CURRICULUM VITAE
Philip Blackstock
26 Tullynahinnion Road.
Portglenone
Ballymena
Co Antrim
BT44 8EL
TELEPHONE (0044) (0)2825 821202
Fax (0044)(0)2825821295
Mobile (0044)(0)7767 393075
Email philip.blackstock@dnet.co.uk
QUALIFICATIONS
National Diploma of Horticulture (R.H.S) Inter.
Diploma in Industrial Management
M.Sc. in Environmental Management (A Field Survey of Unmanaged Roadside
Cuttings in South Antrim)
D.Phil in Forestry (Broad-Leaved Tree and Shrub Invasion of Conifer Plantations in Ireland)
Professional member of the Arboricultural Association
Registered Forestry Consultant with the Irish Forest Service
Member of the Technical Committee of Woodlands of Ireland
Constructionline registration number 80973 (Arboriculture, including tree health and condition surveys)
PRESENT EMPLOYMENT
Arboricultural consultant.
Duties include carrying out tree surveys, providing expert opinion, producing valuations, completing reports and liasing with clients.
Principal Arboricultural consultant for the Planning Service of Northern Ireland.
Duties included the preparation of reports for Tree Preservation Orders, attending planning appeals etc
Farm forestry consultant to Western forestry Co-operative.
Duties include the assessment of performance of the farm forestry co-operatives, planning appeals for farm forestry and carrying out research contracts on forest residues, native woodlands and aspects of the timber and forestry industry in
Ireland
Dr Philip Blackstock
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PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT
December 1995 to March 2001
Arboricultural consultant for M. Large Tree Services Ltd.
Duties included carrying out tree and vegetation surveys, completing reports and liasing with clients, providing court appearances etc. for public and private clients.
March 1992 to December 1995
Arboricultural Lecturer in Greenmount Horticultural College, Antrim.
Duties included preparing and giving lectures on a range of arboricultural and horticultural subjects, assessing students etc.
June 1993 to July 1994
Seconded to UAOS Ltd. as Forestry Development Officer.
Duties included assessing the potential for farm forestry in N. Ireland and setting up pilot farm forestry co-operatives.
August 1988 to March 1992
Grounds Maintenance Officer NEELB.
Duties included the management of the grounds of 230 schools in South County.
Antrim.
June 1983 to July 1988
Managing Director of Greenearth Gardeners Ltd.
Duties included the management of a landscape, grounds maintenance and tree surgery business.
September 1982 to June 1983
Full time student at Pershore College of Horticulture.
March 1980 to September 1982
Horticulture Instructor at Glenand workshop.
Duties included instructing and supervising students in Horticulture
1974 to March 1980
Grounds man to Head Gardener at Holywell Hospital, Antrim.
Duties included the maintenance and management of 23 acres of grounds, 4 acres of vegetable gardens and three large glass houses.
Dr Philip Blackstock
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ARBORICULTURAL AND FORESTRY EXPERIENCE
I have carried out surveys and produced reports on the health, condition, amenity value and landscape value of trees since 1983. Clients have now included most of the Local Authorities, Health Trusts and Government Departments within
Northern Ireland. Private clients have included Solicitors, Architects and
Developers. These surveys have produced a series of databases containing over
150,000 individual tree reports, each report containing information on the trees' age and past management.
I have provided expert opinion (including Court appearances) for a large number of clients involved in litigation or in planning appeals. Recent clients have included many of the large insurance companies, the Planning Service, the
Roads Service and the Northern Ireland Office. Topics covered by this opinion have included the predictability of failure in trees, amenity and financial evaluation of damage to trees, evidence of subsidence caused by trees, evidence of unsafe tree surgery practices leading to injury, and tree related evidence in boundary and planning disputes.
I have maintained a research interest on the effects of environmental influences on tree and shrub regeneration in Ireland and on the development of woody biodiversity in recently planted woods. I have been involved in a number of projects connected with this, including research into planting proposals for the
Belfast cross harbour road links, the management of track-side vegetation for N I
R, potassium deficiency in spruce and into the effect of exposure on hardwood tree establishment. More recently I have begun research into the distribution of and environmental influences on deciduous tree diseases, tree stability and into the incidence of dangerous roadside trees.
I have been involved in the promotion of farm forestry in Northern Ireland for a number of years and have been responsible for organising a number of seminars for the Farm Forestry Forum on topics like 'The Production of Quality Hardwoods' and 'Non Timber Income from Farm Forestry'. I have carried out an extensive review of the Northern Ireland timber market for the Department of Agriculture
Forest Service. This review highlighted the added value within each of the major wood using industrial sectors and indicated the market penetration of native hardwoods as well as that of State grown softwoods. I have also reviewed the domestic fuelwood market in Ireland and in Switzerland, the availability of forest residues for fuel in Ireland and have completed a survey of the needs of farm forestry in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland. Other completed research includes the development of a co-operative marketing structure for farm grown timber in Ireland.
Dr Philip Blackstock
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Publications
Blackstock, P, Cooper, A, Gardner, C and Nevin, G (1995). Belfast Cross Harbour road and rail links. Landscape strategy for eastern road approach embankments: investigations for plant choice and plant establishment.
University of Ulster, Coleraine
Blackstock P. (1997) A review of the Northern Ireland timber market . UAOS Ltd,
Portadown.
Binggeli P. and Blackstock P. (1999) Impact of exposure on extension growth and stem quality of young ash and sycamore in farm forestry plantations . Agrofor. Forum 9(3), 19-
23.
Blackstock P. (2000) Farm forestry needs survey . UAOS Ltd. Portadown.
Binggeli P., Blackstock P. and McGill C. (2000 ) Potassium deficiency in conifers on former agricultural land . Quart. J. For. 94, 229-231.
Blackstock P. and Binggeli P. (2000) Development of a market strategy for domestic fuelwood in Ireland . UAOS Ltd, Portadown.
Binggeli, P, Blackstock, P., Hudson, B and O'Malley, P. (2001 ) Development of integrated fuel supply strategies from forest residues for electricity and heat markets . EC
FAIR CT98-9533. Western Forestry Co-operative and B9 Energy, Sligo & Londonderry.
Blackstock, P. (2002) Irish Farm Forestry Needs Survey . Western Forestry Co-operative,
Sligo.
Blackstock, P, Gallagher, R, Kula, E, O'Donohoe, S & Wall, S. (2003 ) Developing effective market led grower co-operatives . COFORD Dublin
Courses recently taught
Spring 2009 – Natural Regeneration, Native Woodland Training Course, Gort, Co
Galway
February and March 2011 – Amenity tree management - Hazards and risk assessment, and Planting schemes and aftercare. Foundation degree in Horticulture, Greenmount
College, Antrim.
Seminars attended 2011 (C P D)
09.04.2011 Royal Forestry Society meeting at Rams Island and Rays Wood. Managing lakeshore woodland
08.09.2011 Society of Plant Pathologists meeting at Termonfeckin. Seminar on
Phytophthora ramorum
10.09.2011. Royal Forestry Society meeting at Glenarm Castle. Management of a mixed private Estate
Dr. Philip Blackstock
Dr Philip Blackstock
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