Dr Paul Barber on the All The Dirt podcast
Arbor Carbon’s Dr Paul Barber talks tech, his love for nature, and the species he’d love to see more with Deryn and Steve on the latest episode of the All The Dirt podcast.
ArborCarbon at the WALGA Expo 2016
The team at ArborCarbon are looking forward participating for the first time at the 2016 WA Local Government Convention & Trade Exhibition , which will be held Wednesday, 3 August – Friday, 5 August 2016 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.
We welcome all Mayors, Councillors and Local Government staff to come over to our booth (95) and say hello and find out more about how we help Local Governments better manage urban trees and naturals areas, with cost saving technologies and expert scientific advice and services.
Black Book of Green People
ArborCarbon‘s Dr Paul Barber has been included in the Black Book of Green People, compiled by Vision202020 , which was featured in The Australian newspaper today in the Business section with 20 of Australia’s leading urban tree and urban greening experts from various fields of expertise.
According to the Vision202020 website, this is an “online directory and offline service that catalogues people into areas of expertise, project experience, contact details, research interests, problems in need of a solution, solutions in need of a problem, e.t.c.”.
Benefits of urban trees – Infographic
Benefits of Urban Trees infographic by the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
“Large urban trees are excellent filters for urban pollutants and fine particulates. Trees can provide food, such as fruits, nuts and leaves. Spending time near trees improves physical and mental health by increasing energy level and speed of recovery, while decreasing blood pressure and stress. Trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30% and save energy used for heating by 20–50%. Trees provide habitat, food and protection to plants and animals, increasing urban biodiversity…planting trees today is essential for future generations!”
Download: PDF version
Also see Urban and Peri-Urban Forestry (UPF)
Urban greening becoming a hot issue for WA
“Heatwave-related deaths in Perth are expected to more than double from 137 in 2011 to 378 by 2050 as the state faces increased warming due to climate change.
This prediction from the State of Australian Cities 2013 places Perth fourth in Australia for the number of annual heat-related deaths behind Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide.”
To put this in perspective WA’s Road Toll was 161 for the whole state in 2015, with 74 deaths in the Perth metropolitan area. See below the Annual Fatalities from traffic accidents in WA.
Greens launch Urban Forest Plan
On Monday night the WA Greens launched their new Urban Forest Plan for Perth, at the WA State Library.
The event was a huge success, filling the 207 seat lecture theater to capacity and forcing some late comers to have to watch from the entrance.
Urban trees and green spaces look destine to be an important election issue this year, as communities across Perth are becoming increasingly concerned about increasing tree removal and bushland clearing, which is causing rising urban temperatures, the loss of biodiversity and amenity.
The Greens plan is exactly what Perth needs with our scorching summer temperatures. However, as Senator Scott Ludlam pointed out, achieving it will require work in other areas, such as improving public transport and cycling infrastructure to reduce the need for more and more roads.
It will also require Local Governments to take measures to educate residents about the many important benefits that trees and natural areas provide and take measures to protect them. Many will also need to embrace new technologies that are available to better monitor and analyse their urban canopies and improve the ways in which the manage them.
The State Government (WAPC) determines our planning laws and must give approval for much of what Local Governments do, so their role will as be crucial, as their current planning laws enable developers to build and pave over virtually every thing.
Change must come from the people themselves, as most trees and vegetation are being lost from privately owned land, due to urban infill and redevelopment. Councils can only do so much, street trees and parks will not be enough. We wont have a leafy city if we don’t stop removing existing trees and start leaving room to plant new ones. In the past people retained a lot more trees and built around them, these days blocks are completely cleared and leveled. It seems builders have forgotten how to build on the natural contours of the land?
Image: Battery Park, New York – Greens Urban Forest Plan
The Giving Tree
Going to the trouble of building around beautiful mature trees is well worth the effort.
This amazing home which was built by the principal of Modal Design in the LA suburb of Venice, California, is a great example. Read the article about this project in Dwell Magazine .
California has a hot and dry climate similar to many parts of Australia and US designers in the warmer states like California and Texas especially, are increasingly incorporating mature amenity trees in their designs, with stunning results.
Studies show that trees add value to properties, so it is about visual appeal. As urban temperatures rise, properties with large shade trees will become increasingly sought after.
The benefits are both visual and tangible Outdoor areas like the one below can be enjoyed from day one in a new home, improving quality of life immensely. Man-made shade sails and structures just don’t enhance the amenity or cool like big shade trees.
At ArborCarbon we have received a noticeable increase in enquiries from planners and designers requesting Arboricultural reports in their initial site context analyses, with the objective of retaining and building around existing trees. Builders are also contacting us for advice on how to protect trees on construction sites.
It is great to see more people thinking outside the square and incorporating and protecting beautiful mature trees. The health benefits provided to the occupants of a dwelling by surrounding trees should not be underestimated.
Today Tonight (Perth) – Trees and development
ArborCarbon’s Dr Paul Barber, was asked to comment on last night’s Today Tonight;
“Trees keep us cooler and are good for our health, so why are we chopping so many down?”
More trees in cities: Federal gov’t to set national goals
The federal government has announced it will establish goals for increasing the urban tree canopy cover in Australia’s cities, in an effort to reduce the heat island effect.Read this article on ArchitectureAU
For more
- Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt’s website – Long-Term Planning And Cities For The Next Century – Sydney Business Chamber (points 4 and 4.2 in particular).
- Sydney Morning Herald – Turnbull government’s plan to make cities cooler and greener
Ancient Jarrah tree and bees murdered
I was interviewed by John J Zylstra regarding the ancient jarrah tree cut down in Perth’s southern suburbs last week.
Contractors cut down this awesome tree – their reasoning was because of bee hive in the tree hollows. I’m afraid this practice is all too common in locations that are proposed for future development in WA.
I’ve now seen it many, many times and I’m fed up.
This has become a major issue, and w invite you to share this video and show your concern.