Trees A Crowd

The Executive Branch: Beccy Speight (RSPB), Darren Moorcroft (Woodland Trust) and Craig Bennett (The Wildlife Trusts)

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 05:00:00 GMT

Around a table at the Woodland Trust's headquarters in Grantham, David sits down with three of the most powerful voices in British conservation: Darren Moorcroft, Chief Executive of the Woodland Trust; Craig Bennett OBE, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts; and Beccy Speight, Chief Executive of the RSPB - between them, custodians of millions of members, thousands of nature reserves, and decades of hard-won environmental progress.

It is, on paper, a story of success. The RSPB alone counts more members than every major UK political party combined. The Woodland Trust manages 1,200 sites, all free and open to anyone. The Wildlife Trusts have more nature reserves than McDonald's has restaurants - and if an ambitious bid for a vast estate in Northumberland succeeds, their newest will be the size of Athens. (Put that in your Veggie Burger, Ronald!) And yet the State of Nature reports - co-authored by all three organisations since 2013 - tell a grimmer story: the UK remains one of the most nature-depleted countries on the planet. So if these organisations are succeeding, why is there less wildlife in Britain today than when the first report was published?

What follows is a candid, wide-ranging conversation about why that gap persists - and, more importantly, what it will take to close it. The trio are frank about the limits of their power and the outsized influence of ideology on Downing Street, but also clear-eyed about what is changing: public awareness is shifting, businesses are moving beyond philanthropy, and a growing movement is starting to feel "...like a wave that can be pushed further up the beach than ever before."

All three believe that tipping-point is closer than it looks. As Craig puts it: if you got rid of the economy, nature would be fine. If you got rid of nature, there would be no economy. Get that truth to land in the right places - and the next State of Nature report might finally tell a different story.

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Rakan Zahawi: Giant ambitions at the Charles Darwin Foundation

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Following on from two episodes recorded on San Cristóbal Island, this episode finds David having set sail across the Galapagos archipelago for Santa Cruz; destination: the headquarters of the Charles Darwin Foundation — the research institution founded alongside the Galápagos National Park, and still at the heart of how science becomes conservation on the islands.

Joining David is Rakan Zahawi, CDF’s relatively new Chief Executive. Rakan is a botanist and restoration ecologist who arrived after running botanical gardens in Hawaii and Costa Rica, and now helps steer one of the most ambitious ecological recovery efforts anywhere on the planet. At the centre of this conversation is the Floreana Project: a multi-decade initiative to restore the Galapagos island of Floreana to a natural state, one pre-dating humankind’s arrival in the Galapagos. By tackling invasive species at scale and rebuilding ecosystem function from the ground up, Rakan explains why removing cats and rodents is only the start, and how quickly native wildlife can rebound when pressure lifts — from finches and reptiles to the startling reappearance of the Galápagos Rail for the first time since Darwin’s 1835 visit. With that groundwork laid, attention turns to what comes next: a carefully sequenced programme of reintroductions, led by the recent (last week, no less!) return of giant tortoises to Floreana — hybrids, standing in for a lineage wiped out long ago — as a headline step in a restoration story decades in the making. All that, plus the methodical science behind biocontrol, the worries of a parasitic “avian vampire fly” that threatens Galápagos avian life, and what lies ahead for CDF and its present and future partnerships.

This episode was recorded live at the Charles Darwin Science Centre on Isla Santa Cruz in the Galápagos.

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Prof. Carlos Mena: Trust the Locals, Trust the Science, Protect the Galápagos

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 06:00:00 GMT

This episode finds David in conversation with the Galápagos-born geographer, Director of Universidad San Francisco de Quito’s Galápagos campus and Co-Director of the Galápagos Science Centre, Professor Carlos F. Mena (recorded with a chorus of barking sea lions providing an unmistakably local backdrop!)

From a NASA fellowship and early work modelling human behaviour in the Amazon, Carlos explains how his research led to a simple, uncomfortable truth: conservation succeeds or fails at the level of families. In places where survival is precarious, the forest becomes a bank account — and any environmental message that ignores poverty, health and education is doomed to stay theoretical.

From there, the conversation moves to the Galápagos as a living, inhabited system: a place of extraordinary protection and extraordinary pressure. Carlos describes the islands’ dependence on tourism, the “fortress conservation” model that tightly regulates both people and nature, and the political push to open the archipelago to outside investment. They explore how the Science Centre builds trust with local communities after a history of extractive science, why co-authorship and two-way learning matter, and how citizen-science livelihoods emerged in the shock of COVID.

The episode ends where it began — with sea lions spilling into town — as Carlos unpacks the new sea lion management plan, the challenge of educating residents and tourists alike, and the looming threat of disease in small, irreplaceable populations.

This episode was recorded live at the Galápagos Science Centre on Isla San Cristóbal in the Galápagos.

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Prof. Diana Pazmiño: Rays, Research and the Real Guardians of the Galápagos

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 06:00:00 GMT

A Galápagos native – born on Isla Isabela – marine biologist and conservation geneticist Diana Pazmiño focuses her research on rays, sharks, and the human communities that live alongside them.

In this relaxed discussion with David Oakes, Diana explains why she brings conservation science home, how education shapes what gets noticed, valued, and protected, and what ‘protected’ actually means in practice – especially in those liminal spaces where rules and regulations require regular enforcement.

Nothing epitomises Diana’s belief in the value of education more than the project she initiated on the archipelago – The Gill’s Club. Empowering girls aged 8 to 12 across the four inhabited islands of the Galápagos through experiential learning in marine science and conservation, The Gill’s Club fosters a strong bond with the ocean, develops aquatic skills, critical thinking, and female leadership.

They also explore what happens when conservation becomes purely prohibitive, how bans can drive use underground, and why durable protection depends on local buy-in, education, and a sense of shared identity that’s still being built.

This episode was recorded live at the Galápagos Science Centre on Isla San Cristóbal in the Galápagos.

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Abraham Joffe: The Secret Trade in Polar Bears (or, “How to Save an Animal Everyone Thinks Is Already Protected!”)

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 06:00:00 GMT

In the second of two CITES-centric episodes, this episode finds David in conversation with Australian filmmaker Abraham Joffe – director of Trade Secret, the award-winning documentary exposing the global trade in polar bear skins. While climate change relentlessly erodes the sea ice these animals depend on, Abraham reveals how polar bears are still legally trophy-hunted, skinned and sold as luxury rugs and taxidermy, their fate decided in conference halls thousands of miles from the Arctic.

David and Abraham explore how Trade Secret follows journalists, advocates and Arctic guides – including previous guest Iris Ho – as they investigate both legal and illegal polar bear markets, and push for the species to be “uplisted” to the highest level of CITES protection. Along the way, they discuss the blurred line between filmmaking and journalism, the ethical weight that comes with shaping a story in the edit, and the power – and limits – of a documentary to change international policy.

Crucially, the conversation also turns north, to the Indigenous communities who have lived alongside polar bears for generations. Abraham reflects on the cultural and subsistence importance of traditional hunting, how little money actually reaches those communities from the luxury trade, and why giving polar bears the protection they deserve doesn’t have to mean erasing the people who share their icy home.

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Iris Ho: Primates, Policy, and the Power of CITES

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 06:00:00 GMT

Recorded on the outskirts of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, this episode finds David at the 20th Conference of the Parties to CITES – the global treaty that has regulated international trade in endangered species for the past 50 years. Inside, beneath flickering lights, 185 nation-states haggle over commas, clauses and quotas; at the back of the room sit conservation NGOs, animal welfare groups, trophy-hunting lobbyists, biomedical interests and import–export industries, all vying to shape the fate of the world’s wildlife.

Amid this diplomatic circus, just outside the expo centre, David sits down lakeside with Iris Ho, a proudly self-professed “CITES nerd”. Born in Taiwan and now based in Washington, DC, Iris is Head of Campaigns and Policy at the Pan-African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) – the largest network of accredited primate sanctuaries in Africa. She explains how PASA’s work caring for rescued primates on the ground connects directly to the policies debated in those halls, and why a single well-crafted decision can protect far more animals than any one sanctuary ever could.

Together, they explore Iris’s efforts to up-list the golden-bellied mangabey to the highest level of CITES protection, to re-establish an international great ape enforcement task force, and the troubling case of a private “rescue centre” in India that has imported tens of thousands of wild animals under highly questionable circumstances. Along the way, Iris reflects on growing up in a Taiwan where shark fin soup went unchallenged, the quiet shift in public attitudes she’s witnessed across Asia, and how daily walks in her local DC nature reserve give her the strength to keep fighting for the natural world.

It’s an episode about primates and policy, hope and heartbreak – and about why, if we truly care for the wild lives we share this planet with, we might all need to become just a little bit more “nerdy” about treaties like CITES.

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Elephant in the Room: Wildlife Trust of India’s Rapid Response to Grounded Humans & Uprooted Wanderers

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 06:00:00 GMT

Following on from the conversation with Dr Bhaskar Choudhury in the previous episode...

Recorded further south, near Bandhavgarh National Park in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, this bonus episode is with Amrit Menon, department head of the Wildlife Trust of India’s (WTI) Wild Aid division. This conversation looks not solely at rescue and rehabilitation, but at coexistence. What happens when wild animals are forced from their traditional habitats into states that have never before had to co-exist with them? For example, how do local farming communities adapt to life when their new neighbours are forty-five elephants strong?

This conversation details the WTI’s Rapid Action Projects - RAPS — funded in part by David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation. Think of RAPS as conservation’s Thunderbirds: small, nimble teams that drop into crisis zones, offer immediate help, and try to stop future problems before they grow. We’ll then head into the field — to meet with some of the farmers facing the daily reality of elephantine visits, and the RAP project manager there on the floor, Meghna Bandyopadhyay.

With thanks to David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation for making this episode possible.

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Dr Bhaskar Choudhury: The Floodplain Guardians and the Elephants of Kaziranga

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 06:00:00 GMT

David travels to the floodplains of Assam to meet the Wildlife Trust of India’s Dr Bhaskar Choudhury, veterinarian and project head of the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) in the heart of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve.

From one-horned rhinos and swamp deer to clouded leopards and king cobras, Kaziranga’s UNESCO-protected grasslands host a breathtaking array of life – yet each monsoon, the mighty Brahmaputra River rises, displacing animals into the paths of highways, villages, and tea estates. Dr Choudhury’s team rescues the injured, the orphaned, and the lost – from palm squirrels to Asian elephants – nursing them back to the wild in what can be a ten-year journey of care, acclimatisation, and eventual release.

Together, they discuss the delicate science of wildlife rehabilitation, the changing flood patterns of a climate-altered landscape, and the deep reverence with which Assam’s people greet the elephants they call gods. Along the way, Dr Choudhury reveals the quiet triumphs and heartbreaks of rewilding India’s giants — and why, after decades of work, the moment an elephant calf rejoins a wild herd still feels like a prayer answered.

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"Her Deepness" Dr Sylvia Earle & Dr Tessa Hempson: Protect the Oceans Like Your Life Depends Upon It... (Because It Does!)

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Amid the energy of the IUCN World Conservation Congress, David meets legendary marine biologist, oceanographer, and explorer Dr Sylvia A. Earle — affectionately known as “Her Deepness.” Still diving at 90, Sylvia began her career with a PhD in phycology (the study of algae) in 1966, has graced the cover of TIME magazine, authored nearly 200 scientific papers and 13 books, logged over 7,000 hours underwater, and still holds the 1979 record for the deepest solo dive — 380 meters beneath the sea.

Joining her is conservation biologist Dr Tessa Hempson, Chief Scientist at Mission Blue, the nonprofit Sylvia founded in 2009. Mission Blue inspires global action to explore and protect the ocean through its network of Hope Spots — special places vital to ocean health. Partnering with local communities, scientists, and policymakers, the organization drives awareness, expeditions, and protection efforts toward one shared goal: safeguarding 30 percent of the ocean by 2030. Five years to go…

Sylvia speaks of the fish she calls her friends — sentient beings with personalities, intelligence, and an inherent right to thrive in their ocean home. She reflects on the species lost to time — from the Steller’s sea cow to the dodo — their fate sealed by humanity’s destructive hand. And with a glint of curiosity, she admits her wish to meet a megalodon, that ancient giant of the deep. Yet her message is not one of nostalgia, but of hope. Sylvia believes the youth of today hold the key to a blue future — one where curiosity, courage, and compassion can restore balance to the seas she has spent a lifetime defending.

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More M.G. Leonard: Further Furry Tales from the Riverbank

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 18:06:17 GMT

Last Summer, MGL shared a very exciting secret with me. A year on, it is with no small amount of delight that I can now finally cease my silence! In Maya’s words:

“I have written a book about Portly the Otter, son of Otter from The Wind in the Willows. It is modelled on Kenneth Grahame’s original, as a series of riverbank stories, and features characters we all know and love, as well as introducing you to some new ones. The book is called The Adventures of Portly the Otter - Untold Tales from The Wind in the Willows and will answer a mystery I wondered about a lot as a child, which is - what really happened to Portly for him to be missing for so long, and end up - discovered by Ratty and Moley,- curled up between the cloven hooves of the god Pan? The book is illustrated by the fabulous Polly Dunbar and will be printed as a four colour hardback gift book in March 2026 by Farshore. I cannot tell you what a joy it has been to revisit the riverbank and spend time with the much beloved Ratty, Moley, Badger, and of course the mischievous Mr Toad, but the biggest delight of all has been spending a year researching and learning about otters.”

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M G Leonard: Storytelling and the power of Beetles! “Elytra Literature” from Shakespeare to Starship Troopers.

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 04:39:47 GMT

A writer concerned with wondrous beetles and beautiful birds, M G Leonard and her award-winning books, for the past decade, have been inspiring the entomologists and ornithologists of tomorrow. Here, Leonard joins Oakes on the banks of the river that inspired Kenneth Grahame's "The Wind in the Willows" for an episode about how Nature and Storytelling are vitally important in inspiring young (and old) minds. In an interview that spans the arts - everything from Shakespeare to "Starship Troopers" - David and Maya discuss why badgers walk like an actor called Michael Bryant, how Ladybirds are actually Transformers, why Entomologists hate "The Hungry Caterpillar", and why beetles deserve a co-credit for authoring Darwin's "The Origin of the Species". Most importantly, hear how Maya’s journey into our natural world was far from guaranteed; in reality, it was a wild journey forged through stories, storytelling and one or two lies. Initially just a "Bug Tourist", Maya is now the Vice President for the insect charity BugLife, and manifested the world's first Masters Degree in Entomology. All that, and how to survive if you were ever to find yourself in a battle against a human-sized beetle!

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Dr Hannah Trayford & Rachel Bigsby: The State of the Badger, with the Badger Trust

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 04:38:57 GMT

Britain and its rural communities have been obsessed with Badgers for centuries. Sometimes cast as hero, sometimes as villain, tales of their behaviour can be found woven into the fabric of our nation's folk stories. They have since been immortalised in literature by the likes of Beatrix Potter and Kenneth Grahame. Their prominence in rural life continues into our modern Britain, where Badgers find themselves in the crosshairs of an ongoing cull. But are Badgers the villain of this new tale - persecuting farmers trying to make ends meet within our complicated food chain - or are they the unfortunate scapegoat in a politically-motivated act of extreme animal cruelty? David meets up with Dr Hannah Trayford, the Badger Trust Campaigns and Research Manager, and award-winning photographer Rachel Bigsby, the Badger Trust Youth Ambassador, to understand a little more about the realities of the ongoing cull, and the (lack of) science backing it up. Is it justifiable to cull 50% of the national Badger population, when it is 800 times more likely for cattle to spread Bovine Tuberculosis to Badgers, than the other way around? And if that all sounds too dour, then fear not, for the first 20 minutes of this podcast is actually about Orang-utans and the joy of photographing sea birds!

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Matthew Oates: A Paean to the Purple Emperor. One Man’s Passion-filled Past Devoted to Great British Butterflies

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 04:38:03 GMT

Matthew Oates is a naturalist, nature writer, and poet with a lifelong passion for butterflies. In the short sward of the Cotswolds, Matthew takes David Oakes on a journey through his fluttery past. They discuss the writers who have inspired him, from Tolkien to Wordsworth and W.H. Hudson, and share stories of other notable butterfly enthusiasts, such as Sir Winston Churchill. Matthew explains his belief that true conservation is a blend of science and love. They also delve into the realities of developing a love for nature in the boarding schools of the Swinging Sixties - a time when his generation transitioned "from Molesworth to Jimi Hendrix in just three years," leaving little room for butterflies or a life-defining obsession with the intoxicating Purple Emperor. Their conversation also addresses modern concerns for butterfly conservation, including pathogens and parasites, the risks of unsanctioned releases, and the importance of single-species ecologists - “insects shout loudest and first.” Ultimately, this is a discussion about the metamorphoses of both the past and the future.

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Tim Kendall & Fiona Mathews (PART TWO): Eye spy an eco-engineer! Deep in the Forest of Dean in search of the contentious Wild Boar...

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 05:51:02 GMT

In the second part of David Oakes' interview with Professors Fiona Mathews and Tim Kendall, the mammal-enthused trio head into the Forest of Dean in search of Wild Boar!

