Broadsheet The Magazine for Broadland Tree Wardens Issue 182 – November 2019 0 What a Month That Was! What a Month That Was! Broadsheet The Monthly Magazine for HERE can be no doubt that October 2019 was the most Broadland Tree Wardens important month so far in the history of our fledgling Tree T Warden Network and for me personally it was incredibly Issue 182 – November 2019 challenging. However, it was also enormously rewarding! I was more than aware that As I turned into the road from Brundall to offering to host the annual East Strumpshaw I found it flooded about 60% of the width, but it was often flooded there. I turned on Anglian Regional Tree Warden the radio “just in case” and learned that we were Inside this issue Forum so early in the life of our facing real problems with the day. independent Network was never Indeed, we were facing utter humiliation. What a Month That Was - Editorial 1 going to be easy, but nobody could No, sorry, I was! Arriving at Reedham Village Hall Geraldine Broadland Hosts the East Anglian have predicted the last minute Regional Tree Warden Forum 3 Creaven was already there, waiting in her problems we faced. camper van. I joined her and she lifted my Broadland Tree Warden Network AGM 6 This edition of Broadsheet carries a full spirits somewhat as we laughed and joked A Possible Norfolk Tree Warden report on the Forum, of course, but the about the situation. It started to rain even more Network 8 problems started a couple of weeks before the heavily though! Northern Forest Could See 50 Million event and as I arrived at Reedham Village Hall Jo Parmenter soon arrived, closely followed Trees Planted 9 at 08:00 on Sunday 6 October I just wanted the by Sara Lom, Care Bowen and Jon Stokes from earth to open and swallow me up! the Tree Council and we began setting up the Protection of Animal Welfare and Everything was going along so well (too hall. Increase of Woodland Cover 10 well) three weeks before the event but the I have to say that Jo was fantastic. She set Measures for Felling Street Trees – problems began a couple of weeks out when out the chairs and got on making the tea and Consultation Outcome 11 Geraldine Creaven contacted me from the Tree coffee for those arriving, allowing me to Outlaw Planning Applications that Council to say that very few people had concentrate on setting up the IT equipment for Include Removal of Mature Trees or registered to attend the event. the day’s presentation. Hedgerow 16 Geraldine’s e-mail was followed up by a call Before I knew it the hall had filled with Tree from Clare Bowen to echo that news and say Wardens discussing how bad the weather was. Quince is the Perfect Autumn Fruit 17 that we needed to greatly increase the The A11 and A47 were closed n places and the Dr Jo’s Corner – Tree Cotoneaster 18 attendance or consider cancelling the event. back roads were becoming impassable. What a Interceptions of Non-Compliant Solid You can imagine that I was nothing short of cheerful lot Tree Wardens can be. Just what I Wood Packaging and Other Materials 19 crest fallen at the news and to compound needed!!! matters my attempt to jump out of the window I opened the Forum and was relieved to see Current Works to Trees Subject to a was a disaster as I was on the ground floor such a good attendance. Many people had Tree Preservation Order and Section instead of upstairs in my office!! travelled long distances through the atrocious 211 Notifications for Works to Trees I think that the expression “rock bottom” weather and were determined to enjoy the day Within Conservation Areas 20 would be very fitting … but worse was to come!! … come what may! The Tree Council contacted just about Clear Bowen, Jon Stokes and I had re- everyone they could to try to increase numbers scheduled the day as the visit to Wood Farm and I contacted all of you with the same aim, but was impossible. It meant that we all had to four days before the event it was still touch and speak for longer and poor old Gerry Barnes go. would have to wait until after lunch to give his We decided that the Forum may just about talk but it was all “doable”. This Month’s Cover Picture break even … given some extremely creative From that point on I gradually accepted the accounting! … so decided to go ahead. Phew!!! situation and actually began to enjoy the day. I November’s edition couldn’t really carry a Then, that evening I watched the weather leave you to read about it in the dedicated cover depicting anything but remembrance. forecast on TV. Oh boy. Perhaps someone article. I took this picture of poppies in the Somme was trying to tell me something. None of us had easy journeys home. on a business trip to France some years Knowing Wood Farm, in Reedham (the Whatever route you took you would encounter ago. At 11:00 on 11 November, and always, venue for the planned afternoon visit) very well serious floods … many impassable. WE WILL REMEMBER THEM. I was aware that it wouldn’t take much rain to Nevertheless, we all made it and made it safely, make it quite unsuitable. although it may have taken some time and When I arranged the visit there was no effort. indication that we would have a spell of wet As I sat at home that evening with a weather prior to the big date and certainly no welcome glass (bottle) of wine and reflected on suggestion that we would face Armageddon on what was a most challenging day, I experienced the day! feelings of relief and satisfaction, but above all Don’t panic John. They often get the incredible pride that the Broadland Tree Warden forecast wrong! Network has pulled off a truly great day. Broadsheet is written and published by Excitement mounted as I prepared my Thank you so very much. John Fleetwood, welcome presentation and that for my report on Freethorpe and Wickhampton Tree Warden. the Pilot Advisory Group and spirits were raised O, with the first year of our 4 Oakhill, Brundall, NR13 5AQ. when the Tree Council told me that there had Network complete we need to Home 01603 716297 been a last minute rush of registrations. Mobile 07555 535741 The morning of the event arrived and I had look at the coming year and E-mail [email protected] S slept fairly well. I felt good and, opening the how we can do even better. It is circulated free of charge to Broadland curtains, there was no rain. What on earth had Let me ask how many trees have you Tree Wardens parish and town councils, I been worrying about? planted (or been responsible for planting) in the parish meetings and other interested parties. When I looked at the ground properly I saw past year? that there had been quite a bit of rain overnight More important, how many trees do you plan Any views expressed are not necessarily and realised that the afternoon visit was to plant (or be responsible for planting) in the those of the Broadland Tree Warden Network. probably a non-starter. coming year? All copyrights are acknowledged. As I set-off for the venue it started to rain … I fear that some of you will answer “none”. it started to rain heavily … it was a deluge … it So I want to urge you all to find a place in your was Armageddon!! parishes where you can plant at least one tree. 1 You don’t even have to fund it as the Network can supply trees free of charge as long as they have an amenity value. Find a reason to plant a memorial tree. Get a group of young people together and guide them in planting a tree or trees. Maybe in the grounds of a school or a village hall. When you’ve done it tell us about it in Broadsheet and, in so doing, encourage your colleagues to follow your example. Go on. You know it makes sense! EGETATION removed an estimated 1,298.9 thousand V tonnes of pollutants from UK air in 2017, saving £1.3bn to the economy, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The ONS partnered with Defra to produce the UK natural capital accounts for 2019, which According to legend, the Allerton Oak logging, outright clearing and fire in tropical looks at natural capital assets in order to (pictured above) in Liverpool's Calderstones rainforests between 2000 and 2013 was measure aspects of nature and their impact Park was once home to a medieval court. underestimated by 6.53bn tonnes of CO2. upon people. The tree has been weakened by a huge The numbers are likely conservative, and As well as looking at provisioning services, crack that split the tree, attributed in popular also did not include emissions from other meaning the products directly obtained from myth to the explosion of gunpowder ship the woodlands or the massive boreal forests in the ecosystems such as food, the report also looks 'Lotty Sleigh' in 1864. high latitudes of the northern hemisphere. at regulating services, which includes air The ship, laden with about 11 tonnes of When countries declare greenhouse gas pollution removal. In this report, air pollution volatile gunpowder, caught fire while it was emissions from changes in forests, they do not removal means pollution that is removed by anchored in the River Mersey, causing a huge account for the CO2 that forests would have vegetation.