Ireland Branch Veteran Tree Management – Knowledge Day
Oldbridge House, Drogheda, Co. Meath, A92 CY68
Wednesday 18th June 2025
9:30am to 16:30pm
The Irish Branch is hosting a knowledge day on veteran trees at the beautiful and historic Oldbridge House, Co. Meath. The event will include several speakers to share their knowledge and experience on assessing and managing veteran and ancient trees, both in Ireland and the UK.
Programme:
9:30 – 9:40 Welcome
9:40 – 10:10 Ancient Woodlands Ireland – Dr. John Devaney
10:10 – 10:35 Managing Veteran Trees Belfast City Council – Ross Deering & Viliam Krupa
10:35-11:15 Experience of the VETcert and Managing Veteran Trees within a Local Authority – Cormac Downey
11:15 – 11:45 Break
11:45 – 13:00 Veteran Tree Management – Pruning and Veteranisation Techniques – Reg Harris
13:00 – 13:30 VETcert – Its history and information for possible candidates – Simon Richmond
13:30 – 14:15 Lunch
14:15 – 14:45 Hornbeam Decline at Hatfield Forest – Reg Harris
15:00 – 16:30 Veteran Tree Walk with our speakers
Refreshments and lunch:
Morning tea/coffee only.
Lunch not included.
Notes for attendees:
There will be a veteran tree walk in the afternoon so please ensure to bring suitable outdoor clothing and footwear.
Cost:
Members: €85
Non-members: €110
Venue:
Oldbridge House, Drogheda, Co. Meath A92 CY68
Navigate to: IP26 5HW
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About the Speakers:
Reg Harris has been an arborist for nearly forty years and is the Director of an arboricultural and landscaping contracting business called Urban Forestry (Bury St Edmunds) Ltd, which is based in Suffolk, UK. For the last 25 years he has specialised in working on ancient and veteran trees and is the main contractor for this type of work at both Hatfield and Sherwood Forests. He is an examiner for the Vetcert qualification (practising) in the UK and also sits on the Technical Advisory Panel of the Ancient Tree Forum.
Dr John Devaney received a PhD in Forest Ecology from University College Cork in 2013 and has since completed Post Doctoral Research Fellowships at the Smithsonian Institution and Trinity College Dublin. John is currently an Assistant Professor at the Biology Dept, Maynooth University, where he leads the Forest Ecology & Global Change research group. John is the Principal Investigator of the Ancient Woodlands Ireland project, a four-year project funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). The project aims to complete an all-island inventory of ancient woodlands in Ireland, and provide valuable data that can be used to enhance the protection of Ireland’s ancient woodlands and help prioritize sites for ancient woodland restoration.”
Dr John Devaney received a PhD in Forest Ecology from University College Cork in 2013 and has since completed Post Doctoral Research Fellowships at the Smithsonian Institution and Trinity College Dublin. John is currently an Assistant Professor at the Biology Dept, Maynooth University, where he leads the Forest Ecology & Global Change research group. John is the Principal Investigator of the Ancient Woodlands Ireland project, a four-year project funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). The project aims to complete an all-island inventory of ancient woodlands in Ireland, and provide valuable data that can be used to enhance the protection of Ireland’s ancient woodlands and help prioritize sites for ancient woodland restoration.”
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