etc-new

Everything You Need To Know About Nesting Season

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 20:49:42 GMT

The official dates for nesting season here in the UK are from February to August with the busiest time for the majority of nesting birds is from 1st March to 31st July, this however varies depending on the year and of course the weather.

Edens ethos is to ensure we care for everything. That means our customers our trees and of course the wildlife. We know that when we remove a tree it's possible that it's also a home so we go through the toughest measures to make sure we do things properly. The official dates for nesting season here in the UK are from February to August with the busiest time for the majority of nesting birds is from 1st March to 31st July, this however varies depending on the year and of course the weather.

Our team here at Eden are not just professionals in what we do we understand that wildlife matters so we ensure we are clued up. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 recommended that contractors should aim to avoid impact to nesting birds during this time, but as well as that our team love the wildlife so we go above and beyond to avoid a single disturbance.

However, dangerous trees may be worked on during this time and Ecologists may be employed to grant permission to larger scale jobs if necessary. We would always carry out a full inspection before commencing any work during this period. Eden understand that every bird in the UK is protected under the laws Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 - WCA from intentional harm. However, under the same act, any nests that are active, including a nest being built or a nest with chicks or eggs in, is also protected from intentional destruction.

Although some birds can nest at any time of the year so we carry out a thorough check to ensure that no birds will be nesting in the habitat we are about to fell or prune. Because of this Eden pride ourselves on the extra care and service we give when it comes to looking after trees and plants. All of this is done because that’s how we believe Eden can do our bit providing for wildlife all over the Midlands.

If you have any questions or queries about the nesting season or taking care of your trees and wildlife on your property then get in touch with one of our team for a quote or even just some information. We are always happy to help.

How We Safely Dismantled A Diseased Tree With Ash Dieback

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 20:49:42 GMT

Eden Tree Care were called to investigate a protected Ash tree by Packington Parish Council. The Council were concerned the tree could pose a threat of danger to the public.

The team responded quickly to the Council and attended the scene to conduct a thorough risk assessment. Following the assessment, the tree was sadly found to have Ash Dieback. The tree was located on one of the busier roads in Packington and due to the position of the tree to various hazards including a public car park, telephone and power lines; the best course of action was to dismantle the tree.

What is Ash Dieback?

Ash dieback is a highly infectious fungal disease that affects ash trees and could wipe out 90% of native ash trees. The gov.uk Forest Research site has released information and resources to help identify signs of Ash Dieback such as blackening and wilting of leaves and shoots from mid to late summer and crown dieback.

Forest Research are keen on keeping an eye on the spread of Ash Dieback so changes can be monitored in distribution.

Unfortunately, there is no known cure for Ash Dieback, therefore it is essential to keep an eye on infected trees. Diseased trees are at high risk of losing branches or even failing completely, putting public safety at risk. This risk can be compounded during the winter months when high winds and heavy rainfall add further stress to weakened trees.

What was the removal process of the Ash Dieback tree?

In this instance, the tree had infection levels of over 50% which meant felling was the only option. Since the tree in question sat within a Conservation Area boundary any works would need planning permission. Eden Tree Care submitted a planning permission application to NWLDC in order to gain approval for the works to go ahead. Once permission was granted work was able to commence on the infected tree.

Eden’s skilled arborist team assessed the tree's location to fully understand how to tackle removing the tree without causing damage or disruption to the local area.

From assessment, a busy road, public car park, power lines and telephone wires all added to the delicacy of this job in Packington. The photo below shows just how many hazards were surrounding the tree.

The lead climber opted for a sectional dismantle rather than felling the tree in one cut, this ensured the safe removal of the Ash Tree and dramatically reduced any risk to the public or property. The process begins with the climbing arborist dismantling the canopy and then lowering using a rope and pulley system to the waiting ground staff - Eden pride themselves on having a high skill set and this job was a great chance to display their expertise and experience.

Once the outer limbs were removed, Eden’s Arborist made a start on dismantling the main trunk into small sections until the height was low enough to fell what remained of the tree. Despite the rain (the team are used to working in all weather!), the most technical part of the job was now complete and the Head Arborist can return to ground level to complete the final stage of the job.

With the trunk at a manageable height, the team could safely fell the tree from the ground and log it into manageable chunks. Finally, the team tidied up the area ensuring all timber and brash were either chipped or kept for firewood. The logs were left on site for local residents to use as firewood. It is a sad day for the Ash tree, Eden reflected - the only small consolation is that the Ash tree chippings will be sold on for biomass, creating green energy for the biofuel industry.

Storm Franklin Causes Havoc On Hill Street, Ashby de la Zouch.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 20:49:41 GMT

As storms lashed the UK this week, a customer from Hill Street, found themselves in a desperate situation.

During the storm on Monday 21st Feb the force of the wind sadly caused a large, mature Beech Tree to uproot and fall onto our clients beautiful 16 century, listed thatched cottage. The tree was at least 100 years old.

Initial Emergency Response

Ashby Fire and Rescue were immediately called to the scene, closing the road and ensuring that members of the public were not put at further risk. Leicester County Council then arrived to cut back any branches overhanging the road ensuring that it could be safely opened again.

Eden Arrives and Assessment Begins:

Eden were called to the site on Tuesday in order to assess the scale of the job and answer the question "How do we remove such a large tree, sitting with its entire weight on a house?".

It became immediately clear that we were going to need the assistance of our local crane contractor, Ashby Crane Hire Solutions in order to hoist the timber off the house.

Massive thank you to them for dropping everything to visit the site and confirming that we would need a 60 tonne crane to complete the job safely.

We also got in touch with our friends at Cuckoo Gap to supply a haulage tractor to extract the timber, since our vehicles were dealing with other emergency jobs elsewhere.

Another problem:

In addition it was clear that the large Turkey Oak tree growing next to the fallen Beech had become unstable.

This was a concern, due to its proximity to the properties on Tower Gardens.

After discussion on site with the LCC Tree Officer, and despite the tree having a protection order in place, permission was granted to remove this additional tree on the grounds of safety.

Wednesday and Work Begins:

With a plan in place it was time to get this job sorted! A small army of men arrived on site including 3 men form Ashby Crane Hire Solutions; managing Crane operations, 1 man from Cuckoo Gap; operating the haulage tractor and last but certainly not least, the J team from Eden!

Consisting of Jonathan Ferrie (Senior Climber), Jack Tivey (Senior Groundsman) and Jack Hollins (Groundsman).

Starting with the Beech tree, Jonathan Ferrie and his team worked with an exceptional level of skill to extract the tree in 2-4 tonne sections at a time.

This is highly skilled work as any wrong move could cause additional structural damage to the property. The lads tackled it with their usual level of professionalism and the Beech Tree was removed without further damage.

Nearly finished:

Now it was time to remove the remaining unstable Turkey Oak Tree, still standing but posing a serious threat to neighbouring properties. Jon and his team once again sprang in to action the tree was dismantled in sections and removed using the crane.

What a week!

Well it was certainly a memorable job and a brilliant example of trusted local companies working together to achieve an efficient, successful result.

Also special thanks to our dedicated, skilled men who made light work of what could have been a very difficult and dangerous job, you have our full respect!