European Arboricultural Standards

Talking Trees with Lily and Jad . Welcome to Arboriculture Today , your go-to podcast dedicated to the fascinating world of trees . Join your hosts , jad and Lily , as they delve into the science , art and practice of caring for these magnificent living beings . Today's topic is the European arboricultural standards .

All right , everybody welcome back . It's time for another deep dive .

Yeah , looking forward to this one .

So you know , sometimes I think about like walking down the street and you see a tree and it's like been totally butchered . Oh , no Like somebody went at it with a chainsaw and we're like that's , that's not how you prune a tree .

Right .

So it got me kind of interested in , you know , like , how do we take care of trees , especially in our cities , and how , especially in our cities , and how do we make sure that they're healthy and they're going to be around for a long time and we're not ruining them by accident ?

Yeah , let's hear about it .

Okay , so basically it's called the European Arboriculture Standards , or EAS , and it's this really ambitious project to create a unified approach to tree care across Europe . So we're talking about everything from how you plant a tree , how you prune it , how you even protect trees during construction , like when you're doing work around them .

Okay , so it's not just about keeping trees looking nice . It's really thinking about the whole life of a tree and making sure it thrives .

Exactly , and especially in cities , right where you have like limited space and you know all these different things going on , it's really important to have like a good plan for how you're going to manage your trees .

So how does this EAS thing actually work , like who's in charge of it ?

Well , that's the cool part . It's not like one country or organization calling all the shots . Okay , it's actually a collaboration between a bunch of different countries and experts in the field .

Interesting .

So they have , like these , two main projects . Within EAS there's something called TEST , which stands for Technical Standards and Tree Work , I see , and then there's ECOST , which is European Consulting Standards and Tree Work .

So TEST is like the actual doing and ECOST is more of the thinking and planning .

Yeah , exactly , it's like TEST is a how-to guide and ECOST is like the consultant coming in and saying , ok , here's what you need to do .

Right , that makes sense .

And get this . They had 11 different countries involved in developing the technical standards alone . 11 different countries all coming together to try to figure out the best practices for taking care of trees .

That's pretty impressive to get that many countries to agree on something .

Right , and it wasn't just some top-down thing where they were like this is how it's gonna be . They actually had all these experts from different countries working together , comparing their own national standards and practices , and they even had public consultations . So they got feedback from people who were actually out there working with trees every day .

So they really wanted to make sure that these standards were actually going to be useful and applicable in the real world .

Exactly , and then , based on that feedback , they went back and revised the standards to make sure they were as good as they could be .

That's really cool , like they were really committed to making this work .

Yeah , and they're still it's like an ongoing project , so they're constantly updating and refining the standards as they learn more .

So it's not just like a one and done type of deal .

Nope , this is a long-term commitment to improving tree care across Europe .

That's amazing . I'm curious to hear more about , like , what kind of specific standards they came up with .

Well , one example is the European tree pruning standard . Okay , and can you believe ? 14 different countries contributed expertise to this one standard . Wow , 14 . 14 . That just goes to show how much collaboration went into this whole thing .

That's really impressive .

Like . Imagine trying to get 14 people to agree on what to have for dinner , let alone 14 countries to agree on how to prune a tree .

Right , exactly .

But they did it and they even encouraged translations of the standard so it can be accessible to people in different languages .

That's really smart , because not everyone speaks English or whatever the main language of the standard is .

Right . They really want to make sure that this information is available to as many people as possible .

Yeah , that makes sense .

So it's not just about creating these standards in a vacuum . It's about making sure that they're actually used and implemented by people on the ground .

So this all sounds really great , but why should people care Like , why is it important to have standardized tree care ?

Well , for one thing , healthier trees made a healthier planet . Right , right , like trees absorb carbon dioxide , they help to clean the air , they provide shade , they prevent erosion All these amazing things . And when you have standardized tree care , it helps to ensure that trees are as healthy as possible , so they can do all those things even better .

That makes sense .

Plus , it can actually save money in the long run . That makes sense . Plus , it can actually save money in the long run Because if you're taking good care of your trees , they're less likely to get sick or damaged , which means you don't have to spend as much money on removing them or treating them or replacing them .

Right .

And then there's also the whole aesthetic aspect of it , like , let's be honest , well-maintained trees just look nicer .

Yeah , they do .

They make our cities and towns more pleasant places to live and work .

Yeah .

And they can even increase property values , that's true . So there are all these tangible benefits to having standardized tree care , but I think there's also something to be said for the intangible benefits , like just the feeling of being surrounded by healthy , thriving trees .

Yeah , I agree .

Like it's good for the soul , you know .

It is .

And . I think that's something that we often overlook in our busy urban lives . Yeah , I think you're right . So yeah , I think the European arboriculture standards are a really cool example of how we can use collaboration and innovation to create a healthier , more beautiful world .

Yeah , definitely , and it makes you wonder , like could this kind of approach be replicated in other parts of the world ?

Totally Like imagine if we had global standards for tree care .

That would be amazing .

Right . It could have such a huge impact on the environment and on our quality of life . Yeah , and it would be really interesting to see how different cultures and regions would approach tree care in their own unique ways , while still adhering to some basic standards . Absolutely , it would be a fascinating blend of , like global unity and local diversity .

Yeah , for sure .

Whether it's a well-maintained tree or one that looks like it needs a little TLC .

Right .

It's a reminder that we all have a role to play in taking care of our urban forests .

Absolutely .

And that by working together , we can create a greener , healthier future for everyone .

Well said .

All right , folks , that's another deep dive in the books .

Until next time .

Thanks for tuning into Arbor Culture today . I hope you enjoyed the episode . Stay with us and don't forget to like , share and subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform . If you want to catch an episode every single day , support us at www . herohero . co/ talkingtrees . Join the community and let's keep growing together .