What I look for when I’m out surveying

Jonathan Hazell

16 April 2013

What I look for when surveying

Where to start?

• in the words of the song “let’s start at the very beginning”• it’s worth spending [a lot of] time on this

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What I look for when surveying

What’s the brief?

• what does the client need to do with the output?• what therefore must be delivered?

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What I look for when surveying

How little do I need to do meet the brief?

• why spend longer on the job than you need to?• quantitative data is straight forward• species, location, size

• qualitative data is more subjective• how is tree hazard to be assessed?• how is visual amenity to be assessed?• what about any ecological value?

• some data may require research• fungal fruiting bodies, targets

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What I look for when surveying

Where to start?• Root • Crown• Stem

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What I look for when surveying

What’s the brief again?

• if an attribute is important, then assess and record it, for example• unique reference number• location• species• age• health• condition• safe useful life• preliminary management recommendations• targets

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What I look for when surveying

What to consider?

• species• characteristic appearance• typical life expectancy• susceptibility to certain conditions• known associations with pests and diseases

• environment• root disturbance• adjacent properties, structures or utilities

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What I look for when surveying

What to consider?

• logic• does the logic flow through, from initial survey to remediation?

• if not, change something!• if there are no concerns what’s the re-survey period?

• for some material if might be 20 years, for other it might be five• if concerns are raised, are they dealt with appropriately?

• is the re-survey period suitable?• does the proposed re-survey date take account of seasonal changes?• is the remediation prescription sensible?

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What I look for when surveying

Post-processing

• important to ensure that entries in all data fields are consistent• how will the data be managed – sort by address, prescription• minimise the number of treatments• link with an existing Schedule of Rates?

• post-processing may change some of the timings recommended by the surveyor• in general timings should be only be brought forward, not put back

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What I look for when surveying

Without a target a tree can not be a hazard

hazard

targetrisk

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the area of most interest is where all three overlap

What I look for when surveying

How to recognise hazard?

• how to recognise a tree hazard?• Body Language of Trees• Visual Tree Assessment

• how to assess the significance of a tree hazard?• how to record the findings?

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What I look for when surveying

What is the risk?

• how to assess risk?• how to record that assessment?

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What I look for when surveying

Is there a target?

• how to assess the target?• how to record that information?

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What I look for when surveying

What about visual amenity?

• how to recognise the value of a tree as a public amenity?• in certain situations this may be the preserve of a fellow

professional, such as a landscape architect

• how to record those findings?

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What I look for when surveying

Ecological value?

• how to recognise a tree’s ecological value?• this will often be the preserve of an ecologist

• how to record those findings?

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What I look for when surveying

Let’s not forget surveyor welfare

• these two are fairy ubiquitous in urban areas!

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What I look for when surveying

Overall, what’s most important?

• there are certain trump cards:• health and safety• nuisance

• these will generally be enough to override all other considerations

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What I look for when surveying

The judgment of Solomon

• how to balance all the competing and contrasting assessments that have been made?• how to explain the complexities to the client?

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What I look for when surveying

Don’t ever let anyone tell you surveying is easy!

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