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 following newspaper cutting was sent in by a Station Member without any comment. ISA HK/China thought that this Station Member was looking for a response & therefore we broadcast.
Ever since the announcement of setting up of the Tree Management Office (TMO) on 29.6.09, there has been a one sided criticism from the media & politicians for reasons beyond the understanding of ISA HK/China & our Arborists. In the radio interview at CR 1 & TV broadcast of Now TV both on 29.6.09, the Station Manager was shocked to hear complaints from every participant to paint the TMO as a repetitive structure wasting public funds. Then only weeks before the TMO was announced, the media were discussing that HK did not have an authoritative organization to coordinate the Tree affairs. Are the public now contradicting themselves?
For any organization to operate efficiently, it must have a leader. This is like a person having a brain to tell the other parts of the body what to do. Among those critics who would belong to some kind of organization themselves, be it the media, political group or what, doesn't that organization of theirs have a Director or Committee to steer their events? Then what's wrong of having the TMO to lead the Tree Affairs in HK?
Some say that they would want a local Tree Law. ISA HK/China has reviewed the Parks & Trees Act of Singapore (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2009/03/isa-hkchina-study-on-parks-and-trees.html) which would be regarded as the most relevant for HK, if HK would really consider setting up some form of Tree Regulations. However, the critics would divert themselves to places like Taiwan & China where Topping is an acceptable practice to guide our public. They also could not answer the concern of having private trees deliberately removed before the Tree Law could be set up to avoid supervision. Would this kind of attitude really help the trees in HK?
One of the functions of the TMO is to coordinate all Govt Depts dealing with trees from design, operation to maintenance to make our trees safe & functional, rather than just 'flowering & scent' alone. The TMO would need to renovate the traditional practices to pick out the incorrect & replace with proper. The tasks ahead are grave & serious, & public support is needed because the TMO will eventually run into clashes with people with traditional interest. Any change would mean their interest is harmed.
On the other hand, maybe the critics have something else on mind. Interestingly, none of the critics so far would like to confront the Arborists to talk face to face in a public situation to discuss how to plant trees on a technical sense, but rather would drag in politics & sentiment to try to please the public onto their side. Would this be really good for the Tree Development in HK?
ISA HK/China is now the most influential organization to talk with international practices on trees in HK. We do not follow comments or ideas if they do not comply with international knowledge & experience, no matter where they come from. We believe in Integrity, Professionalism, Participation, Fact-finding & Truth-telling in our professional attitude. This is what makes us grow from one person to +1,000 Station Members in just 4.5 years.
We believe that HK still has a lot of people who have clear mind to distinguish between justice & malice. ISA HK/China strongly believes in the future duties of the TMO & would support it as long as it can follow international practices & to be guided by the right persons. We believe the TMO would do HK good.
For this we shall have faith.
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."
【本報訊】政府堅決不肯訂立樹木保護法，被各方批評政府在保護樹木只講不做。屯門區議員陳雲生在《ontv》評論節目《就係敢講》批評政府在處理樹木問題上政出多門，最終就是無人負責。他說現時有超過十個部門處理樹木問題，但各自為政，每個部門處理樹木各有不同的方法和準則，例如樹下的土地是一個部門管理、樹身又一個部門處理，撥款工程處理爛木又是另一個部門處理，現時政府又說成立多兩個樹木辦事處，簡直就是混帳！疊床架屋，辦事處美其名是統一管理，但沒有解決原本的部門分工不清的問題，最終保樹都是一團糟！
陳雲生斥政出多門
陳雲生認為，要全面保護樹木，立法是最好的方法，令部門之間清楚釐定保護樹木的準則和責任，難以理解為何政府不肯立法，相信是高官對保護樹木意識不高，或是根本不在他們處理政策的首要考慮。他說連區議會轄下的小組亦會訪問內地保樹專家取經，之後參考他人做法向部門建議，但政府竟沒有培訓前線員工處理和保養樹木的方法，責任在於政府，但政出多門，令到部門之間互相推責，最終無人負責。
http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20090807/00176_017.html
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Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009
ISA HK/China --- Incoming Mail (HK$ 500/tree for Tree Assessment ?)
Guidelines for Professional Fees for ISA Certified Arborist (CA) & ISA Certified Tree Worker (CTW) Services in Hong Kong (July 2006 Edition)
Introduction: The preparation of these Guidelines takes into consideration the charges of other related professional services in Hong Kong at the time of preparation, & has referenced similar services provided in other countries overseas. They are meant only as a reference for the general public & within the profession. These charges were designed to reflect the extent of professional services rendered and to cover the obligations required of a CA or a CTW in offering tree services. Significant deviation from these charges may require further justification and explanation by the service provider & employer alike.
(A) For CA services:
1. General Consulting (which includes but not limited to tree inspections, project supervision, in-situ planting consultation, on site response to questions, etc.):
a. If only a verbal assessment is to be given --- HK$4,000.00 minimum for a half days work of 4 hours, & HK$6,000.00 minimum for a full days work of 7 hours. An hourly charge of HK$800.00 minimum can be applied as overtime. Please note the CA has the right to include 1 hour for traveling in his time calculation, e.g. For a half day (or full day) rate, the CA can take 1 hour for traveling to site & 3 hours (or 6 hours) of actual work will be provided.
b. If a written report is to be submitted --- HK$6,000.00 minimum for a half days visit, & HK$10,000.00 minimum for a full days visit. This takes into consideration of the time, effort & liabilities incurred in producing a formal written report which is signed by the CA and endorsed with his (her) name & Certification No. The CA will assume legal liabilities for the accuracy of the information contained in any written report.
2. Hazard Tree Assessment
This is a more specific area of inspection which may involve the use of tools & skills.
a. If only a visual inspection is given without deployment of drilling tools & tree climbing equipment --- HK$ 1,500.00 minimum per tree. The minimum charge for any visit is HK$4,000.00 minimum regardless of the number of trees to be inspected for any one visit.
b. If visual inspection is given plus the deployment of drilling tools, or tree climbing equipment, or any other additional equipment --- HK$2,000.00 minimum per tree. The minimum charge for any visit is HK$6,000.00 regardless of the number of trees to be inspected for any one visit. This takes into consideration of the initial cost & maintenance of the equipment to be deployed. The CA may have to bring in a tree climber if he/she cannot climb & this cost is included in the above-mentioned charges.
A written report is considered to be an essential deliverable for any Hazard Tree Assessment.
3. Legal Consultancy
There are two major forms of acting as a consultant to lawyers for legal cases in Hong Kong, either as a 'Consulting Expert' who can advocate for the client, or as an 'Expert Witness' who must be impartial to the Court. Although the nature of the two services provided is different, the time & effort in acting for either are nearly the same. Either position can bring legal liabilities upon the CA. Therefore, the charges for acting as either will be the same.
a. To produce a written report as a Consulting Expert or Expert Witness --- HK$25,000.00 minimum for a minimum size report to include one site visit only, research, writing up and deliverables. This charge usually refers to a report requiring 3 days of work to complete. If the report involves more work, the CA can charge an additional HK$10,000.00 minimum per day's work on top of this minimum charge. For e.g., a report requiring 7 days to write up can be charged at HK$75,000.00 minimum for any one report.
b. To reply to any response from opposing lawyers --- This usually happens after the CA's report is delivered to the opposing side’s lawyers who may employ their own experts to challenge the CA's report. The charge here is HK$10,000.00 minimum per day's work for the CA.
c. To appear in Court as witness --- HK$10,000.00 minimum per day irrespective of the length of the Court session for that day. For e.g. if the Court session takes 3 days to complete, the CA can charge HK$30,000.00 minimum as a total fee.
d. To act as technical consultant to lawyers outside Court --- HK$2,000.00 minimum per hour with a minimum charge of 2 hours to cover for the traveling expenses.
(B) For CTW Services:
1. General Tree Climbing (which includes but not limited to tree inspection, crown hazard identification, animal rescue, other menial work on tree top, etc.) --- HK$4,000.00 minimum for a half day work of 4 hours, & HK$6,000.00 minimum for a full day work of 7 hours. Hourly charge of HK$800.00 minimum can be charged as overtime. Please note the CTW has the right to include 1 hour for traveling in his time calculation, e.g. For a half day (or full day) rate, the CTW can take 1 hour for traveling to site & 3 hours (or 6 hours) of actual work will be provided.
2. Specialist Tree Climbing (which includes but not limited to rigging, cable installation, utilities management, Show Climb, etc.) --- HK$6,000.00 minimum for a half days work of 4 hours, & HK$8,000.00 minimum for a full days work of 7 hours. An hourly charge of HK$1,000.00 minimum can be applied for overtime. Please note the CTW has the right to include 1 hour for traveling in the time calculation, e.g. for a half day (or full day) rate, the CTW can take 1 hour for traveling to site & 3 hours (or 6 hours) of actual work will be provided.
3. Climbing Instruction (for beginner climbers, recreational climbers, chainsaw use, seminars & lectures, etc.) --- HK$750.00 minimum per hour at a minimum charge of two hours.
The CTW is expected to bring along his/her own climbing equipment as part of the service.
Notes:
1. Lunch of 1 hour & coffee break of 30 minutes are not charged within the above services.
2. For any service or overtime occupying more than 15 minutes but not one full hour, it will still be charged at a full hour's rate. For any service or overtime not exceeding 15 minutes, no charge will be given.
3. Free access to site & cooperation of the client regarding information & facilities are required for any services to be offered by any CA & CTW.
4. The CA & CTW will cover himself/herself with Accident Insurance and Employees Compensation Insurance, & it is recommended that the Public Liability Insurance is to be provided by the client.
5. Variations to above charges may apply if the work site is located in a remote area with difficult access.
6. If the CA or CTW is required to work in exceptional weather such as typhoon, thunderstorm, Black Warning Rain, during unsocial hours from 7pm to 7am, or during Public Holidays the above charges may be doubled due to the extra effort involved.
7. These guidelines do not apply to overseas arborists working in Hong Kong due to their additional expenses on travel.
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 xxx,
It is heart breaking indeed to hear your information which has been reported separately by other Station Members to ISA HK/China for such unbelievably low cost for Arborist Service in HK recently. In fact, the CA Family of ISA HK/China has produced a Professional Fees Guidelines as per attached to guide the industry to compete not by the cheapest cost but by the quality of service with using a uniform pricing structure for all ISA credential holders (CA & CTW). Our territory has seen too many times that by offering a below the belt cost would usually lead to wanton work with foreseeable dispute between the employer & the service provider. The Professional Fees Guidelines also encourages the credential holders to advance themselves in knowledge & experience to receive continuous business, rather than just waving credentials alone.
The cost of HK$500 (HK$ 7.8 = US$ 1) per tree for a proper Tree Assessment may be the lowest in the world that ISA HK/China is aware of anywhere. Just imagine the CA has to arrive at site, inspect the tree from top to bottom, climb up with approved equipment & technique for Canopy Inspection, & then go back to the office to file a 4 - 6 page report with photos & description. Is all that just worth just HK$500 only? According to the Professional Fees Guidelines, the CA is entitled to be paid HK$10,000 for a day of service for this kind of work. If it is going to be HK$500 per tree, does it mean that the CA can assess up to 20 trees in a day? If so, this CA should be invited to speak in a public forum at ISA HK/China to share his/her work & experience with Station Arborists for public inquiry.
It appears that the feasible alternative to assess 20 trees in a day would be by quietly skipping Canopy Inspection without the employer noticing. This may be possible for private clients but usually not for Govt Depts who have their own CA's for site monitoring, unless that Govt CA is just as ignorant as the site CA to not demand Canopy Inspection with Tree Climbing or Aerial Inspection.
Therefore, take care in your cost bargaining with your prospective employer. The Station Manager as a leader in ISA HK/China has stood firm with the Professional Fees Guidelines every time in the past 4.5 years in any business negotiation. It will be the Guidelines or no deal. He has found the clients would gradually respect the Guidelines since they can calculate budget easily for employing Arborists. After all, the cost structure in the Guidelines is fair & reasonable to respect the time consumption of the Arborist in consideration of the nature of the service. Then why not follow it?
As a final reminder, please note every Arborist Report is a legal document & the CA/CTW signing it has agreed to undertake legal liabilities for their work. ISA HK/China has produced Station Mail on the requirement to conduct Tree Assessment in http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2009/04/isa-hkchina-tree-assessment.html . We generally do not recommend CA/CTW with only 1 year of post -qualification to conduct this kind of sophisticated work, & anybody throwing himself/herself into it without adequate knowledge & experience is exposing oneself for future liabilities including credential revocation. Please therefore pay particular attention to this.
ISA HK/China is now seriously contemplating with undertaking Arborist work in conjunction with appropriate contractors to supply quality CA/CTW to meet market demand so that delivery can be guaranteed as well as generating income for ISA HK/China, since we do not charge for membership to provide tangible service. This act would also encourage cohesion of Station CA's to actively participate in ISA HK/China for personal advancement to be picked for rotational service if any Arborist work is secured. However, ISA HK/China will be very careful in procuring this to ensure the development of the Station is not polluted or jeopardizing our mission.
ISA HK/China will evolve to meet modern demand continuously.
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."
From: xxx
To: egc@netvigator.com
Cc: yyy
Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 11:36 PM
Subject: Re: Tree Assessment
Dear Sammy Au,
We were approached for Tree Assessment service at HKD 500 per tree for a govt job.
