ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (Training Tree Assessors)

国内朋友请使用翻译软件阅读本文 (http://translate.google.com.hk/?hl=en&tab=wT#enzh-CN)。
*** 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 attached news below gave comments on the training of Tree Assessors in HK.

It is apparent that after the Tree Management Office (TMO) in HK was set up in March this year, Tree Assessment has become a hot topic in town. Many ad hoc training programs have suddenly sprung up, & some of the trainers are not even experienced Arborists. Training courses are offered like fast-food service to produce instant "Tree Assessors" sometimes in just a day or two. Academic qualification is seen to be the main requirement to become "qualified" Tree Assessors. Then the media began to question of the quality of our "Tree Assessors" after continuous Tree Failure in recent weeks.

Tree Assessment is one of the highest skills in Practicing Arboriculture, & qualified Tree Assessors must have worked for years in the field, not talking in the classroom. Many famous Tree Assessors including Matheny & Clark, Prof Harris, Prof Gilman & Dr. Thomas Smiley, also do not possess a degree in Arboriculture. In fact, hardly any experienced Consulting Arborists around the world comes with a degree in Arboriculture. As for related discipline, maybe Horticulture is the only subject generally accepted as close, although Horticulture would focus more on smaller plants than trees. Practical experience & constantly catching up with research, rather than brandishing academic qualification, are seen to be the key to becoming a successful Tree Assessor.

One can compare training a Tree Assessor to a Lifeguard. You can not train a Lifeguard in a classroom talking & then just a lesson or two in the pool, for someone who has never swum before. Worst if the Trainers themselves have only just managed swimming. In Arboriculture, we say: Mother nature makes the Rules, not any of us. If we produce fast-food Tree Assessors, we may get wanton Tree Assessment as a result.

The Station Manager (SM) himself have assessed thousands of trees in our territory (6,000+ no. in 2010 alone) with high accuracy in past years. Some of his famous work includes the Erythrina in Sai Wan Terrace which collapsed after 5 days of his warning, the Ficus in Rhenish Church in Bonham Road which he predicted to fail had collapsed to injure 3 persons a year later, & the Maryknoll Ghost Pine which he alone stood against everyone else to predict hazards. The SM has stood up in Courts many times as Expert Witness in Tree Disputes & has not yet lost a case. The SM does not possess a degree in Arboriculture, but in engineering.

Being the first Certified Arborist (CA) & first Certified Tree Worker (CTW) in our territory, & the only Coordinator of the International Tree Failure Database in the HK & China Region, the SM has always regarded updating himself in research in Tree Biology, Wood Properties & Wind Mechanics, to be the key to conduct accurate Tree Assessment. Expert knowledge in these fields is important. The CA credential should be taken as a post-graduate credential to recognize a 3 year full-time Tree Work experience in pruning, fertilization, installation and establishment, diagnosis and treatment of tree problems, cabling and bracing and climbing. It does not make you an instant Tree Assessor to professional requirements.

ISA HK/China will establish the Qualified Arborist (QA) credential as a higher level of recognition in Arboriculture in our territory of HK, Macau, Taiwan & China very soon. QA is a local credential to meet our own need in our territory. The QA will pose himself/herself to be a more experienced & knowledgeable Tree Assessor, besides other abilities. Details of the entry requirements will be released very soon.

Our QA credential will prevail in our territory in the coming years. We shall ask our China brothers & sister to follow it as well. We believe the QA will protect the professional image of ISA in our territory.

Please support our QA system to make our trees safer & healthier, one tree & one QA at a time.

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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正視驗樹人員的培訓

2010年9月24日 星期五 05:30

(綜合報道)

全港市區約有七十萬棵樹，至今只有二千多棵列入危樹名單，看來只有小數樹木出現問題，惟十天前才檢查過、又無列入危樹名單的大樹，也會無故塌下，令人關注事件，究竟是太難驗出樹木有毛病，還是驗樹人員不懂檢驗，又或馬虎了事？

　　有樹木專家指出，昨日塌下的大樹樹幹，已被真菌侵蝕至少兩三年，樹壁只餘下幾厘米厚，就如一塊木板厚度，卻要支撐整棵樹，縱無風雨都會隨時倒塌，任何專業驗樹人員都可輕易發現異樣，但當局的驗樹人員本月十三日檢查時，卻未能發現如此嚴重問題，令人質疑驗樹人員經驗及專業知識嚴重不足。

　　樹木辦今年三月成立以來，仍接連發生塌樹意外，當局應重新檢討未能及早發現病樹的原因，正視前線人員的培訓，增加聘用大學專科畢業人士，及對樹木有深入認識的專家，勿再讓塌樹傷人事件一再重演。

ISA HK/China --- Organization Chart

国内朋友请使用翻译软件阅读本文 (http://translate.google.com.hk/?hl=en&tab=wT#enzh-CN)。
*** 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,

As ISA HK/China keeps on expanding especially into China, we are beginning to regularize ourselves to meet the future challenges to ensure a sustainable development. With our own specific culture & local condition vastly deviating from western ISA Chapters especially when it comes to dealing with China, we equip ourselves with strategies unique of our own to ensure a continuous success. Having a solid organization is a start.

Attached is the latest Organization Chart of ISA HK/China.

The functions of the various committees are as follows:

1. Exam Committee --- Organize & conduct ISA exams in our territory of HK, Macau, Taiwan & China. Coordinate with exam venue providers, & liaise with proctors & evaluators for meetings & training. Assist Chief Proctor in administering ISA exams within our territory. Mike Leung is currently in charge.

2. Registration & Disciplinary Committee --- Administer registration for our local credentials like IPA, QA & future AC. Process applications & coordinate Technical Reviewers for QA report-writing. Investigate local complaints on ISA HK/China Arborists & maintain discipline of Station Members. Advise Station Manager on discharge of Station Membership for unacceptable individuals. Joseph Lee is currently in charge.

3. Education & Public Relationship Committee --- Conduct Tree Seminars locally & liaise with overseas trainers to provide training opportunities for ISA HK/China. Issue regular Station Mail on local Tree Affairs & ISA activities. Promote image of ISA to media, politicians & public in our territory. Sammy Au is currently in charge.

4. Activities Committee --- Organize Annual Dinner, Informal Dinners & Tree Climbing functions locally. Maintain welfare & unity of ISA HK/China Station Members. Organize overseas visits & provide protocol to overseas visitors including those from China. Chiky Wong is currently in charge.

5. TCHK --- Provide Tree Climbing & Tree Work training. Coordinate local Tree Climbers for local & overseas competition events. Unite local Tree Climbers to support ISA & ISA HK/China. Promote Tree Climbing within our territory. KM Li & Tony Ng are jointly in charge at present.

6. Auxiliary Committee --- The reserve unit within ISA HK/China. Helping any Committee in logistics to make events run smooth. Conduct any other business not specially handled by any Committee. Jack Chan is currently in charge.

As we now begin to develop China, there may be a China Development Committee to be set up in due course. The dotted line on the right in the Organization Chart refers to our future expansion to meet new challenges. We shall make sure we are the rising sun to shine for ISA in our territory.

ISA HK/China now runs very much like a Government Bureau with our staff being appointed rather than elected. The Station Manager ensures our development follow ISA Mission & Policies to the last word without deviation. This has been proven correct in our past 5.5 years to attract 1,400+ Station Members to join in & stay. We now also run the largest ISA exam in the world (200+ no. in Oct for the Certified Arborist exam in HK), & we have not even scratched China proper. We simply can not see how big & far we shall expand. We shall need to prepare for this.

In case if anyone worries the Station Manager might fell out from his motorcycle one day & bring ISA HK/China to a halt, please be assured that he has already instructed his family to open up his computer to release all information to the Deputy Station Managers to ensure smooth running. Let's hope this won't happen one day.

Thank you all for your support.


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."

ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (Good English to Write Arborist Report)

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

Dear Station Members,

Below is a set of local news reporting on the English level of the local graduates from the eight Universities in HK.

IELTS, as known to the Station Manager (SM), is a Test in English as an entry requirement for overseas students in the UK. Prestigious universities would generally require a grade 7 for entering science & law subjects. During the days of the Station Manager in the 1970s, a pass in 'O' level English was the basic requirement.

Media in HK has mentioned in the past that the English standard in HK has declined after 1997. This can be understood. This is also felt in our correspondence with Station Members & public everyday. International English with good sentence structure & correct grammar is rarely seen. Unfortunately, this phenomenon appears to spread to the Arborist Reports in our territory at the same time.

Good English is essential in producing a quality report to reflect professionalism. It is also more convincing. Readers generally respect a report free of grammatical & spelling mistakes. Sentences should be joined properly. Logics should flow in an understandable manner. The writing should be consistent, not jagged & halting to make reading difficult. Such are the basics in essay-writing in any scientific discipline.

In our coming Qualified Arborist (QA) credential, we shall demand Basic Report-Writing skill to be a requirement. This is to ensure our QA can write basic scientific report with universal acceptance. Essential elements in report-writing format are being discussed by our Registration & Discipline Committee at present. Technical Reviewers in the Committee will consist of ISA Proctors with overseas degree, as well as an IPA (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/04/isa-hkchina-hk-tree-news-14410-report.html) for professional credibility. Please note that we only ask for basic report-writing skills for the QA, & not Technical Writing. We shall leave that to our future Arboricultural Consultant (AC) credential.

Good report should read like what the Technical Writers would say, "Pour the words from my pinnate pencil with such feverish fluidity." To do this, the Arborist must be trained in communication skills. Chinglish (Chinese-English) in our territory may not be an option for that.

ISA HK/China would try to conduct seminars in English Language Usage & Report-Writing Skills in due course to help our locals to write reports. We shall enlist selected Station correspondences of local writing, to compare with international English as an education. This will be an interesting session every time.

May our Arborists ride on words, & not under, in our territory.

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."

