Managing Veteran fruit trees

Chair – Helen Read

Helen’s doctorate thesis was on woodland invertebrates and for over 30 years she has been the Conservation Officer for the City of London Corporation based at Burnham Beeches. Managing the ancient pollarded beech trees there led to an interest in the management of pollards and veteran tree in general. She has also worked for the Ancient Tree Forum on the VETree and VETcert projects and currently sits on the ATF Technical Advisory Panel. Helen provides a link between the ATF and Orchard Network, having gained an interest in fruit trees through making a video on managing veteran fruit trees for the VETree project and through her father who has planted an extensive orchard.

Simeon Day

Simeon joined FWAG SW in February 2021 and has worked in the countryside management industry for over 25 years where his roles have taken him from tree surgery in Australia to installing forest school facilities in the South West, via managing Nature Reserves, orchards, hedgerows and veteran trees and leading team building events that deliver practical conservation projects for charities across the UK.

Drawing on his strong arboriculture background and experience, as Regional Hedgerow, Orchard and Agroforestry Specialist, Simeon provides advice and training across the region to advisers, farmers and organisations on the planting and management of trees outside of woodlands. He leads the FWAG SW Tree Team.

Simeon is Chair of Orchards Live, a membership organisation working to save and replant traditional orchards and local apple varieties in Devon.

Martin Hayes

Martin has worked in orchards for 50 years, split evenly between commercial and, latterly, traditional. He advises organisations such as Councils, The National Trust, FWAG and the Wildlife Trusts. Martin also runs workshops and gives talks on planting and maintaining orchards.

Reg Harris

Reg Harris has been an arborist for nearly 40 years. For the last 25 years he has specialised in working on ancient and veteran trees at a number well known sites around the UK, including Hatfield Forest in Essex and Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire. His practical experience gained from this type of work has influenced and crossed over into his understanding and pruning of traditional fruit trees.