Has the situation degraded to such an extent for CA's in HK that we are paid cheaper than a construction worker?
Can you comment publicly?
Regards,
xxx
Introduction: The preparation of these Guidelines takes into consideration the charges of other related professional services in Hong Kong at the time of preparation, & has referenced similar services provided in other countries overseas. They are meant only as a reference for the general public & within the profession. These charges were designed to reflect the extent of professional services rendered and to cover the obligations required of a CA or a CTW in offering tree services. Significant deviation from these charges may require further justification and explanation by the service provider & employer alike.
(A) For CA services:
1. General Consulting (which includes but not limited to tree inspections, project supervision, in-situ planting consultation, on site response to questions, etc.):
a. If only a verbal assessment is to be given --- HK$4,000.00 minimum for a half days work of 4 hours, & HK$6,000.00 minimum for a full days work of 7 hours. An hourly charge of HK$800.00 minimum can be applied as overtime. Please note the CA has the right to include 1 hour for traveling in his time calculation, e.g. For a half day (or full day) rate, the CA can take 1 hour for traveling to site & 3 hours (or 6 hours) of actual work will be provided.
b. If a written report is to be submitted --- HK$6,000.00 minimum for a half days visit, & HK$10,000.00 minimum for a full days visit. This takes into consideration of the time, effort & liabilities incurred in producing a formal written report which is signed by the CA and endorsed with his (her) name & Certification No. The CA will assume legal liabilities for the accuracy of the information contained in any written report.
2. Hazard Tree Assessment
This is a more specific area of inspection which may involve the use of tools & skills.
a. If only a visual inspection is given without deployment of drilling tools & tree climbing equipment --- HK$ 1,500.00 minimum per tree. The minimum charge for any visit is HK$4,000.00 minimum regardless of the number of trees to be inspected for any one visit.
b. If visual inspection is given plus the deployment of drilling tools, or tree climbing equipment, or any other additional equipment --- HK$2,000.00 minimum per tree. The minimum charge for any visit is HK$6,000.00 regardless of the number of trees to be inspected for any one visit. This takes into consideration of the initial cost & maintenance of the equipment to be deployed. The CA may have to bring in a tree climber if he/she cannot climb & this cost is included in the above-mentioned charges.
A written report is considered to be an essential deliverable for any Hazard Tree Assessment.
3. Legal Consultancy
There are two major forms of acting as a consultant to lawyers for legal cases in Hong Kong, either as a 'Consulting Expert' who can advocate for the client, or as an 'Expert Witness' who must be impartial to the Court. Although the nature of the two services provided is different, the time & effort in acting for either are nearly the same. Either position can bring legal liabilities upon the CA. Therefore, the charges for acting as either will be the same.
a. To produce a written report as a Consulting Expert or Expert Witness --- HK$25,000.00 minimum for a minimum size report to include one site visit only, research, writing up and deliverables. This charge usually refers to a report requiring 3 days of work to complete. If the report involves more work, the CA can charge an additional HK$10,000.00 minimum per day's work on top of this minimum charge. For e.g., a report requiring 7 days to write up can be charged at HK$75,000.00 minimum for any one report.
b. To reply to any response from opposing lawyers --- This usually happens after the CA's report is delivered to the opposing side’s lawyers who may employ their own experts to challenge the CA's report. The charge here is HK$10,000.00 minimum per day's work for the CA.
c. To appear in Court as witness --- HK$10,000.00 minimum per day irrespective of the length of the Court session for that day. For e.g. if the Court session takes 3 days to complete, the CA can charge HK$30,000.00 minimum as a total fee.
d. To act as technical consultant to lawyers outside Court --- HK$2,000.00 minimum per hour with a minimum charge of 2 hours to cover for the traveling expenses.
(B) For CTW Services:
1. General Tree Climbing (which includes but not limited to tree inspection, crown hazard identification, animal rescue, other menial work on tree top, etc.) --- HK$4,000.00 minimum for a half day work of 4 hours, & HK$6,000.00 minimum for a full day work of 7 hours. Hourly charge of HK$800.00 minimum can be charged as overtime. Please note the CTW has the right to include 1 hour for traveling in his time calculation, e.g. For a half day (or full day) rate, the CTW can take 1 hour for traveling to site & 3 hours (or 6 hours) of actual work will be provided.
2. Specialist Tree Climbing (which includes but not limited to rigging, cable installation, utilities management, Show Climb, etc.) --- HK$6,000.00 minimum for a half days work of 4 hours, & HK$8,000.00 minimum for a full days work of 7 hours. An hourly charge of HK$1,000.00 minimum can be applied for overtime. Please note the CTW has the right to include 1 hour for traveling in the time calculation, e.g. for a half day (or full day) rate, the CTW can take 1 hour for traveling to site & 3 hours (or 6 hours) of actual work will be provided.
3. Climbing Instruction (for beginner climbers, recreational climbers, chainsaw use, seminars & lectures, etc.) --- HK$750.00 minimum per hour at a minimum charge of two hours.
The CTW is expected to bring along his/her own climbing equipment as part of the service.
Notes:
1. Lunch of 1 hour & coffee break of 30 minutes are not charged within the above services.
2. For any service or overtime occupying more than 15 minutes but not one full hour, it will still be charged at a full hour's rate. For any service or overtime not exceeding 15 minutes, no charge will be given.
3. Free access to site & cooperation of the client regarding information & facilities are required for any services to be offered by any CA & CTW.
4. The CA & CTW will cover himself/herself with Accident Insurance and Employees Compensation Insurance, & it is recommended that the Public Liability Insurance is to be provided by the client.
5. Variations to above charges may apply if the work site is located in a remote area with difficult access.
6. If the CA or CTW is required to work in exceptional weather such as typhoon, thunderstorm, Black Warning Rain, during unsocial hours from 7pm to 7am, or during Public Holidays the above charges may be doubled due to the extra effort involved.
7. These guidelines do not apply to overseas arborists working in Hong Kong due to their additional expenses on travel.
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 xxx,
It is heart breaking indeed to hear your information which has been reported separately by other Station Members to ISA HK/China for such unbelievably low cost for Arborist Service in HK recently. In fact, the CA Family of ISA HK/China has produced a Professional Fees Guidelines as per attached to guide the industry to compete not by the cheapest cost but by the quality of service with using a uniform pricing structure for all ISA credential holders (CA & CTW). Our territory has seen too many times that by offering a below the belt cost would usually lead to wanton work with foreseeable dispute between the employer & the service provider. The Professional Fees Guidelines also encourages the credential holders to advance themselves in knowledge & experience to receive continuous business, rather than just waving credentials alone.
The cost of HK$500 (HK$ 7.8 = US$ 1) per tree for a proper Tree Assessment may be the lowest in the world that ISA HK/China is aware of anywhere. Just imagine the CA has to arrive at site, inspect the tree from top to bottom, climb up with approved equipment & technique for Canopy Inspection, & then go back to the office to file a 4 - 6 page report with photos & description. Is all that just worth just HK$500 only? According to the Professional Fees Guidelines, the CA is entitled to be paid HK$10,000 for a day of service for this kind of work. If it is going to be HK$500 per tree, does it mean that the CA can assess up to 20 trees in a day? If so, this CA should be invited to speak in a public forum at ISA HK/China to share his/her work & experience with Station Arborists for public inquiry.
It appears that the feasible alternative to assess 20 trees in a day would be by quietly skipping Canopy Inspection without the employer noticing. This may be possible for private clients but usually not for Govt Depts who have their own CA's for site monitoring, unless that Govt CA is just as ignorant as the site CA to not demand Canopy Inspection with Tree Climbing or Aerial Inspection.
Therefore, take care in your cost bargaining with your prospective employer. The Station Manager as a leader in ISA HK/China has stood firm with the Professional Fees Guidelines every time in the past 4.5 years in any business negotiation. It will be the Guidelines or no deal. He has found the clients would gradually respect the Guidelines since they can calculate budget easily for employing Arborists. After all, the cost structure in the Guidelines is fair & reasonable to respect the time consumption of the Arborist in consideration of the nature of the service. Then why not follow it?
As a final reminder, please note every Arborist Report is a legal document & the CA/CTW signing it has agreed to undertake legal liabilities for their work. ISA HK/China has produced Station Mail on the requirement to conduct Tree Assessment in http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2009/04/isa-hkchina-tree-assessment.html . We generally do not recommend CA/CTW with only 1 year of post -qualification to conduct this kind of sophisticated work, & anybody throwing himself/herself into it without adequate knowledge & experience is exposing oneself for future liabilities including credential revocation. Please therefore pay particular attention to this.
ISA HK/China is now seriously contemplating with undertaking Arborist work in conjunction with appropriate contractors to supply quality CA/CTW to meet market demand so that delivery can be guaranteed as well as generating income for ISA HK/China, since we do not charge for membership to provide tangible service. This act would also encourage cohesion of Station CA's to actively participate in ISA HK/China for personal advancement to be picked for rotational service if any Arborist work is secured. However, ISA HK/China will be very careful in procuring this to ensure the development of the Station is not polluted or jeopardizing our mission.
ISA HK/China will evolve to meet modern demand continuously.
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."
From: xxx
To: egc@netvigator.com
Cc: yyy
Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 11:36 PM
Subject: Re: Tree Assessment
Dear Sammy Au,
We were approached for Tree Assessment service at HKD 500 per tree for a govt job.
Has the situation degraded to such an extent for CA's in HK that we are paid cheaper than a construction worker?
Can you comment publicly?
Regards,
xxx
Saturday, July 25, 2009
ISA HK/China --- Incoming Mail (Queries on Local Arboricutural Training)
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 xxx,
Thank you for your message to TCHK in Chinese. Your worries about the quality of the Local Arboricultural Training & future career prospect are indeed valid. ISA HK/China has taken note of your concern.
Indeed, the provision of Arbor Training in our territory is rather limited at present. Once again, we have to appreciate that ISA Arboriculture has really taken off only after ISA HK/China was set up in HK in Feb 2006. Within 4.5 years, HK has established a Tree Management Office (TMO) at a Govt level even higher than a lot of western countries. There is room for improvement for the training facilities to catch up indeed.
On the other hand, it is an ISA practice that the Chief Proctor & Proctors are not encouraged to take part in any credential training in order to avoid Conflict of Interest. The Station Manager who is also the Chief Proctor has obediently abided with this instruction, although he is allowed to train anything other than credentials in CICTA & Govt Depts. Please also note that it is an ISA Policy not to recommend or approve any training program in order to avoid any legal or moral responsibilities.
What ISA HK/China would say on your concern to seek appropriate training would be that you have to check whether the training complies with ISA exam requirements, if you are looking for an ISA credential at the end. You would also have to decide upon the capabilities of the tutors to deliver updated knowledge & experience, since ISA Arboriculture is an advancing profession with research coming out practically every 2 months. In western countries, tutors of ISA credential training are usually retired Proctors with years of experience in the Arboricultural Field both in knowledge & practical experience. HK may be short of this kind of personnel at present for mass education.
Please also note that by getting an ISA credential would not make you into a 'Tree Expert' instantly. The person passing a 200 multiple choice test to become a Certified Arborist has only pushed open the door of Modern Arboriculture to enter into this profound & deep profession. There are still many doors to push open in order to become a practicing Tree Professional (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2008/08/isa-hkchina-independent-practicing.html) , & most needed is personal advancement by self-study, research & learning from Senior Arborists. Joining ISA HK/China & TCHK is a start since you will meet other Arborists regularly, & share with their knowledge & experience. Polishing the credential alone in private would not make it shine for long.
Your worries about entering the Arborist Profession is justified & ISA HK/China wishes the future TMO to take note of it as well. We also wish the future TMO to take credit of the knowledge & experience of the Front Line Staff in various Govt Depts with their years of attendance in Tree Care, because these are the people who would touch trees day in & day out. Modern Arboriculture is a hands-on discipline & site experience is invaluable to take into account. Letting the Front Line Staff speak out without fear may help policy making & tree management go a long way to save administrative time & financial spending.
ISA HK/China hopes that we have addressed your concern. If not, you are welcomed to contact us anytime for further advice.
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."