大學生英語水平講寫較差

【本報訊】大學教育資助委員會昨公布，八間資助院校共一萬二千多名應屆學士學位畢業生參加○九至一○年度的統一英語水平評核計劃下的國際英語水平測試（IELTS），平均分為六點七二分，較去年微升。香港大學畢業生的成績繼續名列榜首，平均分為七點零七分，其次為中文大學及科技大學。
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報考人數創歷來新高的○九至一○年度國際英語水平測試，共有逾一萬二千名畢業生參加，在九分制評分標準中，平均分為六點七二分，較去年的六點六九分輕微上升。百分之八十六考生獲良好至優良成績，總分在六至七點五分之間。以港大畢業生成績最佳，一千九百八十名考生平均分為七點○七分，較去年上升○點○八分。

中大居次位，平均分為六點九一分，與去年相同；排第三的科大，平均分為六點七九分，較去年略升。

在四個測試項目中，畢業生在「閱讀」及「聆聽」兩方面成績較佳，平均分為七點三五及七點二七分，「書寫」及「會話」較差，平均分僅五點九六及六點○ 四分。

ISA HK/China --- Requirements for taking ISA exams

Dear Station Members & Public,

Please kindly note the pre-qualification requirements for taking the Certified Arborist or Certified Tree Worker exam.

Currently, ISA HQ is getting many applications which do not qualify for entry. For anyone not meeting the standard, the following message will be issued:

"Unfortunately, at this time we are sending you back your Certified Arborist Application as you do not meet the experience requirement and do not qualify to take the exam. With the information that you provided on your application and verification of work history, that information does not qualify you to become a certified arborist. To qualify, the ISA Certification Board requires candidates to have a minimum of three years of full-time (40 hours per week) experience in arboriculture. Acceptable experience includes the practical use of knowledge involved in pruning, fertilization, installation and establishment, diagnosis and treatment of tree problems, cabling and bracing and climbing.

If you have any questions regarding this important matter please contact a member of the ISA Certification Department by email at cert@isa-arbor.com or you can contact Sammy Au by email at egc@netvigator.com . "

Please note supplying faked information will lead to dis-qualification even after obtaining the ISA Credentials in future. ISA Cert Dept welcomes anyone supplying information in this aspect. All information will be treated with strictest confidence.

Please take note of this message for anyone applying & pass it along to someone who is not sure.

Thank you very much indeed.

best regards,

Sammy Au
Station Manager

ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (HK$200,000 fine for improper pruning of one tree)

国内朋友请使用翻译软件阅读本文 (http://www.blogger.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,

The newspaper report below described how a construction company was fined for HK$200,000.00 (USD 1 = HK$7.8) for not following the Govt Instruction to conduct proper Tree Pruning in a hospital in HK.

HK has one of the heaviest fines in the world for Tree Damage. The values appear to be connected with the land price of where the trees are located, how much shaded area they cover, & the rarity of species. The exact calculating method is unknown, but ISA HK/China has seen most cases being administered carefully with due consideration & adequate warnings. It does not appear to be a random decision.

The reason for the heavy fine appears to be that the Govt want to protect the local trees. If the fines are not set high enough, everyone would simply take a chance to damage them for convenience. With the construction projects nowadays easily run into their millions of dollars, paying a small fine would not provide any deterrence for seemingly "insignificant" issue like damaging a tree. It is only when the amount is set hurting that the party involved would need to think twice.

On the other hand, construction progress can not be halted because of existing Tree Planting. The delicate balance really rests at the design stage where realistic Tree Protection should be balanced off with the objectives of development. This is an area of expertise belonging to the Arborists, if they are ever invited to consult. Getting an Independent Arborist (not in-house) to certify the outcome would also increase public credibility always. The public would want no more "Instant Effect" but something lasting to justify the expenditure.

Trees today are not only an ecological need in urban area, but also a psychological necessity for the residents. ISA research has shown good Tree Planting pacify the community & heal the sick faster. Trees have been in this planet many more times longer than the humans. The existence of trees have been implanted in our mind in a subconscious way. No civilized community can sustain without trees today.

Therefore, we need protect our trees whenever we can. Trees are such an asset to our society that we can not do without. May the heavy fines become a continuous deterrence rather than an exchange of offer, so that Tree protection will come from our heart.

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."

亂剪榕樹山頂醫院罰20萬

【本報訊】有八十年歷史的舊山頂道嘉諾撒醫院，被指擅自過度修剪醫院旁一棵榕樹，遭地政處罰款廿萬元。代表院方的建築公司指，修剪榕樹已獲地政處批准，只因工程承建商卻沒有依足指引行事。

負責設計醫院擴建部分的周古梁建築工程公司，代表院方回覆稱，院方○八年已就修剪榕樹的工作獲得地政處批准，可是承建商卻沒有按院方要求聘請園藝師負責修剪，也沒跟隨指引，修剪了樹身逾兩成枝葉，超出了當局指引規定。發言人指，事後承建商已補聘園藝師照料榕樹，每日量度大樹的傾斜度，確保安全。

ISA HK/China --- Guangzhou visit of 20.8.2010

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

Dear Station Members,

ISA HK/China was invited to deliver an introduction seminar on ISA to Guangdong Provincial chiefs in Guangzhou on 20.8.2010. The Station Manager (SM) & Deputy Station Manager Mike Leung were present to meet their dozens of Landscape Engineers to explain what Arboriculture & ISA are all about for a brief morning.

At the start of the seminar, the chiefs would take it as just another routine introduction from an organization claimed to be international, trying hard to sell its products into China. The atmosphere was relaxed & casual. But as the SM began with the second slide on the consequence of bad Tree Planting to invite media attraction, legal liabilities & political attention, every ear picked up for a serious listening.

The SM went on by quoting overseas & local Tree Failure examples, & explain Arboriculture is all about science & technology, not beauty & art. The resonance was very strong. Landscape Engineers in China would be better known as Horticulturists in the west. They learned scientific subjects like Botany, Taxonomy, Pest Control, Nursery Production & Landscape Management. They are scientists as much as the Horticulturists & Arborists. ISA HK/China instantly had a common language with them.

The SM continued by introducing ISA & the credential system to the audience. It was very well accepted. Their only concern was that their Landscape Engineers may be not able to handle the English language enough to take the exams. The SM explained to them that the candidates only need to read & understand English for multiple choice questions, not to listen & write. And they can also take the Certified Tree Worker exam in Chinese.

The SM went on to introduce ISA HK/China as the representative body of ISA in the territory of HK, Macau, Taiwan & China. They loved it. They would enjoy talking to the Chinese locals who speak their tongue & share their culture. They also approved the HQ of ISA HK/China to be installed in HK to avoid any political influence (or pressure) from any of their local governments. They also respect the staff in ISA HK/China as clean, doctrinated & dedicated to follow ISA Mission. This is something the China audience emphasized several times in the seminar discussion. They would like to see ISA HK/China to be in HK. We love these China brothers & sisters to be so frank & honest.

Our territorial credential IPA (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/04/isa-hkchina-hk-tree-news-14410-report.html) has gained a very high respect among the China professionals during the seminar. They simply could not find any of their own to compare with the IPA, & would regard the IPA as a pinnacle in Arboriculture. In Guangzhou alone, they have thousands of Tree Failure cases every year. Some can not be called an Act of God anymore, because the victims would now refer to Tree Failure cases in HK for as financial demand. Guangzhou & HK are very close to each other in information sharing nowadays.

There are many next steps to do after this successful introduction of ISA into China, & Guangdong is just one of 30 provinces in China. ISA HK/China is now working closely with the Guangdong counterparts to begin building their own Arboricultural System under the model of ISA. We encourage them to set up their own local Arboricultural Organizations to be affiliated under ISA HK/China. We encourage them to establish their local credentials to follow ISA, with an ultimate goal of taking ISA credentials as the international recognition, when their candidates can master adequate English. We shall share with them knowledge & administration skills to succeed.

ISA HK/China has finally punched a hole into China, after our hard work for 5 years in HK. Our China brothers & sisters have been watching us all this time. Now they finally recognized ISA as an international organization wanting & willing to help them, to develop proper Tree Care without asking financial benefits in return. They now understand we are doing good to their country to improve the quality of living.

ISA HK/China has seen this occasion as a beginning to develop ISA in the Land of Old Dragons. The future is long & hard. We shall sail into uncharted waters.

May we move on under the ISA Mission, to plant our seeds into this virgin soil, one tree & one Arborist at a time.

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."

ISA HK/China --- Station Membership just passed 1,400 no.

Dear Station Members,

ISA HK/China is very pleased to inform you that our Station Membership has just passed 1,400+ no. this morning. This includes taking care of anybody whose e-mail could not be reached anymore to give ourselves an accurate number. The public non-disclosure of Station Membership policy has been proven a successfully strategy in growing ISA HK/China in the past 5 years. We shall continue with that.

Our Station Mail & Station Blog are also widely circulated among the public. We have noticed that about 25% of the readers are in the "unknown" category. This may be a local characteristic in our territory of HK, Macau, Taiwan & China.

Current education level in the Station Membership remains about the same with 70+% are Degree Holders, & 40+% with Master Degrees or above. Roughly 1/3 come from 20+ Govt Depts, & the rest from all walks of life with politicians, media, doctors, lawyers, professors & any profession you can imagine joining in. Approx 80% of our Station Members are not working in the Arborist Profession, making us perhaps the most inclusive arboricultural organization in the global ISA Community.

ISA exams are also expanding in our territory. We shall hold the biggest Certified Arborist exam around the world this October in HK, with 200+ seats to meet public demand in our territory. The venue is under discussion & will be announced ASAP. Our Certified Tree Worker exam may hold 40+ candidates this October, which is also to become a record.

Our media exposure remains high with regular interviews every month from various groups. One TV Station is planning to produce a drama series on the adventure of Tree Climbing & Rigging, with a bit of romance thrown into it. They are studying to find which beauty & handsome to put on rope.

On the China Front, the SM & one Deputy Station Manager has been invited to meet Provincial Landscape Bureau seniors in Guangzhou on Aug 18 & 19 to promote ISA Arboriculture. The SM has prepared a power point in Mandarin so convincing that even the blind would open their eyes to check it out. The SM has been mingling with our China brothers & sisters for business in China since 1984, that he can speak Mandarin with a local China accent. Over the phone, one would find it hard to tell that he comes from.

In the past few months, ISA HK/China has also been putting up some very useful proposals to the HKSAR Govt HQ on local Tree Management. A lot of our comments are now under due consideration by relevant authorities. Our relationship with the local Tree Experts are also friendly & understanding.

