Victorian Forests Allows Spiking Prunes| Seed collectors spike trees

Eric Frei · 14th August 2009, 03:27 AM

Funny that, they're allowed to spike trees to collect seeds.

Read it for yourself.

Up where birds nest, nature gets a hand

Also watch the embedded video.

Quote:

REST one of the tiny seeds on your palm and it would be overshadowed by the size of a fingernail. Plant one in the bush in unfavourable conditions — too hot, too dry or too frosty — and it is doomed to fail.

But plant one of the delicate seeds in a suitable location — a moist mountain valley 700 metres above sea level, for instance — wait patiently for 100 years, and you'll probably have a towering and elegant mountain ash tree approaching 100 metres tall.

In the aftermath of the February 7 bushfires, Victorian authorities are giving nature a hand by planting hundreds of millions of mountain ash, alpine ash and messmate seeds in a bid to regenerate vast areas of forest lost in the fires.

Once in the ground, the seeds face many challenges. Hungry colonies of ants are known to feast on them, grazing wallabies chew on young seedlings, and severe winter frosts can destroy tiny germinants.

But these challenges seem moderate compared to that of actually picking the seeds.

While productive cherry trees can give you branches of fruit just one metre above the ground, most of the fruit on a mountain ash is found in the tree's canopy. For a tree that is the tallest hardwood in the world, that can be up to 90 or 100 metres above the ground.

For arborist John Coyne and his three-man crew, it's fruit picking with a high degree of difficulty. The tools are vastly different to the picking box and ladder you will see in a fruit orchard.

A mountain ash climber ascends the tree with a range of tools including ropes, spurs attached to their lower legs (to dig into the tree for grip), a radio for contact with a ground crew, chainsaw, handsaw (in case the chainsaw gets jammed), safety glasses, ear muffs, helmet and cut-proof pants.

This week, Mr Coyne and his team were at work on top of the Great Dividing Range in the Toolangi State Forest.

Standing on the forest floor at noon on Wednesday, Mr Coyne gazes upwards at climber Matthew Atwell and assesses the progress. Mr Coyne is about 850 metres above sea level, while Mr Atwell is attached to ropes 30-40 metres up a mountain ash, identifying and sawing off limbs carrying seeds.

Mr Coyne admits the climbing job poses "all kinds" of dangers. "It's quite a challenge in climbing a tree, to get where you want and prune off bits that you want to prune off, and get them down safely. There's a fair bit of acquired skill involved."

Shortly after Mr Coyne itemises the safety gear, Mr Atwell makes a cut which reminds everyone why the equipment is crucial. Mr Atwell has just cut free a large limb, which crashes to the ground. Mr Coyne estimates it would weigh nearly a tonne.

Not surprisingly, Mr Coyne is satisfied with the "office" he works in. "It's almost a privilege to have a job in an environment like this. I'm not just collecting seed, I'm learning about environmental values as well."

Mr Coyne has been hired by VicForests and runs one of six crews picking seeds in the bush.

Most of the seeds collected will be sown by helicopter under a fire rehabilitation program run by VicForests and the Department of Sustainability and Environment.

VicForests' picking program is the responsibility of senior forester Tim Sanders.

"On a given year we would sow up to 1000 hectares, but this year we've sown 4400 hectares between us (DSE and VicForests). It's expanded four-fold as a result of the fires," Mr Sanders says.

Twenty-four hours after Mr Sanders explains the importance of seed collecting, DSE officers James Stewart and Tim Vardy are inspecting burnt forest in the Black Range State Forest high above Buxton. The 16-year-old mountain ash trees are blackened and dead. Some are still standing; many are lying flat.

But the pair are excited by what they see underneath the dead eucalypts. Thousands of tiny green shoots, the first signs of mountain ash trees, have emerged and are pointing upwards. The forest was sown by helicopter in April, in the biggest aerial sowing program ever conducted in Victoria.

"It's very important to get the sowing onto the ash bed. And not only to get the forest regenerated but also to help hold the soil together," Mr Stewart says.

"As these trees start to grow now, they'll stabilise the soil and help ensure that when we have significant rain in the future, the ash and sediment exposed by the fires don't all get washed into nearby streams and rivers."
Collecting and Sowing

- Seed-picking crews climb and collect three main seed types: mountain ash, alpine ash and messmate.

