This presentation provides an overview of the Ancient Ash Trees in Eden Project. This project ran from 2013-2014 and was a citizen science initiative that raised awareness of the importance of ancient ash trees in Eden District, Cumbria, as well as providing training on tree health survey techniques.

1. Citizen Science and Forestry Citizen Science and Tree Health: Experience from the Ancient Ash Trees in Eden Project
Edward Wilson Silviculturist
North West Tree Health Group
Kendal, Cumbria
19 November 2014
First presented: 19 11 2014 This version: v1.1, 20 11 2014 RESEARCHINTERNATIONAL

2. Citizen science in forest conservation
•Citizen science is scientific research conducted, in whole or in part, by amateur or nonprofessional scientists.
•Also known as crowd science, crowd-sourced science, civic science, or networked science.
•Involves the systematic collection and analysis of data; the development of technology; the testing of natural phenomena; and the dissemination of these activities by researchers on a primarily avocational basis.
•Not a new concept, a long tradition in scientific discovery, especially dating from the Victorian period.
•Well suited to forestry and conservation projects where data is collected over a large area or in multiple years. For example, applications have included seasonal phenology studies, monitoring disease spread, determining species distribution, and more.
•Wide range of benefits for participants, from developing new skills and experience, to personal growth and enjoyment.
•Further reading on Citizen Science: BBC News article on Citizen Science by Tom Feilden, 15 October 2013.

3. Ash in Cumbria
•> 2,400 ha of woodland
•> 550,000 individual trees outside woodland
•Dominant species on several soil types/ locations
•Important associate in many woodlands
•Source: National Forest Inventory, Forestry Commission
Source: Flora of Cumbria, 1997

4. Photo: E. R. Wilson 2013
Ash trees at Long Meg Stone Circle, Cumbria

5. Ancient Ash Trees in Eden Project
•Objectives
–Raise awareness and interest in heritage trees in Eden District
–Raise awareness of tree health issues, especially Chalara ash dieback
–Train and empower dedicated “tree buddies” to identify, record and REPORT tree health issues (using the OPAL Tree Health Survey) and FC Tree Alert.
•Partnership
–Team: Dani Leslie/Ted Wilson, Heart of Eden Development Trust, Silviculture Research International
–Support: OPAL Tree Health Survey (Alison Dyke)
–Funding: Heritage Lottery Fund

6. Ancient Ash Trees in Eden Project
•Structure and Approach
–Workshops: 6 one-day workshops
–Community Talks: >10 talks and presentations
–Support: Online support with upload of data to OPAL
–Leaflet and report produced:
•Information leaflet (printed and distributed through Visitor Information Centres in Cumbria)
•Eden’s ancient ash tree trail (book – print and online)
•Outputs
–>80 tree buddies trained
–(>300 reached via wider series of talks)
–Report published July 2014
–Media coverage (BBC Radio Cumbria (2 reports), Local Press (>6 reports))
–Links with other organisations:
•OPAL, Ancient Tree Forum, Parish Councils, Lowther Estate, local natural history societies, (FC, FR, etc)

7. Mayburgh Henge, near Penrith, Cumbria
Ash in Eden Project, Workshop 1, 5 October 2013
Mayburgh Henge is located just east of the M6 motorway and south of Penrith, Cumbria.
www.silviculture.org.uk/ashineden
TREES AT
MAYBURGH HENGE CUMBRIA
oak
ash
Legend
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8. Photo: E. R. Wilson 2013

9. Photo: E.R. Wilson 2013
The Eden Ash Tree Buddies

10. Selected Citizen Science Projects
•OPAL – Tree Health Survey
–http://www.opalexplorenature.org/TreeSurvey
•Forestry Commission – Tree Alert
–http://www.forestry.gov.uk/treealert
–App for Basic and Advanced Reporter
•Observatree
–http://www.observatree.org.uk/
–EU Life Project, funded for 4 years from 2013
–Forest Research, Fera, National Trust, Woodland Trust.
•AshTag
–http://ashtag.org/
–Tagging and monitoring status of ash trees
•TreeWatch - Sylva Foundation
–www.sylva.org.uk/treewatch
–Project 2012-2013
•Treezilla
–http://treezilla.org/
–Citizen science project, mapping

11. Roadside Survey of Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) A66 Penrith to Keswick, 11 Nov 2012
Lake District, Cumbria
Borrowdale
St John’s in the Vale
Watendlath

12. Continuous band of common ash saplings (natural regeneration) on north side of A66
View looking east from near Scales, Cumbria
Photo: E.R. Wilson 2012

13. 0
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4
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27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Ash Density Score
Distance in Kilometres Penrith
A66/M6 Junction 40
Keswick
A66/A591 Junction
No ash present
Continuous distribution, high density
Continuous distribution, moderate density
Discontinuous distribution, low density
West East
Ancient Ash Trees
Borrowdale
Roadside Survey of Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
A66 Penrith to Keswick, 11 Nov 2012
Potential disease spread from East

14. Conclusions
•Opportunities for citizen involvement/partnership
–Mapping and Categorising the high value locations
•cultural/ecological values
–Monitoring and Reporting Tree Health Status
•professionals and citizen engagement
–Science to inform future action
•initiated and pending activities that support policy and practical measures for disease control.

15. Conclusions
•Going Forward
–One Stop Shop
•Coordinated regional partnership with common purpose is required
•Shared experience and resourcing among organisations and local groups
–Build on local successes and experience
•e.g., Lake District Osprey Project, Penrith and District Red Squirrel Group, Ancient Ash Trees in Eden Project, etc

16. Conclusions
•Challenges and Opportunities
–Establishing working partnerships
–Coordinating activity, setting achievable goals and targets
–Training and sustaining interest from volunteers
–Funding to sustain projects over multiple years
–Recognise that we have a large number of enthusiastic citizens who wish to be involved

17. Citizen Science and Forestry
Acknowledgements
My thanks to the following colleagues and organisations: Dani Leslie; Martin Reid; Ian
Jack, Lowther Estate; Richard Sharpe; Heart of Eden Development Trust; Alison Dyke,
OPAL Tree Health Survey; Ancient Tree Forum; The Tree Register; Woodland Trust; Our
many volunteers and workshop participants. Funding by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Contact Information
Edward Wilson
Email: ted.wilson@silviculture.org.uk
Web: www.silviculture.org.uk
RESEARCH
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
First presented: 19 11 2014
This version: v1.0, 19 11 2014