Thank you all again for your continuous support to develop ISA HK/China. We are now a rising sun in our territory to shine for ISA. We are also highly respected to be the genuine professionals to insist on Integrity, Professionalism, Participation, Fact-finding & Truth-telling in our attitude. We shall continue to do good to our society by installing quality Tree Planting, & to follow the ISA Mission.

For these we shall work hard.

best regards,

Sammy Au
Station Manager

ISA HK/China --- ATV program on 14.8.2010

国内朋友请使用翻译软件阅读本文 (http://translate.google.com.hk/?hl=en&tab=wT#enzh-CN)。
*** 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,

An ATV News Magazine program was shown last night at 7pm about Tree Risks in HK. Both the local Tree Experts & Tree Management Office (TMO) were present on show to talk about Hazard Trees & general Tree Planting. This program can be retrieved from Web TV at http://app2.hkatv.com/v3/webtv/webtv.php?program=3000011 when it is updated later in the week.

This particular show appeared to probe deeper into Tree Assessment than a similar TVB program on 5.8.2010, with the smell of a smoking gun, at least from the Tree Experts. It is also interesting to note that the Tree Experts were always talking in front of Hazard Trees on site, where the TMO was talking in front of beautiful graphics & drawings in office, instead of standing in front of the same trees for any debate. Then which one becomes more convincing?

Tree Experts were also demonstrating skills in proper Tree Assessment in front of real trees, & gave recommendations for further action. The audience would find it educational. It does not appear that the TMO has ever done the same on TV programs so far.

Interesting comment in the program includes consultant company was quoted to be able to give example of successful tree planting of Terminalia catappa in a 1m x 1m planter box from past experience. Terminalia can grow to 20+ m tall & 15+ m wide in the field. It would be quite an education to the Arborists to see it developing "successfully" in a 1m x 1m concrete box, without getting blown over in storm.

The program ended by querying the resulting effects of spending HK$360 million public fund for the Greening Master Plan in 18 Districts in HK, with special focus on Tree Planting.

ISA HK/China is not involved in the production of this program. We would also take a neutral stance in any of the comments.

Please browse through this interesting program at your leisure.

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."

ISA HK/China --- Employment Notice from Chun Wo Holdings

Dear Station Members,

Please study the Job Request for an Arborist at Chun Wo Development Holdings Ltd below, & apply at your pleasure.

best regards,

Sammy Au
Station Manager


----- Original Message -----
From: Lily Li Lee
To: Eurasian Garden Ltd / ISA HK/China
Cc: Wilfred Chau Chung Yau ; helen.wong@chunwo.com
Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2010 10:01 PM
Subject: Re: Chun Wo --- 誠聘註冊樹藝師
Dear Sammy,

Thanks for your reply, here are the requirements and information of the 樹藝師:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

入職條件：
- 持有樹藝學或相關範疇的學位，例如植物學、生物學、森林學、園藝學、園境建築、園境管理、園境科學學位，或同等學歷；
- 通過樹藝專業學會或業內機構主辦或認可的考試或評核，並取得相關資格或學歷證明，例如國際樹木學會註冊樹藝師(Certified Arborist of the International Society of Arboriculture)、英國樹木學會專業會員或院士(Professional Member or Fellow of the Arboricultural Association of the UK)、歐洲樹木栽培委員會樹木技術人員(European Tree Technician of the European Arboricultural Council)、澳洲國家樹木學會一般會員(General Member of the National Arborists Association of Australia)；或同等資歷；
- 最少2全職樹藝工作方面的實際經驗，例如樹木風險評估和管理、修剪、植物營養和施肥、種植和種植後的護理、樹木問題的診斷和治理、使用拉索，或其他與樹藝有關的服務

Chun Wo Development Holdings Limited (Stock code: 711)

Chun Wo was founded in 1968 and listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 1993. It is a renowned construction company in Hong Kong in building construction, civil engineering, foundations, electrical and mechanical engineering, railway and transport engineering, maintenance engineering and interior design engineering. Apart from developing its core construction business, Chun Wo has been diversifying its business into property development, property investment, property management and security services in recent years. Construction and development projects of the Group are widely distributed in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Macau, Taiwan and Vietnam. Its signature projects included the Hong Kong International Airport Skyplaza, the KCR East Rail and West Rail and No. 8 Clear Water Bay Road.
We offer competitive remuneration package with comprehensive fringe benefits to the right candidate. Interested parties please send your resume to The Human Resources Manager, quoting the appropriate reference number via email to : hra@chunwo.com.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thanks again for your help. Please feel free to contact me if your members are interested in this post.
Best regards,李莉 (Lily Li)人力資源及行政經理俊和（中国）有限公司俊和发展集团附属公司 (香港上市公司股票代号: 711)直线电话: (020)8317 6098, (852)3758 8118 / 手机: (86)138 0250 1832, (852)9475 0218传真: (020)8331 0983, (852) 2744 6702网址: www.chunwo.com

ISA HK/China --- Certified Practicing Horticulturist (CPH)

国内朋友请使用翻译软件阅读本文 (http://translate.google.com.hk/?hl=en&tab=wT#enzh-CN)。
*** 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,

While in Singapore, the Station Manager was told by their Greenery Professionals that there are 5 Greenery Professions running parallel without preference to build their Garden City as follows:

1. Horticulture
2. Arboriculture
3. Landscape Architecture/Design
4. Turf Management
5. Irrigation Engineering

The 5 professions would work independently & none would override or instruct the other, because they respect each can not replace the other in knowledge or expertise in any job. The result is that Singapore is internationally famous for her greenery construction. Their "Garden City" or now called the "City in a Garden", has become a crown jewel in Asia. Our China brothers & sisters flock by the thousands every year to visit this remarkable land, to learn how to build a Dream City of their own.

Among the 5 professions, Horticulture is the one adding colour, texture & fragrance in a landscape. Imagine having a garden without shrubs, herbs & groundcovers. Would the sight & smell come from just trees & turf alone? Apparently not. Horticultural Design is an important element in softscape that without it, the outcome would be flat & tasteless. Horticulture is an indispensible part in Garden Design.

When compared with Arboriculture, Horticulture is a much broader subject. It engulfs practically any Plant Science from production of cut flowers to transplanting large palms, nursery management, tissue culture, garden maintenance, soil science, pest control, & greenhouse technology. Practically besides trees, the study on plants belongs to Horticulture. It is vast, scientific & profound. It is an integral part in any Garden Design. The Station Manager sometimes compares Horticulture as Veterinary Science with Arboriculture as Human Medicine, where the former deals with any animal except human. Both disciplines are constantly under active research, & new technology evolves all the time.

There appears to be more Horticulturists around the world than Arborists. In HK alone, one can regard all the staff working in Flower Market Road as Horticulturists. They specialize in their own species more than anybody who is not in their field. Credentials alone here may not apply. In the practical world, what's the point having piles of certificates & diplomas, if one can not do the work ?? That would only fool the ignorant. The same analogy would apply to the nursery growers & landscapers in China, & is also true for the Orchid & Fruit Producers in Taiwan.

In our territory of of HK, Macau, Taiwan & China, Arboriculture has become a hot spot in recent years. This is mainly because our society now understand Tree Planting invites risks. Tree Failure can kill & damage properties, which would lead to social uproar & law suits. Therefore, we need Arborists to look after our trees. Another contribution may be that ISA HK/China has successfully promoted ISA Arboriculture in our territory.

On the other hand, is it not true that the Horticulturists are equally working hard, to provide our society with beautiful greenery as we see everywhere? Somehow we do not hear much of them. They are sometimes downgraded as hobbyists providing only amateur past time, & are largely ignored for publicity. In actual fact, Horticulturists in our territory have many more societies than the Arborists, but they do not appear to have one strong group to unite their industry & to assert standards. Their social status is also blur without much professional recognition by anybody.

There is an organization called the International Society of Horticultural Science (ISHS, http://www.ishs.org/) set up more than a hundred years ago, & is full of professors & researchers doing studies constantly in Horticulture. But this organization does not appear to offer international credentials like the ISA. And they do not have an equivalent body in our territory like ISA HK/China, which constructs Practicing Credentials like the IPA (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/04/isa-hkchina-hk-tree-news-14410-report.html) to serve our community. Only if the local Horticulturists can form their own strong group under an international backing to produce professional qualifications, that they can gain social recognition & professional status in our territory. Getting an international backing is very important, because anything local can not cross boundary, unless your boundary is so big like that of ISA HK/China.

ISA HK/China has learned that there is a Certified Practicing Horticulturist (CPH) credential training program (course code is CUGE-PCP-7002) offered by CUGE (www.cuge.com.sg) in Singapore. This may be what our local Horticulturists are looking for to upgrade their professional image. Further details can be obtained by contacting CUGE directly. It is possible that a special class can be formed for the HK Horticulturists if a certain number can be gathered, like the Certified Arborist class in Nparks in Dec 2006.

Australia & New Zealand also offer their own CPH, & there are a few of their CPH holders in HK at present.

Two persons in ISA HK/China are willing to help the local Horticulturists to form their group :

1. Mike Leung --- mike_leung@yahoo.com
2. Allen Lim, CPH --- allenlims@yahoo.com.hk

We have hundreds of Horticulturists in ISA HK/China. Those who wish to progress themselves can contact the above persons for further discussion. Arborists want to be friends of Horticulturists anytime, & we are glad to lend a helping hand to them. We can envisage the future Horticultural Group in our territory to be much bigger in size, due to a much wider diversity of membership in Horticulture. However, the future Horticultural Group would need strong leadership & positive strategies to succeed. ISA HK/China is willing to share some of our experience with them.

We look forward to a strong & united Horticultural Group to emerge in our territory, & may they not forget the Arborists are their friends always. By working together, we shall do good to our society to improve the quality of living for everyone.

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."

ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (Poor Quality Arborist Reports)

国内朋友请使用翻译软件阅读本文 (http://translate.google.com.hk/?hl=en&tab=wT#enzh-CN)。
*** 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 newspaper report below described how a senile Camphor Tree was destined to be felled by the management company in HK Island, but was halted by a local Tree Expert after he visited the tree & studied the Arborist Report so prepared by a local Arborist. The newspaper quoted that the Tree Expert as regarding the Arborist Report to be "Careless/Casual", & advised further expert opinion to be sought before taking any action. The relevant words of the report are given in blue beneath for reference. The newspaper further quoted doubt on the quality of the Arborist Reports in the market for communal accountability.