- Mountain ash seed pods fall to the ground when a climber reaches the canopy of a tree, often 60-80 metres above ground, and cuts off limbs carrying seeds.

- A worker on the ground then cuts off twigs containing the seed capsules and stows them in a wool bale.

- The seeds, about the size of a pinhead, drop out of the capsules after they've been in a giant kiln for 24 hours. The kiln is regularly rotated and periodically injected with air heated to about 40 degrees.

- Most of the seeds will eventually be sown by helicopter under a forest rehabilitation program run by VicForests and the Department of Sustainability of Environment.

- Between April and June, 3500 kilograms of seed was sown across nearly 4500 hectares of forest.

SOURCE: VicForests, Department of Sustainability and Environment

Garry Brockley · 14th August 2009, 08:27 AM

dont they have tree climbing courses in vic to show how to climb without spikes, thats rediculous to say they need spikes to collect seed pods what they need is to learn how to climb properly.

Apocalypsse · 14th August 2009, 08:53 AM

They are just lopping trees as well, no proper pruning.

Eric Frei · 14th August 2009, 09:18 AM

And this is a govt dept using qualified arborists.

One rule for us, another for themselves it appears.

Eric Frei · 14th August 2009, 09:30 AM

Just fired off this email.

Quote:

----- Original Message -----
From: "treeworld" <eric@treeworld.info>
To: <vfs.admin@vicforests.com.au>
Sent: Friday, August 14, 2009 7:28 AM
Subject: Seed collection and spur climbing trees

Hi

On 27 July 2009 an article appeared in The Age with pictures and video about
seed collection.
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/up-where-birds-nest-nature-gets-a-hand-20090726-dxjy.html?page=-1

I run www.treeworld.info and we have a thread running about the way the
trees are climbed, contravening AS4373-2007.
http://www.treeworld.info/f6/victorian-forests-allows-spiking-prunes-seed-9591.html

We collectively would like to see why trees are being spike climbed when
there is alternatives including motorized ascenders which climb at the rate
of 20m per minute safely.

We pose this as a serious issue, and for all the arborists and the
organisations which in one form or other influence people to abide by
pruning standards we would like to see reasoning as to why you support this
method. If you have research which shows it doesn't affect the trees or is
safer, faster ... whatever please do expand that to us.

In the event that no comment or contact is made then we will escalate the
matter to the relevant minister in charge of Vicforests seeking the
information we are after in addition to notifying The Age about the
contravention of AS4373-2007 by a govt entity.

Thank you
Eric Frei
www.treeworld.info

TrevMcRev · 14th August 2009, 09:46 AM

Nice one ekka

The answer is probably that is quick & cheap, lowest bid wins the contract.

Powerascenders cost $$$$$ and would take some time for ROI but i know i'd rather fly up on one of them than spike up. Quick, easy & safe.

I think they will try to justify the method with a question ? over tie-in point integrity not easily assessed from ground level, but that's what binoculars & pull tests are for

Bulla · 14th August 2009, 12:15 PM

Hi Ekka
I’ll think you’ll find that they don’t contravene AS4373 2007 as the standard only pertains to Amenity Trees. As defined by the standard, amenity trees are “Trees with recreational, functional, environmental, ecological, social, health or aesthetic value rather than for production purposes.”. The standard does not include “practices related to timber, foliage, fruit and flower production, chemical
pruning nor to sculptural forms of pruning such as topiary, espalier, hedging and pleaching.”. As VicForests is a state owned commercial forestry business, I think it is safe to assume that these contractors are not working on amenity trees.
Cheers

TrevMcRev · 14th August 2009, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bulla

Hi Ekka
I’ll think you’ll find that they don’t contravene AS4373 2007 as the standard only pertains to Amenity Trees. As defined by the standard, amenity trees are “Trees with recreational, functional, environmental, ecological, social, health or aesthetic value rather than for production purposes.”. The standard does not include “practices related to timber, foliage, fruit and flower production, chemical
pruning nor to sculptural forms of pruning such as topiary, espalier, hedging and pleaching.”. As VicForests is a state owned commercial forestry business, I think it is safe to assume that these contractors are not working on amenity trees.
Cheers

Thanks for your answer, sounds fair enough to me.

