WHO will deconstruct our fallen trees? How about Green Boot Camps?

Despite being a third-generation gardener, it took some time for me while on Truro City Council to realise how costly it is to clear fallen trees. Some estimates for deconstructing trees are just astonishing when you consider the specialist equipment, trained crews and insurance cover required. Arborists work in hazardous, time‑sensitive conditions where every step - from assessing disease to safely cutting, lifting, and transporting heavy timber - demands expertise and significant operational expense. Costs can be as much as £,5000 per tree.

You can understand my shock when thousands of trees countywide had fallen through storms earlier this year. Who was going to clear them all?

Some advocate carbon sequestration (leaving trees where they have fallen) as a solution to the expense of removing trees altogether. However, fallen and diseased trees need to be cleared from the ground because they pose both ecological and safety challenges if left unmanaged. Trees diseased from fungal infection, pests or structural decay will become unpredictable; once on the ground, disease may spread to nearby healthy trees and accelerate the decline of woodland.

Interns from Green Boot Camps could clear these trees interrupting that cycle, removing the reservoir of infection and helping protect the wider habitat. In public areas, fallen trees become a nuisance, creating hazards for walkers and cyclists. Usable timber can be repurposed, deadwood can be retained in controlled quantities for wildlife, and the rest can be removed to maintain a healthy, resilient landscape.

The green economy is expanding, and these programmes help to ensure that young people who were previously overlooked are not left behind. Green Boot Camps give young people a chance not just to learn but to contribute, and in doing so, to rediscover their own value.