg’s extensive collection of images of this remarkable tree, and find out more about how we can learn a lot about the history of arboriculture through a single specimen.

Following on from their popular workshops at conference in Loughborough in 2022 and a series of articles in ARB Magazine over the last year, Keith Sacre (Barcham Trees) and Ben Coles (Treeconomics) will present their thoughts about the dangers of chasing tree planting targets, and the importance of quality over quantity.

Sika has been specially trained to detect decay fungi on trees, and is used by Ivan Button of Crown Tree Consultancy during his arboricultural surveys. In this workshop, Ivan will describe how he works with Sika and explain some of the amazing possibilities of using dogs in arboriculture. Sika will then be giving an outdoor demonstration of her fungi-finding skills.

If you are considering applying to become a Registered Consultant with the Arboricultural Association, or if you would just like to find out more about how the Scheme works and why it is so important to our sector, then join the Association’s Senior Technical Officer Simon Richmond and some of our Registered Consultants for an in-depth discussion.