To: TCHK
" 轉貼自x報
【x報專訊】近年多宗塌樹事件，敲響前線護理樹木人員專業成疑的警號，有前線職員向本報表示，政府提供的樹藝課程優先給經理級職員報讀；亦有護理樹木的外判商坦言，坊間培訓機會嚴重不足，行內專業水平參差。中大專業進修及愛護樹木協會下月中將開辦首個樹藝專業文憑課程，希望提升業界專業水平。
'愛護樹木協會' 合辦 須實習27小時
「樹藝專業文憑課程」由身兼協會第一副主席的康文署已退休總康樂事務經理張耀江擔任課程顧問，涵蓋樹木病理、護理樹木等，並安排27小時的實習機會，資歷相等於英國國際樹木學會二級樹藝課程，但不等於考獲樹藝師資格。
張耀江指出，此乃本港首個針對樹藝的文憑課程，覑重訓練如何察覺樹木的健康問題，「政府各部門都要求地盤監工懂得這方面知識，但坊間能主辦這類課程的機構並不多，政府和私人機構都需要這方面的培訓，市場對樹藝人才的需求會愈來愈多」。
政府培訓不足 前線工報讀機會少
不願透露姓名的康文署樹木護理職員稱，政府的樹藝培訓不足，「有課程也先讓經理級職員報讀，我們前線工作的反而很少機會上堂」。
在康文署工作逾20年的他，曾參與署方的樹藝課程，但因人手不足，上司多次要求他「走堂」，「有時真的會怕，因為沒上一堂，巡樹或護理樹木時，真的不懂」。因此，他多次自資公餘進修。
他又指署方三,四年前曾安排職員到海外接受樹藝培訓，但每年只有一個學額，「很多時讀畢課程的同事不久便轉工」。
曾為政府護理樹木的承建商負責人盧先生指出，坊間的課程只教導簡單的護樹技巧，「一星期上兩堂，兩三星期便讀完，既不深入，又無銜接深化的樹藝課程，業界只為張證書，『為份工去讀』，質素參差」。
康文署﹕將補派5員工海外培訓
康文署回應稱，正計劃增加各項樹木護理的課程及學額，並曾為負責樹木護理的各級同事，包括經理及前線工人安排訓練。另外，署方將於2009至2010年度補派5名員工到海外參與樹藝培訓，並規定他們在完成課程後承諾繼續服務一段時間，約2至3年。
x報記者 zzz "
我想報讀樹藝師備考課程...紅色字的那部分, 另我猶疑起來..還有我是外行人. 有心轉工.. 完成這課程之後..能找到有關工作嗎?
xxx
*** 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 xxx,
Thank you for your message to TCHK in Chinese. Your worries about the quality of the Local Arboricultural Training & future career prospect are indeed valid. ISA HK/China has taken note of your concern.
Indeed, the provision of Arbor Training in our territory is rather limited at present. Once again, we have to appreciate that ISA Arboriculture has really taken off only after ISA HK/China was set up in HK in Feb 2006. Within 4.5 years, HK has established a Tree Management Office (TMO) at a Govt level even higher than a lot of western countries. There is room for improvement for the training facilities to catch up indeed.
On the other hand, it is an ISA practice that the Chief Proctor & Proctors are not encouraged to take part in any credential training in order to avoid Conflict of Interest. The Station Manager who is also the Chief Proctor has obediently abided with this instruction, although he is allowed to train anything other than credentials in CICTA & Govt Depts. Please also note that it is an ISA Policy not to recommend or approve any training program in order to avoid any legal or moral responsibilities.
What ISA HK/China would say on your concern to seek appropriate training would be that you have to check whether the training complies with ISA exam requirements, if you are looking for an ISA credential at the end. You would also have to decide upon the capabilities of the tutors to deliver updated knowledge & experience, since ISA Arboriculture is an advancing profession with research coming out practically every 2 months. In western countries, tutors of ISA credential training are usually retired Proctors with years of experience in the Arboricultural Field both in knowledge & practical experience. HK may be short of this kind of personnel at present for mass education.
Please also note that by getting an ISA credential would not make you into a 'Tree Expert' instantly. The person passing a 200 multiple choice test to become a Certified Arborist has only pushed open the door of Modern Arboriculture to enter into this profound & deep profession. There are still many doors to push open in order to become a practicing Tree Professional (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2008/08/isa-hkchina-independent-practicing.html) , & most needed is personal advancement by self-study, research & learning from Senior Arborists. Joining ISA HK/China & TCHK is a start since you will meet other Arborists regularly, & share with their knowledge & experience. Polishing the credential alone in private would not make it shine for long.
Your worries about entering the Arborist Profession is justified & ISA HK/China wishes the future TMO to take note of it as well. We also wish the future TMO to take credit of the knowledge & experience of the Front Line Staff in various Govt Depts with their years of attendance in Tree Care, because these are the people who would touch trees day in & day out. Modern Arboriculture is a hands-on discipline & site experience is invaluable to take into account. Letting the Front Line Staff speak out without fear may help policy making & tree management go a long way to save administrative time & financial spending.
ISA HK/China hopes that we have addressed your concern. If not, you are welcomed to contact us anytime for further advice.
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."
To: TCHK
" 轉貼自x報
【x報專訊】近年多宗塌樹事件，敲響前線護理樹木人員專業成疑的警號，有前線職員向本報表示，政府提供的樹藝課程優先給經理級職員報讀；亦有護理樹木的外判商坦言，坊間培訓機會嚴重不足，行內專業水平參差。中大專業進修及愛護樹木協會下月中將開辦首個樹藝專業文憑課程，希望提升業界專業水平。
'愛護樹木協會' 合辦 須實習27小時
「樹藝專業文憑課程」由身兼協會第一副主席的康文署已退休總康樂事務經理張耀江擔任課程顧問，涵蓋樹木病理、護理樹木等，並安排27小時的實習機會，資歷相等於英國國際樹木學會二級樹藝課程，但不等於考獲樹藝師資格。
張耀江指出，此乃本港首個針對樹藝的文憑課程，覑重訓練如何察覺樹木的健康問題，「政府各部門都要求地盤監工懂得這方面知識，但坊間能主辦這類課程的機構並不多，政府和私人機構都需要這方面的培訓，市場對樹藝人才的需求會愈來愈多」。
政府培訓不足 前線工報讀機會少
不願透露姓名的康文署樹木護理職員稱，政府的樹藝培訓不足，「有課程也先讓經理級職員報讀，我們前線工作的反而很少機會上堂」。
在康文署工作逾20年的他，曾參與署方的樹藝課程，但因人手不足，上司多次要求他「走堂」，「有時真的會怕，因為沒上一堂，巡樹或護理樹木時，真的不懂」。因此，他多次自資公餘進修。
他又指署方三,四年前曾安排職員到海外接受樹藝培訓，但每年只有一個學額，「很多時讀畢課程的同事不久便轉工」。
曾為政府護理樹木的承建商負責人盧先生指出，坊間的課程只教導簡單的護樹技巧，「一星期上兩堂，兩三星期便讀完，既不深入，又無銜接深化的樹藝課程，業界只為張證書，『為份工去讀』，質素參差」。
康文署﹕將補派5員工海外培訓
康文署回應稱，正計劃增加各項樹木護理的課程及學額，並曾為負責樹木護理的各級同事，包括經理及前線工人安排訓練。另外，署方將於2009至2010年度補派5名員工到海外參與樹藝培訓，並規定他們在完成課程後承諾繼續服務一段時間，約2至3年。
x報記者 zzz "
我想報讀樹藝師備考課程...紅色字的那部分, 另我猶疑起來..還有我是外行人. 有心轉工.. 完成這課程之後..能找到有關工作嗎?
xxx
Thursday, July 16, 2009
ISA HK/China --- Incoming Mail (Tree Topping in Shatin)
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 xxx,
Thank you for your message & subsequent phone call to address your concern. Your identity has been erased to protect your privacy as you have instructed.
What you have sent in may be the biggest Tree Topping Event that ISA HK/China is aware of after One Beacon Hill in Kowloon Tong, YMCA in Wu Kai Sha & Leung King Estate in Tuen Mun in recent years. From the photos given, there appeared to be no end to the extent of Tree Topping & the distance may stretch to a kilometer long. This would be quite a sight for our Tree Lovers to look at while they are cycling along the Shing Mun River Bicycle Track indeed.
To answer your enquiries:
1. To the best of our knowledge, there appears to be no Govt Regulations to forbid Tree Felling & Interference for private trees in private land currently, & may also be possibly the same in the near future even after the Tree Management Office (TMO) is set up. There are outcries to forbid Tree Interference in private land but as the Chief Secretary Office has mentioned, these private trees may be all gone in order to avoid supervision before any 'Tree Laws' can be enacted. To lose these trees before the Tree Laws can save them may defeat the whole purpose to protect them. This is a sad reality in HK indeed.
2. Public education may be the key to prevent further Tree Malpractice. Currently over the air & media, there appears to be more criticism on how the trees are ill-treated than constructive comments on how the trees should be well-treated. Topping is still practiced by many landscapers & management out of ignorance or convenience. Most Govt work would forbid Tree Topping, but what about the private work? How many of our public would understand the harm of Tree Topping, from where & from whom? Is it not a fact of life that trees in HK would fail more easily after incorrect Pruning than before?
As the Station Manager repeated said in his lectures & classes, Pruning will take at least a year to learn & more than a life time to perfect. Pruning is a huge topic concerning Tree Biology & Wind Mechanics, not appearance & survival. Pruning to a tree is equivalent to surgery to a human. What's cut off in a tree can not be nailed back or glued, & a tree would react to any cut with responsive growth. Therefore, Pruning must be performed or supervised by someone knowledgeable in the practical side of Arboriculture, preferably a Field Arborist (FA) or an Independent Practicing Arborist (IPA). If Pruning is to be carried out by any common gardener who would draw an imaginary line & cuts along with it, & then say any Epicormic Sprouting afterward is a sign of 'recovery', the tree will suffer from large wounds & decay development to only requiring replacement at the end. It is always Mother Nature makes the Rules, not anybody.
As for the solution to a lot of our Tree Malpractice in HK, ISA HK/China would look upon the future TMO to correct the situation for us. We have high hope for the TMO to lead HK out of the outdated knowledge of the past to design, install, maintain, inspect, assess & protect our current & future trees to turn HK a healthier & harmonic community to live in.
For this, we shall have faith.
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."
----- Original Message -----
From: xxx
To: Sammy Au
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 8:36 AM
Subject: Shatin Race Course Tree Topping
Good morning Au Sir,
Some photos regarding tree topping for your information.
Questions here:
1. Any Govt regulations to stop this?
2. What can we do to prevent this in future?
I'll give you a call later.
Have a nice day!
xxx
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Friday, July 10, 2009
ISA HK/China --- 2009 Research in Tree Transplant Shock
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,
Attached is the 2009 research of ISA on the common problem of 'Transplant Shock' in landscape tree planting. The contents are comprehensive & should be noted by anyone in the field to acknowledge the issue. Please ignore the funny underlining as the Station Manager was making notes of it while traveling on a bus for himself.
In our territory of HK, Macau, Taiwan & China, Transplant Shock in Tree Planting is disliked by landscapers because it does not provide the so-called 'Instant Effect' to show developers & clients. The solution was thought to be by using 'Containerized Trees' usually 'root bound' (roots completely circling & filling the container) in a bag or pot so that little root disturbance would occur during the transplanting process. This concept appeared to derive from Greenhouse Production in which Plugs (seedlings planted in seed beds) would need to be root bound before transplanting to a bigger container. This method works well for short-lived & smaller plants like annuals & shrubs, but not for trees which will grow for dozens of years in urban landscape to massive sizes to cause excessive damage if failed.
Although without the apparent Transplant Shock after installation, root bound trees would develop Girdling Roots to strangle xylems & problems to gradually kill a tree in time. The process would take 3 - 7 years after installation depending on the species & once contracted, there is nothing that can be done to revert it. Also, trees with Girdling Roots will be much more receptive to Wind Failure by having a massive crown but a circling & tiny spread of roots to anchor the tree against wind. Tree Failure by Girdling Roots is a common phenomenon in many parts of the world, & one acceleration is by planting fast growing trees like Ficus in a small Tree Pit.
Girdling Roots may be just one area that the Tree Management Office (TMO) in HK would look into in future to minimize potential Tree Failure in just HK alone. The general Tree Planting Specification may also need to be revised to follow international experience to install safer & healthier trees to provide assets to our community instead of Time Bombs. Trees must not be selected for flowering & scent alone without regard to public safety.
The TMO in HK will have a long way to go if it is to provide genuine benefits to our community by overhauling what's not been done scientifically correct in the past.
May we all support the TMO to let it go 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."
*** 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,
Attached is the 2009 research of ISA on the common problem of 'Transplant Shock' in landscape tree planting. The contents are comprehensive & should be noted by anyone in the field to acknowledge the issue. Please ignore the funny underlining as the Station Manager was making notes of it while traveling on a bus for himself.
In our territory of HK, Macau, Taiwan & China, Transplant Shock in Tree Planting is disliked by landscapers because it does not provide the so-called 'Instant Effect' to show developers & clients. The solution was thought to be by using 'Containerized Trees' usually 'root bound' (roots completely circling & filling the container) in a bag or pot so that little root disturbance would occur during the transplanting process. This concept appeared to derive from Greenhouse Production in which Plugs (seedlings planted in seed beds) would need to be root bound before transplanting to a bigger container. This method works well for short-lived & smaller plants like annuals & shrubs, but not for trees which will grow for dozens of years in urban landscape to massive sizes to cause excessive damage if failed.
Although without the apparent Transplant Shock after installation, root bound trees would develop Girdling Roots to strangle xylems & problems to gradually kill a tree in time. The process would take 3 - 7 years after installation depending on the species & once contracted, there is nothing that can be done to revert it. Also, trees with Girdling Roots will be much more receptive to Wind Failure by having a massive crown but a circling & tiny spread of roots to anchor the tree against wind. Tree Failure by Girdling Roots is a common phenomenon in many parts of the world, & one acceleration is by planting fast growing trees like Ficus in a small Tree Pit.
Girdling Roots may be just one area that the Tree Management Office (TMO) in HK would look into in future to minimize potential Tree Failure in just HK alone. The general Tree Planting Specification may also need to be revised to follow international experience to install safer & healthier trees to provide assets to our community instead of Time Bombs. Trees must not be selected for flowering & scent alone without regard to public safety.
The TMO in HK will have a long way to go if it is to provide genuine benefits to our community by overhauling what's not been done scientifically correct in the past.
