ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (Arborists are 'Tree Technicians'??

国内朋友请使用翻译软件阅读本文。
*** Our weekly Station Mail is for the information of Station Members only, but Station Mail has given up copyright & can be freely circulated. For administrative reasons, comments from outsiders are usually not entertained & may be circulated within our system locally & overseas. Please note Station Mail is sometimes given in Blog at http://isahkchina.blogspot.com , although images are usually not attached due to size. ***

Dear Station Members,

Below is a piece of local news sent in by Station Members with regard to the image of the Arborist Profession in HK. ISA HK/China is trying to tone down our response in this Station Mail not to invite international uproar, since Station Mail is read nowadays in the Pacific Rim, Europe & America by the thousands.

The discussion in Blue below was describing the Certified Arborists (CA) not as any 'expert' in Tree Care. CA's were compared to 'Tree Technicians', lacking what an 'expert' would understand as 'professional knowledge'. The CA's were further taken as lacking the abilities of a 'Tree Doctor' to diagnose ailing trees.

This is the first time that ISA HK/China has heard criticism on our CA system anywhere in the world, & sadly this has happened in HK where ISA HK/China is based. It would be even more hurting if this would come out from someone who has an ISA Membership.

May we first look into how a CA is 'produced' in ISA before anyone would make any further comments. In accordance with the Entry Qualification of the CA exam, the candidate has to fulfill the following requirements:

" Examination Eligibility Requirement

The ISA Certification Board requires candidates to have a minimum of three years of full-time experience in arboriculture. Acceptable experience includes the practical use of knowledge involved in pruning, fertilization, installation and establishment, diagnosis and treatment of tree problems, cabling and bracing, climbing, or other services that directly relate to arboriculture. Examples of experience sources include, but are not limited to,

• tree care companies • utility personnel
• nursery personnel • instructors of arboriculture/horticulture
• landscape personnel • horticultural/Extension advisors
• municipalities • consulting arborists
• state forestry personnel • pest control advisors/applicators

The eligibility requirement also may be satisfied with a two-year degree in arboriculture and two years of practical experience or a four-year degree in a related field and one year of practical experience. If you are self-employed or own your own company, you will be required to submit three letters of references with your application. References may be in the form of copies of invoices, contracts and/or business license. Please contact ISA for other possible forms of verification. "

The application procedure has clearly screened out those who are not related to the profession or not trained relevantly for Tree Care. Any falsification in the application will lead to removal of the credential anytime before or after the exam. The Chief Proctor has the authority to carry out such investigation.

The CA exam is in the form of 200 multiple choice, in which 10 Tree Samples are given for identification. The average international passing rate of the CA exam is around 25% at present. It is very low when compared to most Professional Exams in HK for Engineers, Architects, Lawyers & Doctors.

After getting the CA credential, it is only valid for 3 years. The CA has to collect 30 Continuous Education Units (CEU) by self-study within this period for re-certification, or he/she will have to re-take the exam.

On the working side, it is a fact that the CA's in HK are not active in Arborist Services such as Tree Selection, Tree Installation, Tree Inspection, Risk Assessment, Pruning Supervision, Construction Protection, etc. like their overseas counterparts, partly due to our landscaping system not demanding CA for this kind of service in the past. However, those who do work as a Practicing Arborist like the Station Manger (SM), would produce quality services to international requirements. One of such incident is attached for public viewing in here & the SM himself has inspected & assessed hundreds of trees alone in the past 12 months in Govt & private sector in HK.

Arborists around the world are known as Tree Doctors & Tree Detectives. Not quoting work from other CA's in HK without their permission but his own, the SM has stood up as Expert Witness in Court, carried out Pruning Supervision on site, assessed OVT's & delivered various Arboricultural Training locally & overseas. If this does not qualify a CA to be a genuine Tree Professional, then what does?

Those who would call CA's as 'Tree Technicians' may not actually understand the requirements, training & experience of how to become a CA. There are now +22,000 CA in +30 countries around the world & CA is a respected profession in 47 countries. There is a CA exam given every 18 hours anywhere in the world right now. The popularity of the CA credential has spoken for itself & the world would not be as foolish to keep on pursuing something of no value.

