ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (Felling of the Maryknoll Araucaria)

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,

ISA HK/China received the media report underneath this morning, much of its contents are self-explanatory.

ISA HK/China is not in a position to comment on the two reports mentioned in the media coverage; one by a local company & one by an overseas company on the Maryknoll Araucaria at links below:

1. Local Report --- http://www.devb-wb.gov.hk/greening/en/docs/EMERGENCY%20INSPECTION%20REPORT%20by%20Dynamic.pdf

2. Overseas Report --- http://www.devb-wb.gov.hk/greening/en/docs/AG%20Report.pdf

Station Members may want to download them for your own studies from the DEVB website above.

One thing that ISA HK/China wish to clarify in the media message below is that, the name of the 'Qualified Arborist' so mentioned in the Local Report has been searched, but could not be found as a Certified Arborist on ISA website (www.isa-arbor.com) under the heading of 'Certification - Verify an ISA Certification'.

Another question that was commonly asked in the past two days was on the title of the Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA) & how to get it. The BCMA credential tests for a total of 165 scenario-based Multiple Choice Questions in a computer room only, & no written report or demonstration of practical skills are required. Please find other requirements for taking the BCMA on ISA website under the heading of 'Certification - Which credential is the right one for you?'.

As for evaluating reports, it is a contemporary practice for report of any kind to be written as understandable, readable, logical, defensible & not excessively wordy. ISA HK/China would recommend our Station Members to view the following literature in report writing as a guidance:

1. Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative by Edward R. Tufre; Graphics Press, Cheshire, CT. ISBN 0-9613921-2-6.

2. Franklin Covey Style Guide for Business and Technical Communication, 3rd Edition, ISBN 188321982-5.

3. The Chicago Manual of Style , 5th Edition; University of Chicago Press, 2003.

4. StyleEase for Chicago Manual of Style and Turabian's Manual for Writers; Style Writer-USA, www.StyleWriter-USA.com.

The above literature may help our Station Members to understand how good reports should be written, as well as resolving some of the queries of the media message （見表）mentioned below .

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."


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2月6日 星期六 氣溫 17°C 濕度 91 % 詳盡天氣報告

鬼樹今處斬 瑪利諾舊生報警 校方評估報告被質疑欠證據

(x報)2010年2月6日 星期六 0x:10

【x報專訊】瑪利諾修院學校昨日公開兩份「鬼樹」南洋杉的評估報告，雖然報告並無表明該樹有「即時危險」，校方指該樹逾半根部已受損，傾斜度增加及泥土鬆散，非常危險，決定今晨移除這棵23.5米高、5噸重的鬼樹。有專家質疑報告不專業及欠缺證據，瑪利諾舊生今零時與律師到尖沙嘴警署報案，指有人涉嫌違法破壞已列入古蹟範圍的鬼樹，數名舊生通宵留守「鬼樹」，另逾200人今晨會回校綁上綠絲帶，抗議移除鬼樹工程。

當局將於今日清晨約5至10時在瑪利諾南洋杉附近封路，據悉，校方清晨6時起移除鬼樹，承建商會以「分件移除（Sectional Felling）」，把樹分成每50至100公斤一件，再即時用吊機逐一吊離現場，以免大樹倒下阻礙通道。

瑪利諾修院學校小學部校監余黎青萍解釋，由於渠道已破損及有滲漏，校方去年12月底展開更新渠務工程，直至上月下旬校方發現承建商在鬼樹附近挖掘，已即時叫停工程及聘請樹木專家檢查鬼樹。

傾斜12度 減兩成支撐力

據註冊樹藝師胡煜文撰寫的報告，南洋杉逾半樹根受損，包括兩條直徑達100毫米的樹根，認為該樹已不穩定，需設結構支撐及每周巡視。校方隨後再聘請美國「國際樹木學會」註冊高級樹藝師（Board Certified Master Arborist）Eckert 於上月底檢視該樹，報告指鬼樹已向西傾斜約12度，指若失去有關根部，會減少逾兩成的樹木支撐力。

報告建議在拉索穩定樹身，或透過砍伐樹頭減少樹木負荷，「若拉索或伐去樹頭也不可行或效果不理想，可考慮移除樹木」。註冊樹藝師蘇國賢指出，兩份報告均無指明樹木有即時危險及「非砍不可」，有樹木專家對報告提出多項質疑（見表）。

