The Forest of Leeds |
|
 Leeds Tree Wardens Leeds Tree Wardens are volunteers who care about their local trees and woodlands. They are not expected to be experts. A free, comprehensive and professionally led programme of training, events and support materials, plus general back up, is provided by Leeds City Council's Learning and Leisure Department. Training events and projects are varied and include tree planting, tree and habitat surveys, growing trees from locally collected seed, tree pests and diseases and woodland management. Tree Wardens act as a focus or contact point for their local community to liaise with the relevant Council Departments on tree issues. They provide feedback to the Council as to the condition of local trees. Many become involved in organising and co-ordinating their own projects with the help of local people. Within Leeds, a number of Tree Warden Groups have formed, with the specific aim of caring for and promoting the sustainable use of local woodlands. Examples include the Skelton Wood Environment Group; Friends of Gipton Wood; Friends of Calverley Wood; Churwell Action Group and the Friends of Gledhow Valley Woods. Other associated groups include the Friends of Temple Newsam and Roundhay Conservation Society. These groups organise their own practical tasks and activities, as well as occasionally assisting other groups. The Leeds Tree Warden Scheme is part of the National Tree Warden Scheme, which is co-ordinated by the Tree Council and sponsored by National Grid Transco. For further information, please contact us at Forestry Section Leeds City Council Town Hall The Headrow Leeds LS1 3AD Telephone: (0113) 237 5221 Fax: (0113) 237 5223 E-mail: forestry.section@leeds.gov.uk Training Courses and Events October 2005 - July 2006 Decaying Wood Habitats Scrub Management, Town Close Hills LNR Tree Biology and Winter Tree Identification Coppicing, Town Close Hills Local Nature Reserve Orchards 1 - Creating and Maintaining Young Orchards Orchards 2 - Maintaining Old Orchards Hedge Planting, Town Close Hills LNR Tree Surveys 1 - Individual Trees and Small Groups of Trees Bat Detector Workshop Tree Surveys 2 - Woodlands Lineham Farm Weekend Trees in Towns Arboretum/Woodland Visit Booking is required for ALL of these events, please phone 0113 237 5221 Saturday 26th November 2005 Decaying Wood Habitats Throughout its life, a tree provides a series of complex habitats. As they age and parts of their structure changes, the processes of decay begin. This session focuses upon the interdependence of fungi and trees and how decaying wood needn't be viewed as "dead wood". Venue : Chevin Forest Park, Otley - White House Education Room Time : 10.00am - 3.30pm Parking : Surprise View Car Park (opposite The Royalty pub), York Gate. The White House is a short walk down hill from here. The route will be waymarked and the paths are good - however, please wear appropriate stout shoes or boots with a good grip. White House - there is limited parking here (4 vehicles). Please call me in advance to reserve a place. › Back to Contents Saturday 3rd December 2005 Scrub Management Town Close Hills is one of the jewels in the Leeds countryside crown. The site is well known for its stunning limestone wildflower meadows, much of which are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). In addition, however, there are extensive hedgerows and a small Ancient Semi-natural Woodland. The latter, whilst managed as an important feature in its own right (see practical task on 7th January) is encroaching on to the wildflower meadows. This scrub encroachment is periodically removed to maintain the traditional meadow area. Today is, therefore, a practical session. All tools are provided, but stout boots, preferably with a steel toe cap and reinforced sole, are essential, as are warm clothes and water proofs. Venue : Town Close Hills Local Nature Reserve Time : 10.00am to 3.30pm Parking : Kippax Leisure Centre Car Park (Station Road, Kippax). A limited number of lifts are available from Red Hall. Please call to reserve a place. › Back to Contents Saturday 10th December 2005 Tree Biology and Winter Tree Identification I have been conscious in the past that tree biology sessions have often appeared to be fairly remote and unconnected to many of the other training sessions. The first half of this session follows on from the previous one of Decaying Wood Habitats. It looks closely at the role of water and how the presence or lack of water influences tree function. The second half focuses upon how to identify trees in winter - twigs and buds, really! Venue : Chevin Forest Park, Otley - White House Education Room Time : 10.00am to 3.00pm Parking : As above. › Back to Contents Saturday 7th January 2006 Coppicing The Ancient Semi-natural Woodland is being managed as "coppice with standards". Leeds Tree Wardens are invite to join the Friends of Town Close Hills undertake some practical management in one of the coppice coups. All tools and equipment will be provided, but stout boots, preferably