ISA HK/China tends to agree with the comment of this Tree Expert. The Station Manager has seen some very poor Arborist Reports in the market with personal opinion overriding scientific observation, & speculation without technical ground. Many Arborist Reports in our territory are written in bad English with wrong spelling & incorrect grammar, which will come out as an international laughing stock if exposed to western experts. Some of those who are filling in "Rating Report" would give marks without solid justification, but rather personal preferences without careful observation. This can lead to major challenge in Court if prompted by professional scrutiny.

International Arborist Report would usually come in 3 different formats: Form Report where the Arborist would provide rating & short comments; Letter Report where the judgment & observation are give in a letter reply; & then the sophisticated Booklet Report where every details of site, tree, testing & analysis, conclusion & recommendation are written down like a story book. It is this Booklet Report that our territory lacks expertise in writing.

Conventional wisdom in our territory would regard a Booklet Report of complicated English jammed with technical jargons, fitted with piles of figures & tables bound in thickness, to be a "good" report. Internationally, it isn't. Expert Technical Writers would regard a quality report to be readable, defensible & usable. That means the contents should be written in Plain English where even laymen can understand. After all, most Arborist Reports are prepared for laymen reading anyway (the public at large). Filling it with jargons & technicalities may simply lose the audience & confuse them, unless this is the intention. A good report would convey complicated ideas in simple language to convince the readers. The readers should be able to use the information without keep on referring back to the author for clarification. The report is then "usable". Again, what's the point of producing a report which has no use but just piles of papers & graphics??

It takes great training & skills to learn how to write a good Booklet Report. In ISA HK/China, we call this Technical Writing. Technical Writing originates from composing Law Prose in North America. The closest in HK may be the Technical Circulars & Govt Gazettes, although those are written in a conventional British administrative language. That may not apply to scientific writing like the Arborist Report.

Our IPA class of membership (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/04/isa-hkchina-hk-tree-news-14410-report.html) requires the IPA to have produced a minimum of 3 Arborist Reports without being challenged, possessing 'A' Level in English Language & 'O' Level/GCSE in Law. We require our IPA to have the corner stones to produce quality Arborist Reports. Becoming an IPA is only the first step to learn how to write good Arborist Report. There are many areas of expertise to master before the IPA can really stand up in Court.

If the Arborist Profession is to be respected by our society, the ability to produce quality Arborist Report is important. To be able to fill in a "Form Report" does not mean the Arborist can write a Letter Report or, to a further hand, a Booklet Report. A good Arborist Report should be simple, precise & concise. Verbosity & vagueness appear to the local culprit in report-writing.

ISA HK/China will guide our profession to join international requirements in report-writing step by step, hopefully. However, the individual Arborists must also prepare themselves with good communication skills & basic legal knowledge, in order to learn.

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."

寶翠園樟樹暫免斬 專家指樹藝師檢查粗糙

西環寶翠園管理公司原計劃昨日斬除被驗出白蟻的樟樹，但樹專家詹志勇看過管理公司聘請的樹藝師驗樹報告後，認為報告馬虎，管理公司聽勸再驗，暫停斬樹計劃。

【專訊】薄扶林道寶翠園平台一棵有近80年歷史的樟樹，屋苑管理公司較早前聘樹藝師評估後本擬於昨日斬除，惟樹木專家到場觀察及看過驗樹報告，認為報告「馬虎」，樟樹未必無得救，管理公司遂暫停「殺樹」，事件反映市面上的樹藝師驗樹報告參差。

該樟樹位於寶翠園於薄扶林的平台，樹高約15米，主樹幹直徑粗約1米，樹齡約80年。住客邱女士說，得悉管理公屋以樟樹受白蟻侵蝕，有倒塌危險為由而準備斬樹，遂求助樹專家詹志勇。

港大地理系講座教授詹志勇表示，前日到場觀察發現樹木生長情不太理想，大量石屎密封樹根，主樹幹部分枯萎，似病得頗嚴重。惟樹木頑強掙扎，從樹木「自救」的數枝水橫枝看來，生長得頗為健康，似乎仍有生存機會。

管理公司請教詹志勇

管理公司本計劃昨日斬除樹木，惟有關公司在行動前一刻致電詹志勇請教，詹看過有關樹木報告，發現管理公司聘請的樹藝師對樟樹的檢查粗糙，未真正反映樹是否「無得救」，亦無用膠頭槌來驗定樹幹是否被白蟻蝕至空心，遂請管理公司將樹木徹底檢驗後才斷生死。寶翠園管理公司高級管業經理陳先生證實，已暫停對該棵樹斬伐工程，但對於為何將樟樹「處決」暫停則無可奉告。

ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (Missing Trees in TMO Watch List)

国内朋友请使用翻译软件阅读本文 (http://translate.google.com.hk/?hl=en&tab=wT#enzh-CN)。
*** 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 attached news below described how the local Tree Experts have spotted missed trees regarded by them to be hazardous, after the announcement of the Tree Watch List by the Tree Management Office (TMO) a little while ago. Both Tree Experts are renowned Arborists well experienced in field trees in HK. They have a good credibility in public.

Is it so easy to miss out on Hazard Trees during a Tree Inspection? It should not happen to a trained Arborist or it will be Professional Negligence. However to laymen who are only shortly briefed in the subject, it can easily happen. This is especially true for tree defects above-ground on stem & branches, because the majority of visual inspection is conducted on ground. Branch cankers & cracks facing up the sky can not be seen from standing below. It will take a tree climber to get up there to spot the defects. Very experienced Arborist may also spot the irregularities in tree architecture, to send someone up there to tell him below. Alternatively, a tree with full bloom may be at its end of life. It seeds before it dies. The assessor will need to understand detailed Tree Biology to spot it.

Our territory lacks experienced & well trained Tree Assessors. In view of this, anyone available is called upon to carry out Tree Assessment, in the name of promoting public safety. During the Vietnam War, untrained GI's were sent in to fight a jungle warfare that they were not experienced with. The result was a catastrophe. Let's hope this won't happen to the all-out Tree Assessment in HK.

To stop Hazard Trees from building up again, ISA HK/China recommends first each Govt Dept should design & maintain their own trees from cradle to grave. This will provide responsibilities & liabilities. Each Govt should also have their own Arborists to supervise on trees. Tree Design should be endorsed by an Independent Arborist outside the Dept to avoid Conflict of Interest. A similar practice happens with the Environmental Assessment. Why not for trees?

Secondly, public education is very important. TMO should conduct frequent sessions on tree planting to the public & media, preferably weekly in the initial stage. TMO must talk to these people for good or for bad. It should be done face-to-face, not just over the internet. ISA HK/China is interviewed by the media all the time. The media are now good friends of ours & support us.

Also, listen to the complaints from the conservationists & try to resolve them. Meet them & not avoid them. Talk to them with international experience & practices. Reason with them by research. Discuss with them the consequences to retain bad quality trees. Try to move them by heart.

Arborists' job is to select the right trees, install them correctly, maintain them to proper standards, assess their risks & protect them during construction. We produce quality reports internationally (maybe not locally so far) in our language. We are supposed to have good communication skills & basic legal knowledge to work with others. We do good to our society.

The Arborist Profession in HK is gradually moving towards the world standards, & HK will lead the rest of our territory to follow. May the public give us some time & patience to show our good work to them, & may our profession develop in the right direction to serve our society.

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."

鬧市病樹 樹木辦名單漏網

在黃大仙上鸷通往行人路斜坡上，有一棵彎向行人路面逾20度的宮粉羊蹄甲（圖右），詹志勇指該樹根部被水泥覆蓋，遂不足以支撐樹身，一旦遇上巨風很易塌下，但這樹並無納入需密切監察的樹木名單上。

記者昨日觀察維園正門的鳳凰木，發現樹根長有白色真菌（圖3），但該樹卻未有被納入需跟進的官方名單內。

（圖3）

發展局樹木管理辦公室上周五公布逾1100棵需重點護養及監察的樹木名單，當中252棵被指健康有問題要跟進。然而，本報與樹木專家走訪各區發現「漏網之樹」，不少位於人流及車流繁忙地點，雖然健康欠佳，例如嚴重傾斜或遭真菌入侵，卻榜上無名。專家擔心樹木辦篩選過程出問題，忽略大量名單以外需跟進護理的樹，不但市民無從監察，塌樹風險仍然存在。

本報昨日曾聯絡樹木辦了解為何有「漏網」，但至截稿前仍未有答覆。

黃大仙路旁彎樹霉爛恐塌

本報上周六隨香港大學地理系講座教授詹志勇，到黃大仙上鸷銀竹里附近的行人路旁山坡觀察樹木，發現位於梯級旁的一棵宮粉羊蹄甲，向行人路彎曲逾20度，再向上生長，根部則被用作鞏固斜坡的水泥覆蓋。詹志勇指該樹樹皮已「霉爛」，因根部被水泥埋覑，難以支撐樹木，樹身遂彎向行人路，「若最終支持不住而塌下，樹身便向行人路滑倒，剛巧有人經過的話便會被撞及」。
不過，本報翻查樹木辦日前公布的護養及監察樹木名單，當中902棵屬古樹名木及石牆樹，只有252棵是當局評估風險後，列為需作改善措施而要繼續監察的樹木，但名單不包括這棵彎向行人路的宮粉羊蹄甲。詹志勇質疑，今次被納入名單的樹只集中於大樹，「肯定漏了很多有可能倒塌、又近人流車流的樹，所以市民不要以為一起監察名單上的樹就等於安全」。

此外，長春社總監蘇國賢留意到，該252棵需跟進樹木中，只有10多棵是鳳凰木，「香港不少鳳凰木都有真菌入侵問題，需要跟進處理，但只有10多棵上榜，實在不成比例」。他指出本港不少鳳凰木均有結構問題，需跟進護理，否則會重演去年中何文田一棵14米高鳳凰木倒塌事件。

維園門口鳳凰木長真菌

蘇國賢指出，九龍塘達之路與瑰麗路交界，以及維園正門噴水池廣場的大屏幕旁邊，各有一棵逾10米高的鳳凰木，兩棵大樹均有真菌問題，但卻未納入發展局的樹木名單之中。本報昨到上址觀察，發現九龍塘的鳳凰木樹根真菌已被清除，維園的鳳凰木則仍可見樹根生長了白色真菌。蘇國賢認為，維園的鳳凰木附近人流極高，即使樹木未有即時倒塌危險，都應該跟進護理。他又質疑，上述健康欠佳、對途人構成威脅的樹木為何不被納入名單，「究竟是它們未夠多人流車流，所以無做詳細評估，還是因為政府認為它們健康無問題？如果因為這樣而無把它們納入名單，便很令人擔心」。

他又指早前塌下傷人的沙田圓州角盾柱木、皇后大道中細葉榕以及日前於東華醫院倒塌的欖仁樹，均無納入名單，認為樹木辦有必要了解箇中原因，確保逐步建立的樹木資料庫具齊全的資料，包括倒塌風險及密切跟進措施，才能真正減少塌樹意外。

ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (Planting Trees for "Good Looking")

国内朋友请使用翻译软件阅读本文 (http://translate.google.com.hk/?hl=en&tab=wT#enzh-CN)。
*** 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,

As predicted earlier in Station Mail, the outcry of the media in recent Tree Failures would draw in the attention of the politicians for a concerted event. The two sets of tree news from the biggest newspaper in HK depicted all kinds of speculations on Tree Planting, mostly negative, to incinerate the issues further among the commoner public. They are also giving opportunities to the local Tree Experts to attack on Govt Tree Planting, & yet the Tree Management Office (TMO) of HK does not appear to react effectively to balance off the attack, which is seen to be within their domain.

