#chalara

It may seem an unlikely task but Asylon Theatre have created a beautiful and intensely moving piece of theatre inspired by the devastating ash-dieback disease that is spreading across the country. Currently showing in the Fletcher Building at RBGE at 11am each morning the show is adverstised for age 8+ but I feel that people of all ages, adults as well as children, will enjoy and be moved by this passionate play that combines physical theatre and drama with a story of three generations of woodlanders and one regal ash tree. The story is narrated by a child and this makes it all the more poignant. It is performed by three actors who move around the stage with energy and pitch perfect timing so with minimum props you feel immersed within the ash forest at all seasons and in all weathers. The touching human stories are intertwined in a playful way with the life of the tree, its birth, survival and ultimate death. Humour is added with charming vinettes from a caterpillar who is continually eating dog violets throughout the performance until finally emerging as a butterfly. A tremendous amount of development has gone into creating this highly professional performance and it deserves to be seen by a much bigger audience. This being the Edinburgh Fringe it is competing with a very large number of mediocre shows but do go and see it, and take your friends and family. You will not be disappointed.

Resilience noun [mass noun] 1 the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity 2 the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness [Oxford English Dictionary 2012]

How resilient are the woodlands in Scotland? I like to think they are pretty tough, able to withstand the hardest of times and bounce back. The ancient woodlands of Scotland, such as Rassal Ash wood on the west coast, have endured centuries of change. But the tree health project I have recently been coordinating has started to make me think our trees are more vulnerable than they may first appear.

Rassal ash wood on the west coast. (c) Lorne Gill/SNH

Tree diseases seem to have increased considerably over the last 10 years. The one that hit the headlines late last year is ‘ash dieback’ a disease caused by Chalara fraxinea, a fungus that arrived into the UK in February 2012. This disease has already caused considerable damage to the ash trees of northern Europe and it’s likely to do the same in Scotland. There is no way to get rid of this disease.

Working with partners from the Scottish Tree Health Advisory Group, we have been coordinating a project to explore and explain the implications of ash dieback for Scotland. We have developed an exhibit that will be on display in the John Hope Gateway from May the 18th and will then travel to over 20 venues throughout Scotland. Included in the exhibit is a short and beautiful animation produced by local artists at Red Kite Animation.

I am particularly excited that the Real Life Science Studio in the John Hope Gateway will be hosting the Virtual Landscape Theatre for one week from 8th August. This interactive exhibit allows an audience to decide what actions should be taken to reduce the impact of ash dieback and to explore the implications of these choices. Intrigued? Come and find out more in August!

We have also produced a series of podcasts to examine why the trees of Scotland are been hit by so many diseases, what can be done about it and how everyone can get involved. Ali Murfitt from the Botanics and Plantlife International presents three stories which will be available soon.

Veteran ash tree (c) Forestry Commission

Diseases are a real threat to our trees and it is likely we will loose a high proportion of our ash trees. Yet, over the course of this project I started to feel more positive about the future of Scottish woodlands. It would be easy to listen to the mass media and get very depressed about the state of our forests and trees. But woodlands are dynamic and have always changed; over such long periods of time we humans find it difficult to comprehend.

We need to build resilience in the woodlands of Scotland to ensure their longevity. By this I mean managing woodlands in a way that creates diversity in the species present, diversity in the age of the trees and diversity in structure. If we do this it may be possible to maintain the ever-changing, unique woodlands of Scotland.

The media is full of information on Chalara dieback of Ash; Chalara fraxinea. Below are web links that give information on the fungal disease that will cause loss of foliage then dieback of the crown which may result in death of the tree should the spores infect a tree.

The mature specimen in the Garden exhibiting its winter silhouette and distinctive black buds is healthy. The wood of Ash, Fraxinus excelsior, is used to make truncheons and walking sticks.

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

http://ashtag.org

www.fraxback.eu

Reporting suspected cases

If you think you have spotted the disease, please check the symptoms video and pictorial guide on the Foresty Commisions web site above , and their guide to recognising ash trees, before reporting it to one of the following:

In England and Wales

Chalara helpline: 08459 33 55 77 (open 8am – 6pm every day) or [email protected]

In Scotland

Forestry Commission Scotland: 0131 314 6156 (9am – 5pm weekdays + out-of-hours messaging system) or [email protected]

Fraxinus excelsior

Fraxinus excelsior

There’s been several news stories published in the last week after a quiet spell. Journalists must be rising like the sap… (or it’s just become visible now the leaves are out after a cold period).

Carmathernshire:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south…

The Ash tree is on the verge of being wiped out in England. Chalara is a disease which has been imported from Europe and has infected sites across the whole country. Its devastation has been measured in some countries as taking out 90% of the ash population. An estimate of 80 million ash trees in England and it being our 4th most common trees means the forests will become sparse. Since the ash plays an important part in the life cycle of various plants and animals, they will also suffer.

The environmental balance is going to be shook up.