Still, it doesn't make it "right" though...

Bulla · 14th August 2009, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrevMcRev

Thanks for your answer, sounds fair enough to me.

Still, it doesn't make it "right" though...

Depends on how you look at it, technically it’s not wrong.
As “urban” arborists we generally agree that the correct pruning of a tree in accordance with the standard will preserve the life of that tree. The forest industry only cares about preserving the tree long enough to log, mill it, chip it and sell it.
I do agree with your point about accessing the tree though. Even with out power ascenders, there are so many different bits of hardware and techniques that are much easier and more efficient than spiking up all day.

Drouin Tree Service · 14th August 2009, 03:41 PM

If i were doing it it be spiking no matter who said what,Im more important than a tree in my book and there forest trees.

Eric Frei · 14th August 2009, 07:13 PM

Good pint, thanks Bulla and I'm chuffed I got a thread that made you post after 2 years.

Koala catchers were not allowed to wear spikes when they had to get the koala's from Kangaroo Island.

So, next technical question. Are all these trees destined for logging or are they park trees?

Drouin Tree Service · 14th August 2009, 08:58 PM

I wouldnt say it common,the trees they pick are not for the faint hearted.

Apocalypsse · 14th August 2009, 08:58 PM

They dont collect seed from trees that are still growing in the stand. Seed is collected when logging begins, they drop the tree, collect seed and ship it off to the mill, they dont chop the top off then drop the tree. Seed collecting is done to trees elsewhere, so these would most likely be park trees or on someones property. Its all still fresh on the mind as I done a bit of Forestry as part of my TAFE course last term.

Drouin Tree Service · 14th August 2009, 09:24 PM

Its like any other part of tree work,this is seed collection from VERY high up and a long way in,TOP CLASS WORK if you ask me.

Dont worry wether trees or women not much gets past my eye

Bulla · 15th August 2009, 01:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ekka

Good pint, thanks Bulla and I'm chuffed I got a thread that made you post after 2 years.

Koala catchers were not allowed to wear spikes when they had to get the koala's from Kangaroo Island.

So, next technical question. Are all these trees destined for logging or are they park trees?

Being a state park and Vicforests being state owned logging company, I'd say generally speaking that all the tree's in the park could potentially be destined for logging at some stage. IMO i think they would probably still get away with this practice on a "park" tree within the state park as being part of the production of timber.

shortstack · 15th August 2009, 02:11 AM

I have a mate in Victoria who used to do this sort of work. Trees so tall that his ground crew could not see him at the top. Unreal work if you ask me.

Interesting point he mentioned. Years later, a friend of his in large tree removal, took photgraphs of E.regnis takedowns that Gary had spurred. Major infections around the sites where his spurs had gone in. Gary changed his mind about entry into this massive trees after this feedback and now advocates ascenders or insertion via bigshot/crossbow and small to large line feed. I like the way he says it. "It took 250 years to make this tree, so an extra hour for me to get up there is worth the wait."

kiwi_tree_steve · 17th August 2009, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shortstack

"It took 250 years to make this tree, so an extra hour for me to get up there is worth the wait."

nice Quote mate.

Cum'on spiking trees in this capacity is Wrong and Antique. it aint the 50's any more boys!

It really isint that hard to learn to climb trees spur less these days, with 100's (it seems) of ways to ascend a tree these days.

And by a state / government is worse!, typical tho, these systems seem to be full of IDIOTS that have NO IDEA on tree Care (ie. bean counters, ect) in charge of these projects WTF!

uneducated people see this and think its ok.................THIS IS WHY there is SOOOOOO many HACKS out there!!! needlessly killing trees

steve

Eric Frei · 20th August 2009, 10:18 PM

I had a very nice response from VicForests.

I'll remove the persons name but post the content of their email. They are reading this thread so if you (VicForests) don't like me posting your emails just let me know but in reality it's better because often we know that govt places like you work at have strict policies on what you can do..... however, what we can do is offer the critiques (like me) reasoning where as in the past all we got was silence. Do consider that main stream media also dont really care much, where as we're real interested in what goes on.

