On 23rd March I am taking part in a sponsored cycle ride in London to raise awareness of acute oak decline, and to raise money to support research. Please sponsor me to support this important work.
I will be one of up to thirty riders following a circular 15 mile cycling tour to visit three London schools in Brent, Camden & Harrow. In each ‘tarmac-blighted’ school two to three trees (large shade species) will be planted. The school children will be involved in the planting which will be used as an opportunity to promote the importance of urban trees.
“Thanks very much to everyone who is taking part in or sponsoring this Ride for Research. It’s an excellent initiative at a time when our trees are under increasing threat – and when public spending cuts are starting to bite. Acute oak decline (AOD) is just one of several serious tree diseases that have appeared in the UK in recent years. AOD is especially worrying, since it is believed to be caused by bacteria – the kind of organisms that have spread so devastatingly amongst our Horse chestnuts, causing a similar disease.”
“This Ride for Research will help to fund research that can underpin improved control of AOD and other threats. It will, I hope, also promote awareness among everyone who can help to reduce threats to our trees. I include officials and politicians with responsibility for quarantine laws governing international trade in nursery stock (a suspected major source of ‘new’ pests and diseases). I also include members of the public in areas where diseases like AOD are found. And, especially, I hope that all those of us who work with trees will follow the current advice for recognising AOD and for preventing the spread of the bacteria via tools, boots and ‘arisings’. ”
Dr David Lonsdale, Tree Safety Consultant, Writer & Lecturer
I am expected to raise a minimum of £200. Please sponsor me to help raise funds for this important work. You can make a donation online here. Please quote : “Ride for Research – Gabriel Hemery” [very important please!]
Ride for Research is being helped by the Red Trust who are handling the fundraising with their CAF account. Your donation will go even further if you use Gift Aid – just tick the box when you donate.
Please donate here
Please quote: Ride for Research – Gabriel Hemery
More details of the sponsored ride
Date: 23rd March 2011
Objective of the Tour: To raise funds from each bike rider for urban tree research and use the event as an educational vehicle to raise the importance of urban trees directly to school children.
Sponsored Riders: To date 23 are signed up (with a cap of 30 riders): ranging from Tree Officers, Consultants & Contractors. Each rider will be required to raise at least £200.0 each. With 25-30 riders this could raise £5-6k.
How will the monies be used? This first ride in 2011 will focus on Acute Oak Decline (AOD). Sandra Denman, project leader of the AOD project advises that £5,000 could buy in useful equipment that the project currently lacks. Crucially, this equipment could also be used by Forest Research for other projects.
Tour Format: A circular 15 mile (approx.) cycling tour to visit three London schools: in Brent, Camden & Harrow. In each ‘tarmac blighted’ school 2-3 trees (big shade tree species) will be planted. At each school, children will be involved in the planting as a key opportunity to convey the benefits of urban trees.
For more information contact Jean McDermott at the ISA UK/I Chapter office:
Tel. 0121 556 8302 jean@isa-uki.fsnet.co.uk or Russell Ball (russell@arboleuro.co.uk)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial- NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.
Hello and good luck with this. I think I managed to contribute £30 to the cause which gets you up to £200 … but it was not that easy to do (via “Red Trust”?). Anyway, we are particularly interested in if / how the disease jumps hardwood species (Lime, Beech, Chestnut, etc), and whether there is scope for mitigating impact by planting a wider variety of species or creating “islands” in open farmland … so looking forward to results!
Thank you so much Peter for your generosity. I’m beginning to realise what I’ve let myself into now it’s only one week away.
You raise some interesting points about the need to create robust tree resources (e.g. Uneven-aged forests, mixed species, mixed genetics etc.). I will write about this sometime soon.
Thanks again both personally and on behalf of the Ride For Research fundraisers.
Gabriel
I do not seem to be able to use the website to make a donation , nor do I have aCAF number to do so over the phone . I should like to support Ride for Research -Gabriel Hemery. Can you help ? thanks Peggy
Thanks Peggy – so pleased you want to help.
Yes I was aware that the site at CAF is down. I have contacted them about it. If you like I can simply add your name to a paper list I have and contact you when I have finished the ride to ask for the money. You can send it to me as a cheque to submit it on your behalf with all the other donations in one lump sum, and I can claim tax relief to make it go further. All I need to know now is how much you would like to donate?
Best wishes
Gabriel