FEATURE STORY 07
“ To make our arboretum different we focused on planting cherry trees and since then we ’ ve built it up to 240 species of flowering cherry , possibly the largest collection in Europe ”.
Dave Emley
At the Green Gown Awards in 2016
When I started getting letters in the post saying Mr D Emley BEM , I thought this is actually real . It ’ s for the work I ’ ve done here at Keele but also I ’ ve been involved in the natural history scene , in North Staffordshire especially , for a long time and chaired various groups and written publications , so in a way it ’ s not just for Keele but for natural history in this area . It was a great honour .
“ It was a small team that labelled about 3,000 trees and created a database . We then created a guided walk map which led to us working with the University ’ s Heritage Lakes and Valleys Project . We helped improve the landscape around Keele Hall and put in a path around the lakes for people to walk round . At the same time we put in fence posts with colour bands which links to our guided walk maps – they are free of charge for people to walk around campus without getting lost .
“ To make our arboretum different we focused on planting cherry trees and since then we ’ ve built it up to 240 species of flowering cherry , giving Keele possibly the largest collection in Europe . It ’ s been designated a national collection which means we have 70 per cent of available flowering cherry trees in cultivation . We have Japanese cherries here that you can ’ t get anywhere else , including in Japan , and we ’ ve hosted Japanese visitors to see the trees and take cuttings to reintroduce them back into the country .”
For his dedication Dave was awarded the British Empire Medal in the 2017 New Year ’ s Honours List for services to higher education and natural history . The award also acknowledged his voluntary contribution to natural history in Staffordshire , including prominent roles in a number of local wildlife and conservation groups .
When Dave first received the letter announcing that he was to receive the British Empire Medal he thought that it was a scam and only later realised how real it was .
Dave also won a Green Gown Award last year in the individual category of Sustainability Champion Award for Staff .
He said : “ Last year was amazing , I also got a Teaching Excellence Award which has never been given to a technician before , so that was fantastic . I received the award at graduation which was wonderful as I ’ d never been to graduation in the 43 years that I ’ d been here , so to receive something so special was wonderful .
“ Then to get the Green Gown Sustainability Award was great as well . It ’ s a reflection on the work I ’ ve done promoting the University and making people aware of their environment , encouraging them to respect it .”
Dave developed his career at Keele by volunteering , and when the University introduced more environmental courses Dave went on to teach within the School of Geography , Geology and the Environment , supporting and delivering lectures and field courses across a range of modules .
He said : “ I have been proactive in introducing new techniques and new resources to support teaching , learning and research . My philosophy has been a willingness to go the extra mile in providing a good service . My interest in the natural world has fuelled my quest to enthuse staff , students and visitors alike to appreciate the flora and fauna of our environment at Keele and elsewhere .”
Dave in fact helped set up Keele University ’ s first website . He taught himself HTML code , and when the University acquired a web Content Management System ( CMS ) Dave and Chris Beard , Web Developer in Marketing and Communications , transferred their handwritten code into the new CMS , helping to create the University ’ s website that we have today .
Dave ’ s commitment , dedication and determination for the University to prosper , as well as celebrate its natural flora and fauna , continues to be an inspiration to colleagues and students .