Do We Really Care About Our Environment? Broadsheet The Magazine for Broadland Tree Wardens Issue 187 – April 2020 Do We Really Care 0 About Our Environment? Broadsheet COVID-19 Can Kill. The Monthly Magazine for Broadland Tree Wardens Please Take Care! Issue 187 – April 2020 Inside this issue N Monday 23 March 2020 the government introduced COVID-19 Can Kill. Please Take Care! 1 measures, the like of which we haven’t experienced in Do We Care About Our Environment? 2 our lifetimes, in an effort to halt the spread of Will Planting Really Save the Planet? 4 O National Forest for Wales 7 Coronavirus COVID-19. You will all have received guidance Build Upwards and Plant More Trees 8 from the Network regarding how we should proceed. Champion Trees 9 With the Prime Minister’s closed their offices for the foreseeable future Celebrating Knotty Wonder of Trees 10 announcement coming so late in and told volunteers to avoid working in groups, if they have to meet at all. Trees That Changed Lives 11 the month, I had already written The Woodland Trust’s volunteer speakers Commercial Planting Not Helping 12 most of this issue of Broadsheet. have been told to cancel all talks booked up until Tree Warden Training 12 So, I was faced with a major re- May and I have complied and so far cancelled shuffle and some extra writing. five. Indeed, I am now about to cancel the four Seize Opportunities for Environment 13 I have scheduled for June. UK Government Spending a Fraction Hence, we have two headline Coronavirus COVID-19 may not finally kill of Tree Planting Budget 13 themes this month. as many as the plague or the infamous bomb Scotland Has More Natural Woodland I had already decided that I could not write (we all hope!), but it’s definitely changed life as Than Thought 14 this editorial without reference to Coronavirus we know it. Hopefully, it won’t kill as many COVID-19, but I didn’t expect it all to escalate people as seasonal flu so we have the chance Where are the Trees Coming From? 14 to this level so rapidly. to learn from it … but will we? Norfolk Wildlife Trust's Position on Forget the nuclear bomb that scared the life So, please heed the warnings, cancel any the NDR Western Link 15 out of us in the 1960s and 70s. This is a far events you have scheduled in the next few Council Must Seize Opportunities more effective threat. months and avoid all contact … even in the open for the Environment 15 Those more senior Network members may air of a lovely woodland. remember the BBC Radio 4 Friday evening As Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivered Well Done Broadland Tree Wardens 16 topical debate programme “Any Questions?” his address to the nation I suddenly felt an HS2 Cuts Down Woodland Habitat hosted by David Jacobs. enormous responsibility. Hence my e-mail the During Bird's Breeding Season 17 A regular panellist was Russell Braddon, an following morning to you all. Most Effective Trees for Combating Australian writer of novels, biographies and TV It’s not just that I am the Co-ordinator of this Road Traffic Air Pollution 18 scripts. His chronicle of his four years as a fantastic Network and have a responsibility to prisoner of war, The Naked Island, sold more ensure that you and the public we meet remain For Goodness’ Sake be Sensible 20 than a million copies. Braddon was born in safe. We also have a responsibility to the Tree Current Works to Trees Subject to a Sydney, the son of a barrister. He served in the Council brand and need to protect that. Tree Preservation Order and Section Malayan campaign during World War II. There is also the fact that I am the East 211 Notifications for Works to Trees Braddon was always blunt. He spoke his Anglian representative on the National Tree Within Conservation Areas 21 mind and upset a few people along the way. Warden Advisory Group and I would hate this Come to think of it, that may be why I liked the region to be the one that failed in its duty to the guy!! public. This Month’s Cover Picture Anyway, the programme always ended with I want the Tree Council to be a brand that a bit of a light hearted, if not silly, question from people associate with care, passion and a The Darley Oak is thought to be 1000 years a member of the audience and one evening the sense of responsibility. Not a bunch of nutty tree old and is Cornwall’s oldest tree. When it question was “How will the world end?”, most lovers who care more about trees than people was just an acorn the Normans had not yet topical for that time. … although I guess you could apply that invaded and the Domesday Book had not We had replies of