Fiona Mathews is a professor of Environmental Biology at the University of Sussex and the founding Chair of Mammal Conservation Europe; Tim Kendall is a professor of English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Exeter, and; their dog Charlie Brown is an especially trained labrador with the talent for locating the bodies of bats that have been killed or injured by wind turbines, all in the name of conservation science. Together, they wrote the Wainwright award-nominated book “Black Ops & Beaver Bombing: Adventures with Britain’s Wild Mammals”. In this two part interview, hear how Fiona’s construction of the Red List for British Mammals informs our Government and has lead to cutting edge mammal conservation projects. They discuss the British Coypu population that caused concern in the 1980s, the effectiveness of the mysterious “Beaver Bombers” secretly releasing animals across Europe, and the tale of the lone Scottish Pine Marten that ended up in Georgia, USA (a fate subjectively worse than the Beech Marten who got stuck in the Large Hadron Collider!) The trio of Fiona, Tim and David (alas without Charlie Brown) then head into the Forest of Dean to locate the most contentious of Britain’s mammals – the Wild Boar!

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Fiona Mathews & Tim Kendall: Wild Mammals are far from 'Boar-ing'

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 04:36:05 GMT

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Rob Stoneman: Resurrecting Rainforests, Protecting Peat and Constructing Conservation Kingdoms along our Coastlines

Tue, 14 May 2024 04:38:24 GMT

Rob Stoneman wanted to make lots of money in the oil industry… and then he found peat! This episode is a deep dive into that blancmange-like substance that should be our saviour. Also, the Wildlife Trusts’ plans to grow a new rain forest in North Wales and Rob’s dream of having a mile deep nature reserve that circumnavigates the entirety of the British Isles coastline.

A geologist at source, Rob has grown into a leading expert on the pragmatism required for landscape reform on the British Isle. Before becoming the inaugural Director of Landscape Recovery at the Wildlife Trusts, Rob managed vast areas of burgeoning biodiversity across the European continent for Rewilding Europe. Prior to that, he ran the Sheffield, then Hampshire and then the Yorkshire Wildlife Trusts.

Rob and David tackle some genuinely daunting subjects: green finance and carbon credits, the feasibility and required timescale for achieving carbon neutrality, the post-Brexit opportunities for reformed agro-subsidy schemes, the potential symbiosis between nature tourism and food production, how conservation NGOs collaborate without becoming an enviro-cartel, and there’s even time to squeeze in a compliment to none other than Michael Gove(?!)

And if that doesn’t float your boat, then stick around for the bison, the elk, and the pumas that prey upon guinea pigs!

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The Horstmann Trust: Vultures in the Valleys!

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 05:30:36 GMT

The Horstmann Trust is a brand new charity primarily focused upon breeding and ultimately releasing back into the wild four species of endangered vultures: the Bearded, Egyptian and Hooded Vultures, as well as the Andean Condor. But what makes the Horstmann Trust particularly interesting, is that these birds are Welsh Vultures! In this episode, David heads to Wales to meet Holly Cale & Adam Bloch, the custodians of around 70 birds which were previously the private collection of a brilliantly eccentric Carmarthenshire-based German Hotelier called Manfred Horstmann. This is a meaty discussion. As well as dissecting the realities underpinning a successful breeding programme, it is one that explores the Vulture’s complicated relationship with Humans. From Vultures being worshipped by the Ancient Egyptians, and enabling Sky Burials in India (where our dead are not buried or cremated, rather taken, bite by bite, back into the air), to wiping out 99.9% of Southern Asian vultures though the veterinary use of anti-inflammatory drugs, or through ritualistic superstitions that require the dismemberment and smoking of Vulture brains in order to see into the future. And if that isn’t enough, this is a podcast about birds vomiting and pissing on their legs - what’s not to love?!

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Andy & Peter Holden: A Filial History of Nest Building

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 05:30:09 GMT

At the launch of his latest video installation at the Tate St Ives, artist Andy Holden meets with David Oakes to discuss the creativity present within the bird world. But, whilst exploring avian aesthetics, Andy's artwork - "A Natural History of Nest Building" - also explores the roles of nature versus nurture at an additional level. This exhibition, one exploring how and why Birds learn to create nest structures, is created by a father and son team; the son an artist, and the father a famous ornithologist. Which begs question: was this film, one about creating homes, nurturing eggs, and fledging one’s young, really just about birds? In this ornithological deep dive, Andy and Peter Holden discuss approaching a shared passion from opposite directions. You'll hear about the super-stimulus associated with the gaping beak of the infanticide-committing cuckoo, the individual spin that different birds of the same species place upon their own personal nests, and the complicated legacy of the mysterious egg-stealing Jordain Society.

Andy Holden is a multi-faceted artist who has exhibited at the Tate Britain, has had music aired on BBC 6 Music, and has created everything from human-sized bower-bird bowers, to enormous knitted rocks based upon a piece of pyramid which he stole as a boy. His father, Peter Holden MBE, worked for the RSPB for almost 40 years to boost their youth engagement. He was most notably instrumental in developing their “Big Garden Birdwatch” - the UK’s first 'citizen science' project, which has been running now for 45 years, and counted around 190 million birds.

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Dr David Hetherington: Reintroducing the Lynx lynx lynx to our Cairngorms (a cat so enigmatic that they named it thrice!)

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 05:00:49 GMT

Dr David Hetherington is an expert on the Eurasian Lynx and the beneficial links Lynx (Lynx lynx lynx) can manifest within our complicated British ecosystems. What he doesn’t know about the Lynx’s rich history across Europe is not worth knowing: Hear why Hildegard von Bingen thought drinking Lynx urine was highly beneficial; when exactly(ish) Lynx were wiped from British shores leaving only one town name with any form of association to a once indigenous species, and; how the Nazis could be considered the twentieth century’s first big-mammal “re-wilders”. But, most importantly, David answers the big question: does Britain have enough well connected forest habitat to safely support a large mobile forest-dependent species? Specialising in species reintroduction programmes, David managed the Cairngorms Wildcat Project and actively encouraged a positive relationship with gamekeepers to help all parties work for nature conservation without getting “sucked into the vortex of raptor politics”. He also sits on the board of Trees for Life - an award-winning charity that works to enhance the native woodland ecology of the Scottish Highlands. To that end, expect wildcats, red squirrels, pine martens, capercaillies, as well as the animal so cool they named it thrice, Lynx lynx lynx, in this immersive and informative wildlife deep dive.

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Dr Ruth Tingay: From Birds in Boxes to Rivers of Raptors; One woman’s mission for Wild Justice against Raptor Persecution

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 04:02:02 GMT

Dr Ruth Tingay is a conservationist and campaigner who has spent her career primarily focused upon the world’s raptor population (that’s Birds of Prey, rather than Veloci-...) Her career was inadvertently kickstarted through working at Heathrow airport’s Animal Reception Centre. Here she welcomed back the UK’s Red Kite population for their reintroduction to our country, as well as the usual pampered felines, escaped pooches, and boxes stuffed full of mystery birds. Throw Nile Crocodiles, an annual Mexican Hawk Migration of 4.6 million birds and the DNA of Golden Eagles into the mix, and you get an incredibly varied career that has leapfrogged the globe from Mauritius to Mexico then on to Madagascar and many other countries beginning with ‘M’ besides. But since 2009, Ruth has been focused upon the plights of our domestic birds; shedding light upon wildlife crime through her Raptor Persecution blog, and through joining with Mark Avery and Chris Packham to spearhead their Wild Justice which is holding the Governments of Britain to account for ongoing enviro-failings and eco-crimes.

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Katie Holten: The Three Questions

Sat, 23 Dec 2023 21:29:27 GMT

Hello, and welcome to a little festive bonus Trees A Crowd. Some of the eagle eared amongst you may have noticed that the regular “three final questions” were missing from this month’s interview with the artist and activist, Katie Holten. Well…

…it’s because they’re here! So, before I hand you over to Katie for an additional stocking filler, I wish you all a glorious Christmas, and a new year tingling with positivity and promise.

Merry Christmas!

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Katie Holten: Hedge Schools, Tree Time and the Language of our Forests

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 05:30:55 GMT

Katie Holten is a visual artist and environmental activist who splits her time between Ireland and New York. She has exhibited at the Venice biennale and many galleries across the globe, with her work being described as “…an ongoing investigation of the inextricable relationship between man and the natural world in the age of the Anthropocene.” Recently she created the internationally best-selling book, “The Language of Trees”.

Reclining in a mossy moot deep within the Woodland Trust’s Duncliffe Woods, Katie shares with David Oakes how her passion for nature stems from two roots: her mother – a gardener, teacher and floral artist – and her father – a man who led Katie to be enthralled by logic and physics and Feynman. Katie is now an artist who prides herself upon collecting the connected and noticing that from chaos sprouts equilibrium. It is perhaps not unsurprising then that she has devoted her artistic career to creating compendiums of things she feel necessary to share, and devoting her personal life to many of the goals of Extinction Rebellion.

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Paul Donald: Birds, Buddhists and Bypasses; Tales of Trafficking & Traffication with that Lark Sex Ratio Guy

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 06:30:19 GMT

Senior Scientist at Bird Life International, previously the Principal Scientist at the RSPB, and before that at the BTO, Paul Donald is a world expert on things that fly. As such, it is perhaps somewhat surprising that he has focused this expertise into a groundbreaking book about roads, the things that travel upon them, and the damage they do to nature. This in depth discussion of two halves begins by showcasing how Paul helped re-establish the population of one of the world’s most endangered birds - the Raso Lark of the Cape Verde Islands, how birds living within the EU have greater life expectancy than those living outside it, and how Buddhist beliefs may be inadvertently bolstering the illegal trade in rare birds. From then it’s on to the “extinction driving, landscape splitting, wildlife slaughtering, soundscape shattering, pollution spewing, climate changing, health wrecking, global catastrophe” which Paul has labelled ‘Traffication’. Did you know that the area in a bird’s brain dedicated to song learning is smaller in a bird exposed to road noise? Did you know the first electric car dates from 1888? And did you know that there is a species of Nightjar known to exist purely because of a single piece of feathered roadkill scraped up from the tarmacadam?! But most importantly, if you drive a car, what single thing can you do today to help our wildlife? This and much more in November’s episode of Trees a Crowd.

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Samuel West: The West Wing live at the Global Bird Fair

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 05:00:52 GMT

This bonus episode was recorded live at the Global Bird Fair, and is a conversation with the Actor, Director, RSPB Ambassador and Trainspotter-turned-Birder, Samuel West. Samuel talks about his recent experiences shooting the Channel 5/PBS Masterpiece remake of “All Creatures Great and Small” in the Yorkshire Dales; how the rural connection to nature and community helped him and many of its viewers through the pressure of the COVID lockdowns, and how the production team had to wrestle with some unique anachronistic wildlife - Swifts appearing in the June-shot Christmas special, Collared Doves appearing in a drama set in 1940 (despite not reaching Yorkshire until 1958), and extinct Red Kites obsessed with photobombing! Samuel’s love of birds began upon a visit to his grandfather in Kenya, has taken him to film “Death in Paradise” in no small part because of the endemic Guadalupian avifauna on set, and helped him with the pressures of running the Sheffield Crucible Theatre. To Sam, nature is key to contentment: “No matter how nice the person is you might be in bed with, it’s worth getting up and getting out at first light, some of the time…” As an RSPB Ambassador, he takes particular relish in raising a placard board; speaking out against environmental concerns such as the construction of the Nuclear Plant, Sizewell C; but also believes British Wildlife easily competes with the impressive sights of the African savannah having seen 4,500 waders take to the air in one bound at RSPB Snettisham.

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Paul Vorster: The Secrets of Sanbona, or: “Hippos!” and How Best to Become an Impact Player in Conservation

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 04:34:00 GMT

Located in the southwestern corner of South Africa's Little Karoo, the Sanbona Nature and Wilderness Reserve is an area of ex-farmland about the size of the Isle of Wight. Over the past 21 years, it has been transformed into a protected haven for a rich and varied tapestry of African flora and fauna. Seated on the ground by the edge of a Sanbona’s main lake, David Oakes is joined by Paul Vorster, the reserve's Director and General Manager - oh, and by six increasingly inquisitive hippopotamuses. Paul recounts his early career, following in the footsteps of Dr Ian Player, and learning the delicate art of safely translocating wild animals on what was once the hunting grounds of Zulu King Shaka kaSenzangakhona. This is knowledge still put to good use in Sanbona, where they play a pivotal role in conserving the critically endangered Black Rhino. Their conversation covers other remarkable conservation triumphs: the successful merging of three relic populations of vulnerable Mountain Zebras, and Sanbona's status as a sanctuary for the 13th most endangered mammal in the world – the Riverine Rabbit - of which there are only around 200 mature adults remaining in the wild. From majestic lions and swift cheetahs to elusive caracals and fascinating scorpions, their dialogue covers a diverse array of wildlife (even Paul’s dreams of plucking leeches from his ears!) But through it all, Paul highlights his aspirations for Sanbona, aiming to elevate it further as a front-footed and impactful player in the realm of Conservation.

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Nardstar*: Illuminating Cape Town's Evolving Streets, One Caracal at a Time

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 04:35:07 GMT

Nardstar, the creative alias of Nadia Fisher, is a captivating wall-art and mural virtuoso hailing from the vibrant cityscape of Cape Town. Through bold lines and distinctive colour palettes she uses local flora and fauna both as a tribute to her local milieu and a catalyst for thought-provoking social discourse. Her urban landscape becomes a canvas for contemplation: How do we reclaim our city spaces? What boundaries should exist between land and ownership? Can nature's boundless beauty be a birthright for all, or is it more apt as a mirror to inner potential? Amidst these inquiries, Nardstar ingeniously interweaves the transformative power of street art with nature's resilience, fostering an empowering essence particularly strongly for women of colour.

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Chris Fallows: The flight and plight of the Great White Shark, as documented by Cape Town’s legendary Shark Man

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 05:32:18 GMT

Bridging the gap between wildlife naturalist and dedicated photographer, Chris Fallows was the first person to photograph the now famous breaching Great White Sharks of South Africa. Since then, he has been the human face for Great White Sharks on the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, the BBC and almost everywhere else you can imagine. Chris has devoted his life to demonstrating the gentler side of “…the last animal on earth that can catch, kill, bite us in half and consume us!” In this in depth interview, Chris shares his views on African Wildlife, on how nature is faring in South Africa post-Apartheid, and the reality hidden behind the shocking decline of Great Whites off the Cape peninsula: Is it the government making the beaches “safer”? Are Australian fishermen to blame? Or is it simply a pair of hungry male Killer Whales who have acquired a taste for Shark Liver pâté? For those who, like Chris, adore the great iconic African subjects - great tusker Elephants, black mane Lions, super groups of Humpbacks, wandering albatrosses, et al - this is the podcast that will inspire you to help conserve them.

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Piet Beytell & Tommy Hall: Two very different perspectives united in thwarting Rhino poaching across Namibia

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 06:24:59 GMT

Two additional Rhino-related conversations: The first is with Piet Beytell, the Chief Conservation Scientist at the Namibian Government's Ministry of Environment Forestry and Tourism, and the National Rhino Coordinator for Namibia; the second is with Tommy Hall who works as a Wildlife Intelligence Officer, running a number of informer networks that assist both the Namibian Government and the Save the Rhino Trust in their anti-poaching endeavours. These two conversations serve as an addendum to last week's episode focused upon the work of Save the Rhino Trust Namibia. Hopefully they illuminate, at least in part, the national legislative environment within which the SRT operates and the manner in which poachers attempt to thwart the Trust’s goals.

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Save the Rhino Trust Namibia: Desert days with the Black Rhinos and the Rangers who protect them from Poachers

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 05:00:27 GMT

This episode is about Rhinos; desert-adapted free-ranging Black Rhinoceroses and the men and women who devote their lives to protect them - to be precise. Save the Rhino Trust Nambia has existed for over 40 years, their mission is to monitor and conduct research on the Black Rhinos of the North-Western part of Namibia known as the Kunene desert region. An incredibly hostile environment, the Black Rhinos have adapted to live here thanks to a tolerance for an extremely toxic plant that even White Rhinos cannot stomach - but what they have not adapted to survive, is the increasing threat of human poachers. Direct from the mouths of the Rangers and Trackers who spend 22 days at at time trekking the desert to monitor it’s rhino population, hear how community involvement is at the heart of a true, and ongoing, conservation success story.

In this episode you will hear the voices of Andrew Malherbe (Chief Operating Officer - SRT), Lesley Karutjaiva (Director of Field Operations - SRT), Denzo Tjiraso and Ngaujake "Cesse" Kututa (Trackers at SRT), Tommy Hall (Wildlife Intelligence Officer) and Piet Beytell (Chief Conservation Scientist at the Namibian Government's Ministry of Environment Forestry and Tourism).

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Sophie Pavelle: Ten Remarkable British Species and the Fable of Janet who fondly found their Faeces

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 03:33:10 GMT

Sophie Pavelle spearheads the new breed of science communicators. She is a nature writer, the communications co-ordinator for the Beaver Trust and an ambassador for the Wildlife Trusts. Recorded in front of a live audience in November 2022, this interview chronicles the journey she undertook to write her award-winning book, “Forget Me Not”. Hear about her encounters with “salt and vinegar chipsticks”, “bald men in hot tubs” and “that guy in the office who trails a 10 metre wake of paco rabane” (aka, Marsh Fritillary Butterflies, Seals and Bottle-nosed Dolphins - did we mention she’s from the new breed?) Hear about her low carbon journey across the British Isles to encounter ten of Britain’s nearly forgotten endangered species, and how when putting pen to paper she set out to blame human beings for climate change… but in a happy way! She meets the Bat Conservation Trust, visits the Rewildling project at Knepp, and heads to the north of England in search of Britain’s smallest bird of prey - and her take home from this? Sadly few encounters with her chosen ten species, but fortunately lots of stories about poo…!

