Trees A Crowd

By David Oakes

Ever wondered what happens when you fill a cello with bees? Or how robins have successfully colonised the outer-reaches of our universe? Or why the world is destined to be populated purely by female t... more

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FAQs about Trees A Crowd:

How many episodes does Trees A Crowd have?

The podcast currently has 147 episodes available.

Trees A Crowd episodes:

May 11, 2021 The Willows: Highly immoral, incestuous, SEX-obsessed, b*stards!
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/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
16min
May 04, 2021 Spindle: Linnaeus' favourite charcoal with splashes of Indian celebration
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/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
8min
April 27, 2021 Box: The music, art and sensory secrets hidden within Queen Anne’s box
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/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
9min
April 20, 2021 Scots Pine: Wolves, woodants and the wonder of our keystone species
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/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
9min
April 20, 2021 Juniper: A gin-fuelled journey to Oregon, via Holland and Georgian London
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/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
9min
April 20, 2021 Yew: From Agincourt to cancer-cure, the ancient tree of life and death
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/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
9min
April 16, 2021 Oakes on Oaks: Introducing our 56(ish) Trees
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).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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4min
April 13, 2021 Patreon Prev-'Yew'!
I love YEW all, YEW're wonderful - thank YEW for supporting "Trees A Crowd" through your Patreon givings!

Here a week before the public launch of the new series, is a taste of what is to come. My journey through the 56(ish) native trees of the British Isles. It's a little different to our usual format - but, it is temporary, and hopefully YEW'll enjoy it just as much...

...oh, and we're doing an episode WEEKLY!!! So, lots to look forward to.

So, until next week, where YEW'll have two more conifers to add to this tree, thank yew, thank yew, thank yew!

From David and all at TAC!
Bonus content is occasionally provided to subscribers on our Patreon page account.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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10min
October 05, 2020 Dr George McGavin (Part Two): Putting the “Ooo!” into Zooology with evil cats and spider penises!
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/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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38min
September 28, 2020 Dr George McGavin (Part One): A World of Colour! The vertebrate in an invertebrate world!
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/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
54min

FAQs about Trees A Crowd:

How many episodes does Trees A Crowd have?

The podcast currently has 147 episodes available.

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