A new Director at the Association of Tree Officers (www.ato.org.uk)

The Association of Tree Officers (ATO) has appointed a new Director, Peter Howson, Principal Tree Officer at Liverpool City Council. Peter is the Principal Tree Officer at Liverpool City Council. After moving to Liverpool to study for his BEd in Craft Design & Technology he changed tack to study Arboriculture at Reasehealth Cheshire College of Agriculture in 1988 whilst working for several local Arboricultural Contractors, he then formed his own company of Consulting Arboricultural Contractors. He joined Liverpool City Council in 1994 as one of three Forestry Officers, progressing to the Tree Woodland & Ranger Manager and has been the Principal Tree Officer ever since. Peter has also lectured in Arboriculture on a part time basis at Plas Tan y Bwlch in Snowdonia and Myerscough College, and has been Chair of the Core Cities Tree Benchmarking Group. Peter Howson, Principal Tree Officer at Liverpool City Council and ATO Director, said “You cannot simply be taught how to become a Tree Officer. It is something you learn through experience on top of prior learning. Membership of the Association of Tree Officers shows how information, knowledge and experience can be shared for mutual benefit.”