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Tan Twan Eng: The Master of the Nature Metaphor with his roots deep in the Concrete Jungle

Tue, 16 May 2023 03:30:38 GMT

Tan Twan Eng was the first Malay writer to win a number of key literary prizes including the Man Asia Prize and the Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction. David Oakes and Twan Eng first met whilst in Malaysia shooting the film adaptation of his Booker prize nominated “The Garden of Evening Mists”, and on the eve of publication for Twan Eng’s new novel, “The House of Doors”, David seeks to find the secret behind the novelist’s skill at crafting pitch-perfect nature metaphors - despite the truth of Twan wanting “…nature to be ordered”. Here we hear how Twan Eng met the Emperor of Japan’s Gardener, how one should be weary of jungle spirits and tigers should one be 'caught short' in the Malay Rainforest, and how Twan Eng’s heart, despite being born in Malaysia, is actually imbedded into the tow-paths of Richmond upon Thames; “I Dream in English” he says, as he shakes his gin martini...

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Dr Brian Briggs: The Return of the Marsh Warbler and his Secret Identity hidden amongst the Reed Beds

Tue, 02 May 2023 03:35:31 GMT

Dr Brian Briggs is a man of two halves; by day he is the Nature Reserve Manager at the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust’s Llanelli reserve, but by night he is the lead singer and songwriter for the Glastonbury-playing, Later-with-Jools-Holland-appearing, Silver-record-selling, “Rural existentialist orni-folk-band”, Stornoway. Reforming after a 10 year hiatus for a new tour and a new album, on a walk around the Llanelli reserve, Brian details how being immersed in nature during the pandemic is what has brought the band (like the Lapwing) back from the brink.

In this interview of two halves, Brian discusses the dynamism of Wetlands; the return of Grebes, Lapwings and Water Voles; the battles of invasive Mink vs. Kingfisher, and of industrious winter-causeway-crossing hungry Hedgehog vs. beautiful rare lapwing egg. But also, Brian opens up about an awakening, through birdsong, to an appreciation of our Sonic world; about a creative excitement of using Nature both as metaphor and instrument; and, why Stornoway’s music ultimately works best outdoors. He also explains, that somehow, despite being a writer of a song about Ash dieback, he isn’t even the biggest geek in the band…!

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Emma Marsh: Feathers and Feminism with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Kazakh Antelopes

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 01:59:38 GMT

Emma Marsh sits on the Executive Board at The RSPB, and was until recently the Director of RSPB England. But, despite working for the nation’s largest bird charity (the RSPB is actually Europe’s largest conservation charity!), she says that she is not a twitcher, rather that “…being in nature just feels right. Everything is right in the world when nature’s right.” Raised on a farm, yet having studied International Relations at University, it is no surprise that Emma is well placed to discuss the manner in which enviro-NGOs interact with the current government; she also shares her hopes for who the RSPB will be dealing with in the future, and how the People’s Plan for Nature should keep Governments accountable to the people they profess to serve. In this walk around the Sandy nature reserve - the headquarters of the RSPB - Emma explains how the RSPB's roots lie with the Victorian women of the ‘Fur, Fin and Feather Folk’, and how it is still managed as an inclusive movement. We hear how Emma hopes to make the RSPB a home both for nature and for as diverse a group of mammalian bipeds as possible. All this, and the animals closest to the RSPB’s heart: Wrens, Avocets and Kazakh Saiga Antelopes?!

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Chris Packham (Part Two): Through sand and snow with Rothko and Rimbaud... (No, that's not what Chris calls his dogs!)

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 05:18:07 GMT

In the second half of David's interview with Chris Packham, we hear how Chris originally wished to pursue a career as a wildlife cameraman, but a twist of fate thrust him into the arms of the Really Wild Show (or perhaps it was Chris who twisted their arms to let him in!) And from there, his TV career exploded! Chris clarifies exactly how his co-star, Terry Nutkins, lost his fingers, and how Chris himself was partially eaten by a vulture – you know, all the important stuff – and you’ll learn how modern BBC natural history programming truly owes a massive debt of gratitude to the Aston Martin DB6!

Nowadays, Chris is regarded as much for his environmental campaigning as for his TV presenting. As well as co-founding Wild Justice (an organisation campaigning for better and stronger laws and policies for nature), he has taken the Government to court over HS2, and is currently mounting plans for a march through London, a second “Walk for Widlife”, on behalf of our nation’s depleting biodiversity.

But he is also now taking some time out for himself. Chris explains his love of art, his true creative drive, how he has spent a life walking through sand and snow accompanied by Rothko and Rimbaud, and how he has plans now to spend the next few months making Brutalist sculpture. Far from art being at odds to the natural sciences, Chris sees science as “…the art of understanding truth and beauty.”

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Chris Packham (Part One): Deep in the New Forest with the Really Wild Showman

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 04:30:03 GMT

Chris Packham is undoubtedly one of the most recognisable faces on British Television. He’s been a mainstay of the BBC’s Natural History programming for nearly 40 years. Alongside this commitment he also currently serves as President for the Bat Conservation Trust and Vice President for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, Butterfly Conservation, and the RSPCA. In this two-part discussion, David and Chris walk through the New Forest (the site of both their childhoods), and discuss how Chris came to prominence on Television, and then balanced his role there alongside his creative passions and his environmental concerns and campaigns.

In search of Chris’ favourite Beech, David and Chris set out into the fabric of their lives – the New Forest. In the shade of “…a giant green cathedral, bathed in green light” they discuss the pressures facing one of Britain’s favourite national parks, the fact that even Belgium has a wolf-pack, and how over-grazing in the New Forest needs to be resolved for a healthy ecosystem.

Closer to home, the big questions are asked: Should Chris’ father have helped him boil the head of a Pilot Whale? Should Chris’ own parenting skills have involved putting wasps on his step-daughter Megan McCubbin’s nose and then making her dissect Roadkill? And should Chris, at 61, climb the 30 foot into a Scots Pine tree to examine an abandoned Osprey nest whilst recording a podcast?!

The driving force behind Chris is an obvious one: “I’ve got to do something, I’m running out of time; I don’t want to leave this world in a worse place than I inherited it.” But where does Chris stand on the effectiveness of modern non-violent protest? Is it too little too late? Or is something more dramatic required?

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Bison Whisperers: The Return of the Native

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 04:00:00 GMT

To celebrate one of the scarily rare “Good Environmental News Stories” of this and last year, David heads out to Kent Wildlife Trust and the Wildwood Trust’s “Wilder Blean” project just outside of Canterbury. He is there to mark the return of the European Bison to Britain, and the birth of the first bison born in the UK in a free roaming herd since the species went extinct in the wild. In the safe hands of Britain’s first “Bison Rangers”, Donovan Wright and Tom Gibbs, David hears about the knowns and unknowns of this landmark conservation project. How was the species rescued from extinction when its population reached a mere 12 individuals? How did no-one know one of the three initial Kent bisons was pregnant? How much biodiversity is actually supported by their ‘bison pats’? And where can David go to take his ‘bison competency’ training? All the big questions! David also hears how Don began his professional life as a vegetable wholesaler, before eventually becoming a “Big 5” Wildlife Ranger in South Africa, and then landing the top conservation job in the “Big 1” City of Kent (Canterbury is Kent's only city…) In short – are bisons just big cows, or is there something truly amazing happening in an old forestry plantation behind a Kentish industrial estate? David also talks to Kora Kunzmann, the Ecological Evidence and Academic Partnerships Lead at the Kent Wildlife Trust, to hear about the mass of man hours that will go into probing the science behind the bison.

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Dr Trevor Dines (Part Two): Mapping “The Trevor Dines Effect” with North Wales’ Meadow Maker

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 07:02:57 GMT

In this, the second part of David Oakes’ interview with botanist Dr Trevor Dines, Trevor goes into detail about the sheer power of community science when documenting our nation’s flowers. Our understanding of British Flora - and indeed that of the BSBI (Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland) - would be nowhere without keen amateur volunteers. Spotlights are shone upon plants like the “Meadow Maker”, Yellow Rattle; upon different “wild” habitats like Knepp and the New Forest; and also upon lichens and how Trevor regrets “…not looking at mosses…” when younger. Similarly David and Trevor discuss the challenges of re-wilding - how habitat management is far more complicated that simply doing nothing - how, for rare species, it can often be better to carry on doing what you’re doing: “If the plants are there, they’re there because of what you’re doing” Also, they discuss #NoMowMay, the “Trevor Dines Effect” and the multiple reasons the Welsh might have started growing hemp 8000 years ago…

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Dr Trevor Dines (Part One): Nobody ties themselves to buttercups (unless you’re born a botanist!)

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 03:30:53 GMT

Despite being raised in the fields of England and having slept upon the Rainforest Canopies of Cameroon, Dr Trevor Dines’ heart is intertwined with the flora of Wales. Recorded in his own personal Wildflower Meadow in North Wales’ Conwy Valley, this interview charts Trevor’s journey from the youngest member of the Wessex Orchid Society (when still only aged in single digits) to one of the inspirational forces behind the UK’s largest botanical charity, Plantlife. Trevor has written books, presented a television programme for Channel 4, appeared on the likes of BBC’s Countryfile and Springwatch, and prior to that, he spent 6 years manifesting the ground-breaking "New Atlas of the British and Irish Flora" - collating nine million records to map over 4,000 species of plants in the wild. Listening to his passion, you’ll find it hard not to agree with Trevor, that: “I think you’re born a botanist.” In this first of two episodes, we explore the importance of cattle and other creatures as vectors to help plants survive climate change, discuss what exactly a “Wildflower” is, and hear how when Trevor enters the countryside, it’s “…like going to a party, meeting friends, family, and sometimes exciting unexpected strangers…!”

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Sarah Gillespie: Of Moths and Mezzotints - an Artist’s Metamorphosis

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 03:04:11 GMT

Working from her Devonshire studio and the surrounding natural habitats, artist and printmaker Sarah Gillespie, in looking carefully at our wild world, can’t help but sense the sentience of nature looking right back at her. Raised by two artist parents, and having been blessed with at least one truly inspirational teacher, it’s perhaps not surprising that Sarah is now an acclaimed Royal West of England Academician, and most recently was asked to collaborate with Cambridge University’s Conservation Initiative. But, like a moth emerging from its chrysalis, her journey to this point was not a straight forward one. In this episode, Sarah joins David to discuss the value of Art, and the value of Moths. Whether an oil-painting or a modern NFT, she explains how Art struggles for a place across racial and class divides, and also has to accept that it too has a carbon footprint. Increasingly confronted with these concerns, Sarah turned her artistic output on its head. Currently working upon a collection of mezzotint prints of “…the deeply unloved” - Moths - Sarah sees her art as: “…one of erosion; working with what is not there…” depicting creatures that are worryingly increasingly absent from our lives. But, whilst we have a Red List for birds and mammals, Sarah explains how no such warning call exists for invertebrates - it's estimated that we have lost around a third of our moths since the First World War. For nature, it is the common things that really matter when it comes to the long term survival of our planet’s biodiversity, and in creating their portraits, Sarah says that she has “…never been happier in [her] work, and sure of [her] footing.”

For further information on this and other episodes, visit: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/sarah-gillespie/

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Dan "Swampy" Hooper: The power of protest and learning to live with it (and pooing in tunnels with friends)

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 03:00:35 GMT

In 1996, having spent 7 days living underground, Dan Hooper was forcibly evicted from a protest tunnel and thrust into the spotlight of the waiting media. From that day forward, Dan Hooper was known by most of the British population simply as “Swampy”. 26 years on from that high-profile eviction, Dan remains a committed environmental activist. In this month’s episode, David Oakes travels to South Wales to meet Dan to hear how his environmental protests have changed over 30 years, and to garner how much power truly lies in protest. David and Dan discuss the relationship that eco-activists have with Politicians and the Press, whether Dan views himself as a tutor for the newer generations joining the activist-community, and how Dan juggles the life of a parent with that of a protester. Is it scary being buried underground as the water table turns with your only breathable air being pumped down to you from the surface? What is the human cost of increasing the pressure placed upon modern Bailiffs by those hoping to expedite the conclusion of the HS2 rail link? And, most importantly, how does one dispose of you and your friend’s poo when several hundred feet underground?

For further information on this and other episodes, visit: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/dan-hooper/

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Leigh Morris: Sexy carrots & feral wallabies - the adventures and curiosities hidden behind Manannan’s cloak

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 04:04:15 GMT

Midway through the Isle of Man’s Manx TT motor-racing festival lies a day (terrifyingly aptly) branded as “Mad Sunday”. David Oakes chose this bacchanalian festival, one filled with inebriated petrol-heads and super-charged exhaust eruptions, to talk with the Manx Wildlife Trust’s CEO, Leigh Morris. Recorded in perhaps the only two quiet enclaves the island possessed that Mad Sunday, Leigh expands upon a journey that took him from horticultural nurseryman to the head of a Wildlife Trust that oversees the planet’s sole Unesco whole nation biosphere. Leigh’s journey - starting simply enough in Yorkshire, then Wales and Scotland - quickly expands into a life of volunteering and vocational placements in India and Nepal, Ethiopia and Oman, the Galapagos and St Helena… the list goes on. Whether upon an island paradise or beneath the waves, there is seemingly no habitat that hasn’t drawn Leigh’s attention. In his own words: “The more you know, the more you know you don’t know…” Armed with an insatiable curiosity, Leigh hopes to turn the Isle of Man, all 35 by 10 miles of it, into “what good looks like”. In this episode we discusses the sex-appeal of carrots, the rivakry of a petrol vs. electic (or even hydrogen) powereded TT, community conservation movements such as SeaSearch, and the hot potato of viewing agriculture as a very necessary part of our species’ ongoing environmental ambitions. Filter in a menagerie of rare Loaghtan sheep, Penguins, Sea Iguanas and the Isle of Man’s escaped feral Wallaby population, and you have a gloriously ambitious discussion about the state of the world, and where to take it next. Oh - and October’s episode is not sponsored by the Visit Isle of Man board… we promise!

For further information on this and other episodes, visit: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/leigh-morris/

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Dr Amy-Jane Beer: The 3 R’s of Nature Writing - Reading, Roaming and the Radial symmetry of Sea Urchin larvae

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 02:45:48 GMT

Upon Salisbury Plain - nestled amongst exploding ordnance and dim-witted Tawny Owl fledgelings - the child that would become Dr Amy-Jane Beer found both a love for nature and a love for adventure. Training originally as a biologist, Amy grew into one of Britain’s best loved nature writers. Whether articles in British Wildlife, diary entires for the Guardian’s ‘Country Diary’, or her latest book “The Flow” (which explores our relationships with Britain’s numerous wild water ways), Amy’s writing exposes personal and oft-spiritual experiences to illuminate nature and science for wider audiences. An active participant of both the Right to Roam movement and the New Networks for Nature alliance (the former hoping to unlock the many health benefits attained through access to green spaces, and the latter exploring how creative inspiration can be drawn from British wildlife) Amy believes that a human right to linger, explore and create is “amazing compost” for the mind, body and soul. Amy is a scientist that places great value upon love, upon magic and upon the power of motherhood, as well as upon the intricacies of the radial symmetry of sea urchin larvae! Hopefully she will inspire you to seek the benefits of learning to trespass like a river. For further information on this and other episodes, visit: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/dr-amy-jane-beer/

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Dr Gavin Broad: Broadening horizons with Darwin's wasps and other tales of cannibalism, incest and zombies

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 02:00:11 GMT

Dr Gavin Broad’s love of nature was initially inspired by the birdlife of the Wirral. However, the summer lull in avian activity lead the 15-year-old Broad towards an interest in moths, and from there it was only a zombie caterpillar away from the creatures that were to inspire his professional identity and take him as far afield as Chile; Parasitoid wasps! “Darwin Wasps” account for 10% of all British insects - that’s over 7000 distinct wasps - and Broad insists that everyone can easily “admire them, if not like them.” What’s not to like about an insect that can inject its eggs through the bark of a tree and into another insect? Or one that can actively dictate the gender of its offspring to specifically regulate the extant population? Or one that can easily defeat a tarantula?! Quite. David heads to the Natural History Museum to talk Wasps, and to discuss Gavin’s involvement in sequencing the genomes of 70,000 British species - everything from Deep Sea Squid to Pine Marten - his appreciation for the work of Damien Hirst and the similarities it bears to the NHM’s hidden insect archives, and how we would all be far better off if we possessed the curiosity of bored Victorian clergymen. For further information on this and other episodes, visit: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/dr-gavin-broad

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Lost on Lundy: The hidden treasures of a wildlife landmark; aka, “David adventures to Puffin Island!”

