Tree and Woodland Adviser
Behind the scenes with Marina Ramsden
What do you do exactly?
I protect the trees in the Lake District. I cover the whole of the National Park and work 3 days per week. I cover serving tree preservation orders, trees in conservation areas, forest design plans and trees in relation to planning applications.
What's your background?
I am trained as a landscape architect and trained in arboriculture.
What's so special about the work you do?
The trees are what is special about my job. Trees are vitally important to us for producing our oxygen, they are our green air conditioners, they screen and soften the built environment and reduce flooding and soil erosion, add value to our properties, store carbon, produce timber and are vitally important as habitat. What would the Lake District look like without trees?
What are the best parts of the job?
Getting to visit some of the most impressive trees and woodland in the lake district and educating people on the value and importance of trees.
What are the worst parts of the job?
Monday mornings dealing with all the calls from concerned people over the weekend.
What advice would you give to someone who would like to do this kind of job?
These jobs are few and far between. However training in landscape architecture, arboriculture or both would be vital.