Tree Amble

In this episode we meet Antonio from Spain and Charles from France talking about what we would call "Wood Pasture". Antonio talks about the value of his old wood pastures for the quality of his stock in his holistic system. He also says that where he lives they are now experiencing temperatures over the mid 30 degrees regularly... and sometimes 40... and his trees are essential to feed his cattle...

A group of committed volunteers came together in spring 2026 to create the first "Cumbria Nature Festival". We were invited to come along and record some of the festival voices ... and we did... this episode has 18 different voices from the weekend. Such a positive gathering of people who care. I hope you enjoy this Tree Amble Special!

Chloe and Rakesh were instrumental in bringing farmers and climate activists together in the North Pennines and filming the conversations about food, farming and climate..... its a great listen!

Anyone in the "re-wilding" conversation will be well aware of Knepp - from Isabella's book on Knepp's ground breaking work to copious media reports, videos and personal testaments. But fewer folks will be aware of some of the deeper thinking that underlies the conversations about nature people and history and how do we restore vital habitats without erasing or better still positively respecting ou...

One of the most traditional forms of woodland management is that of coppicing - cutting a tree to its base, using the material you have cut to make things like tool handles, fencing or chair legs, letting the tree regrow and cutting it again later on. This craft and way of living has had something of a resurgence in South Cumbria with apprenticeships and co-ops now working to support young workers...

In this episode we meet Patricia Wiklund from Finland - recorded over TEAMS. Regular Tree Amble listeners will know we spent some time on Aland in 2025, Patricia was behind our journey there. Patricia's company, known as Invenire, has the ambition to create rural landscapes that are regenerative and thriving. It was set up to help farmers and companies design and deliver better, more equal, human-...

In this episode of Tree Amble we meet Chris Clark of Nethergill Associates. Chris and his colleagues now work from a North Devon base, though we first came across him on farm in Cumbria. Nethergill Business Management Consultancy has developed a unique approach to farm management which seeks to find a sweet spot where the farm is most profitable which they call the maximum sustainable output (MSO)...

Lynn Barnes kick started a veg revolution in Cumbria through her business Vista Veg. Since we chatted with Lynn about her early days growing vegetables and starting her veg box scheme. The box scheme she kicked off has grown and Vista Veg are now working with a number of other vegetable growers across Cumbria in a group called "Home Grown Here". The aim is clear - grown locally, grown responsibly...

In summer 2025 Tree Amble was invited to the Finnish Island of Aland to meet with a group of people trying to safeguard and restore the traditional wood pastures on the island through regenerative practices. The project, run by Patricia Wiklund and her colleagues, is aimed at bringing farmers together to learn and discuss regen techniques and to look at ways of re-evaluating their traditional past...

In summer 2025 Tree Amble was invited to the Finnish Island of Aland to meet with a group of people trying to safeguard and restore the traditional wood pastures on the island through regenerative practices. The project, run by Patricia Wiklund and her colleagues, is aimed at bringing farmers together to learn and discuss regen techniques and to look at ways of re-evaluating their traditional past...

In summer 2025 Tree Amble was invited to the Finnish Island of Aland to meet with a group of people trying to safeguard and restore the traditional wood pastures on the island through regenerative practices. The project, run by Patricia Wiklund and her colleagues, is aimed at bringing farmers together to learn and discuss regen techniques and to look at ways of re-evaluating their traditional past...

In summer 2025 Tree Amble was invited to the Finnish Island of Aland to meet with a group of people trying to safeguard and restore the traditional wood pastures on the island through regenerative practices. The project, run by Patricia Wiklund and her colleagues, is aimed at bringing farmers together to learn and discuss regen techniques and to look at ways of re-evaluating their traditional past...

Claire Whittle is now very well known in the regenerative agriculture sphere - she has a significant presence on social media and talks both vocally and passionately about natural systems and managing animals as naturally as possible - indeed this comes across as soon as you get into conversation.  Claire trained as a vet and worked until recently in standard veterinary roles but became aware of t...

The fourth of our mini series talking with the team who manage Epping Forest - a 6000 acre ancient woodland which sits cheek by jowl with the City of London. The forest stretches from the core of the city right out to the M25. Now it also has an area called the Borderlands where there is potential to create a new forest extension and its here that we meet and talk with Tanith Cook who heads the co...

John Phillips manages the long horn cattle in Epping Forest - John's episode is third in our series of 4 podcasts about Epping Forest. This amazing 6000 acre ancient woodland and site of special scientific interest is literally cheek by jowl with the city of London - the woodland sits mainly between the London boroughs of Chingford and Epping - an area of woodland that rises not far from the city...

Andy's episode in second in our series of 4 podcasts about Epping Forest. This amazing 6000 acre ancient woodland and site of special scientific interest is literally cheek by jowl with the city of London - the woodland sits mainly between the London boroughs of Chingford and Epping - an area of woodland that rises not far from the city and travels north and east out to the M25. Its management his...

Tom Boughton's episode kicks off our series of 4 podcasts about Epping Forest. This amazing 6000 acre ancient woodland and site of special scientific interest is literally cheek by jowl with the city of London - the woodland sits mainly between the London boroughs of Chingford and Epping - an area of woodland that rises not far from the city and travels north and east out to the M25. Its managemen...

James needs little by way of introduction - he's well known for his views on farming and both his books and many broadcasts and interviews he's had on the subject. We were lucky enough to have worked with James on the farm with various hedge and tree planting events over the years.  Enjoy an episode about farming planting trees and hedges and not losing productive land!

We meet coppice worker Lee Bassett on a Cumbrian farm talking about his work to bring farm woodlands back into economic use and value to farms. Given the increase in planting on farms we need to value wood on our farms either using it directly or for sale. Lee is especially interested in bringing sweet chestnut into use in Cumbria, and on this farm discusses how it might be planted, managed and us...

In this episode we meet Maurice Pankhurst who spent his life working for nature and especially trees and woods. Maurice recently retired as the National Trust's forester for Borrowdale in the north of the English Lake District - and, for this interview, we meet him close to his home in Borrowdale for a walk in some of his favourite woods and trees. As with many people that work with natural system...

Andy and Kathy Swinscoe have developed, from very small beginnings, a cheese retail business that now employs over 20 people in the heart of Yorkshire.  The business has been located just outside Settle since 2017 and has grown to include the Cheese Shop, cheese production facility, museum and restaurant. Andy has spent a life in and around cheese both as a retailer and as maker in the UK and in F...

Mike has been ecologically monitoring habitat restoration sites for us for nearly a decade. He has shown to us several times over not just the value of monitoring change but also how, when you do monitor change after a habitat restoration project, nature responds rapidly.... but not always by the book! He has uncovered lots of positive changes that the textbooks say should not happen. The value of...

The second agroforestry show is coming to Woodoaks Farm, Maple Cross in Hertfordshire on 10th and 11th of September. Here at tree Amble we really support the bringing back together of trees and farming - particularly with all the benefits for animal welfare, productivity and nature that can be gained from well planned agroforestry systems. So, we went to chat with site manager Steve Dutch at Woodo...

Part 2 of our conversation with Peter Livingstone at his not for profit tree nursery near Glasgow. We hear more about about the other species Peter is working on and more about his motivations, people and projects. 

As a younger man Peter got involved with remediating derelict land in Scotland's central belt. His work eventually exposed him to using trees to aid restoration and before long he discovered that aspen was used all over Europe for restoration but not at home. Research and grant aid later finds him collecting and growing aspen clones for planting on remediation sites and then a journey into trees.....