In Common Law, if one side accuses the other side for an action & the other side does not respond, it may constitute an implied agreement of the accusation in Court. ISA HK/China would always respond to any accusation that is regarded as unjust, & we have trained ourselves razor-sharp to attend to attack.

On the other hand, what the critics claimed "Planting the Wrong Trees for the sake of Good Looking" may be agreed by some working in the landscaping industry. Trees in the past were mostly picked for "flowering & scent". Yet many of these planted species belong to soft-wood trees come in with poor structure & negative health from China. Bauhinia species is one of them & Delonix is another. Coupling with undersized root ball & planting in a small tree pit, these trees have little hope to stand strong in wind.

Another example would be planting Ficus species as Roadside Trees in some of our recent greening projects. Ficuses are known to have aggressive roots & spreading canopy. Hard pruning is the only way to contain them from conflict with the traffic & structures next to them, & this will create wounds after wounds on a growing tree. Some of these wounds may not heal adequately before the pests would get in. Then the tree will go into decline & turn into maintenance liabilities.

When trees fail, the media will be the first to smell blood, for the rest of the shark gang to come & take the savage. Dirt digging will begin & dust will fly all over the place to make enough disturbance to settle. Therefore, it may be wise to review the whole process of Tree Planting to avoid this.

Tree Planting in HK has unexpectedly turned into a political tug-of war, & we may need to think why it could have all happened. If we do not understand the cause of the disease, we may never cure it. It may be even more positive to think of how to stop it from happening again, so that our trees can be a social asset instead of endless liabilities.

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."

PS :

1. ISA HK/China has given a Radio Interview to Metro Radio FM997 on Tree Management. The recording will come out at 8 pm on 26.7.2010 for a consecutive of 5 evenings. There is also a TVB interview going on with ISA HK/China last week & this week, & we shall inform the broadcasting time later.

2. We shall announce the next ISA Tree Seminar to be on or around Friday July 30 in Station Mail within this week.

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投訴：貪好睇亂種樹靠害市民

大樹好遮蔭？抑或一步一驚心？接二連三發生塌樹引致人命傷亡事故後，政府檢查與保育樹木工作再備受質疑。事實上，穿窿樹、斷樹枝、生怪菇等病樹遍布各區，全港七十六萬棵樹木中，瀕倒的爛樹「總有一棵喺左近」，令市民終日提心吊膽。有專家直指政府貪圖樹木外表「好睇」，毫不了解樹木特性而胡亂栽種，埋下城市地雷

隔田村的枯樹樹身傾斜，樹冠延綿至行人路，一旦塌下，隨時演變為奪命意外。

「棵樹蛀到空晒心，好驚佢畀風吹吹都會冧！」接連有樹倒塌意外後，大埔南坑村村民袁先生驚覺殺人陷阱近在咫尺。袁指一年前已發現村內大王爺廟後有大樹被蟲蛀出樹洞，近日發現樹身中段及根部有兩個直徑約三十厘米樹洞，而且已經貫通樹身，但卻從未有政府派員檢驗，直斥政府草菅人命，「我唔想棵樹喺打風嗰陣砸到人，仲聽到有啲官話打風落雨冧樹好平常！」

西貢街遊樂場的龍眼樹位於遊樂場設施範圍，平日有不少小孩在樹下玩耍。

穿窿樹

南坑村大王爺廟後大樹樹身兩個樹洞貫通多時，令樹身中空。

穿窿樹僅屬冰山一角，油麻地西貢街遊樂場一棵約三層樓高的龍眼樹，樹身便有最少兩個約深二十厘米樹洞，並生滿白色小菇，最大的白菇圓周更比五元硬幣還大。

生怪菇

西貢街遊樂場龍眼樹生出大量白菇，面積有如五元硬幣。

斷樹枝

沙田隔田村有枯樹斷枝，久久未獲有關部門清理。

倡分級制 全民監察

另沙田隔田村口亦有枯樹傾斜多時，樹冠凌空覆蓋行人路，部分更已折斷，危機一觸即發。大埔鍾屋村亦有大樹出現多條長逾一米裂紋，狀如剝殼花生，一旦傾倒，樹旁村屋將首當其衝。

康樂及文化事務署發言人強調，四月初檢查西貢街遊樂場龍眼樹時並無異樣，至本報查詢才發現樹洞長出菌類，已作適當護理。地政總署發言人則稱，南坑村大樹健康情況欠佳，不反對移除，但又以或涉風水及不構成即時危險為由，拒絕即時處理。沙田隔田村枯樹則證實健康不理想，需要移除。

立法會議員王國興昨在立法會上再次質疑政府未有妥善保育樹木，建議當局考慮設立樹木分級制，推行全民監察樹木，「例如可以貼告示公布棵樹有幾多級危險，等巿民行過留意吓，一有問題就可以即刻聯絡樹木辦。」不過，與會的發展局局長林鄭月娥卻重申，近日塌樹事件不代表法例規管出現問題，而是反映樹木日常管理及風險評估有加強的空間。

港大地理系講座教授詹志勇分析，生菇乃樹木受真菌感染徵狀，樹洞則反映樹木已遭真菌深度腐蝕，須施以除菌劑，避免樹木健康進一步受損。

「樹木有病，九成都關設計事！」有不願透露姓名的行內人士指，政府多靠園境師設計樹木，卻以「講靚、講好睇」為本，未有考慮樹木生長後出現「頭重腳輕」、「雀仔都飛唔入」等問題，「佢哋（園境師）淨係美容化妝，政府綠化嗰陣又冇問過有樹木知識嘅樹藝師，呢個先係問題根源！」

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多區空心危樹部門卸責

接連發生塌樹造成傷亡意外，引起高度關注及批評，有政黨檢查全港樹木，一周內在五區發現十一棵危樹，但是本港樹木管理政出多門，造成「危樹處處部門四竄」的卸責情況，政黨發現危樹後通知康樂文化事務署，卻遭推卸到民政事務處、教育局及樹木辦事處，最後長時間無人過問危樹。有立法會議員炮轟，樹木辦只在中央層面運作，各部門仍然各自為政，促請港府每區成立一支樹木隊伍專責管理好樹木。

大埔泮涌公立學校內一棵鳳凰樹的樹身被真菌蛀空，出現逾一米高大洞。

校內古樹傾斜路旁

政黨發動地區網絡按發展局的檢測樹木指引，上周起檢查全港各區樹木，先後在大埔、元朗、屯門、觀塘及黃大仙區發現十一棵相對問題嚴重的樹木，部分樹身穿大洞和空心、樹身嚴重傾斜、樹枝折斷或撕裂、樹皮剝落及蟲蛀等現象，對市民構成安全問題。

其中一棵位處原大埔泮涌公立學校內，樹齡超過四十年的鳳凰樹，近樹腳處出現一個逾一米長樹洞，可容一小童藏身，部分枝椏呈現老化枯萎。另一棵位於廣福道的大樹，呈現逾六十度傾斜，部分樹幹橫跨在行人道上，部門早前曾修剪但沒有移除。

立法會議員陳克勤指，租用校舍的團體去年將該危樹問題通知康文署，獲回覆樹木是安全，但最近樹洞有擴大迹象，更不時有樹枝墮下，擔心大樹有倒塌危機。他批評，地區人士曾先後就該問題樹向民政處、教育局及樹木辦多個部門投訴，可是部門互相推諉沒處理，事件反映現行管理樹木工作由不同部門負責，缺乏溝通協調和權責不清，同時各部門投放管理樹木資源不足，人手和專業水平參差，造成管理的嚴重缺失。過去一年只康文署增加一百個人手，負責管理七十萬棵樹木，其他八大部門的人手幾乎維持不變。

泮涌公立學校內鳳凰樹的樹身有大洞，令人擔心隨時倒塌。

彩雲邨玉宇樓對出空地的南洋杉傾斜，部門要用鋼索穩固。

位於廣福道斜坡上危樹在權責不清下，市民投訴無門。

公布病樹 全民監察

大埔的病樹病徵甚為明顯，該政黨質疑未知是否在二千棵問題樹名單內，建議當局盡快公布病樹資料及位置，讓全民監察。該政黨亦建議設立病樹舉報專線，直接由樹木辦統一收集舉報，再轉介到相關部門處理；樹木辦同時要整合各個部門，成立一區一樹木隊伍，專責管理好樹木，而在雨季前，各部門應盡快完成第二輪檢查及移除病樹。發展局發言人表示，樹木辦會加強監察，抽查人員填寫的驗樹報告及抽驗部門護養的樹木。
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ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (Tree Failure at HK Govt HQ)

国内朋友请使用翻译软件阅读本文 (http://translate.google.com.hk/?hl=en&tab=wT#enzh-CN)。
*** 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 attached news below from the biggest newspaper in HK with 3.5 million readers is shocking the Tree Community in our territory of HK, Macau, Taiwan & China. Tree Affairs are now made political for the first time anywhere in our territory, & Tree Failure has become an Achilles Foot for any Govt, because trees will grow to fail by Mother Nature. In Urban setting, trees simply have a shorter life.

