Statement on coronavirus from The Yorkshire Arboretum

To all our visitors,

In light of the uncertainties we face with the outbreak of COVID-19, we want to reassure you the Yorkshire Arboretum is taking all precautions necessary to help keep you, our visitors, and our employees safe and healthy. The Yorkshire Arboretum is fortunate to be an outdoor attraction, where fresh air, open spaces and natural tranquillity can still be enjoyed by all. Our 120 acres are yours to explore – stroll through the trees or round the lake, catch the first signs of spring, or even try to spot the local wildlife! The arboretum can be accessed from the members’ gate to the left of the Visitor Centre, 10am-3pm.

Until further notice, the arboretum is open FREE TO ALL. If you would like to contribute, we suggest a £5 donation, but anything you can give will make a difference to our long term survival at this difficult time for everyone. An honesty box will be fixed to the members’ gate over the next week, and a QR code will be available to scan if you would like to give digitally. If you would like to donate online, please follow the link below.

Our visitors’ wellbeing is our top priority, and we want you to feel confident that we are doing everything we can to ensure your safety.

-        The Visitor Centre, including the toilets, is closed until further notice

-        The Arboretum Café is closed until further notice

-        For your safety, a member of staff will be on site at and available in the Visitor Centre or Cabin Office

We want to continue giving you a safe, enjoyable and calming environment to visit. The Yorkshire Arboretum is a special place, and is still yours to explore.

Thank you

The Yorkshire Arboretum team

Donate

Hobson and Porter Begin Work on UK's First Dedicated Tree Health Centre

Yorkshire & Lincolnshire based construction firm Hobson & Porter Ltd have won the contract to build the UK’s first Tree Health Centre. The Yorkshire Arboretum, located near Castle Howard in North Yorkshire, has raised funds to build and operate the UK’s first purpose-built facility to expand public awareness about the threats to our trees posed by an increasing number of pests and diseases, and the need to keep our trees as healthy as possible. Capital funding for the project has come from the Peter Sowerby Foundation, £286,000 of the Government’s Local Growth Fund, secured by the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership (YNYER LEP) and from private donations. Start up and operating funding has come from The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund.

Designed by SALT Architects of Beverley, East Yorkshire, the Tree Health Centre will offer training courses given by specialists and cater to all levels of expertise. Following successful pilot courses held in 2018, the centre will offer training on a commercial basis mixing classroom, lab and outdoor learning settings, as well as a public outreach programme.

Yorkshire Arboretum Chief Operating Officer Mathew Harrison says: “We are delighted to announce Hobson & Porter Ltd as building contractors for the Tree Health Centre. The company has strong links across Yorkshire with a proven track record of delivering third sector projects – they are keen to promote environmental preservation, and we believe their approach matches our core strategy and values.”

Sam Alexander, chair of YNYER LEP’s Skills and Employability Board, said: “The natural environment plays a vital role in our social and economic health as a region. It is crucial we have the skills available to protect Yorkshire landscapes and contribute to tree health in the UK and beyond. With the help of funding secured by the LEP, this specialist knowledge centre will build the capacity in the region to protect tree health and lead the way for others. We’re pleased to see the project reach this latest milestone.”

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth, Jake Berry, said: “We’re deeply committed to boosting economic growth and levelling up our communities across the North and the Midlands.

“It’s great to hear that thanks to over £285,000 from the Local Growth Fund, the UK’s first Tree Health Centre is being built right here in the Northern Powerhouse and will safeguard the region’s natural environment for future generations to come.”

Arboretum Director John Grimshaw said ‘We’ve been planning this building for ages, and it’s so exciting to see works starting at last. We look forward to delivering sound advice on the management of healthy trees for a healthy environment – a critical issue for us all.’

Click here to download the original press release.

ya_a_photo---17-min.jpg

New Chair of Trustees Sought for the Yorkshire Arboretum

After nine years in the role, Professor Alastair Fitter CBE, FRS, will be standing down as Chair of the Castle Howard Arboretum Trust at the end of June 2020. He says that ‘Leading the Trust and watching the development of the Yorkshire Arboretum since 2011 has been an absorbing and fulfilling task. The past few years have seen the arboretum grow in every sense, becoming better known and increasingly a leader in the field of tree health.’

The board of trustees is now looking for someone to replace Professor Fitter in this important role, and is casting a wide net to find ideal candidates. ‘We know it’s not easy to find people to take up these positions’ said Michael Sturge, chair of the nominations panel ‘and we shall greatly miss Alastair’s good counsel, but we’re determined to find the right person. A love of trees and the environment, coupled with leadership experience and a willingness to get involved in fundraising and all aspects of the arboretum’s life are key things we’re looking for.’ A full role description is available on the Yorkshire Arboretum’s website.