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 02:00:37 GMT

Since the late 1960s, Lundy Island - just off the north coast of Devon and measuring only half a mile wide at its widest point - has been owned and operated by two British charities; the National Trust and the Landmark Trust. Prior to this, Lundy was owned by wealthy megalomaniacs, pirates, gamblers, revolutionaries, neolithic fisher-people, and a whole array of wildlife. In this week's episode, David Oakes visits Lundy to speak with the island's current wildlife wardens, Rosie Ellis and Stuart Cossey. Rosie, a marine specialist, enthuses about the marine protected areas and no take zone that surround much of the island. These are waters that harbour grey seals, minke whales and basking sharks, as well as spiny lobsters, sea slugs, and a stunning array of rare corals. Stuart - the island's resident "bird guy" - explains that despite being named for one of the island's most colourful avian inhabitants ('lund' is the Old Norse word for 'Puffin'), Lundy is actually far more exciting due to its Manx Shearwater population. The majority of the UK's Manx Shearwaters breed on Lundy, and as such Stuart takes David out at sunset to ring a few of these amazing creatures. All of that, as well as pygmy shrews, the world's rarest cabbage, and a tale of why Rosie spent much of the Covid-19 lockdown on Lundy walking around collecting animal droppings, and you've got a tiny island (and brimming podcast) that punches far above its weight. For further information on this and other episodes, visit: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/lundy/

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Bonus Beatrice: Bearded Seals & Ice Flowers - further stories from the ice sheets

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 02:00:54 GMT

A little bonus Bea that we couldn't quite squeeze into this month's main episode. Enjoy!

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Beatrice von Preussen: All the little things that inspired an artist to travel from pole to pole

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 02:00:02 GMT

In her Brighton studio, the artist, explorer, science communicator and self-professed 'child', Beatrice von Preussen, explores her obsession with "little things". Whether tadpole, snail shell, wax-worm or fossilised prehistoric crustacean, Bea explains how it is the small things that have made her dream big. Here she discusses her journey to the arctic - where she spent weeks alone during the sun-drenched midsummer, armed with pencils, paper, (an emergency rifle for polar bear repellant), and the dream of using the world's most-northerly printing press. But whether etchings of newts, or being invited by the Spanish army to explore an active volcano in the antarctic, it is the joy of story-telling that inspires her, and drives her to teach the next generation about our inspirational planet. For further information on this and other episodes, visit: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/beatrice-von-preussen/

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George Monbiot: Feeding our future with heaven-sent bacteria and home-brewed scrumpy!

Tue, 24 May 2022 02:00:12 GMT

George Monbiot is a prolific writer and journalist, known particularly for his environmental and political activism. But, this episode - not simply about his being beaten or arrested for his political views, or indeed about the time he was stung into a coma by hornets or when he actually died (according to a Brazilian newspaper) - is about fixing our follies and feeding our future. Over a glass of George’s home-brewed cider, David and George discuss the possibility of a 'regenesis' - a revolution in understanding how our food is made, how our planet's population is fed, and how reimagining “the most destructive industry in the World” could help re-wild our countryside too in the process. Could the bacterias in our soil help feed the planet twice over, in two dynamically different ways? Do we truly know what's going on beneath our feet? For further information on this and other episodes, visit: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/george-monbiot/

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Norwegian Spruce: Our Viking Christmas Tree; aka ‘The Return of the Native’

Fri, 24 Dec 2021 05:55:47 GMT

BONUS EPISODE: For Christmas, David Oakes explores the cultural importance of the non-native Christmas Tree, the Norwegian Spruce (Picea abies). Although native to our shores before the most recent Ice Age, it took Vikings from Scandanavia, Princes from Saxe-Coburg, Violinists from Italy and Horses from Aintree to truly root the Norwegian Spruce into our National identity - and that's not to mention any British Christmas rituals.

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Holly: Merry berries & mistle thrushes deck our true native Christmas tree

Tue, 21 Dec 2021 05:00:37 GMT

Our fifty-sixth (and final!) tree, Holly (Ilex aquifolium). Released to coincide with the Winter Solstice, aka the end of the rule of the Holly King, this episode celebrates a tree that is rooted in the winter celebrations of Celts, Romans, Christians, and even Cretaceous Dinosaurs! For centuries it has also fed the cattle that feeds us, it has supported generations of over-wintering birds (such as the greedy Mistle Thrush) and it has kept Goblins, Witches and arson-obsessed Cumbrian villagers at bay. Illuminated by the words of Emily Bronte, Thomas Hardy, Robert Southey and a whole collective known of historical botanists, this episode celebrates one of our undeniably great trees. There is also a VERY special Christmas present to you all, courtesy of the stunning Leisure Society. (Special thanks to Richard Hollis and Holly Newell for adding their voices, and to Bella Hardy and the Leisure Society for their musical meliflosities.) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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The Viburnums: Ways fared to Guelderland via chalk paths and waterlogged fens

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 06:05:18 GMT

Our fifty-fourth and fifty-fifth trees, the Wayfaring Tree (Viburnum lantana) and the Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus) - aka the Viburnums. It’s all about names this week. Not only do these trees have two of the strangest common names, but they also have a rich array of traditional folk names too. But whether you’re discussing Crampbark, the Snowball Tree, the Water Elder, or the Hoarwithy, its fair to say that these two trees aren’t the most palatable plants for our nation’s wildlife, but they’re certainly some of the prettiest - with stunning umbels of white flowers, and glorious red and black berries. (Special thanks to Al Petrie for adding his voice, yet again, to this series.) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Elder: The people’s purple medicine chest lined with pariahs, period pop-guns & poo

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 07:03:59 GMT

Our fifty-third tree, Elder (Sambucus nigra). The “medicine chest of the common people” has probably helped keep more people healthy than any other native British tree, and yet it is derided for its smell, associated with Christ’s betrayal, and when burnt is said to provide a mouthpiece for the devil and/or a malign tree spirit. The Elder is a symbol of Summer, has one of the most cherished berries out there (cherished by both man and beast), and has inspired our greatest playwrights, botanists and podcasters! (Special thanks to Deirdre Mullins, Adam Ewan and Pete Basham for adding their voices to this episode.) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Wild Privet: Your country needs Spitfires, stick-insects and an untrimmed bush!

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 06:54:38 GMT

Our fifty-second tree, Privet or Wild Privet (Ligustrum vulgare). It's NATIONAL TREE WEEK! To celebrate; the tree our host was dreading writing an episode about - a tree he has sadly often cast aside as dull and uninteresting. Far from it (ish). Here grow stories of Spitfires and school Biology labs, as well as the pretty special manner in which Privet creates its foliage (which is fantastic for nesting birds, hungry insects, and even draws in bats!) (Special thanks to Al Petrie and Louise Bowe of the Tree Council.) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Ash: Unlocking dieback with firelight, hurley sticks & Heiðrún the Viking goat

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 08:52:46 GMT

Our fifty-first tree, Ash (Fraxinus excelsior). One of the British Isles’ most plentiful trees… for now. This week’s episode explores the Ash’s struggle against “Ash Dieback” and what you can do to help halt its spread; a refreshed look at the Viking’s obsession with the Ash Tree in their mythology, and; an exploration of the oh-so-many things this magnificent tree has offered up to society. That, and a good old sing-song courtesy of Lady Celia Congreve and music maestro Gary Hickeson. More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Strawberry Tree: No, not that kind... rather, a god-sent Irish oddity with several subterranean secrets

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 06:02:36 GMT

Our fiftieth tree, the Strawberry Tree (Arbutus undo). The sole tree on our list of “native trees to the British Isles” that does not occur on the British mainland. The Strawberry Tree, or “Killarney Strawberry Tree”, is very much an Irish tree. Ant there’s no surprise for why the Irish keep it to themselves, for the Strawb is a stunner! More colourful fruits than any of the English trees; leaves that hide tales of a semi-tropical past; several subterranean secrets (and not just the usual old fungus nonsense!); and a little celtic folklore too. All that, yet some undeserving shade cast by Romans and Elizabethans - b*stards! (Special thanks to Al Petrie - our resident Gerard - for adding his voice to this episode.) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Dogwood: Victorian dating & rodent reanimating; the secrets of the bloody whippletree

Tue, 09 Nov 2021 07:17:35 GMT

Our forty-ninth tree, is Dogwood (Cornus sanguina) - aka, the Whipple Tree, the Bloody Rod, Prickwood… one of our most colourful native species (with both foliage and twigs turning a rich scarlet) and a tree that contains multiple medical uses - it acts as an anti-inflammatory and can even induce the neurogenesis of stem cells in rats! It has inspired a fairy race of brownie-like “Dogwood people”, may well have been the tree that Jesus was crucified upon, and it was used as a love token by amorous Victorians. What’s not to love?! More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Brigit Strawbridge Howard: As busy as a bee, whilst remaining humble as a bumble

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 06:00:05 GMT

Whether you know her from her Wainwright Prize nominated “Dancing with Bees”, from her time on the BBC’s “It’s Not Easy Being Green”, or from her intoxicating twitter-feed, there’s no denying that Brigit Strawbridge Howard is charming, endlessly-inquisitive and has truly let nature into her very soul. But it has not always been that way. Here - in an incredibly personal interview - Brigit explains how Nature didn’t feature in her early childhood whatsoever - only eventually making itself known to her as a “refuge from bullying”. Today, she is now part of a growing groundswell for environmental change and possesses a desire to place greater pressure upon policy makers - to make them see that the future is far more than just the coming weekend. But, there’s perhaps no denying, that Brigit’s true passion revolves around Bees! Here she will explain how Bumble Bees use the sonic resonance of their buzz to pollinate tomatoes, how Honey Bees use wild yeast to make fermented bee bread, how Bees are basically just “Vegetarian Wasps”, and how it was Bees that brought love into her life. For further information on this and other episodes, visit: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/brigit-strawbridge-howard/

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The Limes: Bast-ardly BIG trees smothered in glamrock moths & decapitated bees

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 06:38:14 GMT

Our forty-sixth and forty-seventh trees are our two native Limes, (Tilia cordata) and (Tilia platyphyllos). These are trees you can hear before you get the chance to set your eyes upon them - they literally hum with invertebrate life. Limes attract the most psychedelic of caterpillars, doomed bees destined to be decapitated by greedy birds, and (somewhat predictably) humankind seeking the lime’s delicate timber and the versatile bast fibres that lie beneath the bark. This “benevolence to biodiversity” and “cornucopia of creative possibilities” means that coppiced lime stools are some of the oldest living organisms alive in the British Isles today. And if that’s not enough, our two native limes can also cross-pollinate to create a hairy-armpitted native hybrid; our forty-eighth tree, the Common Lime (Tilia x europaea). AND we've yet another musical premiere - Louise Jordan heads off into a Linden Lea. (Special thanks to Brigit Strawbridge Howard, Louise Jordan and Al Petrie for adding their voices to this episode.) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Sycamore: The mucilage & mysteries stuck upon our misunderstood martyr maple

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 05:36:35 GMT

Our forty-fifth tree, Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus). Suffering from a somewhat mistaken identity (partly due to Christianity, and partly due to some pompous Elizabethans), the Sycamore is a much maligned non-native - but now naturalised - tree. It’s a sticky survivor that loves our country. Only now, with the help of Silvologists like Dr Gabriel Hemery, are we beginning to place greater value upon this mighty immigrant. Add the fact that a lone Sycamore in Tolpuddle, Dorset, helped solidify our British Trade Union movement, and you have a much welcome addition to our British Isles. (Special thanks to Dr Gabriel Hemery, Al Petrie and Natalie Dormer for adding their voices to this episode.) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Field Maple: Is it a BIRD (tongue)? Is it (an experimental Second World War) PLANE (cargo drop)? No! It's the colourful corky bungs of the SAPINDACEAE!

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 05:50:52 GMT

Our forty-fourth tree, Field Maple (Acer campestre); the sole truly native member of an incredibly colourful family. Their branches have supported Roman vines, the fruits have inspired modern military design, and the wood is one of the most sonorous - inspiring everyone from Stradivarius to Fender. You can drink its sap, make salads from its leaves; but the best way for your senses to enjoy the Field, and indeed all Maples, is simple to open one’s eyes at the end of Autumn. Unforgettable foliage; a stunner. More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Hornbeam: Hardwood for smelting Boy Scouts & yoking chariots to hunt Ben Hur!

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 05:00:19 GMT

Our forty-third tree, Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus). As hard as horn, and... well... 'beam' just means 'tree'. A beautiful leafy canopy supporting biodiversity year-round, it has been used by humans for centuries to smelt iron and to harness the power of beasts, and you probably just thought it was an odd Beech tree! Truth is, it should be more loved than it is... because it isn't planning on going anywhere anytime soon! More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Hazel: "Monsieur, with your mellow fruitfulness, Dormice and ancient epigenetic poetical-pescatarianism, you are really spoiling us!"

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 06:21:12 GMT

Our forty-second tree, Hazel (Corylus avellana). DORMICE! Enjoy. But, if you need more: we explore the pros and cons of modern agricultural hedge-care, how the Elizabethans were addicted to ‘filberts’, how Ferrero accidentally use 25% of the whole World’s hazelnuts, and we have poetry from all four corners of the British Isles - Phil Cumbus reading Shakespeare and Keats, Pollyanna McIntosh with Rabbie Burns, Katie McGrath with some cob-guzzling-salmon-based ancient Irish folklore, and Dylan Thomas’ “Hazel” (ish) reimagined for saxophone by the host of the awesome Sound Spring podcast. More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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The Birches: Magic Shrooms to Witches Brooms, the A to Z of the Birch nurtured

Tue, 28 Sep 2021 06:34:15 GMT

Our fortieth and forty-first trees, the Silver Birch (Betula pendula) and Downy Birch (Betula pubescens) - with apologies to the Dwarf Birch (Betula nana). Our birches are some of our very earliest colonisers, and as such there is little the birch does not nurture; for example, its mycorrhizal relationships support hallucinogenic mushrooms, witches’ brooms and barber’s razors, we drink it, and prisoners of gulags have even written love letters on it… The birch was also instrumental in helping Dr Suzanne Simard discover the secrets going on beneath our soil in the Wood Wide Web. Added to this the corporal punishment of sailers and barren cows, an ancient language of tree-climbing and how it is involved in the magic urine trade, and you have a couple of very special trees. (Special thanks to Alan Devine for adding his voice to this week’s episode.) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Alder: Swamp thing! You make my heart (-sized root nodules) sing / fix nitrogen with a symbiotic bacterium!

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 05:08:25 GMT

Our thirty-ninth tree, Alder (Alnus glutinosa). A tree designed for water; as strong as steel when submerged, alder timber has been keeping Venice from sinking for centuries. In the wild, our Alder provides homes for otters within its exposed root systems and can be found carpeted in the most verdant of mossy carpets. But more important than that, in cahoots with a bacterium, Alder fills our waterlogged and swampy soils with life-building nitrogen. This week’s episode was recorded with our host’s wellie-clad feet dangling in the Beaulieu river, in the heart of the New Forest. (Special thanks to Natalie Dormer for adding her voice to the Betjeman in this week’s episode, and to Hodder & Stoughton for giving us permission to do so.) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Sweet Chestnut: Legendarily tasty, but as prickly and trustworthy as a Borgia

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 05:00:16 GMT

Our thirty-eighth tree, the Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa). A mighty tree, but actually a non-native archeophyte; one whose fruit has both fattened us and inspired us. We soak the chestnuts in sugar, we sing christmas songs about them, and they’ve inspired histories greatest fable-fabricators to have a LOT of fun! So, whether you want stories of 4000 year old trees growing in the shadow of a volcano and sheltering 100 horsemen, or myths about a horny Roman god wanting to make illegitimate love-tadpoles with a water nymph, or simply the tried and tested Renaissance tale of Alexander the chestnut-depraved Borgia Pope and the joy of sharing his nuts with his cardinals... this tree has it all! (Special thanks to Francois Arnaud for adding his voice to this episode.) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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The Oaks: From two tiny acorns grow Viking Gods, Druidic ritual sacrifice, Nazis and... Mr Darcy?!

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 05:00:45 GMT

Our thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh trees, the Oaks; Pedunculate (Quercus robur) & Sessile (Quercus petraea). Revered by Druids, Vikings, Fascists, Socialists, Shipbuilders, Piglets, Invertebrates, Epiphytes and (most importantly) Dr George McGavin, our British Isles would not be in the shape they are now if it wasn’t for our Oaks. For good or ill; they’ve given us wine and warships, literature and law, cricket balls and currency, and that’s not even mentioning the gifts they have given to nature in the form of a biodiversity bonanza. What is hidden in these branches will make you yearn, lichen love and weevils weally happy... and we haven’t even mentioned that the Oak is named after our host (or at least he thinks it’s that way around!) (Special thanks to Dr George McGavin, Adam Ewan, Clare Corbett, Louis Maskell, Alex Lanipekun and ‘The Show Shanties’ for all adding their voices to this episode.) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Peter Wohlleben: The hidden life of the ‘Green Sheep’ who wanted to become an Ent

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 05:00:28 GMT

Peter Wohlleben is a German forester, an international best-selling author and (unfortunately for our host) a rival dendro-podcaster! Here Peter talks not only in the manner for how he has become internationally renowned - speaking of how trees can have families, of how they can feel panic and of how they may LITERALLY be able to see what we are doing with tiny optical lenses in their leaves - but also more personally - about how he was the “green sheep” of his family, spending his childhood imitating frogs and whispering sweet nothings to egg yolks. Peter and David discuss the importance of trees as whole ecosystems, of how trees work as a natural thermostat and how the forests of Europe provide the rain for much of China. Add in some of Peter’s respect for the UK's Woodland Trust, and his concerns about forest bathing in the buff, and you have an incredibly wide ranging conversation, that seeks to unroot the secrets and stories surrounding the hidden life of Peter Wohlleben. For further information on this and other episodes, visit: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/peter-wohlleben/

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Beech: Never judge a ‘buche’ by its leaf-cover - (Buchen sollst du suchen-ish!)

