The OPAL Tree Health Survey – pioneering engagement of the public to support tree health policy needs Dr David Slawson OPAL, Imperial College, London

Our trees are under threat

Government sought help from people

• “People more aware and more informed on how they can help”

• “Develop a cadre of professionals and volunteers to act as ‘eyes and ears’ to support official surveillance”

• “Encourage citizen, landowner and industry engagement in surveillance”

• “Help members of the public to contribute to surveillance efforts”

• “Create a wide network of individuals able to identify plant pests and pathogens”

Government Scientists

Difficult records

Official ID

Action

Observatree

Tree Health Champions

Citizen Scientists

OPAL Tree Health Surveyors

Members of the public

Desk Based Verifiers:

Triage Researchers

Genie Machine Users

Surveyors

Expertise

Numbers

”

Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) “Citizen science for everyone”

• Over 900,000 participants

• 20% from hard to reach communities

• More than 3,500 schools involved

• 2,800 organisations engaged

• Over 54,000 surveys completed

Survey partnership

• Management Partnership: Fera, Forest Research, OPAL

• Survey Working Group: Above plus Field Studies Council, University of York, Plymouth University, Natural History Museum

• Survey Advisory Board: Above plus Defra, Forestry Commission Scotland, Forestry Commission England, Welsh Government, Woodland Trust, National Trust, Sylva Foundation, Tree Council, Royal Parks, Duchy of Cornwall Forestry, University College London

Survey Design

Activity 1 Get to know your trees (Outreach – learning/awareness/stewardship)

• Introduce participants to the subject of trees

• Conduct some fun exercises of measuring the girth and estimating the tree’s height

• Start to make them aware of some general indicators of a tree’s health

Activity 2 How healthy are your trees? (Research)

• Four pests and diseases on oak, ash and horse chestnut

• Trees: common and so easy to find for participants.

• Pests and diseases: interest to scientists (incidence and distribution) and participants stand a good chance of seeing them

Survey Design

6 “Most Unwanted” (Research/evidence) • Early warning aimed at prompt eradication

• Chalara ash dieback, Asian longhorn beetle, Citrus longhorn beetle, Emerald ash borer, Oak processionary moth, Pine processionary moth

• Pose a serious threat to the UK’s trees (absent or only in a few locations

• Only 6 species chosen: not to overload scientists

• 5 insects chosen: easier for the public to identify, and to reduce the number of reports to official services

• All report to TreeAlert: avoid participant confusion

Impacts – research/evidence

• 1741 survey forms (sites) submitted

• Across the whole of the UK

• 2483 trees surveyed

– Oak (28%)

– Ash (22%)

– Horse Chestnut (14%)

– Sycamore (6%)

– Beech (4%)

Impact - Outreach

Participants:

• 28.1% Friends and family

• 48.2 % Education (Primary 16.7%; Secondary 28.0%; College/university 3.5%)

• 19.3% Adult volunteer group

• 3.5% Tree Buddy initiative

Outreach (learning/awareness)

• 92% learnt something new

• 86% developed new skills

Outreach(stewardship/behaviour change)

• 64% changed the way they think about the environment

• 59% changed their behaviour towards the environment

“Added value”

• Complements other tree health projects e.g. Observatree

• Catalyst for embryonic tree health citizen science group

• Participants once trained can help surveillance for other tree pests and diseases e.g. oriental chestnut gall wasp, Phytophthora in water

• Research resource for others

– Tree health citizen science research associate

– SEI York survey return rate

• Learning resource for others e.g. over 1,000 youngsters used the OPAL tree health survey to achieve their John Muir Award in 2015

“Added value”

• Complements other tree health projects e.g. Observatree

• Catalyst for embryonic tree health citizen science group

• Participants once trained can help surveillance for other tree pests and diseases e.g. oriental chestnut gall wasp, Phytophthora in water

• Research resource for others

– Tree health citizen science research associate

– SEI York survey return rate

• Learning resource for others e.g. over 1,000 youngsters used the OPAL tree health survey to achieve their John Muir Award in 2015

Final thoughts on lessons learnt

• Clear objective: a science/evidence need

• Strong partnership: – Clear champion/owner of the data

– Network of local scientists and supporters

• Close collaboration with similar activities: – Gives value for money to funder

– Efficient use of expert capacity

– Avoids confusing/exhausting limited pool of participants

• Nurture your participants – Involve them, preferably at all stages of the project

– Design fun and engaging activities which they understand

– Provide feedback