English Heritage, the charity responsible for over 400 of England’s most significant historic sites, is to use Alloy, Yotta’s connected asset management software to manage the 38,000 trees under its care.
Yotta, now part of Causeway Technologies, is the leading global connected asset management and services provider, and will implement Alloy so English Heritage can more efficiently manage its tree assets which include 160 hectares of woodland and individual trees of significant historical and botanical value.
Using Alloy, English Heritage will monitor their trees and woodlands to assess risk arising from age, damage or disease, ensuring both the safety of its millions of visitors and staff and the health of the landscape. Staff will accurately log threats or damage to trees and woodland, helping sustain wildlife and biodiversity at historically important sites such as the 1066 Battle of Hastings Abbey and Battlefield site in East Sussex and the former royal residence of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, on the Isle of Wight, Osborne.
The adoption of Alloy has brought tree management into the digital era and will streamline processes for vastly greater efficiency. Previously, English Heritage’s expert staff had to rely entirely on spreadsheets and manual, paper-based methods to manage its tree estate.
Jamie Cain, Senior Estates Manager, English Heritage said: “Alloy will make a huge difference to our work. Managing thousands of trees and maintaining the health of landscapes across 400 sites is a substantial task. With this software we’ll be able make a big leap forward in terms of efficiency, by adopting a data-driven approach that will enable us to better manage our day-to-day operations and look ahead to combat new threats from climate change, and emerging pests and diseases.”
Initially, English Heritage will complete a baseline survey of all 38,000 trees by the end of 2022. Any arboricultural work required after the survey will be managed, tracked and recorded through Alloy as an end-to-end, fully digital process. Alloy is highly configurable, providing a high level of flexibility and integration that makes it a solution for the long term.
Nick Smee, CEO of Yotta, said: “It’s exciting for Alloy to support the work of English Heritage in the care and management of so many of the country’s most historic and beautiful landscapes. English Heritage is highly respected for its expertise and commitment to standards and Yotta will work collaboratively to help streamline the efficiency of tree-management processes, providing a future-proof solution.”
With the deployment of Alloy, data will be fully integrated in a single system so staff can more easily manage each tree or group of trees as required. For example, it is possible to identify and assess the impact of diseases such as ash dieback which is a severe threat to the health of an important native species. Inspectors in the field can use the Alloy mobile app to upload notes and file reports about trees.
Equipped with this data, English Heritage will be far better placed to make important decisions, using insights derived from it to inform its entire tree-management strategy, with significant benefits for the wellbeing of landscapes over generations.
Yotta is dedicated to applying technology to the advancement of infrastructure asset management and environmental services. Its purpose is to empower those with asset and data-rich environments to make better, more informed decisions about the way their infrastructure assets and environmental services are managed.
Just a few of the famous trees cared for by English Heritage include:
* The Royal Oak at Boscobel House in which Charles II hid after the battle of Worcester
* The mulberry at Down House, where Charles Darwin lived and wrote ‘On the Origin of Species’.
* The red oak planted for the silver jubilee by Queen Mary in 1935 at Osborne House
About English Heritage:
English Heritage cares for over 400 historic buildings, monuments and sites - from world-famous prehistoric sites to grand medieval castles, from Roman forts on the edge of the empire to a Cold War bunker. Through these, we bring the story of England to life for over 10 million people each year. Registered charity no. 1140351. For more information, please visit: www.english-heritage.org.uk