Quote:

Hi Eric

Thanks for your interest in our operations. You email raised some interesting points so I followed the link you supplied to the discussions regarding this issue. I have discussed this issue with our Silviculture foresters and they are well aware of the issues surrounding the use of spurs. The Standard that you mention does not apply to tree climbing and pruning in native forests therefore we are not contravening AS4373-2007. There are no clear guidelines regarding the use of spurs in this environment. We have identified that the use of spurs opens up the cambium of the tree and may allow for the entry of pathogens. Our main priority at this stage is to work with our climbing contractors to produce a standardised safety management system that will cover the safety principles behind climbing trees of this size and form.

Seed collection is a crucial part of VicForests business with our contractors collecting over 11 500 kg of seed last financial year. This seed was not only used for regenerating our harvested coupes but played a major role in the bushfire recovery program which seeded 4 400 hectares of native forests. Currently we need to maintain this level of collection to both regenerate our harvesting activities but also to safeguard against future bushfire activities. We are committed to following best practice for timber production and are currently reviewing the use of spurs for climbing. We have climbers that do not use spurs but the majority do. At this stage a ban on spurs would severely reduce the contractor workforce available to us and could impact on the volume of seed collected, which at this point in time is a risk that we can not accept.

Our silviculture foresters have been discussing this issue with members of the arborists industry and welcome all information that may be provided be either yourself our your forums members.

I would like to clarify one further point from you web discussion: all trees chosen for seed collection must be located with an area available for timber harvest ie not within any zone of the forest that is afforded protection for biodiversity, water, indigenous or social values. We match the area to be seeded with seed from the local area and of similar elevation to ensure regeneration success - this means that we need a large store of seed available to ensure we can cover all potential scenarios. Some trees are remote and need to be accessed on foot which means that heavy machinery cannot be used meaning manual collection is the only option.

Thanks again

Now, I think that's great, hope you all do too. So often we don't get a response but here these people actually took the time out to reply.

I did reply but it's going a little off topic however still relevant.

Quote:

Great response.

By the way, there is a safer faster way, check out this cool device I have.

Motorised-motorized-rope-ascender - Video

The thread on that device is here.

Power Ascender makes canopy access a breeze - no sweat | power ascender

Now imagine not only the productivity from a person using something like that instead but the safety as well? Of course at around $10K AUD to own one many will just send their climber out and let him bust his backside instead (while the old boss watches on). Think about a guy trying to spike up a tree, the number of rope interchanges at every branch union, even if he footlocks the expended energy to get there.

Sarah, I'd be interested to know what the intricate details are, or how to be a seed collector, like is it based on value (kg's of seed collected) or is it per hour etc?

Regards
Eric

I ask a few questions so we as tree people understand what is going on behind the scenes. Some spike, others dont. So if it is productivity based the fastest would have to make the most money. But if we look deeper at fatigue and safety what would come up trumps?

I'm a pretty good shot on the bigshot, got a motorized ascender, so can I out earn these other guys and deliver VicForests what they want? Or, are we based on some other scheme where it's hourly rate or something?

Also, if these trees are Euc regnans then are spike wounds going to make it through the bark to the cambium anyway?

Stay tuned, hopefully VicForests responds or we will only be left to speculate.

MTS247 · 22nd August 2009, 12:57 PM

They work in dence scrub, and one missed shot would take along time to untangle fron the scrub.

they can only take a percentage of lower and uper crown. i've always wondered why they dont just drop one tree instead of climbing 5. would be alot quicker and cost a govt depatrment less $

Or just incorporate seed colection into the logging operation, where the heads are wasted anyway. it would be to dangerous to go in while they are logging, but maybe they could get floodlights and do it at night.

I've done a little seed climbing a few years ago, and i love SRT access but bugger that for a joke.

Apocalypsse · 22nd August 2009, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTS247

Or just incorporate seed colection into the logging operation, where the heads are wasted anyway. it would be to dangerous to go in while they are logging, but maybe they could get floodlights and do it at night.

They do collect seed while logging, the heads arent wasted, all seed is collected.

MTS247 · 22nd August 2009, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apocalypsse

They do collect seed while logging, the heads arent wasted, all seed is collected.

Apocalypsse · 22nd August 2009, 10:03 PM

Well I know this happens in Victoria. In Toolangi they collect all seed. Its part of the logging process. Drop the trees, collect the seed, burn the area spread the seed, watch the Mtn Ash grow again with the Acacias that come up.