The Yorkshire Arboretum was started in 1979 and has been managed by the Trust since 1996. Its collection of over 10,000 trees and shrubs is set in 120 acres of attractive parkland adjacent to Castle Howard, in the rolling landscape of the Howardian Hills, North Yorkshire.  Now attracting 30,000 visitors annually, it has become a noted destination for tree-lovers, school visits and anyone who just wants a peaceful walk in a quiet place – or a bite in the highly regarded Arboretum Café.

Alastair Fitter notes ‘The arboretum team – staff and volunteers - have done so much to enhance the arboretum, putting in new paths, dredging the lake and planting thousands of new trees.  We have been able to invest in machinery, facilities, and staff to enable us to care for and develop the collection and site. Two ambitious projects are under way in 2020 – building the UK’s first specialist tree health training centre and creating an enclosure for a colony of Red Squirrels, both of which will greatly add to the Trust’s stature.  I know that this wonderful place will go from strength to strength.’

Click here to download the original press release.

For further information on this vacancy, visit: www.yorkshirearboretum.org/vacancies/chair-of-trustees

Open Gardens 2020

We are delighted to announce our 2020 Open Gardens programme, funding new planting at the Yorkshire Arboretum.

Once again we are grateful to the garden owners who are supporting us by opening their gardens. This year’s programme is the biggest to date, and includes several new additions. A full list of dates is overleaf including our annual arboretum plant sale and a very special tour of York’s Museum Gardens for season ticket holders.

The price of a season ticket is just £20, making this great value for money. Alternatively you can purchase a day ticket for £5, which will allow you to visit any gardens open that day.

Click on the image below to view the full programme and visit our events page to book your tickets.

Meg Huby becomes new Artist-in-Residence at the arboretum

About Meg Huby

We are delighted to announce that Meg Huby will begin her year-long tenure as Artist-in-Residence in October 2019.

Meg, who began her career as a biologist, forged a lifelong bond with the natural world and an interest in human impacts, both good and bad. Her working life in science and public policy has been a source of inspiration for her artwork in a range of media from paint to print.

In her own words, “the natural world is endlessly changing and cycles of dereliction and regeneration in the man-made world reflect decay and growth in nature. The Yorkshire Arboretum itself constantly changes in a cycle of breakdown and regrowth.” Meg hopes to produce work that raises awareness about the transience of living things and the vital contribution made by trees to both human and environmental well-being.

She adds, “This residency is incredibly exciting, and the opportunity to explore the arboretum environment through all the seasons will provide fantastic inspiration. It’s an absolute privilege and I am looking forward to creating a whole new range of work.”

Meg is a passionate advocate of art as something that anyone can take part in and enjoy. During her residency, she is keen to encourage visitors to join in with the process of drawing and painting, and experience how this “can offer new and different ways of understanding the natural environment.” She will host a small programme of events at the arboretum throughout her time there, with the first – an informal day session for people of all abilities and experience called ‘Trees Undressed’ – taking place on Wednesday 6th November.

An exhibition of the body of the work Meg produces during her year-long residency will run from 18th September to 19th October 2020, featuring original paintings, prints and other merchandise.

You can view and book onto Meg’s events on our events page.

Follow Meg on Instagram by clicking here

The Yorkshire Arboretum - Tree Health Centre Tender

The Yorkshire Arboretum is open to tenders for the construction of a new Tree Health Centre

Project summary

The project is the construction of a new tree health centre including external works and landscaping. The new building is a partially suspended timber frame with larch cladding, a flat roof and curtain wall glazing. The new centre adjoins the existing visitors centre and also creates a new feature walkway leading on to a belvedere viewing platform. For access to the planning conditions and a full ancillary of tender documentation for review and contract construction information please email business@yorkshirearboretum.org

1. The Project and Site

1.1 The Employer

The Castle Howard Arboretum Trust
The Estate Office
Castle Howard
YORK
YO60 7DA

1.2 The Design Team and Project Team

The Employer has appointed a team of professional consultants for the Project. The Design Team comprises:

The Architect/ Contract Administrator/ Principle Designer

Salt Architects
54 Lairgate
Beverley
HU17 8EU

The Quantity Surveyor

Andrew Taylor Quantity Surveying Ltd
Mill Lodge
Mill Street
Hutton
Driffield
YO25 9PU

The Structural/ Civil Engineer

Scott Hughes
Unit 3
Cross York Street Studios
Leeds
LS2 7BL

The M&E Consultant

LEDA
Micklewaite House
70 Cross Green Lane
Leeds
LS9 0DG 

Project Title, Site and Location

Project Title

Tree Health Centre

Site

The site is located within the existing visitors centre and the New Tree Health centre will extend the existing building to form one large centre. Works include formation of a new walkway with tree planting and a belvedere viewing platform.