with a steel toe cap and reinforced sole, are a must as are warm clothing and water proofs. Venue : Town Close Hills LNR, Kippax Time : 10.00am to 3.30pm Parking : Kippax Leisure centre Car Park (Station Road, Kippax). A limited number of lifts will be available from Red Hall. Please call to reserve a place. › Back to Contents Saturday 28th January 2006 Orchards 1 - Creating and Maintaining Young Orchards Former Askham Bryan lecturer Barry Potter leads two sessions on orchard management. During this first session he will take us through the rights and wrongs of creating and maintaining an orchard for both fruit production and as a wildlife habitat. Since retiring from Askham Bryan, Barry has been consulted by Defra and private landowners on how to maintain old orchards. This session starts at the beginning of the story and involves some practical work, so please come prepared to work outside. All tools and equipment will be provided. Venue : Chevin Forest Park, Otley - White House Education Room and Chevin Orchard. Time : 10:00am - 4:00pm Parking : As above. › Back to Contents Saturday 25th February 2006 Orchards 2 - Maintaining Old Orchards Barry's second session is devoted to maintaining old orchards. The morning session will take place in the Middleton Park Lakeside Education Centre. This will be followed by some fairly strenuous pruning work at the Hesketh Lane Community Orchard in Tingley. Venue : Morning session - Middleton Park Lakeside Education Centre. Afternoon session - Hesketh Lane Community Orchard, Tingley. NB Detailed directions are available if needed. Time : 10:00am - 4:00pm Parking : Middleton Park - Bowling Green car park - drive down from the main Town Street entrance. Hesketh Lane Orchard - Park on Hesketh Lane alongside the Recreation Ground. › Back to Contents Saturday 4th March 2006 Hedge Planting The boundary hedges surrounding this important nature reserve require constant maintenance. Please help us re-plant gaps before the end of this planting season. Venue : Town Close Hills LNR Time : 10.00am to 3.00pm Parking : Kippax Leisure Centre Car Park (Station Road). There are a limited number of lifts available from Red Hall. Please call to reserve a place. › Back to Contents Saturday 25th March 2006 Tree Surveys 1 - Individual Trees and Small Groups of Trees This is an often repeated session on how to plot the position of a tree on a plan or map and what relevant information to collect in order to conduct an informative survey of the trees and hedgerows near you or within your area of interest. Venue : Chevin Forest Park - White House Education Room Time : 10.00am to 3.00pm Parking : As above. › Back to Contents Saturday 22nd April 2006 Bats - Detector Workshop Learning and Leisure's Wildlife & Countryside Manager Mandy Spry will lead this popular and very comprehensive full day workshop on British bats and how to use and understand bat detectors. Mandy is licensed by the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT) to deliver this session using their material. The aim is to introduce you to bats, their biology, species identification, preferred habitats, protection and conservation. Much of the session will focus upon the correct use of hetrodyne bat detectors and how they can then be used to help in bat survey work. Taking part in this workshop requires a full day and evening commitment and numbers will be limited. Booking is essential. Tea/coffee and biscuits will be provided throughout the day and soup/rolls will be provided during the early evening. Other than this, you must provide for your own meals. Venue : Chevin Forest Park - Education Room and woodland Time : 11.00am - 11.00pm Parking : White House. › Back to Contents Saturday 20th May 2006 Tree Surveys 2 - Woodlands Undertaking woodland surveys. The aim here is to look at how data can be collected and used to make informed management decisions. Venue : Calverley Woods (indoor venue, to be confirmed). Time : 10.00am - 4.00pm › Back to Contents June 2006 Lineham Farm Weekend Dates and course content to be announced. Back to Contents Saturday 1st July 2006 Trees in Towns I am delighted to announce that Dr Alan Simson (Chartered Landscape Architect, Forester and Reader in Urban Forestry at LMU and Chairman of the White Rose Forest) has agreed to run a full day session on urban trees for Leeds Tree Wardens. Alan is a well respected lecturer and researcher, who has a very clear vision of why urban forestry should play a pivotal role in our urban renaissance. He is a brilliant speaker who has a real passion for his subject. Venue : Red Hall, Conference Room Time : 10.00am to 4.00pm › Back to Contents July 2006 Arboretum/Woodland Visit This will take place outside Leeds and may involve a modest cost per person. Details will become available early in the New Year. › Back to Contents For further information contact the Forest of Leeds team at Forest Of Leeds Project Parks & Countryside Division Leeds City Council The Town Hall Leeds, LS1 3AD Telephone: (0113) 237 5221 Fax: (0113) 237 5223 |