MTS247 · 23rd August 2009, 01:16 PM

How did Toolangi go in the fires?

JohN Dee · 23rd August 2009, 04:17 PM

I once saw a documentary where they dropped this great big net (imagine the structure of a big kids blowup swimming pool just with netting for the base) over the top of these redwoods and people got dropped on top by a helicopter and they were literally walking around on the tree tops collecting seed.

While although I support tree blokes doing tree jobs, wouldn't it be far more productive to have sharp shooters go around with sniper rifles and just shoot the seed bunches out of the tops?

And yeah Eric I thought that was a great response from that company (government department?).

Apocalypsse · 23rd August 2009, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTS247

How did Toolangi go in the fires?

I think the Ranger told us about half the state forest was lost so logging will be kept to a minimum or just shutdown completely. The town itself is just fine, the fire went around the town in all directions.

windthrown · 24th August 2009, 09:28 AM

Hah! Spiking trees here in the states means tree huggers driving huge nails into trees so that fallers destroy chainsaw chains when they cut them down.

14th August 2009, 08:27 AM	#2
Garry Brockley Bayside Tree Care Brisbane Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Brisbane Aus Posts: 1,649	Re: Victorian Forests Allows Spiking Prunes\| Seed collectors spike trees dont they have tree climbing courses in vic to show how to climb without spikes, thats rediculous to say they need spikes to collect seed pods what they need is to learn how to climb properly. __________________ My business:- Brisbane Bayside Tree Care

14th August 2009, 08:53 AM	#3
Apocalypsse Veteran Heritage Status Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Victoria, Australia Posts: 1,154	Re: Victorian Forests Allows Spiking Prunes\| Seed collectors spike trees They are just lopping trees as well, no proper pruning.

14th August 2009, 09:18 AM	#4
Eric Frei Admin - Razor sharp and independent 2 X Diploma Level 5 qualified arborist Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 12,820	Re: Victorian Forests Allows Spiking Prunes\| Seed collectors spike trees And this is a govt dept using qualified arborists. One rule for us, another for themselves it appears. __________________ Protect your rights to work - Join Australian Tree Association My businesses:- Qualified Brisbane Tree Lopping \| Stump Grinding Brisbane \| Brisbane - Gold Coast Consulting Arborist

14th August 2009, 09:46 AM	#6
TrevMcRev Mature Tree Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Posts: 1,605	Re: Victorian Forests Allows Spiking Prunes\| Seed collectors spike trees Nice one ekka The answer is probably that is quick & cheap, lowest bid wins the contract. Powerascenders cost $$$$$ and would take some time for ROI but i know i'd rather fly up on one of them than spike up. Quick, easy & safe. I think they will try to justify the method with a question ? over tie-in point integrity not easily assessed from ground level, but that's what binoculars & pull tests are for

14th August 2009, 12:15 PM	#7
Bulla I'm new here so be nice Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 3	Re: Victorian Forests Allows Spiking Prunes\| Seed collectors spike trees Hi Ekka I’ll think you’ll find that they don’t contravene AS4373 2007 as the standard only pertains to Amenity Trees. As defined by the standard, amenity trees are “Trees with recreational, functional, environmental, ecological, social, health or aesthetic value rather than for production purposes.”. The standard does not include “practices related to timber, foliage, fruit and flower production, chemical pruning nor to sculptural forms of pruning such as topiary, espalier, hedging and pleaching.”. As VicForests is a state owned commercial forestry business, I think it is safe to assume that these contractors are not working on amenity trees. Cheers

14th August 2009, 03:41 PM	#10
Drouin Tree Service Veteran Heritage Status Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 1,697	Re: Victorian Forests Allows Spiking Prunes\| Seed collectors spike trees If i were doing it it be spiking no matter who said what,Im more important than a tree in my book and there forest trees. __________________ Drouin Tree Services \| Excavator Hire - Drouin and SE Gippsland \| Landclearing Melbourne

