VETCert for Consultants
By CAS
2019-08-27
The VETcert project reaches completion
A meeting in Norrköping, Sweden at the end of August saw the completion of the VETcert project. The VETcert was a 2 ½ year project funded by Erasmus + which aimed to raise standards in veteran tree care across Europe. The project developed Veteran Tree Management Standards at two levels (practising and consulting), developed training in veteran tree management and set up a certification scheme to which professionals can apply to in order to become a ‘Certified Veteran Tree Specialist’.
With the funded project now complete, the focus has switched to supporting encouraging and supporting professionals through the certification process. There are a number of new free training resources including videos, factsheets and case studies to help professionals prepare for certification. A new two-day training course ‘Understanding and Managing Veteran Trees’ will also be delivered by the Ancient Tree Forum. This course will build on the knowledge provided as part of the existing 1-day course on ‘Valuing and Managing Veteran Trees’. For details of upcoming courses please contact see the Ancient Tree Forum website www.ancienttreeforum.co.uk
In the UK, the Arboricultural Association takes on the responsibility of administering and running the VETcert examinations. Professionals have been asked to pre-register due to expected high demand. A call for expressions of interest to attend the launch course was heavily over-subscribed. For more information and to register your interest please contact the Arboricultural Association www.trees.org.uk .
The exams will test the Veteran Tree Management standard, available on www.vetcert.eu/. The standards contain units on:
- Veteran trees; recognition and values
- The development and aging of trees: the role of physiological function and dysfunction
- Roots of veteran trees and the soil environment
- Veteran trees as ecosystems
- Veteran trees: their value for people
- Veteran trees; their cultural history values
- Surveying of veteran trees and veteran tree sites
- Legislation and official guidance in relation to veteran trees
- Veteran tree risk management
- Veteran trees: planning for urban development and infrastructure
- Veteran tree management in all its aspects
- Personal skills
Exams for consultants will be one day long and involve a written exam and outdoor exercises with questions. The outdoor exercise will involve an inspection of two veteran trees and writing a veteran tree management report for these trees.