Specialist arborists visited the Forest Gallery again last Tuesday 11th August to prune and shape the trees before spring growth and bird nesting starts in earnest.  This ensures they fit within the shape of the fully enclosed gallery, and maintains the designed views as the trees and shrubs grow.  Importantly it also thins the canopy foliage so the trees less likely to fall or snap in strong winds.  While they were in there, one of the crew cleaned the wind sensor on the top of one of the 20m high poles.  It was all just in the nick of time- Melbourne had gale forces winds over the weekend- at 11:20am on 16th August it went literally off the scale- which only reads up to 90.72 km/h.  To put this in perspective, a blue flashing light goes off when wind in the Gallery reaches 45km/h and we close the space to the public for safety.  As far as we are aware, no other Museum in the world has to close a gallery during strong winds.  Happily not one branch was lost in the windstorm- testament to the work of the arborists.

An arborist scales the burnt timber pole to clean the wind sensor. Photo: Andrew Kuhlmann Source: Museum Victoria

Tree climbing without spikes. Photo: Andrew Kuhlmann Source: Museum Victoria

Pruning keeps the trees from pressing up against the mesh. Photo: Andrew Kuhlmann Source: Museum Victoria