May we all support the TMO to let it go 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."
Saturday, July 4, 2009
ISA HK/China --- Tree Management Office (TMO) in HK
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,
In the afternoon of 29.6.2009, ISA HK/China was called up to attend the briefing of the Tree Management Review of the Chief Secretary Office (CSO) just minutes ahead of the Press Conference to announce the same event. To the delight of the Station Manager, CSO announced that a new Tree Management Office (TMO) will be set up at Bureau Level to coordinate the future Tree Affairs in HK in liaison with various Govt Depts, alongside with the Greening & Landscape Office which will look after the greenery issues in HK. The proposed structure of the TMO is attached for general reference.
The TMO is known to be the first of its kind in Asia at such senior level in Govt. It will become a landmark for HK to show our neighbours & will have an impact on Tree Care to similar municipalities in our region especially China.
The CSO has indeed picked a good time to announce the TMO, & it practically met little resistance form the media & public because most were busy focusing on the 7.1 march just two days after. The media feedback was relatively mild, although the press were picking on minor issues like Tree Laws & Structure Duplication for greenery, which at the end did not arouse much public interest as a whole.
The Station Manager was invited to attend a Radio Talk Show at CR 1 & then a TV Live Forum in the morning of 30.6.09 to discuss the same topic. It was apparent that ISA HK/China was the only organization supporting the TMO while everyone else was on the other side. It was all but uneasy time & the Station Manager was feeling like the Royal Engineers fending off the Zulus in the Battle of Rooke Drift in 1879 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2007/07/isa-hkchina-imaginary-arboricultural.html) .He was singing the 'Men of Harlec' all the way to cool his nerves & to stand by his principles.
It may be interesting to note that all who were against the TMO but none appeared to be players in the field, if they could be appropriately labeled as by-standers. ISA HK/China has not heard a single Station Member among our + 850 no. calling or writing in to oppose the TMO, & it is known that the majority of working Arborists in HK are in ISA HK/China. If laymen voices are to interfere with the professional opinion in the making of TMO, would it not be like the football fans making the Rules of the Game & not the Football Association or even the players? Or should the noisy passengers steer the boat for the Captain in uncharted waters?
It appeared that none of the critics has seen the genuine merit of the TMO as to release the Tree Management from the traditional Landscape System & place Tree Affairs back into the hand of the Arborists. Tree Planting involves public safety, & it can not be taken lightly as something to add flavor to the outlook. Trees must be designed, selected, installed, maintained, inspected & protected properly before they can become assets, or Mother Nature makes the Rules. Treatment such as Pruning without Diagnosis is Mal-practice. Arboriculture is a scientific discipline & unique enough not to be replaced or superceded by any other landscape discipline.
As now dust has settled & it's time to look ahead. We shall need to see the TMO to be managed by the correct personnel & to run in line with international practices. The future TMO will also need to work closely with ISA HK/China because we are connected to the +22,000 Arborists in ISA in +47 countries. ISA can supply a wealth of information, technology, management technique & education on proper Tree Care to the TMO unlimited & unknown by any other institute. If not, the TMO will be like trying to start up a Nazi Party in Israel, & the outcome will be soon & obvious.
In the opinion of ISA HK/China, the key to turn the tide for the media antagonism would be to offer many rounds of educational seminars on Modern Arboriculture to the public. Through CICTA programs, ISA HK/China has propagated correct Tree Care to thousands of candidates in the past few years in nearly every Govt Dept & within the local landscape industry. This is not enough & more should be given openly in public forum & discussion, to let the public understand what Modern Arboriculture is all about. In time, the public will come to support the TMO, after they have found out myths from truth under scientific research & technology.
The TMO is a beginning & not an end. The road ahead will be long & winding. ISA HK/China has gone through 4 difficult years to establish what we are today. The same will apply to TMO.
Maybe one day when the TMO is supported by the public & media in HK, Kitty Chong who raised herself to heaven in the Stanley Tree Failure may smile at us from above, & be called the Guardian Angel of the ISA HK/China Arborists, as she rightfully deserves.
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."
*** 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,
In the afternoon of 29.6.2009, ISA HK/China was called up to attend the briefing of the Tree Management Review of the Chief Secretary Office (CSO) just minutes ahead of the Press Conference to announce the same event. To the delight of the Station Manager, CSO announced that a new Tree Management Office (TMO) will be set up at Bureau Level to coordinate the future Tree Affairs in HK in liaison with various Govt Depts, alongside with the Greening & Landscape Office which will look after the greenery issues in HK. The proposed structure of the TMO is attached for general reference.
The TMO is known to be the first of its kind in Asia at such senior level in Govt. It will become a landmark for HK to show our neighbours & will have an impact on Tree Care to similar municipalities in our region especially China.
The CSO has indeed picked a good time to announce the TMO, & it practically met little resistance form the media & public because most were busy focusing on the 7.1 march just two days after. The media feedback was relatively mild, although the press were picking on minor issues like Tree Laws & Structure Duplication for greenery, which at the end did not arouse much public interest as a whole.
The Station Manager was invited to attend a Radio Talk Show at CR 1 & then a TV Live Forum in the morning of 30.6.09 to discuss the same topic. It was apparent that ISA HK/China was the only organization supporting the TMO while everyone else was on the other side. It was all but uneasy time & the Station Manager was feeling like the Royal Engineers fending off the Zulus in the Battle of Rooke Drift in 1879 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2007/07/isa-hkchina-imaginary-arboricultural.html) .He was singing the 'Men of Harlec' all the way to cool his nerves & to stand by his principles.
It may be interesting to note that all who were against the TMO but none appeared to be players in the field, if they could be appropriately labeled as by-standers. ISA HK/China has not heard a single Station Member among our + 850 no. calling or writing in to oppose the TMO, & it is known that the majority of working Arborists in HK are in ISA HK/China. If laymen voices are to interfere with the professional opinion in the making of TMO, would it not be like the football fans making the Rules of the Game & not the Football Association or even the players? Or should the noisy passengers steer the boat for the Captain in uncharted waters?
It appeared that none of the critics has seen the genuine merit of the TMO as to release the Tree Management from the traditional Landscape System & place Tree Affairs back into the hand of the Arborists. Tree Planting involves public safety, & it can not be taken lightly as something to add flavor to the outlook. Trees must be designed, selected, installed, maintained, inspected & protected properly before they can become assets, or Mother Nature makes the Rules. Treatment such as Pruning without Diagnosis is Mal-practice. Arboriculture is a scientific discipline & unique enough not to be replaced or superceded by any other landscape discipline.
As now dust has settled & it's time to look ahead. We shall need to see the TMO to be managed by the correct personnel & to run in line with international practices. The future TMO will also need to work closely with ISA HK/China because we are connected to the +22,000 Arborists in ISA in +47 countries. ISA can supply a wealth of information, technology, management technique & education on proper Tree Care to the TMO unlimited & unknown by any other institute. If not, the TMO will be like trying to start up a Nazi Party in Israel, & the outcome will be soon & obvious.
In the opinion of ISA HK/China, the key to turn the tide for the media antagonism would be to offer many rounds of educational seminars on Modern Arboriculture to the public. Through CICTA programs, ISA HK/China has propagated correct Tree Care to thousands of candidates in the past few years in nearly every Govt Dept & within the local landscape industry. This is not enough & more should be given openly in public forum & discussion, to let the public understand what Modern Arboriculture is all about. In time, the public will come to support the TMO, after they have found out myths from truth under scientific research & technology.
The TMO is a beginning & not an end. The road ahead will be long & winding. ISA HK/China has gone through 4 difficult years to establish what we are today. The same will apply to TMO.
Maybe one day when the TMO is supported by the public & media in HK, Kitty Chong who raised herself to heaven in the Stanley Tree Failure may smile at us from above, & be called the Guardian Angel of the ISA HK/China Arborists, as she rightfully deserves.
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."
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
ISA HK/China --- Station Development in June 2009
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,
Besides the aerial adventures of Arborists in Tree Work reported to Station Members in the past two months, below are some of the recent Station Activities worth notifying our Station Members for their continuous support of our development in our territory:
1. Farewell to Mr. KW Lee for his Advanced Learning in Australia
KW Lee, a former Fung Kai Student with a neo-zero mark in his HK Cert Exam but with exceptional talent in Tree Climbing & Tree Work, has been arranged by Dr. Lawrence Chau & ISA Australia to further his studies in the practical side of Arboriculture under Master Arborist Mr. Phil Kenyon for one year starting on 1.7.2009.
Upon his return from Australia in June 2010, he will enter an agreement with ISA HK/China to be sent to Arizona, USA to prepare himself in Advanced Arboriculture Operations under Machineries for another year under the arrangement of ISA HQ to train this young man to international level in the working side of Arboriculture. This is seen to be the glory & honour of HK.
KW Lee has been offered this opportunity because of his dedication & exceptional performance in the practical side of Arboriculture by demonstrating himself as the HK Tree Climbing Champion in 2007 & the winner of the Footlock Event of the 2008 Asia Pacific Tree Climbing Competition in Australia. He has also collected several awards at the Singapore Tree Climbing Competition in 2008.
KW Lee is 20 years old, single & is promising to carry on our course to develop ISA Arboriculture in our territory of HK, Macau, Taiwan & China. May we bid him farewell for a year & look forward to his return with advanced knowledge to show our territory next July.
2. IOSH Arboricultural Seminar
ISA HK/China will deliver a seminar on the safety aspects of Arboricultural Operations to the HK Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH) on July 2, details as per the Flyer attached. Owing to the popular participation by IOSH Members to occupy all available seats in this seminar, ISA HK/China could not secure further attendance for our Station Members with regret.
ISA HK/China will generally offer free seminar to any relevant Institute or Green Group if the total attendance is over 150 no. The topic of discussion can be anything relating to Arboriculture from Tree Design, Installation, Maintenance, Inspection & Assessment, Protection to Legal Disputes. Property Management is one area we wish to focus upon because trees are indeed getting old there. Govt Depts are also welcomed to contact us for arrangement if they can meet the attendance requirement.
3. ISA HQ showing support for ISA HK/China at the proposed Tree Office at Chief Secretary
ISA HK/China has requested ISA HQ to issue a Letter of Support for ISA HK/China to introduce ISA Arboriculture for the proposed Tree Office at Chief Secretary of the HKSAR Govt. The official letter from ISA HQ was already delivered to the Chief Secretary Office (CSO) & the draft copy is attached for general reference.
As every Green Group & Tree Expert is trying to exercise influence in the making of the proposed Tree Office, ISA HK/China is also inputting our efforts to proclaim ISA Arboriculture to CSO & hope that the Tree Practices in HK will eventually follow that of international level to turn our trees into assets rather than liabilities. The show of support of ISA HQ will bond the support of our Station Members & bolster our standing further at CSO to be the representative of ISA in our territory. We indeed wish to thank ISA HQ for their kind consideration.
As we always mentioned that HK is only a small part of our territory, although an important part, it will be China the Old Dragon that we want to swing at the end & we shall need HK as a platform. If ISA Arboriculture can expand in HK, it will not be long before China will pick up her ear & find out what we are all about.
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."
*** 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,
Besides the aerial adventures of Arborists in Tree Work reported to Station Members in the past two months, below are some of the recent Station Activities worth notifying our Station Members for their continuous support of our development in our territory:
1. Farewell to Mr. KW Lee for his Advanced Learning in Australia
KW Lee, a former Fung Kai Student with a neo-zero mark in his HK Cert Exam but with exceptional talent in Tree Climbing & Tree Work, has been arranged by Dr. Lawrence Chau & ISA Australia to further his studies in the practical side of Arboriculture under Master Arborist Mr. Phil Kenyon for one year starting on 1.7.2009.
Upon his return from Australia in June 2010, he will enter an agreement with ISA HK/China to be sent to Arizona, USA to prepare himself in Advanced Arboriculture Operations under Machineries for another year under the arrangement of ISA HQ to train this young man to international level in the working side of Arboriculture. This is seen to be the glory & honour of HK.
KW Lee has been offered this opportunity because of his dedication & exceptional performance in the practical side of Arboriculture by demonstrating himself as the HK Tree Climbing Champion in 2007 & the winner of the Footlock Event of the 2008 Asia Pacific Tree Climbing Competition in Australia. He has also collected several awards at the Singapore Tree Climbing Competition in 2008.
KW Lee is 20 years old, single & is promising to carry on our course to develop ISA Arboriculture in our territory of HK, Macau, Taiwan & China. May we bid him farewell for a year & look forward to his return with advanced knowledge to show our territory next July.
2. IOSH Arboricultural Seminar
ISA HK/China will deliver a seminar on the safety aspects of Arboricultural Operations to the HK Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH) on July 2, details as per the Flyer attached. Owing to the popular participation by IOSH Members to occupy all available seats in this seminar, ISA HK/China could not secure further attendance for our Station Members with regret.
ISA HK/China will generally offer free seminar to any relevant Institute or Green Group if the total attendance is over 150 no. The topic of discussion can be anything relating to Arboriculture from Tree Design, Installation, Maintenance, Inspection & Assessment, Protection to Legal Disputes. Property Management is one area we wish to focus upon because trees are indeed getting old there. Govt Depts are also welcomed to contact us for arrangement if they can meet the attendance requirement.
