SIGNIFICANT TREE & VEGETATION REGISTER NOMINATION FORMS
On Sunday, October 20 PICS and the Bass Coast branch of the National Trust held a joint Significant Tree and Vegetation Register Forum in the Parish Hall, Cowes. The background work for the forum included setting the criteria, developing a nomination form, and developing an assessment form and was done by PICS members President Jeff Nottle, committee member Jane Jobe, members John Eddy and Maria Venn, and President of BCNT Greg Buchanan. Over 75 people attended, including the Bass Coast Shire Council Mayor, Brett Tessari, and Crs Ellis, Fullarton and Rothfield. The forum heard from the chairman of the National Trust Victoria Significant Tree Register, Dr Greg Moore, who spoke passionately about trees, and listed the many advantages of vegetation, especially in urban areas, and gave examples of problems that had arisen from having no or few trees. These will be exacerbated in the future due to climate change, and we need to leave a heritage of 30% tree canopy in Victoria to ensure future generations enjoy the climate mitigation of trees.
After a break for afternoon tea the forum heard from Jane Jobe on the nomination form, and John Eddy who demonstrated the interactive map of 15 subject trees. The map was developed pro bono by Harley Schinagl of Terra Lab. The 15 trees are marked on the Phillip Island map and when one is clicked a drop-down box gives the dimensions, species, etc, of the tree.
Those attending then broke into groups with a folder each for one of the subject trees, and they work-shopped the nomination form to ensure it was going to be adequate. In the reporting back session, a number of excellent suggestions were received to improve the nomination form.
The forms and instruction sheet are now available on this website, and hard copies will also be available from Bass Coast Shire offices and Information Centres.
Download forms here:
Instruction Sheet – download here
Tree Nomination Form – download here
Vegetation Nomination Area Form – download here
The public is encouraged to nominate trees which they think will fit one or more of the criteria.
The closing date for this round of nominations is Monday November 25.
Nominations are to be returned to PICS PO Box 548, COWES, 3922 or scanned and emailed to: phillipislandconservation@gmail.com