This is Oak tree is a special tree Estimated to be well over 100 years old. Tree FX – Quality Tree Management has been lucky enough to help manage it over the years. The tree was visited recently by a 90 year old women who remembers as a child swinging from its limbs, she remembers the tree being as big then as it is today. Hence the age calculation of 100 years or more.
The beauty of this tree is that it is not perfect, in fact there are some quite significant imperfections. The tree is hollow and has some very large wounds and structural issues. However what is really great is how the risks associated with such a significant and aging tree are being managed. The management plan has been implemented to manage targets (pedestrians walking below the tree) and not managing so much the tree itself. Many structural defects in this tree cannot be easily or effectively managed, the beauty is whilst the targets are being protected there is no actual need to.
Instead of removing or significantly pruning the tree, a protective causeway has been erected under the trees canopy to protect the users of the path below. A simple and effective way of retaining a tree, whilst greatly reducing the risks associated with it. This is the definition of quality tree management. Safely retaining a very special old tree and allowing it to co-exist in close harmony with the people that use the facility where it grows, likely for many years to come.