3. ISA HQ showing support for ISA HK/China at the proposed Tree Office at Chief Secretary
ISA HK/China has requested ISA HQ to issue a Letter of Support for ISA HK/China to introduce ISA Arboriculture for the proposed Tree Office at Chief Secretary of the HKSAR Govt. The official letter from ISA HQ was already delivered to the Chief Secretary Office (CSO) & the draft copy is attached for general reference.
As every Green Group & Tree Expert is trying to exercise influence in the making of the proposed Tree Office, ISA HK/China is also inputting our efforts to proclaim ISA Arboriculture to CSO & hope that the Tree Practices in HK will eventually follow that of international level to turn our trees into assets rather than liabilities. The show of support of ISA HQ will bond the support of our Station Members & bolster our standing further at CSO to be the representative of ISA in our territory. We indeed wish to thank ISA HQ for their kind consideration.
As we always mentioned that HK is only a small part of our territory, although an important part, it will be China the Old Dragon that we want to swing at the end & we shall need HK as a platform. If ISA Arboriculture can expand in HK, it will not be long before China will pick up her ear & find out what we are all about.
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."
Friday, June 19, 2009
ISA HK/China --- Arborists in Action
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,
HK has never seen the Arborist Profession becoming so busy in the past quarter of April - June with a lot of the Arborists in the private sector working desperately to cope with a sudden expansion of enquiries all over town. As for the Station Manager himself, he has been working without a single day of break from mid-April to date for Govt & private projects as an Independent Practicing Arborist (IPA, http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2008/08/isa-hkchina-independent-practicing.html) in Tree Assessment, Tree Felling & Structural Pruning. Tree Climbing & Chainsaw Operation were common place with scenes of high risk & unbearable stresses as a daily chore.
Media Interview was at the same time coming in en mass to discover the Arborist Profession as a hot topic in town. ISA HK/China has been interviewed by 3 TV stations, 2 radio stations, numerous newspapers & magazines in person & over the phone, sometimes as frequent as 5 times in a week. The public is now turning their eye on the Arborist Profession as Tree Doctors & Tree Detectives to look after our trees & a TV Drama Series is under planning for trans-China production on the daily life of Arborists & all the aerial adventures in it.
To share some of the immediate events with our Station Members of the Station Manager in his work, the followings are the highlights worthwhile for mentioning in the past few weeks alone:
1. Structural Pruning of a Heritage Tree at Tai Shu Ha, Yuen Long
This is a tree as famous as the Wishing Tree in Tai Po to the Yuen Long locals, & the Tin Hau Festival Procession will begin right underneath this tree every March with thousands of worshippers gathering around. One major horizontal limb had failed in the rain just after the 2009 Procession for this tree.
As Religion, Fung Shui & numerous opinions from 18 Village Chiefs & the District Board focused upon how to re-shape this tree to reduce risk, the Station Manger exercised his influence as an IPA to carry out the work to meet the satisfaction of all parties. A detailed Tree Assessment was first carried out to ascertain the Health & Structure of the tree & a pruning plan was devised under strict supervision of the IPA for every cut. The former Fung Kai Students so trained & are obedient to the Station Manager were hand-picked for the operation & no second opinion was to be tolerated due to the sensitivity & precision involved.
During the work execution, Yellow Rain persisted all the way. No one would shy away from his position & the Crown Reduction was faithfully completed in 2 days to the satisfaction of every party at the end. Photos of the tree before & after the event are attached for this memorable occasion for general reference. Arborists have provided an example for other Heritage Trees in HK to follow.
2. Tree Felling at a Public Park in HK Island
Please note the location of the tree can not be disclosed without permission of the Govt Dept giving the order. However, the notice for work was given in less than 2 hours owing to the urgency confronted & the tree was a dying Casuarina of 15 m x 0.6 m dia. trunk with dead wood as hard as iron. The Station Manager & his favourite Fung Kai Student KW Lee were given 4 hours to complete the job from 3pm - 7pm despite inclement weather with Tree Climbing & Rigging as the only option to take down this tree. Aerial Platform could not enter this location & there were too many properties below to perform Drop Cut.
It was again Yellow Rain & Yellow Rain all the way & photo taking was not possible. However, the ability & toughness of Arborists were demonstrated to the full to amaze the Govt Staff supervising at all times to see this hazardous tree coming down safely piece by piece in discipline & efficiency. Everyone was exhausted at the end of the operation & Arborists have won another battle against nature & adversities to show HK.
3. Felling of 9 Dead Trees in Hang On Estate, Ma On Shan
The Station Manager was called in by a landscape contractor to perform some 'Show Cut' with the intention just to amuse the supervising Management Committee of the Housing Estate as an initial arrangement for a meager sum, & then it turned out to be a full scale Tree Felling Operation with the Station Manager cutting alone as the only Tree Worker & Tree Climber with the landscape contractor & hundreds of spectators looked on as the audience for their entertainment.
The time & site restraints were the biggest challenge to take down these 9 Dead Trees of generally 20 m tall x 0.6m trunk diameter. Two of the trees also required Rigging & Road Closure was from 10am - 4pm only by a public arrangement. There were building structures liable to damages if hit by falling wood, & the spectators were not always cooperative to evict the Drop Zone by trespassing in. Two of the trees were also leaning away from the Drop Zone & had to be secured by a Tag Line to avoid hitting targets below.
As the trees were felled one by one, the public sentiment glowed from one of originally suspecting to supporting. After all, it was quite a sight to watch a 20 m tall tree coming down missing the Lamp Posts & landscape furniture underneath practically by merely inches. As the last & most dangerous tree leaning towards the Shopping Centre was preparing to come down, there was a moment of silence among the hundreds of spectators by then grasping their breath. As the tree eventually broke its fibers to give a splitting noise to fall on the designated location to fly off dust & water puddles, the crowds were frozen for 2 seconds, & then a loud round of cheers & applause blasted out after that. Most have never seen big trees coming down with such power & precision in an urban location & some have never seen Arborist in action in their life.
No picture was taken for this memorable occasion because everyone was too busy to focus on the danger & safety if only one branch did not hit the right place. The word of Arborist completing this job also quickly spread among the landscape contractor community & some are thinking again whether they would be comfortable to carry out this kind of work under their traditional method without the supervision or participation of an Arborist right now.
4. Felling of a 2.5 m diameter Celtis sinense in Tai Po
This was another job testing the ability & endurance of the Arborists as the SDU (Flying Tigers?) of the Landscape Industry with the entire 3 day working period in Yellow Rain & Thunderstorm. None of the Arborists involved stopped at that. Out of the 8 Chainsaws from 10 inch to 36 inch taking part in the operation, only one was still operational after non-stop cutting for 3 days at high speed.
This huge Celtis with co-dominant stems was highly hazardous with a crack in the trunk union & its canopy directly hanging over an electric cable which was the only power supply to the village houses nearby. There was a metal fence not to be damaged just one meter away from the trunk & Drop Cut was not a practical solution. The canopy was also covered with wild growth which had to be removed to expose the tree architecture before cutting. The entire tree weighed +10 tons & it had to be cut to 300 mm off the ground in just 3 days.
Anyone can imagine the physical exhaustion & danger with lightning flashes above the head & streaming rain to let the Arborists roll over in the soft mud swinging a 15 kg Chainsaw to cut the sections. Also, re-fueling & chain replacement had to be done with one person extending a plastic sheet to avoid water mixing in with the gasoline in the middle of a hill. The mosquitoes were like Kamakaze Pilots diving into any human flesh that they can detect & insect repellent was ineffective once mixed with the sweat & rain. The vibration of the 36 inch Chainsaw was shaking the arm muscles to numbness & the Station Manager was feeding himself with a spoon for 2 days because he could not manage chopsticks after work. This is not to mention the constant muscular pain which would roll him in bed to try to gain some sleep.
It was all good feeling of manhood & determination when the last piece of wood was eventually coming down from this monstrous tree. The sun appeared again to smile at the Arborists who have proven themselves to be a special breed of human being to defeat difficulties & to obey orders. The Arborists have again made a mark commemorable to show example of good human nature to overcome adversities, & to accomplish mission rather than just talk, talk & talk. One would feel really good to be standing on that hill to look at the results.
The above events are supposed to be educational & inspiring to anyone wanting to stay in the Arborist Profession in our territory. Arborists are praised to be a special breed & they are the SDU in the Landscape Industry. No one can really replace them.
ISA HK/China wishes to hear from anyone having similar experience to boost the Arborist Profession & is looking forward to receiving them for broadcast in Station Mail if appropriate.
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."
*** 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,
HK has never seen the Arborist Profession becoming so busy in the past quarter of April - June with a lot of the Arborists in the private sector working desperately to cope with a sudden expansion of enquiries all over town. As for the Station Manager himself, he has been working without a single day of break from mid-April to date for Govt & private projects as an Independent Practicing Arborist (IPA, http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2008/08/isa-hkchina-independent-practicing.html) in Tree Assessment, Tree Felling & Structural Pruning. Tree Climbing & Chainsaw Operation were common place with scenes of high risk & unbearable stresses as a daily chore.
Media Interview was at the same time coming in en mass to discover the Arborist Profession as a hot topic in town. ISA HK/China has been interviewed by 3 TV stations, 2 radio stations, numerous newspapers & magazines in person & over the phone, sometimes as frequent as 5 times in a week. The public is now turning their eye on the Arborist Profession as Tree Doctors & Tree Detectives to look after our trees & a TV Drama Series is under planning for trans-China production on the daily life of Arborists & all the aerial adventures in it.
To share some of the immediate events with our Station Members of the Station Manager in his work, the followings are the highlights worthwhile for mentioning in the past few weeks alone:
1. Structural Pruning of a Heritage Tree at Tai Shu Ha, Yuen Long
This is a tree as famous as the Wishing Tree in Tai Po to the Yuen Long locals, & the Tin Hau Festival Procession will begin right underneath this tree every March with thousands of worshippers gathering around. One major horizontal limb had failed in the rain just after the 2009 Procession for this tree.
As Religion, Fung Shui & numerous opinions from 18 Village Chiefs & the District Board focused upon how to re-shape this tree to reduce risk, the Station Manger exercised his influence as an IPA to carry out the work to meet the satisfaction of all parties. A detailed Tree Assessment was first carried out to ascertain the Health & Structure of the tree & a pruning plan was devised under strict supervision of the IPA for every cut. The former Fung Kai Students so trained & are obedient to the Station Manager were hand-picked for the operation & no second opinion was to be tolerated due to the sensitivity & precision involved.
During the work execution, Yellow Rain persisted all the way. No one would shy away from his position & the Crown Reduction was faithfully completed in 2 days to the satisfaction of every party at the end. Photos of the tree before & after the event are attached for this memorable occasion for general reference. Arborists have provided an example for other Heritage Trees in HK to follow.
2. Tree Felling at a Public Park in HK Island
Please note the location of the tree can not be disclosed without permission of the Govt Dept giving the order. However, the notice for work was given in less than 2 hours owing to the urgency confronted & the tree was a dying Casuarina of 15 m x 0.6 m dia. trunk with dead wood as hard as iron. The Station Manager & his favourite Fung Kai Student KW Lee were given 4 hours to complete the job from 3pm - 7pm despite inclement weather with Tree Climbing & Rigging as the only option to take down this tree. Aerial Platform could not enter this location & there were too many properties below to perform Drop Cut.
It was again Yellow Rain & Yellow Rain all the way & photo taking was not possible. However, the ability & toughness of Arborists were demonstrated to the full to amaze the Govt Staff supervising at all times to see this hazardous tree coming down safely piece by piece in discipline & efficiency. Everyone was exhausted at the end of the operation & Arborists have won another battle against nature & adversities to show HK.
3. Felling of 9 Dead Trees in Hang On Estate, Ma On Shan
The Station Manager was called in by a landscape contractor to perform some 'Show Cut' with the intention just to amuse the supervising Management Committee of the Housing Estate as an initial arrangement for a meager sum, & then it turned out to be a full scale Tree Felling Operation with the Station Manager cutting alone as the only Tree Worker & Tree Climber with the landscape contractor & hundreds of spectators looked on as the audience for their entertainment.
The time & site restraints were the biggest challenge to take down these 9 Dead Trees of generally 20 m tall x 0.6m trunk diameter. Two of the trees also required Rigging & Road Closure was from 10am - 4pm only by a public arrangement. There were building structures liable to damages if hit by falling wood, & the spectators were not always cooperative to evict the Drop Zone by trespassing in. Two of the trees were also leaning away from the Drop Zone & had to be secured by a Tag Line to avoid hitting targets below.
As the trees were felled one by one, the public sentiment glowed from one of originally suspecting to supporting. After all, it was quite a sight to watch a 20 m tall tree coming down missing the Lamp Posts & landscape furniture underneath practically by merely inches. As the last & most dangerous tree leaning towards the Shopping Centre was preparing to come down, there was a moment of silence among the hundreds of spectators by then grasping their breath. As the tree eventually broke its fibers to give a splitting noise to fall on the designated location to fly off dust & water puddles, the crowds were frozen for 2 seconds, & then a loud round of cheers & applause blasted out after that. Most have never seen big trees coming down with such power & precision in an urban location & some have never seen Arborist in action in their life.
No picture was taken for this memorable occasion because everyone was too busy to focus on the danger & safety if only one branch did not hit the right place. The word of Arborist completing this job also quickly spread among the landscape contractor community & some are thinking again whether they would be comfortable to carry out this kind of work under their traditional method without the supervision or participation of an Arborist right now.