Sometimes, ISA HK/China compares Tree Failure to a plane crash. When a plane comes down to make headline, do the investigators focus alone upon the maintenance of the plane? Apparently not. The inquiry would turn over the carpet from design, operation to maintenance, among many other things. Remember in the 1970's when plane engines were designed to attach to the rear for fuel economy & ease of maintenance? After a few plane crashes due to imbalanced weight during take-off, aircraft manufacturers corrected their design to fix the engines under wings. The same idea should go for our Tree Failures.

Planting a big Ficus in a small planter next to busy traffic does not appear to fit the "Right Tree for the Right Place" principle of ISA Tree Planting. Then who put it there in the first place? Or was the tree retained there from past? What's the justification? Does it comply with international practice? If not, why did it not go? This is the first thing we can learn in this accident.

After the tree was left there growing, why was it not removed if found unfit? Does the maintenance party alone have the authority to make such a decision? If not, why not? Was there any political pressure? Where from? Can it be overcome? This may be the second point we can learn.

Putting a big tree in a small planter on the roadside invites risks. Yet our territory is full of trees like this. Can anybody explain why with justification?

Trees have now become Hot Potatoes among the Tree Managers in our territory. Most would be afraid to work with trees, partly because of the public exposure they bring when failed. Yet it is impossible to stop tree failing & no Arborist in the world would say his tree will not fail after his assessment. Tree Assessment is only accurate up to a point with or without machines, & to a certain time frame from the moment of assessment. The more experienced assessor may predict longer, but not forever. Tree grows to alter its stability & health in reaction with the environment, & no one has a crystal ball to foretell what Mother nature can bring.

Then how can we work with our trees, which are now an important asset in our society? We simply can not cut them all down for safety sake. We need trees in our cities.

Maybe we can look at how our neighbors are doing the same for their trees.

The Landscape Bureaus in China design & maintain their trees from cradle to grave in the billions for decades. The same is true for the National Parks Board of Singapore which manage more than 1.3 million trees in their urban area. Tree design, installation & maintenance are all under one roof by their Arborists or equivalent. When things go wrong like a Tree Failure, they would find out why & correct it next time before new trees are installed. Mistakes are gradually minimized in this manner. Trees are such important infra-structure in their cities that no one is going to take any chance.

The result is that we do not hear as much tree complaint in these places. We have eyes & ears over there too.

When each Dept can design & maintain their own trees from beginning to end, the demarcation & responsibilities become very clear. If anyone would take chance on something, he may be caught with his own liabilities at the end. This will make anyone think twice before acting. When "Music Chair" is no longer played, everyone will need to do his own job well, or trouble will find its way to come to him at the end. Getting one to be responsible for his own work is a matter of simple logic in a civilized society, & what's wrong to apply it to trees?

When every Dept is looking after their trees from cradle to grave, the Tree Management Office can then act as a coordinator, & provide the logistics & support required. This will make life easier for everybody. When Tree Failure happens, the cause can be traced & improvement can be made for the next time.

As for the administration, nothing needs to change much either. Any Dept can carry on their old way, or allow resources to employ Arborists to look after their trees. The public will look at the end results, not the internal procedures. A pilot scheme can be started to see if the idea would work. If so, expand & spread. The final objective is to reduce accidents & complaints. Let it be done with the resources currently available with minimum disturbance.

History in western municipalities have told us that urban trees need to be on the hand of the Arborists from cradle to grave, to thrive. If not, it will be Mother Nature makes the Rules, not any of us.

Incidentally, ISA HK/China is pleased to inform our Station Members that China has now set their eyes on ISA for their Tree Development. ISA HQ staff have been invited to attend an urban forestry conference in Beijing this August, & ISA HK/China is working hard at the other end with Landscape Engineers in Southern China to recognize ISA Arborists to be their only Tree Professionals in design & maintenance. When China heats up, HK may lose some of our experienced Arborists for greener pasture up north.

HK is just one city in our territory although it is an important one. We wish to see HK doing well with their trees, & we will help them with one Arborist & one tree at a time.

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."

總部也冧樹 港府顏面掃地

繼兩周前沙田塌樹殺人慘劇後，中環金融中心、特區政府重地昨日又發生塌樹壓人毀車事故。雪廠街政府合署西座對開一棵估計有八十歲的老榕樹，疑因樹根腐爛，中午突然轟然倒下，壓正皇后大道中的行人過路處，一名男途人走避不及頭部被壓傷，一輛的士則被樹枝擊毀，司機嚇破膽，嘆謂事發時幸好為假日及天氣惡劣，行人稀少，否則死傷慘重。

塌樹現場對正政府合署西座及炮台里，平日行人眾多。

倒塌的榕樹為細葉榕，高十五米、直徑一米，種植在一個四米長、兩米寬的花圃內，對正政府合署西座出入口，旁為炮台里，另一邊則為皇后大道中及雪廠街的行人過路處，是在政府總部上班的公務員及一眾上班族的主要通道，平日午膳時間人潮如鯽。

樹枝擊中頭部 浴血街頭

昨午十二時許，姓梁（四十二歲）的士司機載着一名女乘客往中環娛樂行，的士沿皇后大道中慢線駛過燈位時，突然砰一聲巨響，梁感到「天搖地動」，車尾擋風玻璃爆裂，嚇得目瞪口呆，呆坐良久不懂反應。剛巧一輛警車在快線，警員下車協助梁及女乘客離開車廂。同時，一名經過上址姓陳（六十三歲）男途人亦走避不及，被樹枝打中頭部，受傷淌血，梁及陳一同送院治理。梁憶述事件時心情仍未平復，他說大樹在電光火石間塌下，他和女乘客被嚇呆。梁又頻呼好彩，形容該樹好大，坦言﹕「好在唔係平日，唔係就死得人多。」

現場所見塌樹連根拔起，根部有發黑腐爛情況，折斷部分約三十多厘米，其餘樹根則深埋泥中。港大地理系講座教授詹志勇指出，該樹的樹幹及樹葉都正常，但樹根卻有發霉迹象，他懷疑現場常有修路及開坑鋪管道弄傷樹根，引致真菌入侵所致。長春社總監兼樹藝師蘇國賢則表示，該樹的樹盤不大，又貼近花槽，三面根部無法舒展，影響到正常生長。而樹根有腐爛情況，懷疑曾被人傷害過，導致真菌侵蝕。

途人圍觀，議論紛紛。

原貌

大樹根部嚴重腐爛。

工人將塌樹清理，樹幹鋸斷移走。

的士司機講述事件經過心有餘悸。

被打中的士事後拖走維修。

男途人頭部受傷送院敷治。

部門大半天搞不清責任

塌樹後，政府部門大半日亦搞不清大樹屬哪個部門負責。警方案發後通知康文署，但無法取得聯絡，改為通知路政署派員到場清理。至下午五時許，才有政府部門人員到場。直至晚上十時許，政府始回應指該樹由康文署護養，並非古樹名木，亦不在當局較早前樹木巡查行動中識別的二千棵樹木之列。該署最近一次在今年三月三十一日檢查該樹，認為該樹的生長情況並無異樣。
康文署樹隊人員及發展局樹木管理辦事處人員事發後往現場視察，初步相信是因近日連場天雨，使斜坡上部分泥土被沖走，加上樹冠大量吸水，增加重量，康文署會跟進調查。至於現場其餘四棵樹，經檢查後證實情況並無異樣。

黃先生：「之前沙田有人被樹壓死，政府漠不關心，效率慢過大陸十倍！」

郭小姐：「我係馬來西亞嚟，那邊樹木仲多，但定期巡查，好少有問題。」

冧樹害人禍連連　最好扑醒唐英年

嘩？吓？乜嘢話？唔係啩？大——樹——又——塌——下！

唉，冧樹呢家嘢，冇得賴天災，你話唔係人禍都唔得。尋日之嘛，黃色暴雨警告之下砰砰磅磅連環冧樹，冧完一棵又一棵，至少冧咗六棵。最得人驚嘅係，冧樹居然冧到政府總部，結果車毀人傷！

中環皇后大道中近雪廠街同炮台里，即係政府總部對開路面，一棵大約十五米高、一米闊嘅大樹，失驚無神仆落街，一名男子被壓傷，一架的士被壓毀，遇害途人同司機雙雙送院治理。
好彩咋，真係要劏雞還神，今次唔使再死人，算係不幸之中嘅大幸。

血的教訓相信大家依然記憶猶新，而且猶有餘悸。赤柱冧咗一棵刺桐，殺咗一名女學生；沙田冧咗一棵盾柱木，死咗一位單車男；今次冧嘅係乜嘢樹呢？原來係一棵估計八十歲嘅榕樹。

普通常識話畀大家知，榕樹係長壽樹種，過百歲，濕濕碎。好似位於廣東新會嘅「小鳥天堂」咁吖，一樹成林養活萬千雀鳥嘅榕樹就有幾百年歷史。換言之，八十歲榕樹其實係好後生㗎咋，咁都冧得落嚟，一定唔係壽終正寢死於自然，而係同環境因素有莫大關係。

冧完一棵又一棵，到底政府搞邊科？難怪沙田冧樹死者蔡傑強嘅太太好悲哀咁講：「真係好唔開心，接二連三冧樹，政府完全冇吸取教訓！」

咦，立法會議員王國興有一個好提議喎，佢話：「最好大樹擊中唐英年，咁樣政府先得到應有教訓。」

計功夫茶話齋，呢個提議冇得頂，一來合乎天理，二來合乎人倫。你知啦，赤柱冧樹殺人之後，政務司司長唐英年煞有介事率領跨部門小組商討對策，最終決定成立樹木管理辦事處。當你以為樹木辦一定有辦法杜絕同類事件啦，嘭！沙田冧樹又殺人！嘭嘭！今次禍延至中環！嘭嘭嘭嘭嘭嘭嘭！功夫茶提提大家，行街最好戴頭盔！

即係咁，針唔拮到肉唔知痛，樹唔扑中頭唔知衰，只要唐唐捱過冧樹浩劫，樹木辦先至可以有望升格，唔再做毫無建樹嘅廢柴。係呀，冇錯，今時今日嘅樹木辦只係一碌有姿勢冇實際嘅廢柴，靠佢哋管理全港幾十萬棵樹？唯一希望就係一嘢兜頭扑醒唐唐。

喂喂喂，咪住先，睇怕大樹倒下扑中唐英年嘅機會愈來愈高，家陣連官家重地政府總部都出現車毀人傷冧樹事件，難保唐唐唔會中招。

冧樹害人禍連連，最好扑醒唐英年，呢個毫無疑問係合理期望。之不過咁，扑還扑，功夫茶呼籲老天爺「樹下留情」，係咁意輕輕扑傷好喇，無謂搞出人命吖。

點都好啦，樹木辦呀樹木辦，醒少少當幫忙得唔得？今次就話政府總部出事啫，下次冧樹冧到禮賓府點算？扑濕屋主尚屬次要，壓爛受保護歷史文物罪大惡極吖嘛！

ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (Shatin Tree Failure)

国内朋友请使用翻译软件阅读本文 (http://translate.google.com.hk/?hl=en&tab=wT#enzh-CN)。
*** 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 Shatin Tree Failure on 14.6.2010 which killed a man came like whirlwind to sweep HK for a few days, but then disappeared just as quickly upon the political debate of the Chief Executive with a politician a few days later. This shows how the media can raise the public sentiment in the HK society & how the HK public is influenced by them at large.

