Reg Harris

Veteran tree retrenchment pruning at Hatfield Forest – Its effectiveness and potential alternative methods

Biography:

Reg Harris is the Director of Arboriculture at Urban Forestry (Bury St Edmunds) Ltd, which is an Arboricultural Association approved contracting company based in Suffolk. Reg has been an arborist since the age of 18, who now specialises in veteran tree work. He has worked at several of the most important sites in the UK for veteran and ancient trees, including Hatfield Forest, Sherwood Forest, Ashtead Common, Aspal Close and also several sites in Sweden.

Tony Kirkham

The use of mulch and soil decompaction in the establishment and care of trees

Biography:

Tony Kirkham is the Head of the Arboretum, Gardens and Horticultural Services, at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, with responsibility for the management and curation of over 14,000 trees. He has led several plant collecting expeditions to Chile and the Far East. In 2004 Tony completed the revision of the “Pruning of Trees Shrubs and Conifers” and in 2017 published “Essential Pruning Techniques” with Timber Press. He presented the “Trees that made Britain” for BBC2 and in 2017 spent the year filming with Judi Dench to explore her interest in trees and woodland. Judi Dench: “My Passion for Trees”, was first shown on BBC One on 20 December 2017. Tony represents Kew on the RHS woody plant committee, the International Dendrology Society, and is a trustee of the Yorkshire Arboretum and TROBI. In 2009 he was awarded the Associate of Honour by the RHS for distinguished service to horticulture and in 2015 the Arboricultural Association’s award of Honorary lifetime Fellowship for his commitment and dedication to the advancement of Arboriculture. In 2019 Tony became the Vice President of the Arboricultural Association and was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours list 2020 for services to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and to Arboriculture.