4. Felling of a 2.5 m diameter Celtis sinense in Tai Po
This was another job testing the ability & endurance of the Arborists as the SDU (Flying Tigers?) of the Landscape Industry with the entire 3 day working period in Yellow Rain & Thunderstorm. None of the Arborists involved stopped at that. Out of the 8 Chainsaws from 10 inch to 36 inch taking part in the operation, only one was still operational after non-stop cutting for 3 days at high speed.
This huge Celtis with co-dominant stems was highly hazardous with a crack in the trunk union & its canopy directly hanging over an electric cable which was the only power supply to the village houses nearby. There was a metal fence not to be damaged just one meter away from the trunk & Drop Cut was not a practical solution. The canopy was also covered with wild growth which had to be removed to expose the tree architecture before cutting. The entire tree weighed +10 tons & it had to be cut to 300 mm off the ground in just 3 days.
Anyone can imagine the physical exhaustion & danger with lightning flashes above the head & streaming rain to let the Arborists roll over in the soft mud swinging a 15 kg Chainsaw to cut the sections. Also, re-fueling & chain replacement had to be done with one person extending a plastic sheet to avoid water mixing in with the gasoline in the middle of a hill. The mosquitoes were like Kamakaze Pilots diving into any human flesh that they can detect & insect repellent was ineffective once mixed with the sweat & rain. The vibration of the 36 inch Chainsaw was shaking the arm muscles to numbness & the Station Manager was feeding himself with a spoon for 2 days because he could not manage chopsticks after work. This is not to mention the constant muscular pain which would roll him in bed to try to gain some sleep.
It was all good feeling of manhood & determination when the last piece of wood was eventually coming down from this monstrous tree. The sun appeared again to smile at the Arborists who have proven themselves to be a special breed of human being to defeat difficulties & to obey orders. The Arborists have again made a mark commemorable to show example of good human nature to overcome adversities, & to accomplish mission rather than just talk, talk & talk. One would feel really good to be standing on that hill to look at the results.
The above events are supposed to be educational & inspiring to anyone wanting to stay in the Arborist Profession in our territory. Arborists are praised to be a special breed & they are the SDU in the Landscape Industry. No one can really replace them.
ISA HK/China wishes to hear from anyone having similar experience to boost the Arborist Profession & is looking forward to receiving them for broadcast in Station Mail if appropriate.
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."
Friday, June 12, 2009
ISA HK/China --- Incoming Mail (Arborists in Conservation)
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 Ryan,
Thank you for your message & your phone call. ISA HK/China is disclosing your name & e-mail as you have requested, but we are still blurring your mobile no. to avoid you receiving direct reply to put your mind in peace.
In your attached letter & the given newspaper cutting, ISA HK/China is interested to focus on the following areas:
1. The newspaper comments are probably correct that Arborists are not conservationists, because Arborists around the world are known to be Tree Doctors & Tree Detectives primarily. Hardly any internationally renowned Arborists such as Dr. Shigo, Prof. Mattheck, Dr. Smiley & Prof. Harris are known to be conservationists, although among the Arborist Profession, we are all keen Tree Lovers & would not waste a single tree if it deserves retention upon a valid Tree Assessment. We tend to put priority in Public Safety over sentiment when it comes to Tree Retention, because we understand that keeping a Hazardous Tree would be equivalent to planting a Time Bomb, with expensive public funding to be answerable to economic justification in tax payer's money.
2. ISA HK/China is not aware of any overseas Arboricultural Institute offering training in conservation as an Arborist theme subject, & general conservation does not appear to be a domain to be tested in the Certified Arborist (CA) exam in ISA but rather Urban Forestry to be the closest relevant. In the bi-monthly ISA Scientific journal of Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, the popular technical discussions over the years appear to be Tree Assessment, Tree Biology, Tree Biomechanics & Plant Health Care. This appears to be the international trend of Arboriculture in its R & D, & public acknowledgement.
3. After the fatal Tree Failure in Stanley last August, the HK Govt has repeatedly announced comfort to the family of the victim by seriously reviewing the current Tree Practice within Govt Depts. Tree Assessment & Hazard Tree Removal appear to be on top of the list with Public Safety to be the no. 1 concern. On the other hand, planting trees too close & too many may not provide the genuine benefits of trees to a community while possibly inducing hazards, like a nation's economic strength should not be judged by its population but by its GDP. To explain this concept concisely, we attach here the previous Station Mail of 'Big Spreading Trees in Hawaii' (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2007/09/isa-hkchina-big-spreading-trees-in.html) for your interesting study & comparison. With this consideration in mind, ISA HK/China would not shed a tear if the HK Urban Tree Population is to be reduced by half for better root development & canopy coverage, rather than having numerous stems all over the place to squeeze our trees tiny & thin like under-nourished children for the so-called 'Instant Effect'.
4. On the photo showing a Tree Worker operating a Chainsaw without the proper PPE & Chainsaw Chaps in your given newspaper cutting, he did not appear to be anyone of the CA or IPA in our territory that ISA HK/China is aware of. In actual fact, besides the Independent Practicing Arborists (IPA, http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2008/08/isa-hkchina-independent-practicing.html) who are currently busy with Tree Work all over HK, + 95% of our CA are not known by us to be active in operating Chainsaws regularly for any reason in our territory. It would probably be those ' Specialist Contractors' with their ever changeable combination of subcontractor staff running daily chainsaw operation under their own traditional methods to cut trees day in day out everywhere. It would be our advice to place an IPA or equivalent to supervise them for work quality & safety, or Mother Nature makes the Rules for their work.
Thank you again for your incoming mail & your willingness to share it with our Station Members. As you have exposed yourself for reply, please be prepared to receive challenging messages although you have every right to ignore any of them. On the other hand, you may wish to write directly to express your views at the Chief Secretary Office at cso@cso.gov.hk with copy to the Chief Executive Office at ceo@ceo.gov.hk for our current Tree Practice. ISA HK/China has found both Offices are full of friendly people, very inclusive & are willing to listen to public views. Therefore, why not let them know yours?
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."
----- Original Message -----
From: Chiu Kam Wai
To: Eurasian Garden Ltd.
Sent: Tuesday, June 09, 2009 11:48 AM
Subject: ISA HK/China --- 'xxxxxxxx Daily' comment on Arborist
Dear Sammy,
Attachment is my Chinese letter. I deem that there are some comments from ISA HK/China after your review. Please feel free to contact me at 9x4x 8x2x. I will be available after 17:30 today anytime. Thanks for your attention.
Best regards,
Ryan Chiu
敬啟者:
本人是國際樹木學會香港分會的會員之一。 我看了近日在報章上的多篇質疑 ISA Certified Arborist 的報導後, 心中有些感想希望可以藉今次機會道出來, 與大家分享一下我對近日報導的想法。 希望是次抒發不會引起任何不必要的爭議, 因為這是我個人的感想吧。
我起初深信在香港, 應該沒有專業人士會質疑國際樹木學會認證的樹藝師吧。 因為國際樹木學會是一個差不多有一百年歷史的國際樹木研究組織, 歷史之久, 無庸致疑。 國際樹木學會的樹藝師在國際上均被認定為城市裏的樹木專家及樹木醫生。 而在數年前, 香港開始有國際樹木學會的分會, 開始認證本地的樹藝師, 我心中想是多麼的光榮。 國際上, 有多達47個先進地區及國家均承認由國際樹木學會認證的樹藝師, 而香港能追隨著那47個先進地區及國家的步伐是一件好事。 不過, 香港的結果令人覺得奇怪, 香港裏的專業人士竟然質疑這個由一百年歷史的樹木組織認證的樹藝師, 真令人費解。
近期, 香港的樹木出現很多問題, 很多塌樹意外常常發生。 因此我們的政務司司長唐英年先生便被任命, 目的是整合香港各個與樹木管理的部門。 而我們卻能在報章上常常看到一些與樹藝師有關的報導, 有些報導指香港的樹藝師沒有能力做好香港的樹木管理工作。 這一點我卻有另一個看法。 眾所周知, 香港樹木出現今天的問題, 不是一朝一夕的。 很多原因是因為起初時的設計錯誤, 導致出現今天的危險樹木。 樹木不能被隨便任意選種, 不是在天橋底下種植喜光的樹木, 不是在路旁小小位置種植楓香, 鳳凰木等巨大樹種。 不過在香港, 情況正正如此。 以前的香港並沒有樹藝師的存在。 錯配, 錯種等等的問題一直存在至今。 既然今天我們政府決心解決這個樹木問題, 為何仍然重蹈數十年前至今的錯誤呢? 現在香港有樹藝師了, 政府不是應該給予樹藝師參與政府的樹木管理工作嗎? 如只任用原班人馬, 再重組一個新部門出來, 不任用樹藝師, 樹木問題不是仍然存在嗎? 這不是重蹈覆轍嗎?
另一方面, 香港的樹藝師均常常被認為是經驗不足, 即使擁有國際認可牌照, 仍不足以在香港管理樹木。 但事實上, 香港有很多樹藝師均是從事了數十年的園藝工作。 單在政府部門裏, 我相信確有一些富經驗的工作人員。 雖然他們在近期才考獲樹藝師牌照, 但他們的數十年經歷, 是不能抹掉的。 相反, 在他們擁有樹藝師牌照後, 加上他們數十年的樹木工作經驗, 更能令他們如虎添翼, 做個稱職的樹藝師。 因為他們不是初出矛籚的 “Fresh Arborist Trainee”, 相反他們卻是政府現時需要的富經驗的樹藝師。
最後, 我想抒發一下我對於本地大學學院安排的樹藝課程。 眾所周知, 樹藝其實是一門獨立的知識。 即使考獲樹藝師牌照, 缺乏經驗的 “Fresh Arborist Trainee” 是未成氣候, 均不能擔當好的樹藝師。 而這個概念正正能套用於我對本地大學學院安排的樹藝課程的意見。 無疑地, 香港的大學教授是受人專敬的。 他們擁有博士學位加上多年的教學經驗, 是香港最尖端的知識分子。 但是, 他們過往是從事教育行業, 還是樹藝行業? 即使各教授們均認識基本的樹藝知識, 但實際的工作經驗不是缺乏嗎? 如果由各大學教授們提供課程給香港的樹藝工作者, 無錯, 學生們是得到了基本知識, 但卻得不到應得的經驗分享。 為何不由富經驗的獨立執業樹藝師, 如國際樹木學會香港分會會長歐永森先生, 等樹藝師教授他們的專業知識呢? 學生們既能得到樹藝知識, 又能從各獨立執業樹藝師上得到豐富經驗分享。 不是更好嗎? 我相信這是香港現時需要做的地方。
我是一個香港市民, 我都抱有香港市民的希望。 希望我們的政務司司長唐英年先生能夠成功改革香港樹木管理的部門, 切切實實地令香港的樹木健康成長。 本人只是希望表達自己的感想, 不是希望引起任何惡性紛爭。 謝。
Ryan Chiu
Friday, June 5, 2009
ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (Recent Media Interviews)
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,
Attached are two sets of recent media interview on ISA HK/China & the contents are self-explanatory, although please do not read it word by word as the only suggestions coming out from the Station Manager who does not prefer to give blunt comment on any policy or practice as a professional attitude. The media may prefer to give simple & shocking report to focus on popular subjects, but a genuine professional would not be tricked into giving just that.
Both interviews have provided the value & importance of the Independent Practicing Arborist (IPA) credential which is seen to confirm the Arborist Profession in our territory of HK, Macau, Taiwan & China to a professional level expected by the public. The IPA is meant for Arborists who would like to go into self-practice, since by doing that, the IPA would be armed to face any challenge in the client's requirement be it Tree Assessment, Pruning Supervision, Research & Education or Expert Witness in Court which are the common daily chores of an IPA in our territory. By being an IPA, the Arborist must be able to perform Tree Climbing & it is the Tree Climbing part that most of the Certified Arborists in our territory appear to dislike, some even detest. However, if an IPA can not climb, can he truly be qualified to go into self-practice like if a medical doctor who would detest surgical operation or needle injection?
Therefore, do read these media reports with care. The Station Manager has also given an interview in a TV station recently & shall provide another one for a local magazine very soon. It is no doubt that the Arborist Profession is rising in our territory as a social requirement & not a hobby past time, & ISA HK/China would like to see it growing healthily & not a short burst of glory.
For that we shall need the help & understanding of all.
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."
*** 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,
Attached are two sets of recent media interview on ISA HK/China & the contents are self-explanatory, although please do not read it word by word as the only suggestions coming out from the Station Manager who does not prefer to give blunt comment on any policy or practice as a professional attitude. The media may prefer to give simple & shocking report to focus on popular subjects, but a genuine professional would not be tricked into giving just that.
Both interviews have provided the value & importance of the Independent Practicing Arborist (IPA) credential which is seen to confirm the Arborist Profession in our territory of HK, Macau, Taiwan & China to a professional level expected by the public. The IPA is meant for Arborists who would like to go into self-practice, since by doing that, the IPA would be armed to face any challenge in the client's requirement be it Tree Assessment, Pruning Supervision, Research & Education or Expert Witness in Court which are the common daily chores of an IPA in our territory. By being an IPA, the Arborist must be able to perform Tree Climbing & it is the Tree Climbing part that most of the Certified Arborists in our territory appear to dislike, some even detest. However, if an IPA can not climb, can he truly be qualified to go into self-practice like if a medical doctor who would detest surgical operation or needle injection?