不過，余黎青萍指樹身傾斜度於個多月間由8度增至11度，加上該樹泥土鬆散、樹木地形限制及風雨因素等，又指其他方法如拉索並不可行，校方決定盡快移除該樹，形容這是「忍痛」的決定。

facebook群組聲言今包圍

瑪利諾舊生朱茵稱，已蒐集逾2000名學生簽名叫停斬樹，並發出律師信質疑移除鬼樹的合法性。有逾2000名會員的「齊來保護屬於瑪利諾修院學校的鬼樹」facebook群組中，有會員聲言將於今晨6時包圍鬼樹，阻止斬樹工程。

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放大
樹齡逾50年的南洋杉，過去半個世紀屹立瑪利諾門前，逾2000名學生昨簽署希望叫停移除該樹的工程。校方形容移除該樹是「忍痛」決定，會把樹木製成紀念品或裝飾，讓學生留作紀念。

放大
瑪利諾修院學校小學部校監兼舊生余黎青萍昨手持樹木專家報告（中），指報告顯示逾半樹根受損，校方亦曾考慮其他方法如拉索，但要兼顧已列為法定古蹟的校舍及有足夠力度支撐鬼樹，校方最終認為其他做法不可行，只好「忍痛」移除鬼樹。

ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (Felling of the Maryknoll Araucaria?)

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,

The media news received below by ISA HK/China this morning came at rather a surprise to the Station Manager.

The Araucaria tree at Maryknoll School is now being considered to be felled for public safety reason, after claimed drainage work nearby might have de-stabilized the roots of this tall & leaning tree.

Everyone in ISA HK/China knows that this tree was assessed by the Station Manager way back in Nov 2008, & the recommendation was 'felling' from the observations & data collected. The Station Manager did not have the luxury of deploying any Decay Detection Device (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/search?q=ISA+HK%2FChina+---+Decay+Detection+Devices+%28DDD%29) for the inspection, which he regarded as unnecessary anyway, with the apparent status of the tree at that time in relation with the growing location. All there were used was a mallet, keen observation & his knowledge & experience of 25+ years as a nurseryman, landscape contractor & Independent Practicing Arborist (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2008/08/isa-hkchina-independent-practicing.html) combined, for a qualitative analysis.

This tree was then decided to be retained after further assessments by Govt Depts & other Tree Experts, with the help of advanced machines such as Tomograph & Resistograph. It also went through a 4-month Protection Period by a Govt-employed expert for its preservation at public expenditure. It is very sad now that it has become a potential subject of removal after a 'slipped through' drainage work to damage it, under the daily supervision of the School & watchful eyes of the Authorities.

The future of this tree will be known very soon. It will be regrettable if it has to be removed after all the time, funding & technical expertise to save it. On the other hand, it will be Mother Makes the Rules, if it is to be retained. The consequence can be very serious if this tree accidently fails to hit any target below. It will be a difficult decision to be made indeed.

Trees in HK have become a sensitive topic in the public arena, & may the future Tree Management Office take the helm & steer it in the right direction.

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."

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04/02/2010

瑪利諾70年鬼樹今定生死

【本報訊】九龍塘瑪利諾修院學校內有七十年樹齡的「鬼樹」南洋杉，其命運最快今日揭盅！校方昨承認，早前在校內進行的渠務工程令鬼樹受損，學校管理層今日會與發展局等商討，決定鬼樹去留。該校舊生質疑，鬼樹位於古蹟範圍內，工程展開前無理由未察覺施工範圍太接近而隨時傷害古樹。發展局回應指早已獲悉工程，但未能評論何以不察覺危機存在。

舊生反對處斬

瑪利諾修院學校小學部校監余黎青萍指，因校園老渠需要更新，上月中已展開渠務工程，未幾發現工程已延伸至鬼樹附近，即時叫停工程，並聘請專家再進行勘測，至昨午收到報告，確定鬼樹因工程影響而已受損，校方今再商討鬼樹去向。她強調與校方都重視鬼樹，但「任何舉動，以安全為重，不能以安全作為賭注」。

發展局與校方昨均未能回應，何以工程進行前，未察覺工程可能影響古樹。鬼樹樹齡達七十年，校方於去年中曾以安全理由，擬將此樹處斬，遭校友極力反對，其後發展局「認頭」，介入研究保育這棵位處古蹟範圍的古樹之法，風波始平息。

發展局當時承諾聘請顧問進行為期四個月的保育研究，但發展局發言人昨指，以鬼樹現時最新情況有變，當局會押後公布報告。