14th August 2009, 07:13 PM	#11
Eric Frei Admin - Razor sharp and independent 2 X Diploma Level 5 qualified arborist Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 12,820	Re: Victorian Forests Allows Spiking Prunes\| Seed collectors spike trees Good pint, thanks Bulla and I'm chuffed I got a thread that made you post after 2 years. Koala catchers were not allowed to wear spikes when they had to get the koala's from Kangaroo Island. So, next technical question. Are all these trees destined for logging or are they park trees? __________________ Protect your rights to work - Join Australian Tree Association My businesses:- Qualified Brisbane Tree Lopping \| Stump Grinding Brisbane \| Brisbane - Gold Coast Consulting Arborist

14th August 2009, 08:58 PM	#12
Drouin Tree Service Veteran Heritage Status Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 1,697	Re: Victorian Forests Allows Spiking Prunes\| Seed collectors spike trees I wouldnt say it common,the trees they pick are not for the faint hearted. __________________ Drouin Tree Services \| Excavator Hire - Drouin and SE Gippsland \| Landclearing Melbourne

14th August 2009, 09:24 PM	#14
Drouin Tree Service Veteran Heritage Status Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 1,697	Re: Victorian Forests Allows Spiking Prunes\| Seed collectors spike trees Its like any other part of tree work,this is seed collection from VERY high up and a long way in,TOP CLASS WORK if you ask me. Dont worry wether trees or women not much gets past my eye Attached Thumbnails __________________ Drouin Tree Services \| Excavator Hire - Drouin and SE Gippsland \| Landclearing Melbourne

15th August 2009, 02:11 AM	#16
shortstack Sappling Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: perth Posts: 7	Re: Victorian Forests Allows Spiking Prunes\| Seed collectors spike trees I have a mate in Victoria who used to do this sort of work. Trees so tall that his ground crew could not see him at the top. Unreal work if you ask me. Interesting point he mentioned. Years later, a friend of his in large tree removal, took photgraphs of E.regnis takedowns that Gary had spurred. Major infections around the sites where his spurs had gone in. Gary changed his mind about entry into this massive trees after this feedback and now advocates ascenders or insertion via bigshot/crossbow and small to large line feed. I like the way he says it. "It took 250 years to make this tree, so an extra hour for me to get up there is worth the wait."

22nd August 2009, 12:57 PM	#19
MTS247 Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 218	Re: Victorian Forests Allows Spiking Prunes\| Seed collectors spike trees They work in dence scrub, and one missed shot would take along time to untangle fron the scrub. they can only take a percentage of lower and uper crown. i've always wondered why they dont just drop one tree instead of climbing 5. would be alot quicker and cost a govt depatrment less $ Or just incorporate seed colection into the logging operation, where the heads are wasted anyway. it would be to dangerous to go in while they are logging, but maybe they could get floodlights and do it at night. I've done a little seed climbing a few years ago, and i love SRT access but bugger that for a joke.

22nd August 2009, 10:03 PM	#22
Apocalypsse Veteran Heritage Status Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Victoria, Australia Posts: 1,154	Re: Victorian Forests Allows Spiking Prunes\| Seed collectors spike trees Well I know this happens in Victoria. In Toolangi they collect all seed. Its part of the logging process. Drop the trees, collect the seed, burn the area spread the seed, watch the Mtn Ash grow again with the Acacias that come up.

23rd August 2009, 01:16 PM	#23
MTS247 Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 218	Re: Victorian Forests Allows Spiking Prunes\| Seed collectors spike trees How did Toolangi go in the fires?

23rd August 2009, 04:17 PM	#24
JohN Dee Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Climbing around the world Posts: 855	Re: Victorian Forests Allows Spiking Prunes\| Seed collectors spike trees I once saw a documentary where they dropped this great big net (imagine the structure of a big kids blowup swimming pool just with netting for the base) over the top of these redwoods and people got dropped on top by a helicopter and they were literally walking around on the tree tops collecting seed. While although I support tree blokes doing tree jobs, wouldn't it be far more productive to have sharp shooters go around with sniper rifles and just shoot the seed bunches out of the tops? And yeah Eric I thought that was a great response from that company (government department?). __________________ We are what we repeatedly do... Excellence then, is not an act, but HABIT... Red : Green : Blue

24th August 2009, 09:28 AM	#26
windthrown Former Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: In the Great Pacific Northwest Posts: 1,211	Re: Victorian Forests Allows Spiking Prunes\| Seed collectors spike trees Hah! Spiking trees here in the states means tree huggers driving huge nails into trees so that fallers destroy chainsaw chains when they cut them down.

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