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 05:01:25 GMT

Our thirty-fifth tree, Beech (Fagus sylvatica). Without the Beech, we would not have literature (ish). The tree has been so useful to human/British kind that its substantial distribution across the country proudly represents this. It has fed us, clothed us, given us books to read and even provided us with a soft bed for the night - but NONE of this would be possible without its fungal friends. This week we examine the first of the Fagaceae and the fungi that feed her. This is the Queen tree; our Mother tree - or indeed ‘Der Mutterbaum’ - for we’ll be popping across to Germany for a little of this episode… as such, special thanks to Goetz Otto and Peter Wohlleben for adding their voices to this episode. More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Wych Elm: Which wonky wych is the survivor; our world's first wood woman?

Tue, 24 Aug 2021 05:37:35 GMT

Our thirty-fourth tree, Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra). Following on from a rather dour episode on the fate of many of our nation’s fine Elm trees, David Oakes is delighted to delve into a species of Elm which is proving more resilient to Dutch Elm Disease, and discovering how it is triumphing. Looking back to a time when the Elms were a dominant tree on the British Isles, David shines a light on the intoxicating flowers, the huggable trunks and the design-perfect samara of the Wych Elm, and how they have inspired everyone from the Vikings to E. M. Forster, and even those that believe in Elves…! (Very special thanks to Natalie Dormer, Adam Ewan and "E".) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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English Elms: Dreams in Crystal Palaces, but coffins by Cathedrals

Tue, 17 Aug 2021 05:07:46 GMT

Our thirty-second and thirty-third trees, the English - which may or may not be called (Ulmus procera) - and Field Elm (Ulmus minor). Recorded live in the Salisbury Cathedral Close, David reminisces about fine art, Nobel-prize winning literature and performing pagan rituals in the spire’s shade. Then from Cathedrals to Constable; then Crystal Palaces, Columella and coffins; then dreams, nationalistic deception and one of the worst botanical diseases the British Isles has ever faced - Dutch Elm Disease. More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Sea Buckthorn: Fuelling flying horses & fixing sand dunes - the tree that started it all?

Tue, 10 Aug 2021 05:52:33 GMT

Our 31st tree, Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides). Often derided for its rapacious spread in areas where it might not be entirely wanted, the Sea Buckthorn is a species that helped provide a roothold for almost everyother tree species on the British Isles. Add into the mix a bit about Genghis Khan, Flying Horses and perhaps one of the greatest sorbets our host has ever eaten, and you're looking at a wonder of a tree. (Special thanks to Gavin Drea and Dara McAnulty for all adding their voices to this episode.) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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The Buckthorns: Fire, brimstones and the invasive aliens hiding in a pig's bladder

Tue, 03 Aug 2021 05:21:16 GMT

Our twenty-ninth tree, Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), and our thirtieth tree, Alder Buckthorn (Frangula alnus) - The BUCKTHORNS of the Rhamnaceae. Their unripe berries made paint pigment that was stored in a pig’s bladder, their charcoal made gunpowder that has defined a society and their toxic seeds have made humans purge their bowels making countless regretful foragers! Our Buckthorns are an easily ignorable shrub that have left an indelible mark upon humankind. (Special thanks to Ian Bartholomew, Darren Moorcroft of the Woodland Trust, and James Robinson of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust for all adding their voices to this episode.) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Rowan: All hail the Witchwood; the high-flying hero of Thor & dairy-maids!

Tue, 27 Jul 2021 04:51:53 GMT

Our twenty-eigth tree, the Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia). One of the most elegant and tasteful (not to mention tasty - to birds) trees that you can find throughout the British Isles. It has been worshipped by Pagans and Christians alike for its spiritual power and symbolism. It repels witches, frustrates adders, arouses dairymaids, seduces birds and stops Norse Thunder-gods from drowning in piss. This is the “bird-catcher”, "tank-destroyer" and “human-fascinator”; a tree revered for centuries; a tree that has accompanied man on a number of its destructive escapades. And did we mention that it shares one of its MANY names with our host - Rowan David Oakes? (Special thanks to Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson and Al Petrie for adding their voices to this episode.) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Wild Service: A checkered past spent pizzled with politicians & ancient french knights

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 05:09:49 GMT

Our twenty-seventh tree, the Wild Service Tree (Sorbus torminalis). Colourful, mysterious and increasingly rare, the Wild Service represents a midway point - not only between the Rowan and the Whitebeam, but between what our forests look like, and what our forests looked like. They’re associated with Olde English Taverns and with ancient Roman drinking sessions, with medieval French jousting, and so abundantly slathered in folk names that it’s a travesty their current common name is so unbelievably dull! Adored by Rackham and Mabey (and Oakes!), this elegant arbor is one magical tree, worshipped by the dendrologically-devout. (Special thanks to Xavier Gens and Rob Heaps for adding their voices to this episode.) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Whitebeam: The gorge-ous (geeky) sub-science behind our mighty 'Plant Elephants'

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 05:00:02 GMT

Our twenty-sixth tree, the Whitebeam (Sorbus aria). What the stately and elegant Whitebeam lacks in folklore, it makes up for with its proclivity to cross-pollinate and hybridise. David heads out into the wild, to Cheddar Gorge - the location of a very rare, and only recently discovered sub-species of the Whitebeam - to discuss the way in which species evolve from one to another, and to dig a little deeper into the confusingly murky waters of taxonomical nomenclature. The German forester, Peter Wohlleben, refers to trees as “Plant Elephants”; so what better reason to delve into the many sub-species of the Whitebeam tha by discussing Elephants first...?! Tenuous, yes; useful, hopefully! So - get your science goggles, petri-dishes and Bunsen burners at the ready, this episode is going to get a little geeky. (Special thanks to Peter Basham for adding his voice to this episode.) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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The Hawthorns: May Fairies protect your Midland bush against any Common Haws

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 05:00:12 GMT

Our twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth trees are the Common Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) & the Midland Thorn (Crataegus laevigata). Once David stops blathering about the ‘Holy Thorn’ - a fascinating twice-flowering genetic variant of the Hawthorn that has inspired pilgrimages and postal stamps - he’ll tell you why one Hawthorn is far more prevalent than the other (despite the opposite originally being true), how superstitious the Irish are about their bushes, and why Shakespeare May or May not know what he’s talking about. (Many thanks to Tom Bateman for his contribution to this week's episode.) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Crab Apple: 'A' is for sin, cider, gravity and pip-popping Auroch-pat parties

Tue, 29 Jun 2021 05:00:26 GMT

Our twenty-third tree is the Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris) - the ‘Forest apple’. The apple is perhaps our most important fruit from a cultural perspective, but it would be NOTHING without its little crab parent. They made Shakespeare sexy, they made the Norse Gods immortal, and without the Crabs our nation’s biodiversity would be missing a massively integral player. This week David talks Auroch poop, Celtic party games and the origins of the apple’s “Englishness”. (Many thanks to Adam Sopp for his contribution to this week's episode.) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Wild Pears: Infanticide, scampi & Barbarossa’s bloody bearded pear conference

Tue, 22 Jun 2021 05:00:23 GMT

Our twenty-second tree, the Wild Pear (Pyrus pyraster)… or to be more precise, this is an episode exploring the three Wild Pears that you my find growing wild on the British Isles: the aforementioned Wild Pear, the European Pear (Pyrus communis) and the Plymouth Pear (Pyrus cordata). Currently, the thinking is that none of these three trees are strictly native, but doing an episode on pears gives me an excuse to discuss Grecian infanticide and matricide, Shakespearean euphemisms for ‘a syphilitic vagina’, dismemberment leading to orchiectomy, and a war to end all wars that will be held on the site where Julie Andrews once sang: “The hills are alive, with the sound of…” (Many thanks to Adam Sopp for his contribution to this week's episode.) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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The Cherries: Drupes adored by birds; blossom revered by Kamikaze suicide pilots

Tue, 15 Jun 2021 05:00:07 GMT

Our twentieth and twenty-first trees, the Wild Cherry (Prunus avium) and the Bird Cherry (Prunus padus). Yes, you knew cherries are tasty, but did you know they’re so delectable that they have their own bodyguards? Yes, you know about the Japanese cherry blossom front, but did you also know that cherry blossom adorned the fuselage of kamikaze pilots? And, yes, you obviously knew that Henry the VIII loved his food, but did you know he loved his cherries so much that he put a bounty on the heads of Bullfinches?! That, more besides, all of that illustrated by "Man Men"'s Michael Gladis, AND a brand new original performance of the Cherry Tree carol by absolute folk LEGEND, Martin Simpson. It’s a bumper harvest! More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Blackthorn: Burgeoning with Booze, Black Magic and Butcher Birds

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 05:17:34 GMT

Our nineteenth tree, Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa). As one of the first trees of our Rose family (the Rosaceae), this tree - when it blossoms in early February - is unsurprisingly beautiful to behold! But beneath the blossom lies black magic, butchery, even beastiality, and lots and lots of sloe-based boooooze! Brimming with folklore and mystery, and a home to birds that unfortunately have a second home upon the IUCN Red List, this hardy tree is a vital member of the British landscape and imagination. More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Richard Nairn: One man & his 'meitheal' replanting the ancient Wild Woods of Ireland

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 04:45:09 GMT

Richard Nairn is an environmental scientist and naturalist with a lifetime of experience in applied ecology, conservation and learning from the wild world around him. Having recently purchased a piece of ancient native woodland in County Wicklow, Ireland, here Richard shares the lessons these woods have taught him. From the importance of woodland management, to the vitality deriving from a community’s support (or ‘Meithal’ in Gaelic). These woodlands have proved a bottomless source of Wisdom; knowledge otherwise hidden in the secret pollen records of nearby peat bogs. With only 2% of Ancient Native Woodland remaining in Ireland, Richard is preserving this heritage for generations to come. Richard and David discuss the catharsis of woodchopping against Seasonal Affective Disorder, the value of peat, how the Pine Marten is in cahoots with the Red Squirrels against the Greys, and how Ireland has recently seen the return of Woodpeckers, White-tailed Eagles and even the occasional lesser-spotted human who places value upon nature and woodland. For further information on this and other episodes, visit: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/richard-nairn/

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White & Grey Poplars: Twelve labours of Heracles, vs. Two non-native Poplars

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 05:00:00 GMT

Our seventeenth and eighteenth trees, the White (Populus alba) and Grey (Populus x canescens) Poplars. As our two native Poplars - the Black and the Aspen - are becoming increasingly rare on the British Isles, I’ve treated myself to a couple of bonus trees that are relatively common here, but not strictly native species - for, as I'm sure you're all well aware: “Once you Poplar, you can’t Stop-lar...” Anyway... The White Poplar (non-native) is steeped in European Myth and Legend, which gives me yet another opportunity to throw some Greeks your way, and the Grey (a native hybrid) is one of the largest trees on our Isles. Both great trees, well worth a bonus episode! More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Aspen: The tremulous beauty & ‘beaver-bonds’ of our immortal Quaking Poplar

Tue, 25 May 2021 05:38:21 GMT

Our sixteenth tree, the Aspen (Populus tremula) is a gentle giant. Beautiful long leaf stalks keep the foliage fluttering in the wind and folklore galore alive in our jaw; whilst a secret that lies beneath the soil means these trees one day might dominate the globe (sort of… their cousin is the largest organism on the planet!) And, despite LOVING beaver (sorry), they reproduce in a highly problematic fashion. All this, a life-shatteringly powerful recital of some Gerard Manley Hopkins from Sam West, and more…! What’s not to love about the Aspen?! More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Black Poplar: Devil’s fingers & flame-breathing horses heralding the fall of a giant

Tue, 18 May 2021 05:01:31 GMT

Our fifteenth tree (and don’t go fearing you’ve missed a few episodes, our last episode just included a bumper crop of Willows), the Black Poplar (Populus nigra), is one of my very favourites species - but unfortunately increasingly rare. It plays a role - according to the Greek Myth - into why we have the climate we have, its wood is fire resistant - making it invaluable in the development of modern society, and it is one of the most attractive and noble looking trees in our British woodlands. To find out how, better press play now! More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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The Willows: Highly immoral, incestuous, SEX-obsessed, b*stards!

Tue, 11 May 2021 05:00:49 GMT

Our sixth tree… well, actually, our sixth, seventh, eighth, all the way up to our fourteenth tree; this episode is a whole riverbank full of filthy depraved sex-obsessed Wanton Willows (Sexy Salix spp.) - both native varieties and archaeophytes. The willow is an amazing coloniser - which is one reason why the British Isles boasts so many unique species and hybrids - imbued with an obsession of having sex with anything even remotely similar! This episode explores hybridisation, colonisation, pollination and is illuminated by many wonderful guests. A tree you undoubtedly know well (whomping willow, old man willow, wind in the willows... etc...) yet seen from a very revealing angle! More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Spindle: Linnaeus' favourite charcoal with splashes of Indian celebration

Tue, 04 May 2021 05:00:48 GMT

Our fifth tree, the Spindle (Euonymus europaeus) is a stunner. Sexy in pink! Unsurpassed in vibrancy by any of our other native trees. This week, David looks at the secrets behind its many names, why Linnaeus loved it so much, and how it could be harbouring a worryingly dark secret. More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Box: The music, art and sensory secrets hidden within Queen Anne’s box

Tue, 27 Apr 2021 08:00:56 GMT

Our fourth tree, the Box (Buxus sempervirens) is a much maligned tree. It has been disregarded by monarchy, slandered by legendary (and hunky) herbalists, but without it we would be without music, art and literature. Used for wood-block printing, making oboes and flutes, and (admittedly loosely) providing inspiration to Jane Austen... We owe this tree a great deal. More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Scots Pine: Wolves, woodants and the wonder of our keystone species

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 08:47:21 GMT

Our third tree, the Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) has a rich association with English Theatre - something David knows about far too well. But, more important than that, the association this increasingly rare tree has with ancient forests, and the biodiversity within them, is unsurpassed. A stunning keystone species in its own right. More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Juniper: A gin-fuelled journey to Oregon, via Holland and Georgian London

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 08:46:43 GMT

Our second tree, the Juniper (Juniperus communis), holds the secret of gin within its berries - need it offer more?! But it also possesses many other medicinal secrets besides. This episode begins in the Oregon badlands, before returning to Europe and the rich history of a genuine obsession with Juniper - an obsession that may not last forever. More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Yew: From Agincourt to cancer-cure, the ancient tree of life and death

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 08:45:27 GMT

Our first tree, the Yew (Taxus baccata), has accompanied humanity since the very beginning, giving us the opportunity for longer life and a rapid death. The oldest human made tool is made of Yew, and the tree’s toxins hold a deadly poison and a remedy for cancer. This and much more; there is perhaps no other British tree with such an in-depth relationship with mankind. More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/

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Oakes on Oaks: Introducing our 56(ish) Trees

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 08:00:21 GMT

In season three of Trees A Crowd, David Oakes uproots the secrets and stories beneath the native tree species of the British Isles.

Each week for the next few months, Oakes is going to be exploring our trees - from Scots Pine to Privet; Box, Beech and the Buckthorns; Wild cherries, wild pears and wild apples; Ash, Aspen, Alder, Elder and Elm... and many more (56 of them to be precise-ish!)

But what is a Native Tree? Firstly, by 'tree' he means a woody plant that can, in the wild, reach at least 5m in height, and; secondly, by 'Native', he means a plant that has arrived naturally in Great Britain and Ireland since the last ice age - 11,700(ish) years ago.

A new episode will be dropped each tuesday throughout 2021... (ish).

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Dr George McGavin (Part Two): Putting the “Ooo!” into Zooology with evil cats and spider penises!

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 08:00:45 GMT

In part two of this conversation with Dr George McGavin, we find out that he has not one, but five bugs named after him - one of which was given to him by the ‘world cockroach expert’! If there’s a better measure for knowing how influential you’ve been in your field, we haven’t heard of it. George and David go on to discuss the human flesh-eating larvae of the botfly, and the memory of cutting open the poisoned insides of a dead harbour porpoise, alongside other poignant thoughts about man’s impact on nature. Indeed, George reflects on the biggest issue facing wildlife - that there are just too many humans, and that, with that, money seems to trump nature every single time. But, make sure you stay tuned in until the end to hear about spider penises, George’s uncanny David Attenborough impression, and the incomprehensible, destructive power of Tibbles the cat - who single-paw-edly wiped out an entire species!

For further information on this and other episodes, visit: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/dr-george-mcgavin/

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Dr George McGavin (Part One): A World of Colour! The vertebrate in an invertebrate world!