ISA HK/China wishes to offer our deepest condolence to the victim of the Tree Failure in Shatin, & hopes the same event will never happen again in our territory or anywhere. This is the second Tree Failure that killed within two years in HK.

The mobile phone of the Station Manager (SM) started ringing within half an hour of the tragic accident from media & Station members. Most were asking for a 'professional opinion' of the incident. The SM simply said he could not provide, because none of us was there to assess the tree & site to get any idea of what was happening, & we are not supposed to anyway. So many experts are now working on this event & a law suit has been vowed by the family of the victim. Anything we say may become a citation by somebody, & this is unwise. This is not our fight & it is not following ISA Mission. Therefore, our name has not appeared in any of the media, & no news may be good news for us this round.

On the other hand, the media have been very harsh on the reporting (see below) of the incident. The criticism were relentless & without mercy. The good side of it may be to raise public awareness on Tree Safety. But workload may increase as the public are turning into ' Tree Watchers ' & may call for help whether genuinely needed or not. This may burn the fuse in resource allocation for the already stressed service providers.

ISA HK/China wishes to take this opportunity for an education to our Working Arborists in the field :

1. Do your Assessment carefully. Carelessness can kill. Tree Assessment is not the same as Tree Survey. It looks deep into the structure, safety & health of a tree. Don't mix them up & don't do it if you are not sure whether you are capable. This will give you some good night sleep.

2. Focus on the accuracy of your reporting, not on the cosmetic packaging of it. Big, wordy & colorful report may not be an accurate report. The more you write, the more liable you are to mistakes. Professional Arborist Reports around the world are written in a simple, concise & precise manner. In a Court scenario, the Judges & Lawyers will not appreciate how pretty you present your report, but how accurate it is. And the ultimate arena for an Arborist is in Court. The Arborist Profession goes to Court more often than any other greenery profession around the world in Tree Dispute.

3. Learn how to do Tree Assessment on site, not in a classroom. Seminar may help, but do not take it as gospels. Come to ISA International Conference to meet the world to collect experience. You will then find out credentials are not your only bastion in protecting your work. Your profound knowledge & practical experience would be.

4. Learn Tree Climbing & Tree Work. Only by being aloft & cutting wood, you would appreciate how strong a crotch would be in wind & how much impact it has when falling. Practicing Arborists around the world usually do tree climbing & tree work one time or another in their working life. Missing it would be like a doctor not knowing how to handle injection needles. This is the reason why we require our IPA (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2010/04/isa-hkchina-hk-tree-news-14410-report.html) to be able to climb & rig. You speak louder in public if you can.

Tree Failure is a fact of life. Trees grow to shed unwanted parts. Who can stop Mother Nature? It is the Arborist Profession to try to catch Tree Failure before it happens. It's always a cat & mouse game. Sometimes we win, sometimes we may lose.

There is an old Chinese proverb: " 沉舟側畔千杋過，病樹前頭萬木春 " (A thousand ship will pass by a boat that unfortunately sank. Ten Thousand trees will bloom ahead of a sick one.). May a tragic incident not discourage the progress of our development, & may our profession be more conscientious to save lives as we should.

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."

蠹眾木折頻奪命 隙大牆壞禍必深

今年三月成立的樹木管理辦事處和綠化及園境辦事處日前首次亮相，交代工作進展。有關官員沾沾自喜地聲稱，全港百分之九十八的樹木已完成評估工作，對於部分健康有問題的樹木亦已進行詳細檢討，並採取及時補救措施，「所以已無危險的東西」。不料話音剛落，沙田便發生大樹疑不堪腐爛而攔腰折斷事故，一名騎單車路過的市民慘遭「泰山壓頂」，頭部重創危殆，這無異摑了當局一記響亮的耳光。

塌樹現場鄰近屋邨，更是通往第一城的必經之路，平時人來人往，事發時人流不多，因此未釀成重大傷亡，已屬不幸中之大幸。倒塌的盾柱木則是本港常見的綠化樹，高十三米，直徑四十厘米，約十年樹齡。從塌樹的橫切面來看，五至六成面積已腐爛，初步推測此樹遭嚴重蟲害，至少已腐爛五年時間。人們想問的是，既然這棵樹早就病入膏肓，為甚麼樹木辦視若無睹，沒有「及時採取補救措施」呢？

歷史往往有驚人相似之處，兩年前赤柱發生塌樹殺人事件，肇事樹木曾發出惡臭，附近居民及區議員多次向當局反映有關情況，就在塌樹前一周，康文署還煞有介事地派人巡查，居然得出樹木健康狀況「可以接受」的結論。死因庭就此案展開聆訊，指出這是一宗本來「可以避免」的悲劇，暗示這不是天災而是人禍。當局亦曾信誓旦旦地保證，要避免發生類似悲劇，然而，本來「可以避免」的悲劇卻再一次發生。

兩宗塌樹事件如出一轍，足證樹木辦形同虛設。眾所周知，本港樹木管理亂象不止，根源在於有份管理樹木的部門有十多個，它們各自為政，權責不清，碰到問題就互相扯皮推諉，然而港府經過多個月的「研究」之後，沒有對症下藥，反而成立不知所謂的樹木辦及綠化辦兩個機構，僅僅提供有關指引及進行資料收集等幕後工作，而沒有觸及樹木管理政出多門的弊端，更沒有罰則，根本是虛應故事。

正如有立法會議員批評，政府「各處自管門前樹」，這個模式一日不變，塌樹意外一日難除。環保團體亦指出，制訂指引只能算是首個工作，重要的是如何將指引落到實處，因此樹木辦必須多落區巡查，而不能單靠各部門報告。還有人諷刺，樹木辦是無權又無責的清閒部門，是「廢柴辦」，唯一可見的成效就是每年浪費近二千萬元公帑，以及為公務員提供更多加官晉級的機會。
樹木辦是廢柴辦的看法確有先見之明。未成立樹木辦之前，大樹頻頻塌下；成立樹木辦後，大樹依然塌下。颱風季節即將到來，全港還有多少棵嚴重腐爛、搖搖欲墜的大樹？還會發生多少宗樹塌人亡的悲劇？想一想就令人不寒而慄。

人們常說，君子不立危牆之下。但在香港，大樓可以塌下，大樹可以塌下，招牌可以塌下，鐵閘可以塌下，幾乎沒有甚麼不可以塌下，再加上不時從天而降的鏹雨、鐵錘、剪刀、電視機等危險物品，可謂危機四伏，防不勝防。曾有人開玩笑說，出門最好行騎樓底、戴頭盔，然而，若是不幸被塌樓、塌樹擊中，仍然有死無生。在港府的無能管治之下，香港處處都是殺人的陷阱，幾乎沒有安全的地方。

「蠹眾而木折，隙大而牆壞，有隙蠹而不亡者，天下鮮矣。」港府就如同腐爛蛀空的大樹，外強中乾，經不起一陣風雨；就如同裂縫日益擴大的牆壁，隨時有倒塌的危險。如果市民對港府這棵爛樹、這堵爛牆掉以輕心，如果中央政府繼續坐視不管，更大的災難還將接踵而來。

ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (How we would work with the media)

国内朋友请使用翻译软件阅读本文 (http://translate.google.com.hk/?hl=en&tab=wT#enzh-CN) 。
*** 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 newspaper report below by the largest press in HK on the Tree Management Office (TMO) would be heart-breaking to us if similar comments are written on ISA HK/China. We also would have a lot to answer to ISA HQ & Station Members if such thing happens. Incidentally, ISA HK/China remains supportive to TMO & understands their hardship, although we are one of the very few organizations in the green industry openly to say this nowadays.

TMO & ISA HK/China appear to be like two race horses streaming ahead with similar goal, although our path hardly ever crosses so far. TMO would involve with upgrading Tree Management in a city, whereas ISA HK/China would need to develop ISA Arboriculture in any city in our territory of HK, Macau, Taiwan & China. The dimensions are totally different.

Since ISA HK/China has no financial support, no paid staff, hardly any logistics or with any authority to tell anybody, but with only the enthusiasm of our Station Members, we rely heavily on the media for promotion. The mobile phone of the Station Manager (SM) is open to the media from 8 am to 10 everyday. The press enjoy calling him after 7 pm usually, because they have to submit their report for printing before 3 am in the morning. Getting a call after 10 pm is frequent for the SM, & answering sensitive topics with a clear mind is always a challenge at that time.

ISA HK/China has made good friend with the media in our territory always. We have in average one interview from among the radios, TVs, newspapers or magazines every month, with more if any Tree Incident would occur. The media like taking to us because we speak frank & we are in the profession. Our SM & Deputy Station Mangers (DSM) all come with an Arborist background, & half of them are working for trees for a living. We are all careful to follow ISA Mission when we speak, & we answer any question that we are familiar with without pretence. If the media is not happy with just talking to us in an office setting, we would throw up a rope on the tree to dangle in mid-air to let them take breath-taking pictures. The media love the show. They would truly believe that we are the genuine professionals, & give us good marks in their writing.

