How to submit a report on TreeAlert
TreeAlert has been set up by Forestry Commission to gather information about the health of the nation’s trees and woodlands. The information complied by the alert system will contribute to important nationwide tree health monitoring and aid scientific research into tree health, pests and disease.
It is of vital importance that ALL outbreaks of OPM are recorded on the TreeAlert system to ensure we keep track of outbreaks. This article will provide you with a guide on how to make a useful TreeAlert report. Please note, at least 2 photographs of the affected trees are required for a submission (one showing the tree in context and the other showing the damage/OPM).
1. Go to the TreeAlert page
2. Click on 'Submit a general report of a problem affecting the health of a tree(s), including Oak Processionary Moth and Oriental Chestnut Gall wasp'.
3. Enter your contact details and click 'next'.
4. Select your level of knowledge and how you are affiliated with the client or project. Click 'next'.
5. Select the date when the observation was made and click 'next'.
6. Select where you made the observation and click 'next'.
7. Enter the grid reference of the observation (the infested tree) or place a point on the map. Click 'next'.
8. Select whether you observed the OPM on or off the tree and click 'next'.
9. Select the number of trees showing signs of poor condition (1, up to 10, or more than 10). Select the approximate diameter of the tree trunk (<5cm, 5-15cm, 15-30cm, >30cm, or mixture of diameters). Click 'next'.
10. Select if the tree has been recently planted and the approximate age of the affected tree. Click 'next'.
11. Select if the tree if a conifer or broadleaf, and click 'next'.
12. Choose the common name of the tree from the dropdown list ('Oak'). If you know the species of oak, select it from the second dropdown list or choose 'Don't know'. Click 'next'.
13. Indicate where on the tree the OPM was observed and select the nature of the symptom from the list (for example 'Leaves - defoliation' or 'Stem - Signs of insect'). Click 'next'.
14. Upload at least two pictures of the OPM infestation and click 'next'.
15. Tick the box to give consent for Observatree volunteers and diagnosticians to view your report.