ISA HK/China --- Fung Kai Tree Felling with Proper Rigging

Dear Station Members,

TCHK (http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/treeclimbinghk) Members were invited on 29.12.07 to fell a hazard rated Delonix regia which straddled over the Snack Shop of Fung Kai School where students would queue for food & beverages during breaks. This tree had mushrooms growing all over the base during the initial Tree Inspection & then a detailed Risk Assessment.

The difficulty with felling this tree is that there were balustrades on one side & a canopy cover on the other side directly under the tree. Ordinary Drop Cut can not be used to remove the tree parts. No property damage could be anticipated in the devised operation. TCHK Members had thus devised a proper Rigging plan which was not commonly used in HK to fell the tree piece by piece with ropes, slings & pulleys. Full description of the operation with narration in Chinese is given in TCHK Blog mentioned above.

Every step of the operation had been required to follow international practice in equipment, planning & procedures, with no wood piece simply dropped to damage anything. The work started at 9am in the morning & went on to 8.30pm in the dark when the last piece was finally removed with Pulley Blocks & ropes. Several chainsaws of various sizes were deployed & the site was a spectacular scene of sawdust flying & thundering noise. Two Tree Climbers & several Groundsmen took turn to carry out the operation with luncheon boxes only for lunch. It had been proven that our local Tree Climbers would possess enough skill to carry out difficult operation of this kind & very rarely the public would see work of this kind to be carried out in private premises in our territory. Therefore, it is reported here to tell our Station Members that we can be proud of our local Tree Climbers & to celebrate the level of skills HK would now possess.

Tree Climbing requires not only stamina but also skills & experience. There is no instant method to train a skilled Tree Climber known around the world. Time & constant practice with endurance are the key, which why makes Tree Climbers such a special breed of their own. With our apparently advantageous strength to body weight ratio, ISA HK/China & TCHK do not see why our Chinese blood can not make an expert Climber to enter the world. The Fung Kai boys & girls have proven this fact & they will be entering the Australian Tree Climbing Competition in May in Brisbane to demonstrate themselves. HK is ready to show the world indeed.

TCHK will begin to provide training for Tree Climbing in various levels once its foundation can be settled step by step. TCHK will design its training programs to fit in with our local condition, taking into account of the needs of the HK public in reality with the physical condition of our people. TCHK aims to eventually provide the best training in HK & to follow the ISA Certification requirement of CTW. The first set of training programs is anticipated to be delivered by March this year. For anyone interested, please stay in touch with TCHK Blog given above.

By the way, TCHK Blog in Chinese appears to be more popular than our Station Blog in English, with over 1000 browsings in less than just two months. Details of this are given in the statistic count in the Blog.

HK will be proud to join the world to climb gradually.

best regards,

Sammy Au
Station Manager

ISA HK/China --- Chinese translation of ISA Arboriculture for banner use

Dear Station Members,

Upon the return from the 2007 North District Flower Show & the CAHK Tree Lovers Day this month, it has been proven that selling ISA Arboriculture in English did not work for the public, especially with our communication in international English where most local visitors simply could not understand.

Therefore this Station, with the kind help of TCHK staff, has taken time during the Christmas holidays to translate some of essential information on :

1. What is arboriculture
2. What is the work of a Certified Arborist
3. The scope of work of a Certified Arborist
4. The scope of work of a Certified Tree Worker (Climber Specialist)
5. Common saying in Arboriculture
6. Introduction of TCHK

as per attached. This information will also be used to produce banners & back-drops for future exhibitions so that the local public can understand about ISA & our Station, as well as the benefits of employing CA & CTW.

This Station also sees the Chinese translation as an opportunity for anyone who wishes to reproduce it in any form for publication in their own department or association, e.g. the Teachers Association or the Social Workers Association, etc. to promote understanding of arboriculture & the benefits of trees. Please kindly note this Station has given up copyright for any of our published information & anyone is free to reproduce or modify them for their own dissemination even in their own names, for the sake of developing proper tree care in our region.

