Institute attends Network Rail conference
Network Rail Drainage and Lineside Conference – 28 September 2022 The Institute was offered the opportunity to exhibit at the Network Rail Drainage and Lineside Conference in Nottingham by Graham Owen MICFor, an invitation taken up by the Education & Outreach Officer, Dr Rob Hawkins. Neil Strong MICFor and the star of the Institute’s #NurtureGrowThrive […]
Initial Notification of Arboriculture Fatality
As a member of the HSE’s Arboriculture and Forestry Advisory Group (AFAG), we regret to inform members of another fatality in the sector. The incident, which took place in Devon in late June 2022, involved an arborist who was killed when he became trapped under a tree. It is ever more important to raise and […]
Institute President calls for action after UK heatwave
With temperatures exceeding 40°C, the UK recorded its hottest ever day on Tuesday 19 July. These extreme heatwaves are becoming more common due to the climate crisis but trees play an important role by storing carbon, boosting biodiversity and, in urban areas, can reduce the effects of heat by up to 10°C. In order to […]
Tree work health and safety
The tragic accident involving a 42-year-old tree surgeon who was killed while felling a diseased ash tree at a National Trust estate has been in the media recently. This is a sad reminder of the dangers of working with diseased trees and we want to highlight the importance of managing and controlling these risks. As […]
New government strategy for education increases support for green careers
Announced by the Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi on 21 April, the Department for Education has launched a new Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy that includes plans to increase learning on green skills and careers for young people, with the introduction of a new Natural History GCSE. With the introduction of at least one sustainability lead […]
Policy Roundup – March 2022
Our monthly policy and research blog updates you on the latest work at the Institute and how you can get involved. Institute News Several Institute staff attended the Confor dinner and awards this month which was a lovely opportunity to meet members in person. There have also been two reports published this month that the […]
Initial tree felling fatality notification
We regret to tell you of another fatality in the forestry and arboriculture sector in mid March. A worker in North East England was struck by a tree and killed when felling a tree with a chainsaw. There are significant risks in our sector that all members must be both aware of and appropriately trained […]
International Women’s Day 2022
International Women’s Day takes place on 8 March every year. We are working to increase diversity of our membership. Women are still underrepresented in our sector and we need to ensure that people from all genders and backgrounds consider forestry and arboriculture as a career that is open to them. Over […]
National Tree Officers Conference 2022 – Invitation to Present
We’re excited to announce the launch of the National Tree Officers Conference 2022! Building on the success of six previous events, we’re delighted that the conference is returning to its roots and will take place physically in Telford on the 9th November. This will be the first face-to-face National Tree Officers Conference in three years […]
Emergency tree work must be handled by experienced professionals
Extreme weather conditions have caused problems across the country recently, with many communities living with the aftereffects of Storm Dudley, Storm Eunice and Storm Franklin. Fallen trees and branches are again causing a lot of disruption. As a member of the HSE’s Arboriculture and Forestry Advisory Group (AFAG), we want to stress again to members […]