Tree Survey & Inspection Course for Beginners, 28th November 2014
Fancy Branching out into a new career Rooted in arboriculture? Feel like you’re Barking up the wrong tree when it comes to assessing a hazard or risk? Or perhaps you just need to Spruce up on your knowledge of hazardous fungi…
Well, this week we welcomed Bettina Broadway-Mann to provide expert guidance for the most recent addition to the Acer Ecology Training Calendar – Tree Survey and Inspection for Beginners!
The course was held in the Education Centre of the beautiful Bute Park, Cardiff. During the day we learned how to recognise key features of hazardous trees, how to determine the level of risk involved and how to decide upon the necessary action that is needed, as well as valuable information about how to get on in a career in arboriculture.
The morning was spent in the classroom, looking at essential equipment needed to carry out tree inspections and learning how trees grow and heal, as well as how to record this. Bettina showed us a range of different trees and asked us to assess them for ourselves. You’d be surprised just how much you already know!
Bettina’s Masterclass
After lunch we ventured out into Bute Park. The weather was kind to us and we got to see (and feel) first hand how features that may be invisible to the ordinary passer by can mean the end of a tree. 
Danny’s first tree inspection
Most fungi that you find in the Autumn thrive on decaying wood and are harmless to healthy trees. However, Bettina showed us some of the key species that are hazardous to trees, including Ganoderma, Honey Fungus and Phytophthora.
Ganoderma Fungus
The course proved to be very Poplar and we all had an Elmazing day.