Please note some of the Chinese translation of the arboricultural terms are provisional, since the ISA Glossary translation is still undergoing construction at TCHK so far. We hope to make available the Glossary translation within January for public discussion in our Station, & then use them for future exams & teaching in our region.

Thank you all for your kind help to disseminate the attached information. Your contribution will be remembered for developing modern arboriculture to help bring a better quality of living in our region, one tree at a time.

best regards,

Sammy Au
Station Manager

樹藝是什麼？

樹藝 ( Arboriculture )是一門專科研究樹木在綠化功能上有關設計，選料，種植(包括移植)，護養，修剪，定期檢查，風險評估，工地保護和法律資詢的一個專業。

國際樹木學會 ( International Society of Arboriculture，簡稱 ISA , http://www.isa-arbor.com/ )是目前全球最大及最古老的樹藝研究機構，于1924年成立。

截至2008年1月為止，ISA 在全球 57個國家均有會員分佈，合共擁有2萬名以上的註冊樹藝師 ( Certified Arborist ) 及6百名以上的 註冊攀樹師 ( Certified Tree Worker Climber Specialist )，在各個綠化領域作出貢獻。

ISA HK/CHINA ( http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/ ) 是ISA 位于中國地區的唯一分會，管理住ISA 在香港、澳門、台灣及中國大陸的會務，其中包括樹藝訓練，專業考試，樹木攀爬，本地及海外會議，外訪交流及公眾資訊等等業務。

ISA HK/CHINA 屬下的「攀爬一族」( http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/treeclimbinghk. ) 是負責訓練，管理及考核本地的攀樹人員，其中包括職業攀爬及康樂攀爬，並經常舉辦活動及參加國際比賽。

ISA HK/CHINA 只用國際水平英語溝通，而「攀爬一族」則只用香港中文方言溝通，目前兩個組織均是免費加入，不設年齡，學歷，資格或任何限制，歡迎任何有興趣人士參與，詳情請溜覽以上兩個網址或電郵至 egc@netvigator.com查詢。

註冊樹藝師 的工作是什麼？

簡單來說，註冊樹藝師的兩大功能就是作為「樹木醫生」Tree Doctor 和 「樹木偵探」Tree Detective。

人病了，會去找醫生診斷。樹木生長不良，也要去找「樹木醫生」去作出診斷，而並非自我憑空判斷。樹木的診斷工作通常包括檢查測樹木在設計上有否出現錯誤？是否選料妥當？是否栽種在合適深度？是否日常護理正常？是否受到環境因素 ( Abiotic Stress ) 或生理因素 (Biotic Stress) 影響？會否對週邊人命財產構成危險 ( Risk Assessment )？而應該作出如何處理 ( Treatment ) ？

如果不對生病或存在風險的樹木作出處理，此樹可能會突然斷枝或全棵倒塌，對週邊的人命財產會造成傷亡破壞。此時，受害者 ( Victims ) 可以聘請合資格及有經驗的註冊樹藝師作為「樹木偵探」去對整個事故作出深入調查，按照國際指引而作出判斷，寫出「樹藝師報告」(Arborist Report) ，從而追究責任。

註冊樹藝師亦可在法庭上作為「技術証人」Expert Witness去指証事故起因及厘定責任，為事故找尋事實 ( Fact Finding ) 和道出真相 ( Truth Telling )。

中國地區 註冊樹藝師 的工作範圍

1. 參與樹木在園林綠化上的設計 ( Tree Design )。
2. 負責對合乎國際規格樹木的選料 ( Nursery Stocks Selection )。
3. 在工地上，對樹木種植或移植作出評估，設計及施工 ( Tree Planting & Transplanting )。
4. 管理樹木的日常護養 ( Tree Maintenance )，包括結構性修剪 ( Structural Pruning )。
5. 對年長樹木的定期檢查 ( Regular Tree Inspection ) 。
6. 對古老，高大或受傷有病的樹木作出風險評估 ( Tree Risk Assessment ) 。
7. 在法律爭議上提供 “樹藝師報告” ( Arborist Report )去厘定責任及作為控辨任何一方的 “技術証人” ( Expert Witness )。
8. 提供樹藝的資訊 、教育及訓練給任何機構或團體。

