Trees A Crowd

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. Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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). Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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…! Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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... Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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…! Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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?! Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.” Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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? Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? Hosted on Acast. See 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? Hosted on Acast. See 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 “…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… Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? Hosted on Acast. See 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: “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…!” Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? Hosted on Acast. See 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 “…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/ Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? Hosted on Acast. See 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? For further information on this and other episodes, visit: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/dan-hooper/ Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? Hosted on Acast. See 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: “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/ Why not become a "Subscription Squirrel" on our Patreon, and help support the production of this podcast? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.