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 08:00:57 GMT

Dr George McGavin is a zoologist, entomologist and broadcaster, and currently serves as President for the Dorset Wildlife Trust. Best known for hosting documentaries including ‘Lost Land of the Volcano’, ‘Oak Tree: Nature’s Greatest Survivor’ and, most recently, ‘Ocean Autopsy: The Secret Story of Our Seas’, he is also well known to television viewers for his frequent appearances on BBC One’s ‘The One Show’. Sitting down to chat in post-lockdown June, in the heart of Windsor Great Park, David Oakes and George enjoy one of the first in-person meetups they’ve each had in months! George discusses how his stammer impacted his early life, how he was inspired by the likes of Aubrey Manning, and how he quit his much-sought-after tenured Oxford University position to chase a wildlife documentary making dream… (without telling his wife!) Covering insect biodiversity, mankind’s stubbornness to change, exploration of rainforests, and more, the topics covered here are as wide ranging as George’s documentaries, all shared with gleeful anecdotes, including his hope to delve deeper into the world’s faeces - but you’ll have to wait until the end for that particular ‘nugget’!

For further information on this and other episodes, visit: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/dr-george-mcgavin/

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Doug Allan: A witness beneath the waves on World Manta Day

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 08:00:29 GMT

Happy World Manta Day! To celebrate the wonders of our ocean’s Flappiest Friends, this special episode explores the experiences and encounters of Manta Trust patron and legendary explorer-cameraman, Doug Allan. Described by Sir David Attenborough as one of the world’s greatest natural history cameramen, Doug Allan’s work speaks for itself. In fact, head to our website now to see some footage of both Doug and Manta Rays in action. In this discussion, David Oakes discovers how, although training to become a marine biologist, Doug truly learned to dive by harvesting fresh-water pearls. Doug has spent roughly a decade living in the Antarctic, readjusting his internal thermostat suitably to openly profess that his “ideal temperature” is a barmy -18℃! As well as Manta Rays, Doug has had close encounters with Polar Bears, Orcas, Narwhals, Emperor Penguins and more (indeed he almost had his brains sucked out by a Walrus), but it was life on Everest that truly struck him to the core. Doug’s lengthy experiences in the most extreme of environments, and at our planet’s poles, make him the perfect witness of Earth’s changing climate. All this and an introduction from Dr Guy Stevens, CEO of the Manta Trust, to tell us how Manta Rays are getting on at the moment.

For further information on this and other episodes, visit: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/doug-allan-world-manta-day/

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(More) Mark Carwardine: On the realities of anti-poaching patrols & his conservation heroes

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 08:00:19 GMT

In the final of three episodes focused on Animal Conservation, David Oakes speaks again (you’ll remember him from his Narwhal-centric episode at the top of this season) to Mark Carwardine - zoologist, conservationist, broadcaster and photographer. Having been out on foot patrols upon most of the planet’s continents, Mark explains the realities of being a wildlife ranger. The risks of poachers, animals and accidents; the reality of spending weeks on end away from civilisation, safe drinking water and emergency medical support, and; the impact this places, not simply upon the individual, but also upon one’s family. Having lost a friend to this most noble and most dangerous of professions, Mark explains why anti-poaching rangers should be considered the real “heroes of conservation”.

For further information on this and ot her episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/more-mark-carwardine/

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Georgina Lamb: A Lamb leading lions, elephants, pangolins, snow leopards, rhinos and the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation

Mon, 31 Aug 2020 08:00:17 GMT

Georgina Lamb is the Chief Executive of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation. The charity was founded by her grandfather, the late great artist Sir David Shepherd, and funds key conservation projects across the world. This conversation touches on the history of Shepherd, a man who dedicated his life to force change, and whose paintings are the stuff of legends - one even featured on the wall of the living room in “Only Fools and Horses”! As the second in our series on Wildlife Conservation, this episode moves on to discuss the impact of the foundation, and the work it’s doing with chimpanzees, snow leopards, rhinos, painted dogs and how the DSWF sits in the greater picture of conservation, working within the framework of CITES. Georgina explains how they’re working with rangers to fight the illegal wildlife trade, where products like ivory are often worth more than gold and cocaine on the black market. She explores how the foundation sticks to its roots by harnessing the power of art to communicate their message, and explains how the memory of her grandfather is always with her, reminding her that “giving up is not an option”.

For further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/georgina-lamb/

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Will Travers OBE: Born free and committed to compassionate conservation

Mon, 17 Aug 2020 07:17:05 GMT

Will Travers OBE is one of the UK’s most influential animal rights activists, founding the Born Free Foundation in 1984 with his parents, originally under the name Zoo Check. As most of the world has been placed under strict lockdown and quarantine rules, we’re beginning to get a glimpse into what life must be like for animals trapped in zoos, forced to live in confined spaces under lock and key “for not much more than our own amusement”. Born Free’s latest campaign, “Creature Discomforts”, tackles this issue with the help of the animators at Aardman. Will talks about the distress and anxiety caused to animals when they’re not allowed to roam their natural habitats, and how we’ve “distorted and warped” our relationship with wild animals. Later in the conversation Will discusses the reprehensible poaching and canned hunting industries, and the threat they pose to animals like Lions. The discussion moves onto the life of George Adamson, the realities of filming “Born Free” in the sixties, and the financing of wildlife protection, before ending on a note about Will’s late father - his ever-present guide to knowing what’s right and wrong in the world.

For further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/born-free

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World Oyster Day: Prof. Rowan Lockwood & Dr Bryce Stewart “shell-ebrate” the mighty mollusc!

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 08:00:47 GMT

As kismet would have it, it’s WORLD OYSTER DAY! Before we found out oysters even had their own day, we wanted to celebrate these slippery salt-water molluscs because it turns out, when gathered together, they’re quite amazing and could provide natural solutions to many of mankind’s biggest environmental problems. Familiar voice, friend of the show, marine ecologist and fisheries biologist, Bryce Stewart, kicks us off with an answer to the most important question asked this week, “Why don't you chew an oyster?”. From there we go into the cleaning power of oyster reefs - learning that a one-acre reef can daily filter 36 olympic swimming pools worth of water! Then Professor Rowan Lockwood, chair of geology at William and Mary University in Williamsburg, Virginia, explains how she uses the fossil records of oysters, and a technique called sclerochronology, to figure out how to restore the populations in the modern Chesapeake Bay. Rowan explains how oysters aren’t just filtration machines, they are ecosystem engineers, building three-dimensional habitats for other species to live in. And, as seems to be the case for all experts in their field, we drool over the deliciousness of oysters - because you simply have to eat your study!

An extra massive thank you to John Hartoch for lending his versatility of voice to Lewis Carroll's "The Walrus and the Carpenter" at the very tip-top of this episode. Thank you John.

For further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/world-oyster-day/

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Prof. Kate Jones (Part Two): Bats - mixing your margaritas since 55,000,000 BC

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 08:00:10 GMT

“Bats are awesome and endlessly fascinating” - and it’s a good job too, because this is the second part of a two-part conversation all about the flying mammals! After rain stopped play last week, this in-depth conversation with Prof. Kate Jones (UCL’s resident bat expert and Harrison Ford worrier) picks back up by pitting megabats against microbats. From there we discuss how the US army attempted to militarise bats, how bats are helping to save humans billions of pounds, how to make your garden more bat friendly, and we dig deep into the sonic war that has been taking place for millions of years, pitting bat-kind against their age-old nemeses, the moths!

For further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/prof-kate-jones

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Prof. Kate Jones (Part One): What do you get if you cross David Attenborough with Harrison Ford?

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 08:00:36 GMT

Part Indiana Jones, part David Attenborough - and a real live descendant of Charles “Origin of the Species” Darwin - Professor Kate Jones is a professor of ecology and biodiversity at UCL. A previous recipient of the Leverhulme award, she spends a LOT of time researching the relationships between animals and humans, in particular keeping an eye on mammals and the infectious diseases they may happen to pass onto us (think SARS, think Ebola, oh, and think COVID-19.) On top of that, she is one of the world’s experts on Chiroptera, aka BATS, and has led massive bat monitoring studies with citizen scientists all over the world with the Bat Conservation Trust. This is a two-part interview, but even by the end of part one, you’ll agree that perhaps the most infectious thing about bats is how simply incredible they are. For instance: without bats there would be no tequila, and while some bats drink blood, others catch fish from the surface of the water, or pluck songbirds from the air, mid-flight, at night! And, did you know, that 1 in 5 mammal species on this planet is, you’ve guessed it, a bat!

For further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/prof-kate-jones

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Dr William C. Tweed: Whale < Bear < Human < Squirrel

Mon, 13 Jul 2020 08:00:42 GMT

In this outtake from last week's full episode with the American historian and naturalist Dr William C. Tweed, we discover that the law of the jungle is far from obvious as we explore the history of the Grizzly Bear in California, and the fact that it is incredibly "...hard to kill yourself at 2mph". Enjoy!

If you're still reading this then please don't forget to leave us a review wherever you download our podcast, and please, please, PLEASE, head along to https://www.treesacrowd.fm/dr-william-tweed/ for a whole catalogue of episodes featuring individuals who are just potty about our natural world.

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Dr William C. Tweed: The secret histories of John Muir’s Giant Redwoods

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 08:00:02 GMT

Dr William C. Tweed is a lover of Big Trees - the Giant Redwoods of California to be precise. An historian and naturalist, he has a career spanning over 30 years working for the US national park service, and after holding several roles at the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, spent a decade as its Chief Naturalist. Whether it’s describing what a Giant Redwood is through a comparison to the miniscule mosquito, or a deep dive into numerous secret histories of mankind's fascinations with these trees, William will have you captivated, falling in love with, and longing to hug, the giant sequoia. In exploring the tree’s many wonderful evolutionary features, and the serene images he paints of the Sierra Nevada, William explains that our passion for sequoias starts with our love of that which is “big, and old, and rare”, and then continues to grow tall. William explores the history of the “Father of the National Parks” himself, John Muir - how his religious upbringing inspired his writing (his works serving as a “secular Bible” for those devoted to nature) - and how the Sierra Club is still following firmly in Muir’s footsteps today. Among William’s teachings are plenty of digressions and distractions - charming moments of a mind as fascinated by nature today as he has ever been.

For further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/dr-william-tweed/

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Serena Manteghi: Ophelia and Shakespeare's floral secrets

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 08:00:35 GMT

The third and final of our "Wildlfower Women" trilogy comes in the form a scene of Shakespearean serenity, unfolding upon the banks of the River Ouse (if you can excuse the sounds of nearby building works!) Serena Manteghi played Ophelia to David Oakes’ Hamlet late last year, a role punctuated by one of the most well-known pieces of poetry about flowers. In this conversation, the pair muse over the mythology of the flowers that are highlighted in Ophelia’s infamous Act 4 speech. From rosemary (for remembrance), to pansies, fennel and violets, learn what each flower signifies and why Ophelia might not be so mad after all.

For further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/serena-manteghi

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Rosalind Forbes Adam: The field of dreams at the Woodmeadow Trust

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 08:00:00 GMT

Rosalind Forbes Adam is the founder and project leader of the Woodmeadow Trust in York, formerly the Hagges Woods Trust. The idea of “raising tomorrow’s ancient woodland” was born from a question all husbands have surely asked their wives at some point - “do you want to make a wood?” The concept of the wood has changed since the idea first emerged. Rather than looking 400 years into the future, the aim now is to address something much more immediate - the catastrophic decline in biodiversity in the UK. In this episode, full of wonderful words of wisdom, find out how Ros hopes to create a link of habitat meadows between the River Ouse and the River Derwent, why wood meadows are not just beautiful, but ecologically practical, and learn how Ros is inspiring others to turn their fields or lawns into similarly “wild” environmental landscapes.

For further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/woodmeadow-trust/

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Jennie Martin: Foraging, fungi and forest bathing in lockdown

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 08:00:58 GMT

Jennie Martin is an ethnobotanist and conservationist with a particular interest in ethnomycology and nature literacy. The founder, and 15 year executive director, of the award-winning charity ‘Wild things!’, Jennie has designed and delivered a variety of programmes that support conservation and nature connection, from habitat restoration projects to projects that support the elderly in accessing the great outdoors. When David first made contact with Jennie neither of them were aware that, beyond an interest in botany, they had something in common; Jenny was a student of David’s Great Aunt, a woman who is, Jennie says, one of her heroes! In this interview, Jennie explains the difference between botany and ethnobotany, extols the virtues of fungi, explores the topic of traditional knowledge, and suggests a number of ways to connect with nature - but whether it be foraging or forest-bathing, she asks that you do it sustainably and safely. Whether you’re easily seduced by nature, or you need help focusing in, Jennie’s overarching message is simply to get out there and to take it in! (This is the first of a set of three interviews all focused upon wildflowers.)

David speak withFor further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/jennie-martin/

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Life on Langholm Moor: Wild justice and community spirit seeking the raptors’ return

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 07:30:52 GMT

In this bonus episode of "Trees A Crowd", David Oakes looks into the world of wildlife crime and discusses the benefits of one of the largest planned community buyouts the country has ever seen. Kevin Cumming, the Langholm Initiative’s project leader, and Gavin Graham, a local resident of Langholm Moor, speak about their hopes to bring 10,500 acres (about 5,600 football pitches) of moorland, just north of Gretna Green, just north of the England-Scotland border, into community ownership. Incorporating peatland restoration, ancient woodland preservation and the increase of wildlife biodiversity, they hope to turn this area of grouse moorland into the Tarras Valley Nature Reserve. David also speaks with Mark Avery about why he, Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay founded their non-profit organisation, "Wild Justice", to uphold and to challenge existing legislation in order to help make initiatives like that at Langholm possible.

For further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/langholm-moor/

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Dara McAnulty: The young naturalist providing new perspectives on old problems

Mon, 25 May 2020 06:00:15 GMT

Dara McAnulty is a 16 year old naturalist and writer from Northern Ireland. His love for nature burgeoning at a young age, he began collecting feathers from his garden floor in Belfast. Compelled to share this passion, he began writing a wildly successful blog, joined the likes of Sir David Attenborough as an RSPB Medal winner, received the BBC Springwatch Unsprung Hero Award and has become an ambassador for the Jane Goodall Foundation. His first book, ‘Diary of a Young Naturalist’, is a brave nature-infused coming-of-age story that not only delves into his love of the outdoors, but also his autism and battle with mental health. We join Dara at Murlough Nature Reserve as he walks along the winding paths of sand and forest, marvelling at the flora and fauna - including the troublesome sea buckthorn. Funny, articulate and humble, do not let his age fool you, Dara is passionately knowledgeable and explores issues of conservation, education, the global stock markets and even the possibility of mining the moon. Illuminated by a poetry recital by Elinor Lawless, this conversation will help you to reassess the world around you, “Stop. Go outside, and just stare at the ground for a little bit, and take in all that you see”.

For further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/dara-mcanulty/

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Éanna Ní Lamhna (Part 2): The trees of Ireland and our snake-free run up to the sixth extinction

Sun, 17 May 2020 23:01:30 GMT

In part two of our conversation with Ireland’s favourite naturalist, Éanna Ní Lamhna, the broadcasting force of nature explains how St Patrick is not to blame for a lack of snakes in Ireland, why one local shop has never sold a mole trap, and why certain trees are dying out in the country. Recorded on the Emerald Isle, on the southern outskirts of Dublin, this conversation is littered with little lessons and intriguing anecdotes, as Éanna embodies her mantra, that if we better educate people about the natural world, we’ll care for it not because government policy says we have to, but because we want to. Listen in for a healthy dose of inspiration, laughter, and a little folklore to boot.

For further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/eanna-ni-lamhna/

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Éanna Ní Lamhna (Part 1): The force of nature teaching teachers about the Emerald Isle

Sun, 10 May 2020 23:01:15 GMT

Éanna Ní Lamhna is undoubtedly Ireland’s favourite naturalist and broadcaster. She has served as the president of the Tree Council of Ireland, secretary for the Irish part of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, and as president of An Taisce, the Irish National Trust. She’s worked on the radio show ‘Mooney Goes Wild’ since 1995, and has published a number of books about wildlife and education. During part one of this incredible conversation (recorded in early 2020), hear how an endless emphasis on daisies, daffodils and dandelions led her to writing a book determined to broaden the floral vocabulary and knowledge of young people - “how can you appreciate the exotic, when you don’t know the ordinary?” This conversation heads into a favourite topic for the show - climbing trees, and how children are doing it less and less, and it also explores Ireland’s many links to the natural world, through poetry, stories and in particular place names. You’ll hear quite quickly that with a wealth of knowledge and an unmistakable passion comes modesty, as Éanna charts her success down to “an accident”... but we know the truth! For further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/eanna-ni-lamhna/

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Alastair Humphreys: Living adventurously, yet learning how to love home

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 23:01:54 GMT

Alastair Humphreys, named as one of National Geographic’s adventurers of the year, has walked, cycled and climbed over seemingly every surface of the planet. He began his adventures in his early 20s, and since then has cycled more than 46,000 miles around the globe. Unusually for a professional adventurer, Alastair is now cutting down on his flights, and finds himself falling in love with Britain’s landscape. As such, we meet him two weeks into his month-long cycle around Yorkshire, where his only goal is to “see what happens”. Although he would quite like it all to himself, Alastair believes the outdoors are something we should all share and explore - that we shouldn’t worry so much about getting out there, living minimalistically and challenging ourselves. Find out how 9/11 and the war in Afghanistan came in the midst of his four year long travels, and how those events, incredibly, almost passed him by. Alastair explains how he’s constantly pulled between wanting to be a hobo, a vagabond, and wanting to find a place he can truly call home - and then once he’s done that, head north to take a selfie on the moon! For further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/alastair-humphreys/

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"Curlew" by Bella Hardy

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 08:00:01 GMT

The uninterrupted world premiere of Bella Hardy's song "Curlew", as featured in our "World Curlew Day" episode - https://www.treesacrowd.fm/world-curlew-day/ This release also includes an introduction from Bella, atop Kinder Scout. Many thanks to Bella for agreeing to create this song for the podcast - it's hypnotically beautiful. Hopefully, the song will soon be available to purchase from https://www.bellahardy.com/ as soon as it's back from being professionally mastered. Thanks too to Si Homfray for providing the artwork to accompany this episode - prints can be purchased here: https://www.peakdistrictdesign.co.uk/

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CURL-EW-PHORIA!

