Ancient Tree Forum

26th November 2002
Stop fires in ancient trees –new ways to deter vandals!

Pictures: click to enlarge

Tree undergoing repairs after a fire

Hollow boles in ancient trees tempt children and youths to light fires inside trees. Severe burning has resulted in much damage in the past. Various ideas have been put forward as to how this vandalism can be prevented such as covering entry holes with mesh and training dog roses to ramble over the top of it, putting up signs, attaching doors, erecting barriers and even filling tree cavities with various materials, for example bricks. Much debate has taken place over the benefits, dangers and legal consequences of concreting up the hollows or using expanded polystyrene.

However, it is Neville Fay and his team at the Treework Environmental Practice who have come up with the most innovative approach to fire prevention so far. Their straightforward technique involves passing steel cables through eyebolts inserted into oak slabs that have been individually cut to fit each hole. These slabs (usually cut from the outer sections of logs) are cabled to each other through the hollow bole, so that they can be tightened from the outside, thus securely blocking access to the tree without damaging it in any way. This unobtrusive and robust solution to the problem should cause no damage to live tissue, yet should still allow small mammals, especially bats, to enter the hollow and could also help to prevent people from filling the tree cavity with rubbish. The oak slabs should of course become even more unnoticeable with time due to the effects of weathering.

It may even be the best approach if there is just one opening and the cable has to cut through live tissue on the opposite side of the opening to make a suitable fixing point.

Notes
For the full article as a Word document click here.