Tree Plotting Ideas?

[LOLGEOFF]

Here's one for the mapping gurus.

Being a rural parish we have lots of trees, most are easy to ascertain ownership of others not so, especially the ones in multi ownership woodlands, quite a lot of woodland around here is owned by Southwark Council and Sevenoaks Council. Every 18 months the trees are inspected for soundness and condition by a qualified tree risk assessor and a report made to advise remedial action. The risk assessor has been doing this job for the council for over 30 years and is retiring after the next inspection in October, he knows where our trees are and has agreed to have some councillors follow him around marking our trees as we go. At about £1500 a pop to fell a diseased Ash tree you don't want to be paying for someone else's trees.

What I was wondering is there an app that uses a mobile phone's GPS that can be used to plot trees and boundaries fairly accurately out in the bundu apart from What3words? I realise that the signal might be weak due to the canopy so it might not be possible.

 

[DJ123]

You could use a Sat nav to find out GPS co-ordinates at each location, to work along side the what3words location. It should be a good accurate way to mark both pins onto a map.

 

[NeilDD]

What 3 Words might work, as it gives you a unique 3M square

 

[Baked Bean]

My son uses 'forestree' for his business.
It's pretty limitless to how many trees you can plot and you can log any details for each tree.

 

[Mzokk]

A handheld GPS and QGIS would be enough to locate and map your trees.

This is a zoomed in view of loos and Picnic tables. On Open Street Maps.


A zoommed out view of the data.


This is about the limit of OSM in a residential area. It does not resolve property boundaries. You'd need Large scale OS maps for that.

 

[wessie]

traditionally, one should sit on one's hands and let the next administration resolve the matter

 

[SBD]

You might want an RTK correction for your gps location, given the variable precision of gps.

You’ll need a way of resolving it but RTK2Go appears to be reliable and free.

 

[Wapping]

traditionally, one should sit on one's hands and let the next administration resolve the matter

Wise words.

 

[Wapping]

What is wrong with using (the very simple) What Three Words? If it can pinpoint someone, lying on a mountainside with a broken leg, it should be good enough for a tree, surely? Aren’t the trees tagged with a metal disc or is that part of the exercise going on now?

 

[SBD]

W3W is great, but I guess you might have more than one tree per square, and finding the precise edges of the squares in a forest might tax the phone gps

Perhaps more pertinently, there tends to be only one broken climber at a time per mountainside, and they look different to all the other people and sheep, whereas trees, well, they all look the same, know what I mean.

A case of not seeing the trees for the wood, perhaps?

 

[stever1]

I use W3W when I’m doing AP visits to plan lifting operations. I find it’s very good in plotting locations. Bear in mind with cranes, we work positions to centimetres .

 

[Wapping]

The risk assessor has been doing this job for the council for over 30 years and is retiring after the next inspection in October, he knows where our trees are and has agreed to have some councillors follow him around marking our trees as we go.

The aged factotum is going out with you / other councillors, identifying the trees, which will then be ‘marked’. Despite approaching senility, the loyal public servant has remembered where the trees are, seemingly without pen, paper, map or military grade geo satellite equipment. There has been a typical lack of hand over and the skill (like that of thatching, ditch digging and traditional hedge laying) will now be lost for future generations. It’s a disgrace and questions need to be asked. Heads must roll!

Follow the doddery old fecker around, before he falls off his perch and mark the trees as best you can. Or give the job to the local Brownies.

 

[LOLGEOFF]

A handheld GPS and QGIS would be enough to locate and map your trees.

This is a zoomed in view of loos and Picnic tables. On Open Street Maps.

View attachment 429333
A zoommed out view of the data.
View attachment 429334

This is about the limit of OSM in a residential area. It does not resolve property boundaries. You'd need Large scale OS maps for that.

Thanks that looks like a possibility.

 

[LOLGEOFF]

traditionally, one should sit on one's hands and let the next administration resolve the matter

I've been doing that for years as a "backbencher" but for reasons only known to others I find myself in a position where I'm expected to know how to solve these sorts of problems or offer sensible advice. It's definitely going against the grain.

 

[LOLGEOFF]

What is wrong with using (the very simple) What Three Words? If it can pinpoint someone, lying on a mountainside with a broken leg, it should be good enough for a tree, surely? Aren’t the trees tagged with a metal disc or is that part of the exercise going on now?

I've tried it to pinpoint rare plants under trees and it gets a bit random when it can't see a satellite easily. Marking the trees are ok but their environment is kind to paint or metal disc marking they disappear after a while.

 

[Deleted account 250722001]

If you have an outdoor satnag, you can chose the option 'Waypoint averaging'
and let it carry on and strut its stuff.
Then using OS maps, you can load the results on the map and see your waypoints relative to boundaries etc.
Job done. No stalking of old codger required!

 

[Wapping]

This is second only to the mapping of the coast of Australia in its complexity

 

[Wapping]

It’s AI’s answer, so it’s probably bollox…. But it mentions dense canopies of trees….




As it’s the local council, you’ll need training and to complete a risk assessment BEFORE use. Someone will then put the device in a locked cupboard, go on holiday or lose the key.

Hire in the retiree as a consultant.

 

[Deleted account 250722001]

This is second only to the mapping of the coast of Australia in its complexity @Wapping

@Wapping
Why do you ridicule a solution offered to a problem posted by @LOLGEOFF ?
particularly when it's obvious you don't know the answer... Bizarre.

 

[Wapping]

@Wapping
Why do you ridicule a solution offered to a problem posted by @LOLGEOFF ?
particularly when it's obvious you don't know the answer... Bizarre.

It wasn’t a reference to your post, dear hesrt, but to the ever developing thread. Had it of been, I’d have quoted it.

Yours was a spiffing suggestion, right up there at the very pinnacle of the bikermate brotherhood of helpfulness.