Trees A Crowd
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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 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: 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? Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
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. Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 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: Also, they discuss #NoMowMay, the “Trevor Dines Effect” and the multiple reasons the Welsh might have started growing hemp 8000 years ago… Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
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: 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 Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 - Moths - Sarah sees her art as: 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 For further information on this and other episodes, visit: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/sarah-gillespie/ Why not become a "Subscription Squirrels" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
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? Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
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: Armed with an insatiable curiosity, Leigh hopes to turn the Isle of Man, all 35 by 10 miles of it, into . 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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 https://www.britishwildlife.com/, diary entires for the Guardian’s ‘Country Diary https://www.theguardian.com/profile/amy-jane-beer’, or her latest book “The Flow https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/flow-9781472977397/” (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 https://www.righttoroam.org.uk/ movement and the New Networks for Nature https://www.newnetworksfornature.org.uk/ 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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
A little bonus Bea that we couldn't quite squeeze into this month's main episode. Enjoy! Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
BONUS EPISODE: For Christmas, David Oakes explores the cultural importance of the non-native Christmas Tree, the Norwegian Spruce . 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. Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Our fifty-sixth (and final!) tree, Holly . 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 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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Our fifty-fourth and fifty-fifth trees, the Wayfaring Tree and the Guelder Rose - 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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Our fifty-third tree, Elder . The 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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Our fifty-first tree, Ash . 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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Our fiftieth tree, the Strawberry Tree. 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 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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Our forty-ninth tree, is Dogwood - 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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Whether you know her from her Wainwright Prize nominated , from her time on the BBC’s , 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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Our forty-sixth and forty-seventh trees are our two native Limes, and . 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 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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Our forty-fifth tree, Sycamore. 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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Our forty-third tree, Hornbeam . 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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Our forty-second tree, Hazel . 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 https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-soundspring-podcast-guided-musical-journeys/id1538224770 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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Our fortieth and forty-first trees, the Silver Birch and Downy Birch - with apologies to the Dwarf Birch. 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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Our thirty-ninth tree, Alder . 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 Betjemen 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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Our thirty-eighth tree, the Sweet Chestnut . 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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Our thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh trees, the Oaks; Pedunculate & Sessile . 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 yearn, love and 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/ Weekly episodes available early AND bonus content made free to forage by "Subscribtion Squirrels" on our Patreon. https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4241294 * See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
