Morgan – Climbing Arborist
Month: January 2024
Charlie – Groundsman and rescue climber
An introduction to…
Charlie studied Arboriculture at Capel Manor in North London, he is a very accomplished Groundsman who is equally at home lowering massive sections of wood on lowering devices or dragging piles of brushwood (OK, no -one is happy doing that!), the point is, he gets stuck in and works until the task in hand is complete, finished and done. `He’s instrumental in reading the job sheets and loading up the trucks with the correct gear so the day can run smoothly.Groundsman and rescue climber…
Charlie is qualified to use many pieces of equipment on the ground, but he also is a qualified rescue climber, making him a vital treat member. The groundsman is crucial in the smooth running of a job, their knowledge on the ground is so important as they sometime need to be able to second guess the climber up the tree.Personal bio…
Charlie is a keen motorbike racer and regularly spends his weekends racing dirt bikes on tracks throughout the South. By all accounts he’s not too bad at it either…. well that’s what he says.Wayne Elwell -25+ years in and still loving it
An introduction to…
Wayne Elwell -After spending some time traveling the world in my younger days, I decided it was time to set a career path in motion. I realised that I had always been most happy out side. The prospect of not experiencing the elements didn’t excite me. I’m a hands on person and shortly realised that Tree Surgery was the job for me. My wife and I moved from London to Hampshire and studied Arboriculture at Sparsholt college. This was very nearly 26 years ago.I have been lucky to work with very talented Arborists over the years and picked up many amazing techniques. Ten years ago I decided to set up about…trees. Whilst it’s not been 100% plain sailing I’ve never looked back, always being supported by my wife. This has seen my job role change from being a Climbing Arborist to more of a Manager. My role is to win work and make sure things go according to plan. We have a small team of 4 talented members, the team work very well together and a really good ethos has developed company wide. The loyalty between myself and the lads I think is second to none. We are now a Limited Company and have large and still growing client base. I’m always proud of our achievements.
Personal bio…
On a personal level, I’m a keen music fan, actually an obsessive music fan. I’m always buying new albums and boring friends making them listen to them. I’ve DJ’d a few times at local events, clearly I’d say they were raging successes, but I’m sure others may disagree. I have a keen hobbie in photography but most of out time is taken up socialising and spending time as a family.Max – Team Leader – Climbing Arborist
An introduction to…
Max has been in the industry for over 15years. He is a very talented arborist that has dealt with most eventualities. He spent many years climbing the biggest and best trees in and around London as a contract climber. We are immensely happy to have him as part of the crew, the team appreciates his knowledge and willingness to pass it on.Climbing Arborist…
Max will be able to carry out the trickiest of tasks. Technical tree work is where he shines, he can carry out work to the highest standard at speed, meaning incvonvencance is kept at a minimum. Max studied Arboriculture at Merritt Wood in Guildford. Please take a look at the Portfolio page to see the quality of work the team provides.Personal bio…
A huge music, Max finds time to Dj in and around Kent, putting on club nights at many different venues.Best course of intervention – No intervention
As the title says, sometimes the best course of intervention is no intervention. What does this mean to us as Arborists? Well, quite simply sometimes we have to look beyond the financial rewards that this job brings. We should re-focus on why we all decided a life of tree climbing and caring for trees is what we chose to do, because lets face it, it’s hard, messy and dangerous work. Whilst it un arguably a fantastic profession, swinging around trees with chainsaws, there’s something bigger at stake.
If we don’t do the right things for our trees who will?
No intervention – why?
Without sounding too poetic – for the love of trees. Quite simply these are the most incredible living organisms on the planet (well at least this is my belief). They can be seem as our guardians, providing precious Oxygen for us to breath, forming micro- ecosystems themselves and generally being pretty damn impressive at growing enormous and standing up. This is why when we as Arborist come across old, veteran trees we should treat them with the respect they so rightfully deserve. Think – they have been standing sentinel for many years, through wars, floods, droughts, climate change and so on. In a fast moving world, trees offer us a sense of stillness and relaxation. They give us another perspective.
Dead wood is bad wood right?
NO! Dead wood is highly beneficial wood, it supports a whole host of insects and fungi that may not survive on live wood, it’s retention should be encouraged as much as possible. Clearly this is somewhat over shadowed sometimes by health and safety risks. Of course, a measured, professional decision should be made with regards to the retention of deadwood in the crown of a tree. My view is, if the tree is in an area of high public footfall then of course this somewhat out-trumps the retention of the wood in the crown. If, as the case here the tree is in a private estate and the owners are aware of the status of the tree (in this case the Fraxinus excelsior var Pendula – weeping ash is a Veteran tree) as the benefits then lets try to push for the course of less or even better no intervention.