Therefore, do read these media reports with care. The Station Manager has also given an interview in a TV station recently & shall provide another one for a local magazine very soon. It is no doubt that the Arborist Profession is rising in our territory as a social requirement & not a hobby past time, & ISA HK/China would like to see it growing healthily & not a short burst of glory.
For that we shall need the help & understanding of all.
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."
Monday, May 25, 2009
ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (Tree Assessment Office)
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,
From the attached media report & the internet news below, it appears that the HK Govt are now seriously considering to set up a Tree Assessment Office (TAO) of some kind to monitor & control Hazard Trees. ISA HK/China regards this as a good move in view of the current financial situation in HK as well as respecting the impact that a general Tree Office may produce among the +10 Govt Depts handling trees at present. We also admire the skills of our Administrative Officers in their policy formulation to be inclusive & thorough, not to be sentimental or biased but sensible & determined, to answer public demand & to satisfy internal need.
On the other hand, the proposed TAO may also serve as a beginning for a general Tree Office later to monitor & control all Tree Affairs in HK from design, installation, maintenance, risk assessment to protection & preservation. Urban Trees can become Time Bombs if not careful & it will be 'Mother Nature makes the Rules' for any Tree Planting. The correct professionals, like Arborists, must be placed in charge of any Tree Affairs, like planting the ' Right Trees in the Right Places.' The abilities of the Arborists are highly regarded by the Govt Seniors to be a scientific discipline, & various Govt Depts are training their own Arborists to supervise their trees.
For a slightly further vision, there may be 3 major areas requiring imminent attention as seen required:
1. LAO Practice Note 7/2007 --- The Tree Design & Tree Assessment sections may require the signature of Arborists to ensure the Right Trees in the Right Places in any design, & unwanted trees are not to be retained or transplanted further to squander public funds. Trees should not be planted too close by too many, & quality trees should be selected for Structure & Health, rather than just 'flowering & scent' alone. Small Tree Pits must not house large trees, & ongoing maintenance must be carefully considered not just for an 'Instant Effect'. Incorrect Tree Planting will lead to expensive maintenance, & the usual outcome of keeping poor quality trees is an eventual removal amidst a built up urban location which can be difficult to operate & extremely costly.
2. ETWB Technical Circular 3/2006 --- Trees must be re-defined in accordance with international practice not to include bananas, bamboos & certain palms. The Compensatory Planting must consider whether the finished area can truly house the replaced trees or not, & Time Bombs must not be created by squeezing in unnecessary numbers just for making up the balanced sheet. Tree Survey should be carried out & signed by Arborists for their professional responsibilities. Tree Pruning should be carried out & supervised on site by qualified Arborists (IPA http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2008/08/isa-hkchina-independent-practicing.html, or similar) who have Tree Climbing & Chainsaw expertise.
3. Old & Valuable Trees --- The general concept of selection & maintenance for the 500 no. or so OVT's should be revised to keep out hazardous & costly maintained trees. 'Old, big & thick' do not necessarily mean 'good' for keeping a mature tree. Those without hope & potentially hazardous should be taken off the list & newly found worthwhile should be added in for scientific & sentimental reasons. Arborists must be included in the Expert Group for decision to make sure the right trees are selected & kept in a scientific manner.
It appears that if internal secondment has become necessary in setting up the proposed TAO, LCSD Staff would be likely to provide the largest number with their traditional expertise & qualification. ISA HK/China knows a number of good staff in LCSD to be able to take up this job, & we have faith in the HK Govt to make the correct decision.
May the new TAO, if ever inaugurated, truly serve the people of HK to manage our trees in an admirable manner. ISA HK/China will carry on support the HK Govt to make the right decision & throw our support behind the TAO concept whenever desired.
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."
港府擬設專責單位保育樹木
*** 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,
From the attached media report & the internet news below, it appears that the HK Govt are now seriously considering to set up a Tree Assessment Office (TAO) of some kind to monitor & control Hazard Trees. ISA HK/China regards this as a good move in view of the current financial situation in HK as well as respecting the impact that a general Tree Office may produce among the +10 Govt Depts handling trees at present. We also admire the skills of our Administrative Officers in their policy formulation to be inclusive & thorough, not to be sentimental or biased but sensible & determined, to answer public demand & to satisfy internal need.
On the other hand, the proposed TAO may also serve as a beginning for a general Tree Office later to monitor & control all Tree Affairs in HK from design, installation, maintenance, risk assessment to protection & preservation. Urban Trees can become Time Bombs if not careful & it will be 'Mother Nature makes the Rules' for any Tree Planting. The correct professionals, like Arborists, must be placed in charge of any Tree Affairs, like planting the ' Right Trees in the Right Places.' The abilities of the Arborists are highly regarded by the Govt Seniors to be a scientific discipline, & various Govt Depts are training their own Arborists to supervise their trees.
For a slightly further vision, there may be 3 major areas requiring imminent attention as seen required:
1. LAO Practice Note 7/2007 --- The Tree Design & Tree Assessment sections may require the signature of Arborists to ensure the Right Trees in the Right Places in any design, & unwanted trees are not to be retained or transplanted further to squander public funds. Trees should not be planted too close by too many, & quality trees should be selected for Structure & Health, rather than just 'flowering & scent' alone. Small Tree Pits must not house large trees, & ongoing maintenance must be carefully considered not just for an 'Instant Effect'. Incorrect Tree Planting will lead to expensive maintenance, & the usual outcome of keeping poor quality trees is an eventual removal amidst a built up urban location which can be difficult to operate & extremely costly.
2. ETWB Technical Circular 3/2006 --- Trees must be re-defined in accordance with international practice not to include bananas, bamboos & certain palms. The Compensatory Planting must consider whether the finished area can truly house the replaced trees or not, & Time Bombs must not be created by squeezing in unnecessary numbers just for making up the balanced sheet. Tree Survey should be carried out & signed by Arborists for their professional responsibilities. Tree Pruning should be carried out & supervised on site by qualified Arborists (IPA http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2008/08/isa-hkchina-independent-practicing.html, or similar) who have Tree Climbing & Chainsaw expertise.
3. Old & Valuable Trees --- The general concept of selection & maintenance for the 500 no. or so OVT's should be revised to keep out hazardous & costly maintained trees. 'Old, big & thick' do not necessarily mean 'good' for keeping a mature tree. Those without hope & potentially hazardous should be taken off the list & newly found worthwhile should be added in for scientific & sentimental reasons. Arborists must be included in the Expert Group for decision to make sure the right trees are selected & kept in a scientific manner.
It appears that if internal secondment has become necessary in setting up the proposed TAO, LCSD Staff would be likely to provide the largest number with their traditional expertise & qualification. ISA HK/China knows a number of good staff in LCSD to be able to take up this job, & we have faith in the HK Govt to make the correct decision.
May the new TAO, if ever inaugurated, truly serve the people of HK to manage our trees in an admirable manner. ISA HK/China will carry on support the HK Govt to make the right decision & throw our support behind the TAO concept whenever desired.
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."
港府擬設專責單位保育樹木
2009年5月23日 星期六 06:30
(綜合報道)
政務司司長唐英年昨日出席立法會特別內務會議，交代「樹木管理檢討」的文件。他指未來需要成立獨立單位處理樹木保育工作，以解決現時樹木管理涉及不同部門、出現互相推莊的情況。會上有議員昨日追問唐英年對六四事件的立場，以及金管局總裁的聘任問題，但唐英年未有直接回應。
唐英年昨日出席會議時，指未來需要成立一個獨立的專責單位負責保育樹木的工作，解決現時樹木管理涉及不同部門、出現互相推莊的情況：「希望通過這次檢討，釐清部門之間的分工，強化整個政府的一體性，每當有個案需要處理時，盡早確定負責的部門，減少部門之間的轉介……不要令市民遊走於部門之間。」
唐英年又指正研究是否設立一個專業權威的單位，以強化樹木管理及風險評估的專業能力，在遇上較複雜的個案時，則可邀請本地和海外的專家提供意見。
現時本港樹木數目眾多，當局會首先保育及護養古樹名木，以及人流車流較集中地方的樹木。唐英年指明白市民愛惜樹木的心，承諾只要樹木尚有一綫生機，都會投放大量資源盡力補救，但亦須顧及其中的社會成本，如要保住一棵樹需用數十萬元搭一個鋼架作支撐；或者某一個發展項目，要用過百萬元去移植一棵大樹，但樹木移植後未必有很高的存活機會，這些都是保育過程中需要面對的實際問題。
工聯會潘珮璆關注現時前綫保樹職員的資歷，希望當局開設培訓班專責培育人才。發展局局長林鄭月娥指出，不少前綫的同事均有「樹藝師」的資格，但這並非一個入職的要求，是次檢討計畫中亦考慮如何鼓勵更多同事有「樹藝師」的資格。
樹木保育問題之外，民主黨甘乃威追問唐英年對六四事件的立場，公民黨湯家驊則問及遴選金管局總裁職位的三人小組工作，但唐英年都不作評論。
Thursday, May 21, 2009
ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (Chief Secretary Mr. Henry Tang meets Tree Experts)
Dear Station Members,
If anyone would carefully look into the attached photo (http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200905/20/P200905200291.htm) of the good message released by the HK Govt Information Services below, you may find the Station Manager there expressing his views to His Right Honourable Chief Secretary Mr. Henry Tang at the now announced meeting.
ISA HK/China is beginning to get a faint voice in promoting Modern Arboriculture to Senior Level in the HK Govt & we shall relentlessly develop ourselves to let HK to have better & safer trees as we all deserve.
best regards,
Sammy Au
Station Manager
政務司司長會見樹木專家（附圖）
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
政務司司長唐英年今日（五月二十日）在政府總部會見11位學術界、保育界、相關專業學會和機構的樹木專家，聽取他們對政府改善樹木管理工作的意見和建議。
唐英年在會後表示，政府負責檢討樹木管理的專責小組正全面審視樹木管理制度，重點考慮規管框架、機構設置、人員培訓、資源配置等方面。
唐英年感謝專家們積極建言，他說：「今天的與會者都是在樹木管理方面有豐富知識和經驗的學者、專家。他們針對如何進一步完善樹木管理制度，特別是在香港特殊環境下如何妥善處理綠化、樹木保育和公眾安全之間的關係，提出了很多富有建設性和啟發性的意見，對於我們客觀科學地進行這項檢討工作有很大的幫助。我衷心感謝他們寶貴的意見。」
未來兩天，唐英年還將聽取立法會和18個區議會對樹木管理的意見。
完
２００９年５月２０日（星期三）
香港時間１９時００分
If anyone would carefully look into the attached photo (http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200905/20/P200905200291.htm) of the good message released by the HK Govt Information Services below, you may find the Station Manager there expressing his views to His Right Honourable Chief Secretary Mr. Henry Tang at the now announced meeting.
ISA HK/China is beginning to get a faint voice in promoting Modern Arboriculture to Senior Level in the HK Govt & we shall relentlessly develop ourselves to let HK to have better & safer trees as we all deserve.
best regards,
Sammy Au
Station Manager
政務司司長會見樹木專家（附圖）
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
政務司司長唐英年今日（五月二十日）在政府總部會見11位學術界、保育界、相關專業學會和機構的樹木專家，聽取他們對政府改善樹木管理工作的意見和建議。
唐英年在會後表示，政府負責檢討樹木管理的專責小組正全面審視樹木管理制度，重點考慮規管框架、機構設置、人員培訓、資源配置等方面。
唐英年感謝專家們積極建言，他說：「今天的與會者都是在樹木管理方面有豐富知識和經驗的學者、專家。他們針對如何進一步完善樹木管理制度，特別是在香港特殊環境下如何妥善處理綠化、樹木保育和公眾安全之間的關係，提出了很多富有建設性和啟發性的意見，對於我們客觀科學地進行這項檢討工作有很大的幫助。我衷心感謝他們寶貴的意見。」
未來兩天，唐英年還將聽取立法會和18個區議會對樹木管理的意見。
完
２００９年５月２０日（星期三）
香港時間１９時００分
Friday, May 15, 2009
ISA HK/China --- Incoming Mail (Who should lead the proposed Arbor Office?)
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 xxx,
Thank you for your message & your kind appreciation to recommend the Station Manager for a position in the proposed Arboricultural Office. He has received similar support many a time in the past but it is his intention to stay in his family business of Eurasian Garden & to carry on working as the Station Manger of ISA HK/China independently for what he can contribute best to the Tree Care development. Anyway, he wishes to thank all of you for your kind words.
On the other hand, ISA HK/China has made our own proposal as for the structure of the proposed Arboricultural Office (ArbO) in July 2007 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2007/07/isa-hkchina-imaginary-arboricultural.html) . We have conceived a Principal Arboricultural Officer (PAO) to lead this Office & the PAO must be well versed in the Arbor Trade as well as politically capable & publicly respected to lead this Office. It may a difficult job to seek such a person in HK at present & overseas recruitment may eventually become necessary.
In our consideration, the PAO must be knowledgeable in the Arbor Business & must have been working in the industry for a number of years. In our current Govt structure, such a person may be most appropriate to look for within LCSD which has traditionally been the butler for Urban Trees in HK. ISA HK/China has also seen LCSD upgrading their training & services for Tree Care vigorously in the past few years & they are gradually building internatinal connection to share & receive knowledge & skills in the latest practices. With a bit of time & effort, LCSD may eventually catch up with the western world, although their current role focuses mainly in the aftercare of trees.