In his conferences & travel for ISA commitment, the SM has met prominent CA's like Prof Ed Gilman of University of Florida, Prof Bill fountain of University of Kentucky, Prof Brian Kane of University of Massachusetts, Prof Frank Schwarz of University of Switzerland, Prof Ken James of University of Melbourne, & many others.... All these Professors were very proud of their CA credential every time.

Furthermore, the trees in Singapore are looked after well by their +150 CA's in the National Parks Board (Nparks). We in HK admire the trees in Singapore all the time. It is a known fact that their CA's would look after their trees from design, installation, maintenance, inspection to protection as genuine Tree Professionals.

Would we now not appreciate the abilities & contribution of the CA as Tree Experts to care for our trees? Would great Professors & senior Govt Officials around the world join the rank of CA because it is a 'Technician' quality?

May the HK public understand the CA profession better & let those who would regard CA's as 'Tree Technicians' to come sit for the CA exam just for once, to find out whether such claim can be truly justified.

best regards,

Sammy Au
ISA HK/China Station Manager
ISA Chief Proctor for the HK/China Region of HK, Macau, Taiwan & China

"If a tree is not designed, installed, maintained & inspected properly, it is likely to become a liability rather than an asset."

"Trees are good for the community. Trees need care like human beings. Arborists are the Tree Care Professionals."

要使古樹不再殺人 須健全樹木醫護制度

(明報)4月1日 星期三 05:10

【明報專訊】政府高調回應赤柱 刺桐塌下壓死港大女生的死因研訊結果，由行政長官 委派政務司 長唐英年 成立專責小組，檢視管理樹木工作。這次塌樹殺人，顯示康文署 對於樹木安危的評估，已經使人失去信心，關鍵在於康文署並無樹木專家，而該署卻不肯面對這個現實，終致發生塌樹殺人慘劇。專責小組一定要解決這個問題，配合人才培訓，才有可能使樹木成為香港人的朋友，而非殺人兇手。

有足夠知識診斷病樹？ 樹木組表現證明不及格

康文署轄下樹木組約有120人，據該署介紹，這些人員均曾接受專業樹木護理訓練，有90名管理及督導級人員接受過海外樹藝專家在香港舉辦的樹木護理課程，更有40名職員考獲國際樹藝學會註冊樹藝師資格。不過，據樹木專家、港大地理系講座教授詹志勇表示，這些樹藝師負責日常保養樹木的工作，相當於樹藝技工，並無專家所需的專業知識。

如果康文署認為考獲「國際樹藝學會註冊樹藝師資格」，就具備專家身分和要求，則證明這個資格未能滿足香港的現實情况；若這個資格合乎專家的身分和要求，則可能是管理和制度架構使他們未能發揮所長。從過去所發生的事故看來，樹藝師資格未合乎專家身分和要求的可能較大。

日常護理樹木，需要技工，但是同時需要懂得樹木病理的專家，及早發現樹木有什麼毛病，以便治療。以赤柱刺桐塌下的經過為例，說明康文署人員根本未能給刺桐準確斷症。刺桐塌下殺人後，樹木組人員鋸斷樹幹，發現樹身有大洞，內藏無數小昆蟲及螞蟻等，一幅萬蟲蠢動景象，使人毛骨聳然。刺桐被蛀蝕中空，健康之壞早已不言而喻。但是刺桐塌下之前約一個月，才通過樹木組人員所做的聲納檢測，認為樹身狀態屬於可接受，而塌下前不到一星期，也通過樹木組人員的目視檢測。

另外，死因研訊中，以獨立專家身分作供的詹志勇，也曾指出樹木護理人員知識水平不足，即使儀器顯示刺桐腐爛程度大增，但他們單憑目視仍然決定只密切觀察，未能及時抑制姫小蜂侵害，間接導致塌樹。詹志勇認為，從檢測刺桐的數據和所顯露「身體語言」，其實早已反映有倒塌危險。我們認為，上述種種情况，說明樹木組人員根本無足夠專業知識護理樹木。

