Guest host and friend of the podcast, Arifah Sheikh, takes charge of this end-of-series special with Tom turning guest for the day before interviewing his 10 year old daughter to round off the season.Find links to all The Meaning of Trees Podcast content here: https://linktr.ee/themeaningoftreespodcast

Reg Harris is Director of Urban Forestry Ltd and an Arborist and Veteran Tree Consultant who works with highly prestigious trees like the famous Major Oak at Sherwood Forest.Tom and Reg chat about the lifelong impressions that a chance meeting with an indigenous North American man made upon him as a child, what it is about ancient trees that makes him so passionate about his work and how he ended up running the London Marathon bare foot.Find links to all The Meaning of Trees Podcast content h...

Wyl Menmuir is the award-winning author of The Heart of the Woods, a new book uncovering our deep cultural associations with trees and the traditional crafts and rituals that continue to bind us to them today.Tom and Wyl meet up at the Ankerwycke yew to chat about the legendary Green Man, discuss Wyl’s reflections on ancient forest cultures in Japan and get to the bottom of why he undertook a planned trespass.Find links to all The Meaning of Trees Podcast content here: https://linktr.ee/theme...

Dr Cecilia Chavana-Bryant grew up amongst the urban sprawl of Monterrey, Mexico's 2nd largest city, before a fascination with trees inspired a career studying rainforest canopies in Brazil, Peru, Guyana and Australia.Tom and Cecilia delve into her memories of long bus trips spent looking for accessible greenspace as a child, the exotic forest wildlife she's met during her research projects and how she's become part of a team creating VR experiences with ancient trees to share their majesty wi...

Sir Harry Studholme is a former Forestry Commission Chair, Honorary Treasurer of the Devon County Agricultural Association, owner of an historic family estate and an avid researcher of prehistoric forest activity.Tom and Harry enjoy a wide-ranging chat, taking in interglacial safaris, the formation of the Forestry Commission, the worrying existential threat posed by climate change and elephants in Exeter.Find links to all The Meaning of Trees Podcast content here: https://linktr.ee/themeaning...

Cheryl Silvawood began her conservation career as a photo journalist in South East Asia, travelling the world to study remote and awe-inspiring habitats before uncovering a love for ancient and veteran trees in the UK.Tom and Cheryl delve into her childhood memories of parks, urban wildlife encounters and trees in Singapore, the origins of her tree-inspired blog - inalandofgiants - and her hopes for the future of both planet and people.Find links to all The Meaning of Trees Podcast content he...

Mick Diplock lost his sight more than 20 years ago but the pure joy he gets from running amongst trees has never left him.In this episode, Tom investigates how Mick forged a lifelong affection for woods and the great outdoors, how going blind in mid-life changed his relationship with every aspect of the world around him and how he's still crossing the finish line at the age of 80.Find links to all The Meaning of Trees Podcast content here: https://linktr.ee/themeaningoftreespodcast

Liba Ravindran is a London based Community Organiser, climate justice activist and tree-loving poet of Sri Lankan heritage.In this heartfelt interview, we explore Liba's work to support marginalised communities within the UK, the difference in western and global majority mindsets when it comes to the natural environment and the fundamental role trees continue to play in so many different cultures around the world today.Find links to all The Meaning of Trees Podcast content here: https://linkt...

Jill Butler has spent a lifetime fighting for better protection of ancient and veteran trees in the UK as a long-time ambassador for the Woodland Trust and Ancient Tree Forum.We discuss how old trees are integral to our cultural and natural heritage, how many irreplaceable trees remain under threat from human development and the insights she's gathered from like-minded tree activists around the world.Find links to all The Meaning of Trees Podcast content here: https://linktr.ee/themeaningoftr...

Kevin Martin is Head of Tree Collections at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and a cutting-edge Climate Researcher.He's leading an innovative climate modelling project to help us understand what the future holds for Kew's renowned tree collection in 2090, if temperatures continue to rise as expected.Tom and Kevin discuss his childhood memories of following his dad around as a tree surgeon, his travels around the world to study exotic tree habitats and what his wife makes of his mission to save K...

Anita Prasad-Willems is an experienced counsellor and wellbeing therapist that depends on trees to keep her rooted and grounded day-to-day.Based in Brighton, Anita recently set up her own practice - Wisdom Within Therapies - focusing on reconnecting us to the divine feminine and mother earth.In this episode, Tom and Anita discuss the otherworldly realms she's encountered personally, the simple benefits of spending time around trees and how to tell if a podcast is AI generated.Find links to al...

Martin Hügi is Senior Conservation Advisor at the Woodland Trust and known more widely as the Ancient Tree Pilgrim.In spring 2023, he set off on foot from Lands End to John O' Groats to meet more than 2000 of the UK's oldest, most majestic trees.In this episode, Tom and Martin discuss the origins of his sacred solo mission, the reverence he holds for ancient trees and how his journey became much more important than any destination.Find links to all The Meaning of Trees Podcast content here: h...

Mo Wilde is a wild food forager, author and ethnobotanist living in West Lothian, Scotland. Tom and Mo discuss the 12 month Wildbiome experiment she undertook in 2020 where she survived solely on wild foraged food for a full year, testing the effects upon her gut microbiome health. Mo describes her early memories among trees in Kenya, shares thoughts on modern food production and reveals her personal insights into the hunter gatherer diet and lifestyle. Find links to all The Meaning of...

Tom Burns is Ranger and Woodsman at Knepp Wildlands, a pioneering rewilding project and a leading light for nature recovery in the UK. In this episode, we're taken on a virtual safari of Knepp to encounter the best of its wildlife and we tackle some of the most common misconceptions surrounding the rewilding approach. We hear about Tom's passion for woodcraft, his urban upbringing and what being a Ranger is all about. Find links to all The Meaning of Trees Podcast content here:...

Rosie Heydenrych is founder of the Turnstone Guitar Company and makes beautiful handcrafted guitars at her workshop in the Ashdown Forest. Tom and Rosie discuss the history of her craft and she talks us through some of the sounds and characteristics her different woods produce. Rosie recalls childhood memories of climbing trees and explains how she's adopting locally grown timbers in place of endangered tropical hardwoods. Find links to all The Meaning of Trees Podcast content here:...

John Deakin is Head of Trees & Woodland for National Trust, Europe's largest natural and cultural heritage conservation charity. In this episode, Tom and John discuss the aftermath of the Sycamore Gap incident and the Trust's ambitious plans to establish 20 million new trees on their land by 2030. John describes his memories of yew trees growing up, explains why active woodland management and considered tree felling are essential to a healthy environment and shares his ideal vision for...

Ever thought-provoking, Ted Green is a name synonymous with ancient tree conservation and he remains Conservation Adviser to the Crown Estate at the age of 89. In this episode, Tom and Ted discuss how trees transport us back in time, Ted recalls how the oaks at Windsor Great Park have kept him going since his father went missing in World War 2 and he shares his theories on seed dispersal and the idea of humans as animals. Find links to all The Meaning of Trees Podcast content here:...

Dr Amy Cardinal Christianson is a Fire Research Scientist for the Canadian Forest Service and a woman of Indigenous Métis heritage with a life-long appreciation for trees and forest ecosystems. Amy's own podcast - 'Good Fire' - explores the ancient practices of forest fire stewardship around the world. In this episode, Tom introduces series 1 of The Meaning of Trees Podcast, he and Amy discuss the rise of forest fire evacuations in connection to climate change and she shares some valuable...