中國地區 註冊攀樹師 的工作範圍

1. 負責設計及執行所有樹上工作，包括攀爬，修剪，流纜，固定，移除高大樹木，野外觀察，拆除蜂、蟻巢及拯救樹上動物等等。
2. 負責操作機械平台，吊重，各式鏈鋸及樹上工作器材。
3. 負責教育及訓練初級攀爬人員，其中包括 “康樂攀爬” 和 “職業攀爬”。

ISA HK/CHINA 對本會的 註冊樹藝師 及 註冊攀樹師 要求擁有 “ 誠信，專業和參與社會，並抱有找尋事實及道出真理的專業態度 ”。( Integrity, Professionalism & Participation into society with an attitude of Fact-Finding & Truth-Telling ).

樹藝名言

1. 所謂 “美麗” 或”好看”的樹木在國際上並沒有絕對鑑驗標準，但樹木的 “結構” 和 “健康” 則有。
2. 如果一棵樹在設計，選料，護養，修剪，定期檢查或風險評估當中犯錯，則此樹最終不會成為社會資產，反會成為公眾包袱。
3. 不去作出專業 “診斷” 的樹木 “處理” (例如修剪) 是一種魯莽行為。
4. 在任何的樹木設計上，最終會由大自然去決定成敗，而並非設計人員。
5. 一棵胡亂 “處理” 的大樹最終會變成一個計時炸彈。
6. 樹藝師 就是 “樹木醫生” 和 “樹木偵探”。

Sammy Au 27.12.007

攀爬一族

「攀爬一族」是由一群本地熱愛攀樹活動的ISA教官及考牌官發起組成，族員包括政府及私營機構的職業攀爬人員，民間業餘愛好者及教育機構的專業攀樹隊。「攀爬一族」是目前全港最大及代表性最廣的攀樹活動機構。

「攀爬一族」 的活動包括安全攀樹、樹藝知識和器械操作的訓練及考核，亦經常組團參與海外的攀樹活動和比賽。

無論是因工作需要的「職業攀爬」或業餘興趣的「康樂攀爬」，攀樹運動是一種寧神健體，增強斗志，嚴求紀律和愛樹保育的優質運動項目，非常值得推廣。當今社會人類用腦太多，運動太少，攀樹活動可令參与者重歸大自然，注重保育和舒展筋骨。

攀樹活動在西方國家經已流行數十年，至今全球已有數十萬人參于過此項活動，而人數正在不斷增加。在鄰邦日本和台灣，兩地已發展攀樹活動達十年之久，亦已發展到「醫療攀爬」，專門為身體有缺陷及精神受創傷的病人幫助其回復自信，詳情請溜覽http://www.treeclimbing.jp/ 。

攀樹活動與攀石運動其實並不完全相同 。攀石運動主靠手腳攀登，而攀樹活動則主要依繩索攀登，兩者性質並不全同。基於迎合樹上工作的需要，攀樹器材的安全要求往往比攀石運動高出數倍，攀爬紀律也較為嚴格，目的是為了令意外發生率減至零。

從西方國家經驗指出，攀樹活動是適合任何年齡和身體狀況的人參于。只要在接受適當訓練後，由6歲以上至87歲的人仕都可以攀樹到一定高度，而學歷背景並不成為限制。目前凡有興趣學習攀樹的專業或業餘愛好者，均可登入「攀爬一族」網址http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/treeclimbinghk 內找尋「入族申請表」填回加入，或電郵至 egc@netvigator.com 查詢。

現時入族費用全免，歡迎任何人仕加入。

Sammy Au 27.12.2007