Let’s leave the wood be, let’s leave it in the tree.
What is a Veteran tree?
A veteran tree can be any age, but it is a tree which shows ancient characteristics such as those below. These may not just be due to age, but could result from natural damage, management, or the tree’s environment. This doesn’t mean it is an Ancient tree- we will talk about this later.
- > A low, fat and squat shape – because the crown has retrenched (reduced in size) through age
- > A wide trunk compared with others of the same species
- > Hollowing of the trunk (not always visible)
Cracks, hollow and cavities all point us in the direction of Veteran tree.
The above characteristics increase the tree’s value as habitat for wildlife (cavities, cracks hollows etc.)
Essentially if the tree looks like a battle scarred warrior it could well be a Veteran tree. This is not necessarily based on the age of the tree. A chronologically young tree could still be a veteran.
I think you’ll agree, the tree Joe is up is indeed a veteran.
How did we approach the job?
In short we did very little to the tree, there was one section that we had to remove some heavy wood as there was a fear that it’s weight would cause a much larger limb to be shed. This wood was cut and left at the base of the tree for local flora and fauna to make use of. Some photos were taken of the various cracks and wounds and our findings and recommendations will be passed on to our client. We were lucky in the fact that our client on this occasion is very much into their trees, and ecology as a whole. There was little explaining needed.
What next?
This tree will be monitored annually and risk managed by About Trees Ltd. Whilst not earning too much money on this job, what we have done is ensured this veteran tree sees more days and years and ultimately impressed upon our clients that we are a progressive, forward thinking company that is not interested in the quick buck. They will call us back when they need help or advice, we’ve started to build an honest professional relationship. That’s got to be worth it in the long run hasn’t it?
Tree Surgeon in Sevenoaks, Kent
If you’re looking for a tree surgeon in Sevenoaks, Kent then About Trees Ltd can help!
We cover the entire county of Kent and in doing so over the years have built a client base in Sevenoaks for customers who want professional and qualified tree surgeons on their property.
We treat your garden as if it were our own.
The About Trees Ltd staff all wear uniform and are all fully insured to carry out all tree surgery tasks; be it from tree planting through to tree felling. If you have a large tree in a small garden we can deal with it.
Using over 30 years of collective knowledge we can overcome all situations.
Using up to date machinery and tools we can safely and efficiently take care of all of your tree care or tree surgery needs in the Sevenoaks area.
Be it from tree planting all the way through to tree felling and stump removal or stump grinding.
Much of the Sevenoaks area is covered by Conservation Area protection – there’s no need to worry about this either.
About Trees Ltd can apply for permission on your behalf, taking the worry away from you totally. This is also the case if your tree has a TPO on it.
We are a fully insured company covered up to £5million public liability, £10 million Employers and also we carry full Professional Indemnity.
All of these are available for you to look at upon request. Also check out what our happy clients have to say.
So, if you’re looking for a tree surgeon that covers the Sevenoaks in Kent area, and you’re looking for someone that you can trust to do the right thing, with your best interests at heart, using fully insured and qualified arborists then please contact us.
Tree Surgeon in Whitstable, Kent
If you’re looking for a tree surgeon in Whitstable, Kent then About Trees Ltd can help!
Whitstable is my hometown, it holds a special place in my heart, unfortunately its tree stock is not too high. That’s why About Trees Ltd approach to tree surgery is particularly suited to Whitstable. We try to solve a problematic tree by not grabbing the chainsaw immediately and recommending felling.
Quite often well-specified tree surgery works can mean that the “problem” tree can be thoughtfully pruned and retained. This approach is what we have termed as “Progressive Tree Care” and our clients seem to appreciate this approach.
Sometimes, however that tree can only be felled – maybe it’s diseased, dead, dangerous or just the wrong tree in the wrong place. We can help in this situation also.
Whitstable has some tiny gardens with huge unsuitable trees in them and we can apply to the council to fell them. Once permission has been obtained we can carry out these difficult tree surgery operations in complete control. We do this by making use of modern rigging equipment to lower branches and stems to the ground. We specialise in this form of “low impact” tree surgery.
Over the years we have completed many exciting and interesting tree surgery projects in the Conservation area of Whitstable and the surrounding areas through to Tankerton, Swalecliff, Borstal Hill, and our host of regular clients in Chestfield and Herne Bay. There’s a good chance you may know someone who we have worked for.