Location

The Yorkshire Arboretum
Castle Howard
York
YO60 7BY

If Trees Could Talk - Extra Events in 2018

We're delighted to launch a brand new programme of extra events, activities and workshops taking place between July and October this year. These events are 'tasters' for the activities and events we're considering for our Heritage Lottery Fund supported project 'If Trees Could Talk' and we really want to know if such events would help you to get more out of a visit to the arboretum. 

You can download a copy of the programme below. Please come along and let us know what you think.

 

Tree Health Training May 2018

The Yorkshire Arboretum invites you to a training course for businesses across the area served by York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership. Developing skills and competency in tree health security.
Plant health specialists from Fera Science Ltd and the Yorkshire Arboretum will deliver the course as Calderdale College Associates to help develop skills in the arboricultural, horticultural, forestry and woodland industries and allied businesses dealing with trees.
This three-day course is suitable for all staff and will be a basic introduction into the key elements of recognition of tree health issues, good biosecurity practice and resilience and mitigation, enabling participants to continue to develop their skills and competency in this area. It will be a mix of presentations, demonstrations, practical activities, Q&A and based on the following elements:
• Introduction to tree pests and diseases
• Identification of tree pests and diseases
• Good biosecurity practice
• Resilience and mitigation of pests and diseases and their effects
Learning outcomes: As a result of attending this workshop you will be able to explain:
• What are the main threats to trees from pests and diseases
• What are harmful organisms
• The type of damage they may cause
• How organisms can be introduced and spread
• What is good biosecurity practice and how you can apply it in your work
• How to mitigate for tree pests and diseases
• How can I develop my competency in Tree Health and Biosecurity further
Venues and dates:
The course will take place at Fera Science Ltd, Sand Hutton, YO41 1LZ and the Yorkshire Arboretum, Castle Howard, YO60 7BY over three weeks, with the same syllabus being taught on two consecutive days each week. Please indicate which days you would like to attend.
1/2 May Full day: Introduction to tree health issues and identification of pests & diseases
8/9 May Full day: Biosecurity and resilience
15/16 May Half day: Biosecurity
We are able offer the training free to businesses, including sole-traders, based in the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding LEP area (https://www.businessinspiredgrowth.com/where-we-cover/) but there will be a charge of £15 per day to cover booking and catering costs, including lunch.
To arrange your free place apply to visit@yorkshirearboretum.org by 18th April.

Full details of the program can be found here: TreeHealthTraining.pdf

2018 Events Programme

Our 2018 What's On Guide is now available to download below and printed copies will be available from the Visitor Centre from 24th March.

With over 100 events including family activities, garden talks and walks, wildlife encounters and arts and crafts there is something on offer for everyone.

Download your copy below!

 

Open Gardens 2018

Once again a number of the Yorkshire Arboretum’s supporters have generously offered to open their gardens exclusively in aid of arboretum funds through the spring and summer.

Ranging from cottage gardens to ‘big houses’ this season we have 13 gardens, including several new ones, offering a chance to see a diversity of horticultural styles and a vast range of plants within easy reach of the arboretum.

A season ticket for all gardens is only £20 or a day ticket, valid for all gardens open on any single day, is £5. Tickets are available from the Yorkshire Arboretum Visitor Centre or at individual gardens on the day. For full information please download details below

 
 

Please help with our Survey

During 2018 we are working on the development phase of our Heritage Lottery Fund project ‘If Trees Could Talk’. This aims to enable more people to visit and learn more about this place, its collection and its native flora and fauna – three strands of a rich heritage. Accessibility, in every sense, is the core of the project and we are looking to explore what this means during this year’s development work. It will mean hard pathways and interesting interpretation, new activities and facilities, but we need to know more about your thoughts on how you would like to see the arboretum develop – and how you perceive it now.
 
We would greatly appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to complete this survey, which will help us shape this project. Responses will be anonymous if you don’t choose to leave your email (with the opportunity to win a year’s free membership) and we will not share your information with anyone else.
 
Please click here to go to the survey.
 
Thank you,
Sarah
 
Sarah Maultby
HLF Project Officer
project@yorkshirearboretum.org

 

The Yorkshire Arboretum wins Heritage Lottery Fund support

The Yorkshire Arboretum has received initial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for its project ‘If Trees Could Talk’ . The project aims to tell the story of the arboretum’s trees, its historic site and rich natural biodiversity to a wide audience. Thanks to National Lottery players, development funding of £44,400 has been awarded to help the Yorkshire Arboretum progress plans to apply for a full grant at a later date.

Read more