What is the Tree Warden Scheme and how do I become a Tree Warden?
The Tree Warden Scheme is run by South Gloucestershire Council and encourages direct involvement in protecting and monitoring trees within the district. The scheme is made up of local volunteers who are provided training to undertake surveys of trees in hedgerows that may be under threat from development.
The surveying involves locating trees in the landscape, identifying the species, age, height and crown spread, condition of the stem, branches and foliage and the visual amenity (the contribution it makes to a local area/environment) of the tree. This information is then used by the Tree Officers at the council to deal with Tree Preservation Orders.
There is a current network of over 30 wardens within the district, who come together to be trained and go out into the field to undertake surveys.
If you are interested in becoming a tree warden or wish to discuss it further please feel free to contact us on 01454 863592.
Press release on Tree Warden Scheme:
South Gloucestershire Tree Wardening has been revitalised by the call from the local Council to help survey farmland and hedgerow trees.
Membership has leapt from six Tree Wardens to a network of over 30
South Gloucestershire Council Tree Officer Chris Wright felt Tree Wardens could play an invaluable role in helping to safeguard hedgerow trees by surveying those on land proposed for new development.
In recent years, the area’s Tree Wardens had been organised by the Forest of Avon. But, with this surveying task in hand, the time seemed ripe for them to come back into the original fold – a network co-ordinated by South Gloucestershire Council.
Chris’s plea for help with the hedge tree survey not only brought an enthusiastic response from former Tree Wardens keen to play an active role again, but has also so far attracted 11 new recruits to the revitalised network.
“This is a really useful Tree Warden activity,” said Jon Stokes, The Tree Council’s director of rural programmes. “Helping to keep hedge trees in the landscape is an important way of reaching biodiversity targets – and it’s what our Hedge Tree Campaign is all about.”