Forestry Experts Show How to Fell a 200-Year-Old Diseased Oak in a Controlled Way

Specialists from the German forestry company TimbCo GmbH have published a YouTube tutorial showing how to take down an oak more than 30 metres tall in a controlled manner. The tree is estimated to be 200 to 250 years old and is no longer stable enough to stand, so experts judged it to be a hazard to people. The video can serve as an example of forestry and tree care work in which safety comes first.

Safety first

A hut stands right beside the tree, and the adjacent path is heavily used by hikers and a forest kindergarten. The specialists stress that safety must therefore be guaranteed at all times. Instead of felling the oak in one go, the crew decided to reduce it in a controlled way to a pre-determined trunk section known as a torso.

Work with rope climbing technique

Before starting, the whole tree was carefully inspected for hollows and holes so that animals living in it could be taken into account. The two forestry workers, Frank and Simeon, then split up in the tree and used rope climbing technique (SKT) to remove branches and trunk sections piece by piece. At one point a piece of the oak trunk unexpectedly hit a cherry tree growing alongside, which broke into several parts. The cherry was already badly damaged and would have had to be felled anyway.

Habitat for animals

In the end, the planned torso remained standing. Simeon additionally cut small holes and slits into the trunk to create new living space for wildlife. The company's experts note that tree care does not always mean removing a tree completely. Viewers praised the explanations of cutting technique and tree biology in their comments.