Wokingham District Veteran Tree Association
10th Anniversary Report
Hedge trees, Grazeley
A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.
Greek proverb
Our survey will continue in those towns and parishes which have not yet been completed. We plan to attract new members and set up local surveying groups in the parishes where we have no coordinator and we will continue to improve our records by verification, additional surveys and by monitoring tree loss. Photographs will be added where missing, aiming for a coverage of at least 90% of the database.
We are planning to correct the under-recording of smaller species such as hawthorn and field maple, as well as those species, including willows, that were frequently pollarded. Trees that are currently too small to be recorded will be surveyed when they qualify as veterans. Where we have not yet been granted access, we will return to survey the trees whenever the land becomes accessible.
Our quarterly newsletter Tree Watch is widely read and keeps us in touch with our members as well as providing tree-related articles to a wider audience.
Parish and town councils will continue to be encouraged to use our survey data in their publications including leaflets on local walks. We will also continue to publish our own walking guides.
We plan to have at least one Tree Warden in each parish and town helping to assess the impact of development plans on neighbourhood trees and taking part in projects such as the planting of specimen trees, hedges and community orchards.
We will identify and nurture saplings in existing hedges, encouraging owners to allow these to become mature trees. We will also campaign for the planting of new trees in existing and new hedges.
Our events will continue to be open to both members and non-members and will include training for new surveyors and talks by specialists on a wide range of tree-related topics. Regular sociable walks will be organised with opportunities to discover and enjoy our local woodlands and countryside.
We will continue building links with local societies and groups and increase our participation in community events bringing the importance of trees and woodland to a wider audience. New members will be warmly welcomed at all our events.
Our website will continue to adapt in response to feedback from users, publishing information reflecting their interests and concerns. It will continue to be a valuable information resource for anyone wanting to know about Wokingham’s trees, from questions of identification and care through to tree-related matters arising from the Borough’s breakneck pace of changes in land use.
We aim to ensure that the website is easily accessible to all users and all devices. We also plan to develop and expand our presence on social media.