The Institute of Chartered Foresters and Focus of Forestry First have teamed up to bring you a one-day workshop that focuses on Pests & Diseases.

Tree pests and diseases can cause significant damage to woodlands, impacting biodiversity, the productive forestry and tourism industries. If you are a tree professional based in Wales, please join us in Wrexham for this workshop to hear from a number of speakers on how we can help prevent and minimise the introduction and spread of these pests and diseases.

Emphasising the importance of biosecurity, the workshop will begin with an update on current and future tree pest and disease threats, with tree health training resources available from Observatree, and will highlight the practical measures that we can all take. In the afternoon, attendees will have the opportunity to ask tree health-related questions regarding their work, land or woodlands during a Q&A/clinic session. The workshop will close with an activity designed to find out what training attendees would like in the future in terms of content, delivery and timings.

Thank you to Insitute Fellow, Tom Jenkins FICFor (Head of Forest Research Wales), for his support in the development of this workshop.

Objectives

• Update on current and future tree pest and disease threats

• Help reduce risk of introduction and spread of tree pests and diseases

• Opportunity to ask specific tree health-related questions.

Speakers

Dr Suzanne Sancisi-Frey – Pathologist (tree health), Forest Research

Suzanne is a forest Pathologist who has been working at Forest research for 12 years. She initially focussed on Phytophthora and other tree disease research in the labs at Alice Holt before moving into tree health training for various citizen science projects. Her current role is with The Centre for Forest Protection where she is developing an education and training programme for forest professionals and academic audiences.

Ajay Mistry – Forestry Commission

Biosecurity in a plant health context is a set of measures to help prevent the accidental introduction and spread of plant pests and diseases. Ajay is the newest member of the Biosecurity team having previously spent time in the Forest Reproductive Materials team, focussing on seed sourcing. Ajay has a national role tasked with developing and updating plant health and biosecurity-related policy and guidance. Ajay assists with the development of communications materials and raises awareness of plant health through outreach activities. Ajay works closely with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, ensuring that advice and guidance are audience-led and practical, and reflects current scientific understanding.

Sam Milner – Tree Health Officer, Natural Resources Wales

Sam has been working in the forestry sector for 14 years with NRW and with Forestry Commission Wales before that. For the last 11 years, he has been with the Tree Health Team, initially as a Field Surveyor conducting site visits and sampling for a range of pests and diseases. Since 2019, Sam has been NRW’s Tree Health Officer, focussing on planning surveys, coordinating NRW’s regulatory response to quarantine pests and diseases, liaising with landowners and issuing Statutory Plant Health Notices. Prior to that, he worked in Grants and Regulations for NRW and Forestry Commission Wales for several years on the Better Woodlands For Wales grant scheme and Felling Licences.

Joe McMinn – Senior Advisor Tree Health, Natural Resources Wales

Joe has been working in tree health and research across England and Wales for over 10 years, starting out in Forest Research as a Research Worker, then in the Forestry Commission Plant and Tree Health Team as a Cross Border Plant Health Officer, and for the past two years as Senior Officer Tree Health for Natural Resources Wales. His main current duties are regulated forestry pests and pathogens, providing advice and technical support to ensure they are being managed in a suitable manner. Joe has a strong interest in Welsh forestry, pest and pathogen management and minor forest species.

Alex Lewis – Pathology Diagnostician, Forest Research

Karen Dawson Morris – Programme Manager, Welsh Government

Agenda

10:15     Welcome and refreshments

10:30    Pests and diseases presentation

11:30    Biosecurity presentation and activity

12:30    Lunch

13:30    Q&A clinic – everything to do with tree health in Wales

14:45     Future training activity

15:30     Close

Who should attend?

• Foresters

• Arboriculturists

Point of contact

If you have any issues booking this event please contact - info@focusonforestryfirst.co.uk.

Booking Fee

£20

Focus on Forestry First Ltd fully funds these events, all we ask for is a small booking fee to secure your place on the course.

Please read our Terms & Conditions before booking.