CAPTION:
South Hams tree training event
“You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.” – Isaiah 55
Tree wardens in South Hams come together for a day of training to contribute towards the Diocese of Exeter Living Churchyards program, which aims to record and increase the biodiversity in churchyards across Devon.
On Saturday 21st May, the Archdeacon of Totnes, Douglas Dettmer, joined a group of South Hams Tree Wardens for a training day at the local parish church in Staverton. They were learning about the Living Churchyards Project, and how they can get involved. Douglas, who helps to oversee the Churchyards in the South Hams area, shared how important trees are to the identity of a place, and therefore how encouraged he was by this ‘significant and forward-looking project’.
David Curry, voluntary Environmental Advisor for the Diocese, ran the training day, and explained how tree wardens can get involved with the Living Churchyards project. Tree wardens usually monitor trees in their area, including parish churchyards, but they are now being asked to map every church tree in more detail, recording their age and health, and other further information. The aim of this project is to audit and map all the church trees in the South Hams area – a very ambitious undertaking! It’s hoped that the Diocese will then have a comprehensive record of the trees it owns.
Trees are carbon stores. Mature trees absorb significant amounts of carbon dioxide, and release oxygen as they photosynthesise. This reduces the greenhouse gas emissions which are contributing to climate change. By monitoring and understanding the importance of trees, and other plants, the Living Churchyard program promotes awareness of these current environmental issues. The Church of England, and the Diocese of Exeter, are working towards becoming Net Carbon Zero by 2030. This means that the carbon emissions we produce are equal to or less than the amount we absorb / store. Trees are crucial if we are to achieve this!
So how do you audit a tree? Measuring the width is done by simply using a tape measure but measuring the height and canopy coverage is a lot trickier. And how do you work out the age? Two of the wardens had expert tree knowledge, and there are some apps that can help too. St Paul de Leons churchyard was specifically chosen for this meeting as all its trees were assessed a few years ago, so the tree wardens could compare their calculations to those done by qualified tree specialists. After this practical session, the group went to a local Inn for refreshments and further discussion, before heading home to set about the task of trying to implement what they had learnt in their own parish churchyards.
(Text adapted from Thelma Rumsey, by Lydia Perris).
