The Tawny Frogmouth is one of the best known nocturnal Australian birds. It is difficult to see them during the day because they are so well comoflarged and at a glance their motionless forms appear like a broken branch. Where
Tree defects
Bifications continued. From the other side a bulge can be seen from the ground however when the hanging bark was removed the large split showed how far it travels. This means the structure holding each side securely is compramised and
Poor Structure
Bifications in the tree can appear like it has two heads. Mostly one will appear bigger or more dominant than the other. From the ground it is difficult to see the condition of the join between them. You may see
Dangerous weather affecting trees on its way
Contact us for obligation free quotes. With a change in weather on its way, now is the time to take stock of your garden and trees and pay attention to the sights and sounds that may indicate failure.If you notice:
Tree Defects
Bulges Generally trees have symetric trunks that taper from the ground to the end of the branches. If a large bulge develops over time it is likely the trees growth reactions to defect within the trunk. This tree pictured in
Arboriculture Training in Victoria
Arboriculture training in Victoria, “the tail wagging the dog†An industry perspective by Graeme McMahon Current arboricultural training The arboricultural qualification system for practical units in Victoria is flawed.  The units are couched in the National framework and as such
Gap Training
GAP TRAINING by Graeme McMahon Background For many years I have recognised the shortfall between training outcomes and operational requirements. To bridge that gap I’ve successfully introduced training and mentoring into my company. Despite qualifications paying lip service to an
Forest Health and Human Intrusion
by Graeme McMahon The Dandenong Ranges and surrounding districts host a variety of forest eco-systems. Whilst their cycles of growth can be very different they all share a common trait, intolerance to human invasion. Storm and fire events are natural
Facebook Poster Competition
We have a milestone rapidly approaching – 1000 likes on our facebook page! You can win an A2 poster of Graeme cutting a block off beside the Tahune Airwalk. It’s an epic picture, with a giant tail of sawdust pouring
Training and Mentoring
We have almost completed the process of review on our “training and mentoring for tree workers” program, with the intent of making it available as an external service. Current details are available on the Training and Mentoring page
Safe Work Australia Tree Trimming Code of Practice Draft
There has been an amended draft from Safe Work Australia regarding the Draft Code of Practice for Tree Trimming. As per our last response to the July 2011 draft, Graeme McMahon’s feedback is available below. September 2011 Tree Trimming Draft
Single Rope Technique for Efficient Tree Climbing
This is the page I’ll be updating with the results During the early 1990’s, Graeme McMahon monitored the heart rates of climbers using various canopy access systems. In comparing spurs, prussic, frog and yosemite, he found the single rope technique
Tree Trimming Code of Practice Draft
THE SEPTEMBER DRAFT WHICH SURPASSES THIS IS AVAILABLE HERE A draft code of practice has been presented for comment on the topic of “Managing Risks in Tree Trimming and Arboricultural Work“. The majority of the practical tree industry is notoriously
Tree Rescue or Not Tree Rescue Article
The current Australian ArborAge magazine has an exert written by Graeme in regards to Tree Rescue as discussed on an earlier post titled Tree Rescue Article in ArborAge. A pdf exert of the magazine can be downloaded from here. ArborAge
Tree Rescue Article in ArborAge
Graeme posted an article in this bi-monthly edition of the Australian ArborAge magazine. The magazine is an arboricultural reference point for much of industry. The article is in regards to the ongoing discussions on the topic of rescue tree climbers.
Opposing Pendulums
OPPOSING PENDULUMS When the opposing pendulums system was developed, there was no literature or evidence that such a system had been developed ever before. Graeme wrote a paper on the successes of the system and submitted it to the Journal