Many thanks for your e-mail.
The Woodland Trust does not support or advocate the use of firetacks or pins being placed directly into trees for the following reasons:
1. Such practice can lead to direct damage to the tree – which can lead to two main points of concern:

So no nestboxes allowed either then ?

• One of the main roles of tree bark is to protect the tree from infections such as bacterial or fungal attack – damage to the bark can lead to infections gaining access to the tree.

So no gnawing bark loving animals like sheep nearby then ? or insects for that matter


• Immediately under the bark is the system of “tubes” through which food and nutrients required by the tree flow – again these can be disrupted or damaged causing growth problems for the tree – this is especially true in younger trees where the bark tends to be thinning.

Dont use small young trees then OK got that

2. Nails, tacks and pins if left on a growing tree will eventually end up being “included” within the bark and sometimes stem of the tree. They are usually not visible from the outside when this ooccurs. Chainsaws used in the felling of trees are susceptible to damage and in the worse case scenario chainsaws can “kick back” towards the user when they hit metal/nails within the tree. This is potentially a real danger to forestry workers.

This is why the wardens of both places we have night caches know the exact routes in fact they have both used them at night.

If they were to be felled we would of course know and remove them.

Our reflectors are made from drawing pins which intrude into the outer layer of the tree 4mm these are smaller than other items such as stones that get caught into trees.

Nails in trees are obviously an issue but no night cache of ours uses them or any day cache for that matter.

3. On the whole the attachment of plastic wallets or other items to trees directly tends to be both intrusive within a woodland setting and can lead to littering as the plastic or paper breaks down.

Err not applicable maybe they think we are nailing cache boxes to trees, or toher items to form a trail this does bring the issue of how do they attach bird boxes ??, and other notices

4. Where the fixing of message is part of the geocache then the use of gate or fence posts or other converted timber would be a more preferable location and we would advocate that all such geocaches are removed before they start to break down along with any fixing nails or pins.

Always prefer this technique but there are not always enough

5. The use of lightweight and natural string products such as jute or natural wood hung from low hanging accessible branches would seem to be a preferable alternative but again we would advocate that these should be removed.

We use this technique in rectory wood ( a day cache)

Not sure if this helps but if you feel you want to talk this through further please just let me know.
All the best.

So as long as there is permision and everyone knows where they are not a problem.

If the wood is for lumber then this may be a potential issue but our tacks are placed in the older more mature trees and avoid any obvious lumber trees (straight ones)

I really cant see the issue as long as they are removable.


NB

Like graveyards, train stations etc i believe any night cache in the UK must have express permission, i base this on the fact that one of our night caches attracted a strange goings on in woods phone call to the landowner. Who informed them of a night trail in the woods.