We can offer advice on the correct trees to plant in your garden, given that Whitstable is a coastal town and salt tolerant trees should be chosen. With over 15 years in the industry, you can rest assured you are getting the correct specification for your tree care needs. Please view our testimonials page.
So, if you like the sound of the service and you’re looking for a tree surgeon that covers the Whitstable in Kent area, please contact us to arrange a free quote.
Tree Surgeon in Faversham, Kent
If you’re looking for a tree surgeon in Faversham, Kent then About Trees Ltd can help!
Faversham is a wonderful historic market town and has some wonderful old trees. Due to our reputation, we carry out a lot of tree surgery works in Faversham. We have clients in the Conservation area of the town, the outskirts of Oare, Uplees, Boughton and Herne Hill carrying out works ranging from tree planting to tree felling. One of our largest clients is based in Faversham and as a proud Kent company, we are delighted to be looking after Shepherd Neame’s tree stock.
We have carried out some of our most demanding tree surgery contracts in Faversham in the ex-chalkpits that are now residential areas. A lot of central Faversham is in the Conservation area – don’t worry, we can take care of these applications for you on your behalf at no extra cost.
It’s not just central Faversham we work in either, we have clients in many of the surrounding villages including the beautiful house, grounds and large estate of Belmont House, Throwley.
New clients are always welcome and we pride ourselves in trying to deliver results that are both desirable to our clients and beneficial to their trees. We do this by making a site visit and listening to what you, the customer, wants. We then make honest and suitable advice and deliver you with a quote for the correct specification for your tree work needs. This is based on over 15 years industry knowledge. Please view our testimonials page.
So, if you like the sound of the service we offer and you’re looking for a tree surgeon that covers the Faversham in Kent area please do not hesitate to contact us to see how About Trees Ltd can help you with your tree surgery requirements.
Tree Surgeon in Maidstone, Kent
If you’re looking for a tree surgeon in Maidstone, Kent then About Trees Ltd can help!
We will be happy to help you in all of your tree surgeon related issues, be it from tree planting to tree felling. We have regular clients both in the centre of Maidstone and in lots of the surrounding villages and areas. Maidstone is the home of lots of large companies and this is reflected in our commercial client list in Maidstone. That said we have loyal domestic clients in East Malling, Loose, Aylesford, Snodland, Birling, Borough Green and East Peckham.
Given our existing client base in the Maidstone area, we have built a strong relationship with the local tree officers and will happily take care of any applications that may need to be made on your behalf, prior to us carrying out tree surgery work on your trees.
A regular tree surgery client of ours in the Maidstone area is the Go-Ape adventure course, this is located in the wonderful grounds of Leeds castle, About Trees Ltd is proud to be associated with this company.
We prides ourselves in customer retention, which is why we work in some of the largest and most well established gardens in Maidstone. We regularly carry out tree surgery in the Conservation area or to TPO’d trees in Maidstone and the surrounding villages.
We are also always happy to work with new clients in the Maidstone area who want quality and professional tree surgery, where a long-term relationship can be forged, built on honest advice, given with your needs at the core.
Please feel free to browse our testimonials page to see what our happy clients have to say.
So, if you like the sound of the service we offer and you’re looking for a tree surgeon that covers Maidstone, please contact us to arrange a free quote at a time suitable for you.
Tree Surgeon in Ashford, Kent
If you’re looking for a tree surgeon in Ashford, Kent then About Trees Ltd can help!
We cover the entire Ashford area of Kent serving clients in Bethersden, Wye, Westwell, Great Chart, Woodchurch and Shadoxhurst to name a few. We often have large trees over very busy roads to prune or safely cut down to ground level and always carry these dangerous operations out using up to date modern equipment designed for use in the tree care industry. This enables us to be fast, efficient and above all safe.
If needed we can organise traffic control for the job and as always we take care of any planning applications that may have to be made.
When About Trees Ltd works for you, you can be assured that the personnel on site will be fully qualified and insured to carry out their tree surgery tasks, be it from tree planting to tree felling. All our teams wear uniforms and try to be a smart as possible at all times but this is a messy job!
And with our fleet of vehicles, including 4×4’s we can even get down that muddy field to work on those trees that some can’t. It’s not just large dangerous trees we can take care of, we are happy to prune all sorts of trees, down to single apple trees in rear gardens.
We are a fully insured tree surgery company covered up to £5million public liability, £10 million Employers and also we carry full Professional Indemnity. All of these are available for you to look at upon request.
So, if you like the sound of the service we offer and you’re looking for a tree surgeon that covers the Ashford in Kent area, please contact us to arrange a free quote at a time suitable for you.