Brian Jones, veteran tree verifier, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire
Citizen scientist Brian Jones fulfils several roles for the Woodland Trust. As a tree-health surveyor with Observatree, a joint project involving several organisations, he is helping scientists to spot early warnings of new tree pests and diseases. He also gathers seeds for the Millennium Seed Bank and monitors five specific woodland areas. Yet his favourite role is that of tree verifier: checking the grid references, characteristics and ages of trees entered on the Ancient Tree Hunt database by the public.
“Ancient trees provide homes for thousands of species of plants, animals, insects and fungi, including rare and threatened species,” says Brian. “Their sheer size and gnarled appearance, combined with the fact that they are ancient yet alive, inspire feelings of reverence and fascination. Modern life puts them at risk, and determined efforts are necessary to ensure that
they are valued and cared for.”
Kate Smith, volunteer intern, Fingle Woods, Devon
After taking a career break to have a family, Kate Smith was looking for a way into nature conservation work when she came across the Woodland Trust’s internship scheme. During her placement at Fingle Woods, on the edge of Dartmoor, where a project is underway to restore ancient woodland, she surveyed visitors to find out who was using the woods and why they loved them. In the process, she fell in love with them herself.
“I particularly like being down by the river Teign, where you can see the woodland disappearing into the distance down the valley,” she says. “The mix of running water and dappled light from the overhanging trees is magical.”
Kate relished the responsibility that came with her role as a woodland interpretation intern. “They gave me real tasks, which is really important when you’re a volunteer. I’m now doing paid work for the Woodland Trust as a result.”