康文署無夠資格樹木專家，並非始於今日或塌樹之日，過去沒有，現在也沒有。問題是塌古樹危機也非始於今日，2007年九龍公園 一棵細葉榕「樹王」，曾發生大部分樹身塌下，猶幸未造成傷亡，當時輿論和專家已經質疑樹木組人員缺乏專業知識，本港部分古樹的安全度引起關注。不過康文署並未正視缺乏樹木專家的問題，以今次聆訊為例，還花錢特別從加拿大 請來樹木專家，提供對康文署有利的口供。聆訊結果令康文署的企圖未能得逞，但是該署的頑固做法於此可見一斑。

護理人員並無醫生功能 樹藝師無醫樹專業資格

近年本港保育意識高漲，保育除了要與社區發展尋求平衡，還涉及安全，保育古樹就碰到這個問題。九龍公園細葉榕「樹王」因為未傷人，安全問題未引起足夠關注，到赤柱刺桐塌下殺人後，政府才高調回應。事態進展，顯示負責保育古樹的康文署樹木組人員，與其工作所需要專業知識，存在落差。不少古樹就在市民身邊，特別是彌敦道尖沙嘴 段和栢麗大道的古樹，設若它們有病而未為所知，他朝不幸重演赤柱刺桐殺人事故，就為時晚矣！

樹藝師對於護理樹木，具備一定專業知識，這一點不能否定，但是樹藝師的角色與職能，與專家有很大不同。正如醫生與護理人員一樣，護理人員並無斷症的專業資格、知識和能力，護理人員在醫生替病人斷症、處方之後，按照醫生的指示和要求，護理病人，但是如果病人的病情未被診斷出來，護理人員也就無用武之地。護理人員不能取代醫生，醫生若放下身段，可以為病人做護理工作，這就是醫生和護理人員的分別。

證諸過去發生的事故，樹藝師未能診斷出病樹，已是定論，因為他們不具備類如樹木醫生所需要的專家知識和資格。要保育本港的樹木，使樹木不再成為殺手，本港要盡快填補樹木專家這個空間。

詹志勇在死因庭作供時，建議樹木組團隊由科學家帶領，經理級人員入職時亦要擁有相關學位，安排專業訓練，持續進修。陪審團狠批康文署之餘，也建議要加強在職人員培訓，入職條件應提升至專業水平。唐英年表示專責小組的工作重點，要兼顧在推廣綠化工作、保育古樹的同時，一定要確保市民安全和方便。要達至這個目標，首要完善護理樹木的基建工程，而引入樹木醫生，建立一套健全有效的樹木醫護制度，才是使樹木與市民和平共存的長治久安之計。

ISA HK/China --- RTHK Interview on Recent HK Arboricultural

国内朋友请使用翻译软件阅读本文。
*** Our weekly Station Mail is for the information of Station Members only, but Station Mail has given up copyright & can be freely circulated. For administrative reasons, comments from outsiders or anybody are usually not entertained & may be circulated within our system locally & overseas. Please note Station Mail is sometimes given in Blog at http://isahkchina.blogspot.com , although images are usually not attached due to size. ***

Dear Station Members,

The Station Manager (SM) has given an interview at the radio Talk Show of Radio & TV of HK (RTHK) called 'Liberal Wind, Liberal Phone' in Cantonese for about 15 minutes yesterday, to talk about the CA, CTW & IPA credentials & matters concerning the Arboricultural Development in recent HK.

Details of the conversation can be downloaded at http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/radio1/openline_openview/20090331.html for anyone interested.

Please note the skills of the SM in diverting attacks towards Govt Depts in local Tree Affairs during the rather stressed interview.

Assuring you that ISA HK/China will develop in a manner following the Mission of ISA at all times.

best regards,

Sammy Au
Station Manager

"If a tree is not designed, installed, maintained & inspected properly, it is likely to become a liability rather than an asset."

"Trees are good for the community. Trees need care like human beings. Arborists are the Tree Care Professionals."