Tree Radicals

In this episode, Isabella Tree, conservationist and bestselling author of 'Wilding- the Return of Nature to a British Farm', tells Jez about the rewilding project, she and her husband Charlie Burrel undertook to transform their 3,500-acre estate in West Sussex, Knepp Estate, into a nature-haven, brimming with life.

Check out the amazing work being done at Knepp : https://knepp.co.uk/home
And our website here https://thewoodland.co/tree-radicals/

In this episode of Tree Radicals, macro photographer on tiny soil animals, Andy Murray,  joins Kath in our very own North Woods in Dartington, home base of the Tree Radicals team, and tells us about the delightful world of Mesofauna, and the huge role they play in our ecosystem. 

Check out Andy's amazing photography on his website at www.chaosofdelight.org.

Find us on Instagram @thewoodlandpresents.

A Tree Radicals website is coming soon, but for now you can find us at www.thewoodland.co.

Kath talks to architect Piers Taylor about his award-winning architecture practice 'Invisible Studio', and his ways of working collaboratively with the local community when designing a building. Piers shares his passionate perspective on how forests and woodlands should be a much more essential and integrated part of our culture, and how cities would benefit from more rewilded areas. 

This week Jez talks to Eleanor Harris about her surprisingly positive experience working in commercial forestry, and the need for the timber industry and our natural capital to be integrated into our economic system in order to tackle the environmental challenges of our time in an equitable way. 

Alice Blogg is a wood-based designer-maker running her own business in the Dorset countryside, who believes in using local timber and supporting independent businesses. She tells Kath what inspires her both in her work and in her life, and they discuss sustainability, good reads, and the types of wood she’s been discovering in her practice lately. 

Forestry engineer Andrew Heald shares a favourite quote that "forestry isn't about trees, it's about people" and draws some practical and informative links to the importance of a people-centred approach and better communication within the industry. He tells us why it’s necessary for forestry certification to better support smaller forest management operations, and for us to develop a more integrated approach in how smaller scale land-use is accommodated by our regulation systems.

Jez talks with Marlene Cramer who is compiling a PHD in properties of hardwoods for structural use. She talks about the importance of establishing and predicting properties of timber for construction and the need to dispel the myth that timber is an infinite resource. 

Is it possible to balance the environment, economy and people's needs? and can we build a stronger integrated land-use system with modern forestry? Jez Ralph talks about these things and more with Confor National manager for England, Caroline Ayre.

Can you improve trees? In This episode, Jo Clark discusses the future of our native forests. She describes how research is helping create a next generation of broadleaved trees that produce better quality timber more quickly and will deliver all the environmental, social and economic benefits that they possibly can. By helping trees to survive longer, sequester more carbon and produce timber quicker, the hope is that many more people will choose to plant broadleaved trees, with all the benefits they will bring to our environment, our society and our economy.

What type of tree should we be building things with?
 Kath Giles talks with Charley Brentnall - a leader in timber construction and conservation - about the underutilization of certain tree species and sizes of timber, as well as the possibilities that lie within slow grown timber. Charley talks about the joy of high pruning and the future of timber construction in the UK and what that might look like.