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 07:00:10 GMT

Why the duck is everyone wacky about this wonderful wader? In this special episode of Trees A Crowd, David Oakes calls on friends in lockdown to discuss the wonders of an incredible bird, the Curlew. Featuring field recordings from sound-recordist Chris Watson, a world premier of original music by folk-singer Bella Hardy and poetry recitals by Natalie Dormer and Sam West, this is more than just affectionate “waffle about a wader”. David Lindo, aka “The Urban Birder”, environmentalist and writer Mary Colwell, farmer and conservationist Patrick Lawrie, the CEO of Wader Quest, Rick Simpson, Jennifer Smart from the RSPB, and Lucy Walker from Britten Pears Arts will tell you why they love this bird and what needs to be done to save it. You will also hear from several previous Trees A Crowd guests; namely, Sir John Lawton, the President of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Dr Richard Benwell, the CEO of the Wildlife and Countryside Link and Amanda Owen, the Yorkshire Shepherdess. For further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/world-curlew-day/

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Alastair Gunn: Roses, wildflowers and tending ‘to the manor’s thorn’

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 08:00:10 GMT

In the third and final episode of the Castle Howard trilogy, you’re introduced to head of gardens and landscapes, Alastair Gunn. Starting in one of the estate’s rose gardens, we meet a stunning, rare, white china rose, thought to be a devoniensis, planted over 40 years ago. Alastair has been on the team for just over two years, coming from managing the gardens at Hatfield House, but he’s very much committed to bringing life back to the gardens with a mandate to renovate, restore and ‘zhuzh things up’ - a challenge he’s clearly than risen to. Alastair explains the challenges of working in a different parts of the country, with different soil and vastly differing seasons and conditions. From roses to rhubarb and Read Dead Redemption 2, this conversation is full of interesting and funny moments, including an idea to pioneer Japanese Knotweed Gin, or crumble (for the under 18’s). For further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/alastair-gunn/

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Nick Cooke: Beneath the boughs with bluebells and brambles

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 08:00:43 GMT

In the second episode of the Castle Howard trilogy, meet the head of forestry, Nick Cooke. Nick has been part of the team looking after the estate since 1975, and over the years has had to figure out how to maintain the extensive forests, all-in-all covering over 60 miles of pathways. Arriving in the ‘70s to take up a placement at the castle’s Ray Wood, Nick stood open-mouthed as he faced the estate’s obelisk and knew that he would be here for a long, long time. On a walking tour through bluebells and briars, Nick points out the oakwoods that call the castle home, the rhododendrons remaining from an ornamental garden, and gestures towards the mixed woodlands where wildflowers are thriving. Of the 816 hectares of land, 550 are designated ancient woodland sites - but they are much more than that now, under Nick’s care, the 300-year old site has been transformed into a stunning botanical collection, a producer of timber, a tree nursery and an area rich with biodiversity. This conversation takes so many paths, from hornbeams, to sowing seeds and contraception for squirrels - you won’t be disappointed! For further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/nick-cooke/

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Nick Howard: Heritage, home and honing the Howard’s way

Mon, 13 Apr 2020 08:00:33 GMT

We begin this trilogy of episodes at Castle Howard, with Nick Howard himself. Most recognisable to the public from the television show “Brideshead Revisited”, but for Nick the Castle Howard estate was his childhood home, a place where he felt such a distinct sense of freedom roaming around its gardens - at least until the cowbell was rung to call him back in for lunch. Nick now oversees care for its grounds with a desire to better connect the caretaking practises with the will of nature. As he guides you around each of the estate’s stunning features, from The Temple of the Four Winds, to the Mausoleum and Pyramid, Nick gives an insight into the estate’s history, and how it links back to his ancestors who made the castle a reality. Stay tuned for the story of Ferdinand and Imelda, two extremely territorial swans who’ve taken ownership of a large stretch of water in the grounds, who join the 3rd Earl of Carlisle, Lord William Howard, and many others in calling Caste Howard their home. For further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/nick-howard/

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Luci Ryan: A hidden battle against HS2 to preserve five ancient woodlands

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 08:00:37 GMT

David, speaking here as an Ambassador for the Woodland Trust, is joined in conversation by Luci Ryan, an ecologist and Lead Policy Advocate for conservation on behalf of the Woodland Trust. HS2 ltd - the company behind the Government's highspeed rail project - is quietly about to start moving the soil from five ancient woodlands. The move goes against both conservation principles and guidance from Natural England. With this in mind, David talks to Luci about the complex communities found in ancient woodlands, how this project seems to be going ahead despite the ongoing pandemic and associated government advice, and how this is a time to preserve our unique British habitats, not destroy them. For further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/woodland-trust-hs2

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Dr Helen Pheby: Sculpture for sheep, and rhubarb trains; the place ‘Extraordinary’ can happen

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 08:00:18 GMT

Dr Helen Pheby is the head of curatorial programmes at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Set in 500 acres of historic parkland, the park has provided a “gallery without walls” for artists such as Elisabeth Frink, Auguste Rodin, Giuseppe Penone, and local legends such as Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore. Helen has collaborated on projects in Iraqi Kurdistan, South Africa, India, and even Barnsley! Born in the so-called ‘rhubarb triangle’, Helen reminisces over “the rhubarb express”, a train which ran from her village in Yorkshire to London, and muses over how magical it was being able to see the contrast between rural and urban environments. In this insightful conversation, Helen explains how she believes creativity and art is a human right, how the YSP was visited by Henry VIII, and how another Henry, Henry Moore, believed it was the job of artists to show people the natural world and subsequently designed artwork for sheep. She explains how the Sculpture Park aims to be inclusive, free from the barriers of social standing, wealth and a gender imbalance that art is often associated with. Subsequently, the YSP is now home to brain-controlled helicopters, women on horseback steeplechasing through the landscapes of the First World War, and all of this second to the migratory routes of the Great Crested Newt. In her own words: “We are places the extraordinary can happen.” For more information on this podcast, including David's thoughts following this interview, head to: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/dr-helen-pheby/

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Edward Davey: Learning how to feed the planet in response to COVID-19

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 16:00:51 GMT

Edward Davey is the Director of Geographic Deep Dives for the World Resources Institute and the Food and Land Use Coalition. Here, David and Ed speak briefly in direct response to the state of the global COVID-19 pandemic and how we might feed the people of the world moving forward. Ed and David discuss the agricultural concerns both in Britain and abroad, how the environment and economy are interlinked and how now is a time for compassion and careful consideration. This epsiode was released as part of the London Climate Change Festival 2020. For further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/edward-davey/

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Tim Pears: Foraging fables from the hedgerows of the West Country

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 09:00:00 GMT

Tim Pears is a multi-award-winning author. His novel ‘In a Land of Plenty’ was made into a 10-part drama series for the BBC, and he’s just published the final book in his ‘West Country Trilogy’. Compared to Balzac and Hardy and inspired by Cormac McCarthy and Annie Proulx, Tim draws on his experiences of growing up in Devon and around nature to create the depth behind his fictional worlds. His love of nature came from a sort of “benign neglect” as his parents allowed him to explore the outdoors freely, without restraint. Growing up, he’s always appreciated the natural world, from being captivated by the sight of badgers in a sett, to feeling “closest to the divine” picking blackberries in his local park. As the son of a clergyman, he explains his respect for spirituality, and why religion features so prominently in his work. In this episode, he explores his writing and inspiration, including the difficulty of watching his work being acted out on screen and his love of writing about people and the landscapes they inhabit. For more information on this podcast, including David's thoughts following this interview, head to: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/tim-pears/

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Rob Rose & Nat Stoppard: Food as a by-product of conservation at Rosewood Farm

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 08:00:00 GMT

Rosewood Farm makes its home in the Lower Derwent Valley, deep in the Yorkshire Ings. Here, Rob Rose, his partner Natalie Stoppard, and their award-winning herd of 160 Irish Dexters – Europe’s smallest native cattle breed – place conservation, environmentally friendly farming methods, and the highest standards of animal welfare at the forefront of their practice. Rob’s story is one of inspiration, dedication and stubbornness. He started keeping Dexters at the age of 14, and despite being told he’d never make the tiny cows profitable, his perseverance has proved the naysayers wrong. Rosewood has always been a passion project as well as a business – a way of life. Ultimately, the couple’s pioneering methods have won over customers, and now Natural England entrusts Rosewood’s Dexters to graze birdlife and wildflower rich conservation areas. In this episode, hear how Rob is following in the footsteps of Vikings, how each time you buy a steak from Rosewood you are also giving birth to six lapwings, and how the Irish Dexter cattle have befriended three spritely Exmoor ponies Hushwing, Butterbump and Snippick (old world names for the barn owl, the bittern and the snipe). For more information on this podcast, including David's thoughts following this interview, head to: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/rosewood-farm/

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Ingrid Newkirk: One woman and ‘Animalkind’; the tale of PETA’s rabbits

Mon, 17 Feb 2020 08:00:00 GMT

Ingrid Newkirk is an animal rights activist, author, and the president of PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – and after 40 years of activism, her passion remains infectiously captivating. Ingrid was born in Britain, raised in India, and spent much of her life in America. As a citizen of the world – in fact, her location globally has been dictated by the Vietnam War as much as veganism – Ingrid has been witness to many social and cultural uses and misuses of the animal kingdom. Subsequently, she believes that we should not draw a distinction between humans and animals. Known for its radical approach to activism, Ingrid says the organisation’s campaigns are succeeding, and today they are relying less on gimmicks, as people are becoming increasingly sympathetic to animal welfare and climate change issues. In this inspirational conversation, Ingrid explores some of the biggest feats achieved by PETA , such as fighting the mistreatment of macaque monkeys in Silver Spring, Maryland, triggering an amendment to the US Animal Welfare Act – and you’ll hear why she decided not to pursue a career as a ballet dancer, why she now eats at Kentucky Fried Chicken, and how she enjoys nothing more than watching Formula One! For more information on this podcast, including David's thoughts following this interview, head to: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/ingrid-newkirk/

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Dr Bryce Stewart: The man who writes his phone number on lobsters

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 09:00:00 GMT

Dr Bryce Stewart is a marine ecologist and fisheries biologist, and is currently a lecturer for the Department of Environment and Geography at the University of York. His love for marine life began at the age of five, when he decided he wanted to be a “professional holiday man” after a trip to the beach. His father persuaded him to consider marine biology instead, and the rest is writing his phone number on lobsters! Bryce explains that his unnatural obsession with scallops ties into one of the best pieces of advice he’s ever received: that if you’re going to be a marine biologist, choose a study species that’s nice to eat, and a study site that you’d want to visit on holiday! In this gripping conversation, Bryce talks about his adventurous and free childhood, growing up in both Australia and Papua New Guinea, his work collecting the vomit of underwater predators, and how getting the bends was “not great” (what an understatement!). He even talks about his work with fishermen, the British government, and his ongoing mission to mitigate the environmental impact of Brexit. For more information on this podcast, including David's thoughts following this interview, head to: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/dr-bryce-stewart/

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Dr Catherine Barlow: No puffins were harmed in the making of this golden eagle podcast

Mon, 20 Jan 2020 07:00:00 GMT

Dr Catherine Barlow is project manager of the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project, and previously worked on the ground-breaking Osprey Translocation Project at Rutland Water. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Open Book in Wigtown, Scotland. Hear how Catherine’s ‘forced’ love of birds in childhood led to a real passion through adulthood – particularly for the mighty birds of prey. In this episode she takes us through her first experience of a golden eagle – catching only a glimpse of a brown smudge in the sky – and, in describing its characteristics, it’s clear she’s come to see it as the most impressive and beautiful of creatures and is now devoted to increasing the British population of these magnificent birds. Among many intriguing anecdotes, find out why golden eagles are bigger, better and stronger than David Oakes, and how a murderous eagle called Beaky has caused difficulty for the conservation project. You’ll also get an insight into Catherine’s earlier work, like her time spent on the Otterburn military range, watching short-eared owls, kestrels and hen harriers. For more information on this podcast, including David's thoughts following this interview, head to: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/dr-catherine-barlow/

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Mark Carwardine: "Don’t ever french-kiss a Narwhal”... and other words of wisdom

Fri, 03 Jan 2020 17:00:00 GMT

Mark Carwardine is a zoologist, leading conservationist, broadcaster and photographer. He came to prominence through his book and BBC documentary series “Last Chance to See” which he created with Douglas Adams of “The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy” fame. One of Mark’s big passions is diving - he organises whale and dolphin trips in Baja California, Mexico. In this fascinating conversation dusted with the sounds of nearby Canada geese, coots and black-headed gulls, Mark describes his most moving experience, snorkeling with humpback whales, and admiring their five meter long flippers. He talks about his childhood, rescuing animals wherever he found them, and about creating his own mini zoo. He reminisces about an unforgettable moment from his youth; cramming his idols David Attenborough, David Bellamy, David Shepherd and Peter Scott into his old Hillman Imp, which catastrophically broke down on the way to the train station. From the green woodpecker that sits on his office window sill every day, to the narwhals in the high arctic that you absolutely ‘shouldn’t french kiss’, Mark describes the endless joy that nature brings him. For more information on this podcast, including David's thoughts following this interview, head to: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/mark-carwardine/

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Joanna Lentini: Swimming with crocodiles to photograph her fears

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 13:00:00 GMT

Joanna Lentini is an underwater photographer and adventurer. She runs ‘Deep Focus Images’, a company that organises trips for those interested in pursuing wildlife photography. She is also the COO of ocean education organisation ‘Oceans in Focus’. Her accolades include having her work exhibited at the 2015 Climate Change Conference in Paris, and featuring as a finalist in the 52nd Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards. In this bonus Christmas episode, Joanna gives us a frank and open insight into her life, her passions and her anxieties. She explains how she combats her fears by swimming with crocodiles and orcas, and the thrill in doing so, and details the problems humans will continue to face as we become even more disconnected from nature. In this episode, she reminisces about an amazing trip to Glacier National Park and recalls how the natural world affected her from a very early age, and has gone on to hold a special place in her heart. For more information on this podcast, including David's thoughts following this interview, head to: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/joanna-lentini

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Victoria Bromley: Producing wildlife documentaries and inspiring the next generation

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 14:00:00 GMT

Victoria Bromley is a wildlife filmmaker and part of the BBC’s natural history unit. She has produced some of their most recognisable programmes, including Spring Watch, Planet Earth Live and Blue Planet II. She’s worked to highlight the plight of the Siberian Tiger and most recently of the little-known Pangolin. Growing up in Coventry, Victoria learnt much from her grandad - an encyclopedia on birds, who signed her up for the WWF (the World Wildlife Fund, not that Wrestling nonsense) at the age of 7. Governed by an agenda of authenticity, Victoria relishes the opportunity to change perspectives, move people and have them engage with nature through filmmaking. She explores what really goes on behind the scenes of a wildlife documentary, and the joy of going back to basics when camping out. She particularly focuses on fond memories of getting under the skin of Mexico whilst filming in the country. A new parent, Victoria has great optimism for the next generation and admits parenting is not unlike natural history filmmaking... trying to predict the behaviours of an animal that can’t understand you, always up when the sun rises, and forever carrying a lot of equipment! For more information on this podcast, including David's thoughts following this interview, head to: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/victoria-bromley

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Dr Richard Benwell: Carbon footprints and coots’ feet; the Greenman running in Wantage

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 09:00:00 GMT

Dr Richard Benwell is the chief executive of England's largest environmental coalition. He has worked at the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and, most recently, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. In a passionate and expressive interview, Richard explains how he once tried to engage with an MP by emulating the sound of screeching swifts – not the only time he’s been caught doing bird impressions! Exploring why he became involved in campaigning for the environment, Richard points out that the early adoption of climate legislation overshadowed the urgent need for action on the natural environment. But his work introducing a Nature and Wellbeing Act, agricultural reform and the Environment Bill has been instrumental in bringing the issue to the fore. In a Trees A Crowd first, politics is discussed; specifically how Richard managed to turn the risks of leaving the EU into a success for the natural world, before the discussion floats back towards the “alien, flip-flappy feet” of his favourite bird – the coot.

