April 2021

Local Tree Survey

Johnstown Tidy Towns want your help to create a map of all of our local trees to better understand today's local biodiversity and to protect their future.

Trees felled in early March on the north bank of the River Boyne caused a public outcry, and rightly so. It's not the first time trees have been taken down and unfortunately it won't be the last.

Tree felling is normally restricted to the months of September to February to protect nesting birds but it can be licensed throughout the year for approved development or where trees are dead, dying, diseased or unstable.

Taking decades to mature but only minutes to remove it is important that we protect our trees and the Tree Council of Ireland has a useful FAQ section about what you 'can' and 'can't do'.

Unlike the animation, tree felling can't be undone.

Tree Records.

Managed forests have annual records and reports but when it comes to trees in our urban environment these records aren't readily available. We couldn't even find an online searchable database for Tree Preservation Orders!

Mapping and recording trees is fairly straight forward and there's certainly a lot to survey locally.

Take part in the survey!

It doesn't involve a great deal of time, effort, or knowledge.

Give it a Go!

(NOTE: We have no connection with any Apps & Websites mentioned).

The FREE mobile phone apps listed below quickly identify tree species and within minutes you can add trees in your neighbourhood to the shared database.

Mapping

The FREE mapping App being used is 'Curio XYZ' and you can visit their website and use the Internet Browser Version or download and use their App from Android and Apple Stores.

Tree Species

The Woodland Trust offers a Tree Identification Guide and if you're interested in identifying plants too then try Flora Incognita.

For more information about trees visit the Tree Council of Ireland.

Measures

There are many apps on Google Play and the Apple Store but once you've got a benchmark you can quickly estimate width and height.

Trees we're expecting to find

Some will be much easier to spot in the different seasons, the links take you to Wikipedia.


Image published with Parental Permission.

Your efforts will create a meaningful recording of what we have today so that future generations can experience them too:


  • Are they Pollinator-friendly flowering trees?

  • Do they offer nesting sites and shelter?

  • Perhaps they absorb pollution?

  • Do they offer fruits or berries to bats and birds?

  • Do they soak up the groundwater and prevent your garden from becoming a swamp?

  • Do they simply offer you a connection with nature?

Help establish a local benchmark to ensure future plans for our neighbourhood retains the trees.

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