Ash clouds ...

Well, the news of the ash disease chalara fraxinea hit the headlines again on Friday with the government calling a meeting of the COBRA committee, usually reserved for discussing national disasters and terrorism. Perhaps at last this issue is getting the attention it deserves (see here). 

Whatever you make of the recriminations of the arboriculturalists who apparently warned the government as far back as 2009, the disease is in the wild and quite likely to cause massive damage to a very common and beautiful tree species. Whether we are going to loose trees on the scale of the Dutch Elm Disease tragedy of the late 60's, only time will tell, but George Monbiot on Newsnight on Friday night thinks we will.

Perhaps you aren't aware of the ash trees in our vicinity? 

There are some lovely mature specimens in Hilly Fields. The one on the left here is at the entrance to the park at the junction of Tressillian Road and Hilly Fields Crescent.

The two below are very close to the tennis courts and playground: 

Mature ash trees in Hilly Fields - 3rd November 2012

If you are looking for reliable information about the disease, FERA (Food and Environment Research Agency) have posted a useful YouTube video on the life-cycle of the pathogen. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1GpufLkBto&feature=plcp

Notifications are apparently the responsibility of the Forestry Commission, who have posted the following information on their website: 

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/chalara

Mature ash - corner of Hilly Fields Crescent and Tressillian Road - 3rd November 2012