ISA HK/China would see it as inappropriate to find an 'Office Arborist' to take up the post of PAO, because Arboriculture is a Practitioner Trade biased on operations & not design. Someone only able to study photos & reports all day would not be respected by our Station Members, Tree Experts, Tree Lovers, Media & Politicians to talk professionally on trees. Our public would like to see the PAO able to climb a 10m tree, roar a 20 inch Chainsaw & rig down a 1 foot log to the ground safely, be it just for show in front of cameras or as a convincement to the public that our PAO is truly professional to the job. Such PAO would have fewer antagonism among the public.
On the other hand, a PAO not respected & supported by ISA HK/China may be seen as a loose kite not attaching to the largest & most popular Arbor Group in our territory of HK, Macau, Taiwan & China. This PAO may find he/she will have few friends in the industry, & his/her command will be difficult to steer. ISA HK/China is politically neutral, but we do have influence in Tree Affairs in our territory under the guidance of Fact-finding & Truth-telling.
Therefore, all of us would like to see the HK Govt to pick the right person to become the PAO. Let's hope public funds would not be squandered to invite public criticism & the future ArbO can truly win the heart & mind of our public.
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."
----- Original Message -----
From: xxx
To: egc@netvigator.com
Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2009 11:07 PM
Subject: Support the Proposed Arbor Office
Dear Station Manager,
I want to recommend you to chair the proposed Arbor office. Agree? If not, who should I propose?
I think the idea of Arbor Office is very good. We need it indeed. See what kind of a mess our trees are turning into after so many years of greenery. Sad, isn't it?
Can you reply, please?
Cheers
xxx
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yahoo!香港提供網上安全攻略，教你如何防範黑客!了解更多
*** 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 xxx,
Thank you for your message & your kind appreciation to recommend the Station Manager for a position in the proposed Arboricultural Office. He has received similar support many a time in the past but it is his intention to stay in his family business of Eurasian Garden & to carry on working as the Station Manger of ISA HK/China independently for what he can contribute best to the Tree Care development. Anyway, he wishes to thank all of you for your kind words.
On the other hand, ISA HK/China has made our own proposal as for the structure of the proposed Arboricultural Office (ArbO) in July 2007 (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2007/07/isa-hkchina-imaginary-arboricultural.html) . We have conceived a Principal Arboricultural Officer (PAO) to lead this Office & the PAO must be well versed in the Arbor Trade as well as politically capable & publicly respected to lead this Office. It may a difficult job to seek such a person in HK at present & overseas recruitment may eventually become necessary.
In our consideration, the PAO must be knowledgeable in the Arbor Business & must have been working in the industry for a number of years. In our current Govt structure, such a person may be most appropriate to look for within LCSD which has traditionally been the butler for Urban Trees in HK. ISA HK/China has also seen LCSD upgrading their training & services for Tree Care vigorously in the past few years & they are gradually building internatinal connection to share & receive knowledge & skills in the latest practices. With a bit of time & effort, LCSD may eventually catch up with the western world, although their current role focuses mainly in the aftercare of trees.
ISA HK/China would see it as inappropriate to find an 'Office Arborist' to take up the post of PAO, because Arboriculture is a Practitioner Trade biased on operations & not design. Someone only able to study photos & reports all day would not be respected by our Station Members, Tree Experts, Tree Lovers, Media & Politicians to talk professionally on trees. Our public would like to see the PAO able to climb a 10m tree, roar a 20 inch Chainsaw & rig down a 1 foot log to the ground safely, be it just for show in front of cameras or as a convincement to the public that our PAO is truly professional to the job. Such PAO would have fewer antagonism among the public.
On the other hand, a PAO not respected & supported by ISA HK/China may be seen as a loose kite not attaching to the largest & most popular Arbor Group in our territory of HK, Macau, Taiwan & China. This PAO may find he/she will have few friends in the industry, & his/her command will be difficult to steer. ISA HK/China is politically neutral, but we do have influence in Tree Affairs in our territory under the guidance of Fact-finding & Truth-telling.
Therefore, all of us would like to see the HK Govt to pick the right person to become the PAO. Let's hope public funds would not be squandered to invite public criticism & the future ArbO can truly win the heart & mind of our public.
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."
----- Original Message -----
From: xxx
To: egc@netvigator.com
Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2009 11:07 PM
Subject: Support the Proposed Arbor Office
Dear Station Manager,
I want to recommend you to chair the proposed Arbor office. Agree? If not, who should I propose?
I think the idea of Arbor Office is very good. We need it indeed. See what kind of a mess our trees are turning into after so many years of greenery. Sad, isn't it?
Can you reply, please?
Cheers
xxx
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yahoo!香港提供網上安全攻略，教你如何防範黑客!了解更多
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
ISA HK/China --- Incoming Mail (Tree Failure Experience of a Station Member)
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,
A Station Member sent in the message below after apparently escaping destiny in a very close shave. He may win the next Mark Six for his luck if it persists.
As the tree failed in a calm evening without much prior warning, it will become a concern for those of us living nearby trees. If our trees are turning into Time Bombs here & there, should trees not be put back into the hand of the Arborists for safety sake?
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."
----- Original Message -----
From: xxx
To: Eurasian Garden Ltd.
Sent: Monday, May 11, 2009 12:12 AM
Subject: Re: ISA HK/China (Professoinals) --- Support the proposed Arboricultural Office at CSO & CEO
(I would be gladded if you could broadcast this e-mail
to the Station Members)
Dear Sammy,
I absolutely agree that there's a real need of an Abor
Office in Hong Kong especially after recording a tree
fallen at the entrance of village I lived this night.
After a whole day of tree climbing, I came back home
at appro. 930pm and got blocked by an 8m tall tree at
the entrance of the village. Two villages winching
around the trees told me that the tree was fallen JUST
a few minutes before I came. There was no stronge wind
or any recent works around the tree he told me. But
there are signs he said...The tree hit no body but a
small 4WD vehicle. The car owner was astonished when
she saw "the acts of God".
In fact, after looking in details of the fallen tree,
I found the tree was with abnormally few leaves
(approx. 30% of its normal foliage coverage and size),
one of the stems have peel barks and more importantly,
the trunk base was approx. 80% or more hollow!!! Since
the tree is on a small slope in the village built by
government, I suspect it is not privately owned. I
wonder how important the villagers' live was rated
when the one was maintaining that fallen tree.
Although this incident cause property damage, it is
still lucky no body injured. I could not image if I
came home a few minutes earlier. Thanks God for the
traffic lights. It could be just 3 minutes and a
difference between live and death. But it's a huge
difference between risky and stable trees. As a
participant in the landscape industry, I'm not willing
to tell but I try not to walk under trees after works
as I know what could happen by those trees.
The Hong Kong landscapes should be changed.
xxx
Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com/
*** 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,
A Station Member sent in the message below after apparently escaping destiny in a very close shave. He may win the next Mark Six for his luck if it persists.
As the tree failed in a calm evening without much prior warning, it will become a concern for those of us living nearby trees. If our trees are turning into Time Bombs here & there, should trees not be put back into the hand of the Arborists for safety sake?
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."
----- Original Message -----
From: xxx
To: Eurasian Garden Ltd.
Sent: Monday, May 11, 2009 12:12 AM
Subject: Re: ISA HK/China (Professoinals) --- Support the proposed Arboricultural Office at CSO & CEO
(I would be gladded if you could broadcast this e-mail
to the Station Members)
Dear Sammy,
I absolutely agree that there's a real need of an Abor
Office in Hong Kong especially after recording a tree
fallen at the entrance of village I lived this night.
After a whole day of tree climbing, I came back home
at appro. 930pm and got blocked by an 8m tall tree at
the entrance of the village. Two villages winching
around the trees told me that the tree was fallen JUST
a few minutes before I came. There was no stronge wind
or any recent works around the tree he told me. But
there are signs he said...The tree hit no body but a
small 4WD vehicle. The car owner was astonished when
she saw "the acts of God".
In fact, after looking in details of the fallen tree,
I found the tree was with abnormally few leaves
(approx. 30% of its normal foliage coverage and size),
one of the stems have peel barks and more importantly,
the trunk base was approx. 80% or more hollow!!! Since
the tree is on a small slope in the village built by
government, I suspect it is not privately owned. I
wonder how important the villagers' live was rated
when the one was maintaining that fallen tree.
Although this incident cause property damage, it is
still lucky no body injured. I could not image if I
came home a few minutes earlier. Thanks God for the
traffic lights. It could be just 3 minutes and a
difference between live and death. But it's a huge
difference between risky and stable trees. As a
participant in the landscape industry, I'm not willing
to tell but I try not to walk under trees after works
as I know what could happen by those trees.
The Hong Kong landscapes should be changed.
xxx
Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com/
Thursday, May 7, 2009
ISA HK/China --- Support the proposed Arboricultural Office at CSO and CEO
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,
Those of you living in HK would be aware of the proposed Arboricultural Office in the HK Govt after the Jury Recommendations of the tragic Stanley Tree Failure in April. In fact, the HK Govt are working hard on this issue to study the feasibility & need to set up such an Office & the project is supervised by the second highest rank in the Govt, namely the Chief Secretary of Administration to coordinate various Bureaus & Depts for the organization. The outcome of the study would be announced this coming July publicly in HK.
As good citizens of HK & keen Tree Lovers in our Station, ISA HK/China would urge all of you to support the setting up of the proposed Arboricultural Office, & to express your opinions with the following consideration:
1. The value of having this Office to supervise our trees from design, selection, installation, maintenance, regular inspection, risk assessment to protection, & the need to reform our current Tree Management.
2. What professionals should be leading this Office & what justifications? Any overseas examples?
3. What are to be expected of this new Office in a practical manner & in the long term?
4. Any idea on the structure, duties & functions of this Office?
5. How this Office can help with the Greenery Development of HK?
6. Any other comments on our current Greenery Policies & outcome upon spending?
You may wish to express your views to the Chief Secretary Office at cso@cso.gov.hk with copy to the Chief Executive Office at ceo@ceo.gov.hk in Chinese or in English. ISA HK/China has been providing our views (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2007/07/isa-hkchina-imaginary-arboricultural.html) to these two good Offices & has found them very inclusive & tolerant with fresh ideas. In fact, we are getting the feeling that these good Offices would like to hear openly from the public for their policy formulation so that anything eventually coming out would be supported by the public at large. Both CSO & CEO are friendly administrators & we encourage our +820 Station Members & +150 TCHK Members from all walks of life to write to them to express your constructive views.
We would also like to invite our overseas counterparts to express their expert opinions about setting up such an Arboricultural Office with their valuable experience to help HK to build one of our own. HK Govt is open & inclusive. Your views will be welcomed by all of us.
Thank you all for helping HK to advance our Tree Care & to have better trees. If HK can become the first oriental city to have an Arboricultural Office in the Far East, HK may provide an impact for the other cities in the region to help protect our trees better, especially for the Motherland of China.
We trust that anyone providing helpful opinions will be blessed by our trees for generations to come.
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."
*** 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,
Those of you living in HK would be aware of the proposed Arboricultural Office in the HK Govt after the Jury Recommendations of the tragic Stanley Tree Failure in April. In fact, the HK Govt are working hard on this issue to study the feasibility & need to set up such an Office & the project is supervised by the second highest rank in the Govt, namely the Chief Secretary of Administration to coordinate various Bureaus & Depts for the organization. The outcome of the study would be announced this coming July publicly in HK.
As good citizens of HK & keen Tree Lovers in our Station, ISA HK/China would urge all of you to support the setting up of the proposed Arboricultural Office, & to express your opinions with the following consideration:
1. The value of having this Office to supervise our trees from design, selection, installation, maintenance, regular inspection, risk assessment to protection, & the need to reform our current Tree Management.
2. What professionals should be leading this Office & what justifications? Any overseas examples?
3. What are to be expected of this new Office in a practical manner & in the long term?
4. Any idea on the structure, duties & functions of this Office?
5. How this Office can help with the Greenery Development of HK?
6. Any other comments on our current Greenery Policies & outcome upon spending?
You may wish to express your views to the Chief Secretary Office at cso@cso.gov.hk with copy to the Chief Executive Office at ceo@ceo.gov.hk in Chinese or in English. ISA HK/China has been providing our views (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2007/07/isa-hkchina-imaginary-arboricultural.html) to these two good Offices & has found them very inclusive & tolerant with fresh ideas. In fact, we are getting the feeling that these good Offices would like to hear openly from the public for their policy formulation so that anything eventually coming out would be supported by the public at large. Both CSO & CEO are friendly administrators & we encourage our +820 Station Members & +150 TCHK Members from all walks of life to write to them to express your constructive views.
We would also like to invite our overseas counterparts to express their expert opinions about setting up such an Arboricultural Office with their valuable experience to help HK to build one of our own. HK Govt is open & inclusive. Your views will be welcomed by all of us.
Thank you all for helping HK to advance our Tree Care & to have better trees. If HK can become the first oriental city to have an Arboricultural Office in the Far East, HK may provide an impact for the other cities in the region to help protect our trees better, especially for the Motherland of China.
We trust that anyone providing helpful opinions will be blessed by our trees for generations to come.
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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