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Environmental change is impacting Britain’s trees and forests with increasing frequency and severity, caused by human influences and/or natural ecological processes. Somerset owner William Theed replanted with different conifer species when Japanese larch in his woodland was the first in the UK attacked by Phytophthora ramorum. Photo Gabriel Hemery. An important national surveyContinue Reading

environmental consciousness UN COP17 Durban December 2011

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I wrote a year ago about Environmental Consciousness, when I created this image to encourage reflection of our collective responsibility towards the future of mother Earth. The landmark United Nations climate conference at Durban that ended December 9th 2011, reached consensus to start negotiations on a new accord that wouldContinue Reading

Forest of Dean plantation

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In: comment, Our Forests

Planting more of the same ‘native woodlands’ that now litter the English countryside with little more ambition in their creation and management than a membership publicity drive or community engagement excercise, will be regretted long after the PR-masters behind them have past. In their own way, these are as regrettable as the dark satanic rows of conifers that were planted sixty years ago.
If we continue to plant green fuzz across our food-producing fields, with little concern either for the impending need to be more self-sufficient in food production, or for the need to reduce our enormous reliance on timber imports, Britain’s environmental credibility will be increasingly undermined.Continue Reading

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In: arboriculture, feature, forestry, policy, science

Trees in the UK are facing significant threats on two major fronts. The warming climate is making new territories habitable for unwanted pests and pathogens; while our insatiable appetite for the newest or cheapest plants and woody materials, imported via global trade, is making the situation ever worse. Global tradeContinue Reading

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What are the top ten most important priorities facing trees in the 21st Century? Policy is traditionally led by civil servants with the agenda of delivering Government policies.  However, these may not always reflect the views and the vision of the experts and practitioners amongst an industry.  They may alsoContinue Reading