The media also apprehend our IPA (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2008/08/isa-hkchina-independent-practicing.html) class of membership, which is the only ISA credential in any Chapter that tests more than just multiple choice questions. The IPA credential demands legal knowledge ('O' Level Laws), communication ('A' Level English), international networking (ISA Conference) & practicing skills (10 m high Rigging). It also requires staying for a minimum of 3 years as Certified Arborist & Certified Tree Worker for professional experience. The media regard the IPA as a professional level for a Tree Practitioner. Therefore they sell it for us.

ISA HK/China has been winning the 'heart & mind' of the media in the past 5 years. We are seen as a Greenery Miracle in our territory with no resources given, but only the keen participation of a group of good men & women. The media want us to succeed for the good of our society.

In a democratic society, the media would influence the politicians, & the politicians would demand from the Govt. When we are comfortable with the media, we've got a friend on our side. This helps.

May we continue our course to develop ISA Arboriculture in our territory for the good of our society, one tree & one Arborist at a time.

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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樹木辦無建樹似廢柴

政府斥資近二千萬元新近成立樹木管理辦事處和綠化及園境辦事處，以避免再發生○八年赤柱古樹倒冧奪去美少女性命的慘劇重演。但原來樹木辦僅負責制訂巡查指引和整集資料等後援工作，最重要的前線巡查，竟沿用舊制，繼續由約十個相關部門各自為政，樹木辦最多只會作抽查，如發現問題，只會再向相關部門反映，不設任何罰則。有學者批評很多部門均有制訂相關指引「咁設個辦事處都冇乜意思」，浪費資源。

港府的樹木管理政策漏洞處處，曾多次發生冧樹傷人意外。

冧樹奪命慘劇發生後，全城圍插政府的樹木管理政策，加上死因庭的建議，政府去年發表報告建議在發展局轄下設樹木辦和綠化及園境辦事處，分別統籌樹木管理及綠化工作。這兩個新辦事處今年三月成立運作，昨首次交代工作進展，樹木辦的工作包括四方面，包括制訂樹木巡查、保養等指引，整集各部門遞交的樹木巡查資料、及建立樹木資料庫，也會成立培訓委員會，協助培訓及進行研究。

巡查人員質素參差

對於樹木辦只注重制訂各種指引和整理資料，不會兼顧巡查工作，發展局副秘書長丁葉燕薇解釋，辦事處主要協調各部門，「提供有系統方法，等佢哋做得更加好」，巡查工作仍由各部門各自執行，現時約有十個政府部門均須負責樹木巡查。

至於巡查人員曾遭批評質素參差，但樹木辦暫時也無意設資格試考核或設定培訓時數，更不會懲罰判斷錯誤的人員。樹木辦只會因應部門的巡查進行抽查個案，若發現有問題，也只會向相關部門反映。

港大地理系講座教授詹志勇批評樹木辦作用有限，成立是浪費資源。他說：「制訂指引……呢啲嘢好多部門本身做緊，咁設個辦事處都冇乜意思，仲要每年用二千萬。」長春社總監蘇國賢則認為，樹木辦的監察功能成疑，應該擴大。他稱，制訂指引只算是首個工作，「點樣令人執行啲指引，更為重要。樹木辦唔應該只做後援工作，若果係咁，資源用咗好多，但只係小進步。」他建議樹木辦亦應多落區巡查，不能單靠部門報告。

赤柱大街冧樹奪命意外，喚起港人對樹木安全的關注。

美少女莊頌賢被冧下的古樹壓死，全城嘩然。

每年嘥千九萬公帑

樹木辦及綠化辦共有三個首長級職位及廿名各級人員，部分管理人員已就任，但兩個主管職位仍進行招聘，獲聘者料下半年上任，兩個辦事處每年支出合共約一千九百萬元。

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ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (Public Discontent on Tree Planting)

国内朋友请使用翻译软件阅读本文 (http://translate.google.com.hk/?hl=en&tab=wT#enzh-CN)。
*** 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 Editorial of the largest newspaper in HK below describing the discontent of the Tree Exerts & Environmentalists on the Greening Issue may have been read by their 2 million-plus daily readers in our territory. This newspaper has also circulation in China today. English translation of the comments can be obtained from http://translate.google.com.hk/?hl=en&tab=wT#enzh-CN. ISA HK/China takes a neutral stance on this as our usual Station Policy.

However, if an international inquiry is opened on this (please note the word "international") after all the millions of public money spent, the followings may be the focal points of the investigation:

1. Objectives --- What are the objectives of the exercise & have they been achieved at the end? Any international standards or references followed or compared?

2. Methodology --- What international guidelines are followed? Any comparison with other international cities of similar situation? Who made the final decision on what to follow & how to follow? Are the decisions justified? Any independent committee without Conflict of Interest to overlook the event & who are in it? Is it just a pretty packaging without solid contents? Does it work & justify to international standards?

3. Results --- Are the results following the Objectives & Methodology? If not, why not? Any independent committee to comment on it, & who are in it? Are the results comparable to international requirements & to what standards & guidelines? Any comparison with places of similar situation, like the older parts of Singapore, Shenzhen & Guangzhou? Are the results aiming for "Instant Effect" or long term sustention? Any justification to comply international requirements?

4. Recommendations --- What can be done for correction, if the results are not desirable under the circumstances given? Who should be held responsible (we are not talking about penalty here, but the cold facts)? Are we looking for an effective solution or just something cosmetic? Who should be invited in to lead the correction & how? Who should be the one explaining the outcome to the public, politicians & media, to win their support?

Greening in HK lately appears to invite more attack than praise, after all the good intention & financial input in it. The public do not seem to appreciate that they are getting the value for money. There must be a reason for it & it must be resolved for support. Lucky that ISA HK/China has never been involved in it officially for once.

May the Greening in HK not become as political as the other social issues in HK any further.

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."

探射燈：政府種錯樹 嘥錢害街坊

本港每年用於綠化開支逾二億元，過去五年，各政府部門合共種植了五千五百萬棵植物。市區雖林蔭處處，惟本報發現樹木錯種的情況卻比比皆是，其中重逾三噸的王棕種於馬路中線，粗壯的垂葉榕又被「困」於花盆，一旦巨樹塌下，隨時造成人命傷亡；而貴樹錯種的情況亦俯拾皆是，昂貴的龍柏被置於路中心成「吸塵機」，樹黑葉黃，枯死之期不遠。樹木專家及環保人士直指，本港雖成立「樹木辦」，卻欠缺保護樹木法例，部門頓成紙板公仔，在欠缺協調及規劃下，公帑只會繼續浪費，還「種下害人惡果」。

彌敦道中線花槽種植的龍柏價錢昂貴，卻長期受着車輛噴出廢氣及熱氣摧殘。

近年政府致力綠化，惟種樹不得其法，致出現「前人種樹，後人當災」情況。灣仔告士打道馬路中線的花槽種了三十五棵王棕，每棵有如三、四層樓高，且樹幹粗壯需兩人才能環抱，每棵重量估計約達三、四噸，若不幸倒塌，巨樹兩旁的繁忙馬路，隨時有車輛當災，後果堪憂。事實上，隨着近年多次颱風襲港，花槽內的王棕已「買少見少」，約一米闊、百餘米長的花槽原可種植十棵王棕，但部分花槽現時只剩下一、兩棵，花槽上更可看到塌樹後被連根拔起的「洞穴」。
榕樹困花盆 不勝負荷

類似的「危險樹木」，在市區觸目皆是，筲箕灣巴士總站南安街休憩處，是區內長者乘涼消閒的好去處，惟休憩處內種有數棵約兩、三層樓高的垂葉榕，每棵均被困於一個不足一平方米的花盆裏，有樹根更爆盆而出，一旦花盆不勝負荷，坐於樹蔭下的長者輕則頭破血流「中頭獎」，重則被壓死街頭。

灣仔軒尼詩道中線花槽所種的狐尾椰子，樹葉已呈枯黃。

除了傷人危樹處處外，亦不乏種錯樹浪費公帑的例子。當局去年於九龍彌敦道及灣仔駱克道馬路中線的花槽新植了一排龍柏，惟記者發現彌敦道一帶近巴士站的龍柏已被廢氣熏至漆黑，部分近根部的樹葉更呈枯黃，而襯托龍柏的綠蘿（俗稱萬年青）更變得焦黑。經常坐巴士路經上址的張太大替植物可惜，「啲龍柏好貴㗎，依家畀人擺喺路中心，日日咁多車經過，熏到黑麻麻，真係嘥錢！」
此外，當局去年亦花費逾九十萬元，在灣仔軒尼詩道中線的花槽新種有八十三棵狐尾椰子及其他植物，惟每棵狐尾椰子樹形瘦弱，大部分樹葉更出現枯萎，明顯已經呈現病態，令人擔心。

筲箕灣巴士總站的南安街休憩處種有多盆垂葉榕，樹蔭下常有不少長者乘涼。

告士打道中線花槽的王棕，部分被風吹倒，顯得疏落。


須制訂措施 加強培訓

發展局發言人表示，政府一直積極推廣綠化，透過多元化綠化方式，包括制訂及推行綠化總綱圖，在路旁、休憩用地行人天橋及斜坡進行綠化。發言人又稱，該局於去年六月肩負有關綠化、園景及樹木管理的整體政策責任，並於今年三月成立綠化、園景及樹木管理組，倡導在綠化、園景及樹木管理方面的策略性政策方向和推展措施，而綠化工程則由個別工程倡議部門推展。
發言人指出，在計劃種植樹木時，各種植部門會以「適地適樹」的原則選擇合適樹木品種，而負責綠化、園景設計及樹木護養的人員及園景師職系人員，均具備相關專業和經驗，部分人員亦具國際樹藝學會註冊樹藝師資歷。此外，綠化、園景及樹木管理組已成立培訓委員會，檢討負責綠化及樹木護養工作的各政府部門現行培訓策略，並制訂措施，加強培訓。

仇小姐：我覺得依家種樹都唔夠，好多地方都光禿禿，政府有時鍾意就呢度種一棵嗰度種一棵，真係幾嘥納稅人啲錢。

黃小姐：我住喺郊區，嗰度有好多樹，空氣會清新啲，但係喺市區，人多車多，空氣好混濁，應該種多啲花花草草去改善一吓。