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Dr Jo Elworthy: Living in Eden – how to leave the world better than you found it

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 13:00:00 GMT

Dr Jo Elworthy is a botanist and the director of interpretation at the Eden Project in Cornwall. She’s been involved with Eden since its inception, and has spent a great deal of time researching plantlife as well as creating books and films specialising in botany and horticulture. A chance encounter with the man who dreamt up the Eden Project, Sir Tim Smit, led her to take the biggest risk of her career – and the best decision of her life. The sounds of robins frame this conversation as Dr Elworthy sets out to prove that we can leave the world better than we found it, armed with many captivating anecdotes about the trail that led her to paradise. Jo also talks about her collection of four-leaf clovers, how to make art inspired by cyanobacteria, filling her father’s Jaguar with winkles, and why moss is as spectacular as David has been telling people it is for the past 30 years!

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Sir John Lawton: The wit, wisdom and winged omens of the man who would re-wild Chernobyl

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 09:00:00 GMT

Professor Sir John Lawton is a fellow of the Royal Society, president of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and chair of the Endangered Landscapes Programme. Previously a trustee of the WWF, head of the Natural Environment Research Council and the most recent chair of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, there are seemingly few environmental organisations that John hasn’t been involved with. That said, it is birds that have driven John’s lifelong obsession with the natural world. Sitting in John’s back garden amidst the sound of birdsong, this conversation flows from a childhood obsession of brilliant blue hedge sparrow eggs tucked away in his nan’s back garden to following in the shoes of Darwin with a (now frowned-upon) fascination for collecting specimens. John explains how he helped to set up nature protection areas across the world, how he visited Chernobyl in the hopes of persuading the Belarus government to turn the exclusion zone into a national park, and what he got up to with a dolphin in Durham with David Bellamy.

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Amanda Owen: Deep in the Dales with the Yorkshire Shepherdess

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Amanda Owen is a farmer, known to readers and television viewers worldwide as the ‘Yorkshire Shepherdess’. With her husband Clive and their nine children, she looks after Ravenseat, Swaledale – one of the most exposed farms in the Dales. Alongside running the farm, she has found time to write a number of books, having come to public attention on ITV's ‘The Dales’. On a “glishy sort of day”, sitting by a brook, David and Amanda chat without the distraction of phones and technology in this stunning signal ‘not spot’, interrupted only by a passing heron. Amanda, having grown up in the city, admits finding inspiration to become a hill shepherd from reading James Heriot's All Creatures Great and Small, and the couple wax lyrical about how a place like this, open and wild, builds one’s character.

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The Art of Trees: Live from the Cheltenham Literature Festival and the Woodland Trust

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Trees have captured the imagination of some of Britain’s most important landscape painters, with artists including John Constable and Paul Nash inspired by their diversity of form, character and symbolic significance. Here, in discussion with David in his role as an Ambassador for the Woodland Trust, art historian Christiana Payne and artist Angela Summerfield celebrate the majestic beauty of our woodland and the role of trees in inspiring some of our greatest artworks. “The Art Of Trees” was recorded live at The Times and The Sunday Times 70th Cheltenham Literature Festival in October 2019 and was supported by The Woodland Trust.

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Harry Barton: Balancing Wildlife in Devon and a Vision of Natural Justice

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 15:00:00 GMT

Harry Barton is the chief executive of the Devon Wildlife Trust. He has worked for nearly 25 years in the environmental sector, including spells at the Earth Trust, the Council for National Parks, Kew Gardens, CPRE and the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. Amidst extolling the virtues of Devon and it’s newfound beaver population, Harry explains the Trust's mission to preserve, protect and enhance the county's areas of natural wildlife. This conversation addresses the differing roles of the wildlife trusts, environmental groups like Extinction Rebellion and individuals like Greta Thunberg in solving the crisis of climate change, but takes numerous gear changes along the way – from musings over childhood memories of cars being swept away by the river at Richmond, to the threats to our marine environment hidden beneath the waves. Harry also talks about one of the issues closest to his heart, that of the importance of the outdoors for young children, particularly for his son, who has autism.

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Tannis Davidson: Bulletproof elephants, 3D-printing a quagga and cloning thylacines

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 16:00:00 GMT

Tannis Davidson is the curator of the Grant Museum of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy at University College London. From unearthing the dismembered arms of mummies at archaeological digs in Egypt to searching for fossils in Beijing, Tannis has a rich history in researching and examining the stories of the once living. As one of the few people in the world who takes care of animals only once they've died, Tannis' work has her looking after 68,000 specimens. One of the museum’s many accolades is that it houses one of only seven existing quagga skeletons in the world - a type of zebra that is now extinct. Other specimens include biological tissue from the Tasmanian tiger, an elephant tusk with an antique bullet encased within it, a gorilla skeleton which was once photographed hugging H.G.Wells… and a jar of moles!

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Chris Watson (Part Two): If a podcast is recorded in a forest, and no one is around to hear it…

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 09:00:00 GMT

This is the second part of the conversation with Chris Watson, following on from the recordings made during the dawn chorus. Chris is a legendary sound recordist and president of the Wildlife Sound Recording Society. He’s worked on a whole host of documentaries, including David Attenborough’s Life of Birds, talks about the time in his band, Cabaret Voltaire, and how he has since collaborated with the likes of Bjork and beyond. His passion for music and nature are brought together as he guides us through these moments, including his attempt to capture, in 18 minutes, the 10,000-year journey of a piece of ice sliding down the side of a glacier, the sound of a cheetah purring, and the song of the blue whale.

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Chris Watson (Part One): The winds catching the conifers – and the secrets of the dawn chorus

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Chris Watson is the president of the Wildlife Sound Recording Society. He’s worked on a range of television and radio documentaries, alongside the likes of Sir David Attenborough. In this serene example of ‘slow radio’, Chris takes David to Stonehaugh, part of the Kielder Forest, in the early hours of the morning. As he sets up his microphones, he explains what goes into capturing each intricate sound. The pair relax as they listen to the epic build up of the dawn chorus, beginning with the night wind rushing through the conifers, and only a tawny owl or two for company. As the soundscape crescendos, the sounds of wrens, nuthatches, chiffchaffs, mistle thrushes, deviously bullish robins and even roe deer begin to break through. 100 meters away from the hidden microphones, Chris and David bathe in the “sound of a place where we can never be”.

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Dr Jess French: Two legs, good – six legs, better! One woman and her many minibeasts

Fri, 09 Aug 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Dr Jess French is a veterinary surgeon, writer and television presenter. She fronts the CBeebies show Minibeast Adventureand has recently published the book, How to Help a Hedgehog and Protect a Polar Bear, both aimed at getting our younger generations excited by the world they have a part share in. Unflinching when it comes to handling insects, as a child she didn’t realise her love of tiny creatures was unusual – but it eventually earned her the nickname ‘the bug girl’, and ultimately a career she loves. Prodding David with an “Are you scared?” as she unveils the millipedes, this fascinating chat is full of many wonderful moments of distraction, from a tarantula in a box firmly labelled ‘do not open’, to a leaf insect climbing onto the microphone.

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Dr Terry Gough: Sowing seeds in the flowerbeds of Kings and Queens

Mon, 29 Jul 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Dr Terry Gough is the head of gardens and estates at Hampton Court Palace. For nearly three decades, he's followed in the footsteps of the likes of Lancelot Capability Brown, and has made the palace look and smell fit for a king. On a private walking tour through the heart of these historic gardens, Terry shares how his horticultural roots, bedded at the age of 16 by working as a boy in a Battersea Garden Centre, have grown to include working at Buckingham Palace and Historic Royal Palaces. He now oversees three National Collections of Plants, including the lilies, passion flowers, and olive trees that make up Queen Mary's Exotic Collection. As you will discover, there is seemingly little Terry does not know about horticulture or indeed history!

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Rebecca Speight: The Overstory and Understory of the Woodland Trust

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 13:00:00 GMT

Rebecca Speight is currently the CEO of the Woodland Trust and will shortly be taking over the reigns of the RSPB. Beccy began her foray into the Natural World to satisfy her “sense of connectivity”. Following years working for the National Trust she was ultimately appointed to her current role in 2014, where she heads up the largest woodland conservation charity in the UK (for which David has proudly become an ambassador.) In this in-depth conversation, she discusses the devastating decline in ancient woodland - which has almost halved in the past 50 years, elaborates on the “Young People’s Forest” project which aims to inspire and engage new generations on environmental concerns, and talks about the landscapes and literature that have come to shape her as an individual working for our beautiful and historic country.

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Wolfgang Buttress and Dr Martin Bencsik: Hive minds waxing lyrical

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 11:00:00 GMT

Wolfgang Buttress is an award-winning artist who creates multi-sensory artworks that draw inspiration from our evolving relationship with nature, and Dr Martin Bencsik is an associate professor in the School of Science and Technology at Nottingham Trent University. Together they have become a unique creative force! Here, talking to David, they discuss their initial collaboration, HIVE. At 17 metres tall and now based at Kew Gardens, the sculpture represents the intrinsic relationship between bees, humans and our shared landscape. Their most recent collaboration, BEAM, which made its debut at Glastonbury Festival 2019, is co-produced with Greenpeace, and converts signals from a nearby bee colony and ambient sounds from the surrounding concert stages into light and sound effects to provide an ever-changing soundscape – and a truly immersive experience. If that isn’t enough, they recall when they filled Martin’s wife’s cello with bees... as one does!

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Bella Hardy: Singing in the Shadows of Mountains

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode, David speaks to award-winning folk musician Bella Hardy. A fiddle-singer and songwriter from Edale in the Peak District, she has performed at festivals worldwide and on the UK folk circuit since she was 13. In 2007, she released her debut solo album Night Visiting, for which she was nominated for the Horizon award at the BBC Folk Awards. She has since won at the Folk Awards for original song, for ‘The Herring Girl’ in 2012, and was named BBC Folk Singer of the year in 2014 – but most importantly, earlier this year, she composed the theme tune for this very podcast! David and Bella discuss how folk music has been redefined over the years, deviating from its once rural beginnings, and Bella reflects on her musical influences and inspirations from nature – from hiding in dens with fox cubs, to using “the joy of folk music” as merely a hyper-convoluted way to become branded as “Patron of the Bog”!

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Maldives Underwater Initiative: Diving with Pearls

Thu, 30 May 2019 10:00:00 GMT

In this episode, David speaks to members of the Maldives Underwater Initiative based at the Six Senses resort in Laamu Atoll. The initiative includes members of The Manta Trust, Blue Marine Foundation, The Olive Ridley Project and other marine specialists. The team have a shared vision for preserving the marine environment in the Maldives and beyond, and have been monitoring the health of the reefs there since 2012. Their research and conservation work includes nurturing seagrass, turtles, manta rays, dolphins and sharks, as well as various education and community outreach initiatives, all whilst working in close proximity with the local tourism industry. In these often humourous exchanges, they discuss changing public perception towards swimming in the ocean, the impact of fisheries, argue that biodegradable plastics are merely a “step in the right direction”, and David witnesses first hand the devastating impact of ghost nets on the olive ridley turtles.

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Dr Guy Stevens: Guarding the Big Blue’s Gentle Giant

Thu, 16 May 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Dr Guy Stevens is the CEO and co-founder of The Manta Trust. An experienced marine biologist and expert in conservation, he set up the Maldivian Manta Ray Project in 2005. Working closely with the Maldivian government to establish protective measures and educate against targeted fishing, his project eventually grew and now stretches across the oceans. In this episode, Guy explains how his hobby turned into a reality; from breeding tropical fish in his sister’s fish tank to swimming alongside dolphins and sharks in the Maldives. He shares his thoughts on the intelligence of fish, the multiple mysteries of the Manta and highlights his concerns about sustainable tourism driving the Maldivian economy.

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Dr Fay Clark: Ring-tails, Killer Whales and the history of the British Zoo.

Mon, 06 May 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Dr Fay Clark is an animal welfare scientist. A self-confessed “zoo geek”, she specialises in the assessment and enhancement of captive animal welfare in traditional zoos, safari parks, sanctuaries and aquariums. She is currently based at Bristol Zoo where she examines how the welfare of large-brained mammals can be enhanced through cognitively challenging activities. In this in-depth conversation, she reflects on how zoos have transformed from a victorian spectacle with “poking sticks” to educational conservations, describes how ring-tailed lemurs can adapt to habitats that differ from their Madagascan roots, and explains how technology is revealing how animals solve puzzles, including when they are playing us at our own game!

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Dr Ellinor Michel: Snail shells and concrete dinosaurs in deep time

Thu, 25 Apr 2019 11:00:00 GMT

Dr Ellinor Michel is a molluscan systemetist and ecologist at the Natural History Museum and chair of the Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs. Her work focuses on malacology (the study of molluscs), taxonomy and nomenclature, and the ecology of the Great Rift Lakes of Africa. In this in-depth conversation, she describes how a snail’s spiral shell is a “magical world” etched with secrets of our past, discusses the “important yet painful” process of the human appetite for knowledge, and explains how fossils have helped her cope with her slug phobia.

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Dr Steve Etches MBE: Plumbing the prehistoric depths of the Kimmeridge Clay

Mon, 22 Apr 2019 07:00:00 GMT

Dr Steve Etches MBE is a renowned fossil expert. His collection of over 2,000 pieces from the Kimmeridge Clay include remains of ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, pterosaurs and a whole host of Jurassic marine life. Once housed in his garage, the collection is now on display at the Etches Collection in Dorset. In this in-depth conversation, he describes how he stumbled across the world's first ammonite eggs, shares how his discoveries still give him “that same childhood thrill” that he first experienced as a five-year-old, and explains how the centre, with 25,000 visitors a year, is as much about educating people about the past as it is preserving it.

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Dr Katherine Brent: Morris dancing, bees and badger cull protestors

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 23:00:00 GMT

Dr Katherine Brent from Wotton-Under-Edge has danced the Morris since she was 18 years old for sides including Red Stags, Winterbourne Down, Rag Morris and Madcap Morris. She also teaches beekeeping for Rory’s Well, a charity dedicated to regenerating the local economy of an area in Sierra Leone. In this conversation, she describes the history and traditions behind morris dancing and the origin of the colourful rag coat. She explains why she is passionate about the introduction of Inga alley farming in Sierra Leone, which regenerates the soil removing the need for the traditional “slash and burn” cultivation, and argues the badger cull is neither “scientific nor successful” in reducing TB, which is why she remains opposed to it.

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Astrid Goldsmith: Puppets, politics, and The Wind in the Willows with extra Wombles

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 09:00:00 GMT

Astrid Goldsmith is an award-winning stop-motion animator. After tuition from Great Uncle Bulgaria and 12 years of hand-making models for other people - including Garth Jennings (for “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”), the boy band Blue and the unrelenting Duracell Bunny - she made her debut solo film, “Squirrel Island”. Astrid’s animations question the impact of human policy on the natural world, and her latest commissioned film, “Quarantine”, was nominated for the Debut Director Award at the Edinburgh TV Festival’s New Voice Awards. In this in-depth conversation, we talk grey squirrels vs. red squirrels, badgers as a focus for nationalism, how “good and bad” animals are an unfair human construct, and how anthropomorphic animation lends itself perfectly to deeper reflection about us and about our diverse ecosystem.

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David Fettes: Going against the crowd - and the best moment to press the button

Mon, 25 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMT

David Fettes is technically a wildlife photographer but is far better described as a force – and primarily a part – of nature. Growing up in India and in England, surrounded by snakes, langur monkeys and even more baleful creatures, he has stretched the definition of “self-taught”. An initial career in curiosity led to a mandatory career in management and insurance, before he landed, feet-firm, in what proved to be his destined vocation. His work has featured in the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition and in magazines worldwide. In this in-depth conversation, he explains why he’s dedicated to educating children on where we fit into the ecosystem, argues that relying on technology has encouraged photographers to be “lazy”, and pleads for listeners to immerse themselves within other cultures, other species, and a more tolerant world to break down our woeful human misconceptions.

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Polly Morgan: Form and colour rather than life and death

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Polly Morgan is a modern artist known for her sculptural taxidermy. Growing up in pastoral Oxfordshire, she’s been surrounded by animals from an early age. After moving to London to read English literature at university, she took a one-day course in avian taxidermy in a bid to decorate her new home. Polly’s interest accelerated from hobby to career when one of her pieces - “Rest a Little on the Lap of Life”, a white rat curled up inside a champagne glass - was sold to Vanessa Branson. Since then, her work has featured in an abundance of galleries including Banksy’s Santa Ghetto exhibition. In this in-depth interview, Polly talks us through her artistic techniques from observing and washing animal skins to forming casts, describes the feeling of creative loneliness that inspired her latest collaborative exhibition, and explains how her work is reinventing traditional victorian taxidermy - by creating abstract art that focuses on “form and colour rather than life and death.” N.B. We apologise for the reduced sound quality of this episode due to circumstances outside our control.

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Mark Frith: a legacy of Britain's ancient oaks

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Mark Frith is an artist and film-maker. His documentaries include “The War on Love”, “Hotel Splendide”, and BAFTA award-winning documentary “The Lie of the Land”. In 2011, he began a project which was commissioned by the late publisher and poet Felix Dennis to draw 20 large scale, intricate portraits of Britain’s ancient oak trees. His series of graphite drawings, which took the best part of a decade to complete, were gifted to the Royal Botanical Society’s permanent collection at Kew and to Felix Dennis’ Heart of England Forest charity. In this in-depth conversation, Mark shares his childhood memories of growing up in Gloucestershire, explains how his spiritual empathy with the natural world helped to create the detail in his drawings which “appeared to draw themselves”, and shares his concerns about the human activities that continue to destroy the natural world.

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