Armageddon, the description to me! been written. Paper money had not been Russians will drop the dreaded bomb and I want our Network to be something that our invented and the Vikings were still attacking America will retaliate. communities associate with people who are our coast. There was probably a man known Braddon was the final panellist to answer responsible, sensible and willing to give of as Ethelred the Unready on the British and said simply “plague”. Just that one word. themselves to protect our trees and woodland. throne and the oak has seen no less than 47 Silence. There was a momentary pause before I also want us to have as many Tree royal rulers since then. Jacobs asked if Braddon would like to expand Wardens as we have today when we eventually on that answer. come out of all of this awful threat and I want Broadsheet is written and published by Braddon explained how modern air travel those Tree Wardens to have their families intact. John Fleetwood, meant that a person could visit a number of It is up to us all to act responsibly and I know Broadland Tree Warden Network Co-ordinator countries and even two or three continents in a that I can count on you all. Remember the 4 Oakhill, Brundall, NR13 5AQ. single day. As plague still existed at that time advice you have been given. Home: 01603 716297 Mobile: 07555 535741 (and I believe is simply dormant at the moment) Cancel ALL events scheduled before 1 May E-mail [email protected] that person could spread it so fast that society 2020; do not attend meetings with other Tree couldn’t react fast enough. Wardens of members of the public; do not carry It is circulated free of charge to Broadland Tree Wardens parish and town councils, I sat there terrified and I’ve never forgotten out any conservation work on land you do not parish meetings and other interested parties. that programme and what Russell Braddon own or with more than one other person; do not said. meet members of the public regarding advice on Any views expressed are not necessarily Well, it may not be plague but Coronavirus tree matters; and do not visit trees / properties those of the Broadland Tree Warden Network. COVID-19 has certainly bought us to our knees in relation to applications for works to trees and threatens a world-wide recession. subject to TPOs or Section 211 Notifications for All copyrights are acknowledged. You’ve received the advice for Tree Works to Trees Within Conservation Areas. Wardens issued by the Tree Council and the Network has issued guidance as well. Both the So please stay safe. Tree Council and The Woodland Trust have John Fleetwood 1 Do We Really Care About Our Environment? N RECENT months we appear to have taken an enormous step backwards where our environment is concerned. Yes, our government has decided against the third runway at I Heathrow but the blind march toward the construction of the ridiculously destructive HS2 appears to be gaining pace. In addition, I found last month’s importers to mitigate 200,000 tonnes of carbon government’s plans for decarbonising the budget hugely disappointing as the emissions annually, given that virgin fossil transport sector”, according to the government, plastics bear a higher carbon footprint than their but green groups are already eyeing up government missed a wonderful recycled counterparts. potential legal challenges following the opportunity to show us how The Budget sets the rate at £200 per tonne Heathrow runway court ruling that was issued important our environment is to of plastic packaging that contains less than 30% over climate concerns. them. Instead, they appeared to recycled plastic. The Budget also confirms that The Budget introduced steps to support an additional £700,000 will be used to establish those affected by the winter floods of recent sidestep some major issues. the revamped Extended Producer months, providing 120m to repair flood Ok, there was a green boost as £800m was Responsibility scheme. defences. pledged for carbon capture projects, but The government will also extend the scope Looking to the long-term, the government measures lack ambition to tackle the crisis that of the tax to the importation of filled plastic will invest £5.2bn from 2021 on a six-year we face. Matt Mace and Sarah George summed packaging and apply a minimum threshold of 10 investment programme for flood defences. The it up very well on www.edie.net tonnes of plastic packaging to ensure the investment will better protect 336,000 properties In recognition of the fact that emissions from smallest businesses are not disproportionately from flooding.