Tree Amble

Ancient Woodland / Cumbria / Rainforest / Farmer / Conservation  I met Jamie Chaplin Brice on a very wild wet woolly day in January and we went for a wander in one of our local ancient woods. Jamie is a lover of woods and woodlands and is a very capable maker of beautiful furniture. He is also a farmer. So, Jamie bridges the gap between farmer and woodsman. We talk here about the things we see on...

Sheep Farming / Tree Planting / Upland farming / Water / Nature / Tree Planting  If you know the Lakes and perhaps have walked in the fells north of Ambleside you will likely have past Chris at some point or more likely his sheep and cows. His tenanted farm must be in one of the most iconic locations we have - tucked in as it is below Fairfield. But it was once much more tree'd so we have been wor...

Farming / Rewilding / Native Breen Cattle / Climate: Chris, Helen and the family agreed several years ago that they were increasingly concerned about the state of nature and that, with some money they had at hand, they would buy some land in North Yorkshire for a tree planting project. I met Chris and Helen around this time more or less when they had acquired their first site. We talked about poss...

Oxford REAL Farming Conference has become one of the most exciting, warm and creative events in the calendar. Set, as you would imagine, in Oxford the event brings together people from all walks of life but who share a passion for changing our farming and food systems to include people at all levels but also nature in all its glory. In January 2024 1800 paying delegates went to Oxford REAL - this...

Oxford REAL Farming Conference has become one of the most exciting, warm and creative events in the calendar. Set, as you would imagine, in Oxford the event brings together people form all walks of life but who share a passion for changing our farming and food systems to include people at all levels but also nature in all its glory.  In January 2024 1800 paying attendees went to Oxford REAL - this...

Scotland / Crofting / Native Breeds / Rainforest Woodland  Sam and Alasdair's croft is in a beautiful location overlooking the sea and includes land by the water. It also rises up sometimes quite steep wooded slopes to the foot of the "hill" behind. This croft has supported generations of folks from its small but productive grazing fields yet it also contains remnants of what we might now call Tem...

Restoration / Landscape / Ecology / Lowther / Rewilding / Beavers Tree Amble went to meet Mike in Cumbria in a patch of woodland where beavers have been released - and where they have really got to work creating ponds and pools and coppicing trees.  Mike does a lot of work with Pete from Tree Amble. Pete wanted to get a glimpse of Mike's work monitoring the response of wildlife to management chang...

Farming / Nature / Trees  / Native Breed Cattle:  Tree Amble went to meet Ruth at her and Wal's holding in the South Lakes towards the end of the summer. We talked about how, by grazing native cattle, planting trees and managing hedges they have brought back life to this small but characterful area of land.  Part of the conversation reflects how they each advocate for slightly different outcomes a...

Wild Flowers / Climate / Wellbeing / Tree Planting: One of Tree Amble's favourite projects is Forest of Flowers [FOF] - this is where we take ex arable soils in very poor condition, deep plough them, broadcast wildflower seed and then plant trees. The idea came from Denmark and their forestry creation work but was interpreted by the great folks at Landlife and given a new life as a way to provide...

Soil / Geology / Restoration / Lancaster University  John and I were at school together too many years ago to think about - he introduced me to Neil Young and I introduced him to Jethro Tull. I'm still a fan of both.  As kids we already had an idea of our interests - his was geography and rocks and mine was geography and trees. An inspirational teacher probably gave us license to think about both....

Farming / Hedges / Trees / Organic Dairy: Tree Amble were delighted to go and meet James Robinson on his farm near Kendal for the second interview in series 2. James is an organic dairy farmer and a leading light in the Nature Friendly Farming Network. He loves the cows on his farm but he also revels in the nature which comes when you manage land organically in a system of small fields surrounded...

Episode 1 of our second series sees Pete up in the Cairngorms with Alan Crawford underneath an amazing granny pine within a very old patch of woodland. The views out from under the tree include mountains, gorgeous old woodlands and streams. It is truly beautiful. Alan talks about his mental health and wellbeing and how he finds peace and calm in old woods and with veteran trees. He is very knowled...

Rainforest / Scotland / Temperate / Networking / Ecology  The second of two "Tree Amble Specials" this episode saw us heading to Scotland for a meeting of partner organisations and individuals working to save Scotland's Rainforest.  Yes! Scotland has rainforest, and very special rainforest at that. The soft wet fringes of the west coast have just the tight conditions for rainforests to form with a...

Rewilding / Upland Farming / Native Breeds / Riggit Galloway / Pea Restoration / Slowing the Flow  In this episode Tree Amble's Pete visits Kingsdale Head, a 1500 acre / 608 ha upland farm and natural regeneration project in the Yorkshire Dales. Owners Catherine Bryan and Tim Yetman discuss the challenging landscape and their ambitious plans to restore peatbogs as well as increase biodiversity and...

Carbon / Farming / Soils / Water / Nature / Nature friendly farming  Carbon Calling is an awesome gathering of farmers in Cumbria, created and lead by farmers, talking about regenerative agriculture. 2023 was the second year of this conference hosted by Tim and Emma on their farm at Kirby Thore. About 200 folks talking positively about changing farming practice to save costs, deliver good food, ma...

In this episode, Fidelity Weston shows Pete around Romshed Organic Farm in Kent, which she has managed for 40 years with a focus on restoring nature. With a network of woodland, hedges and species-rich meadows the 80ha Romshed Farm supports wildlife and biodiversity as part of a successful farming system. Fidelity is Honorary Vice President at Pasture for Life which works for sustainability, healt...

Pete meets with Paul Arkle, a self employed advisor who works with farmers and landowners on agri-environment schemes in Cumbria. Paul's business is called Cumbria Farm Environment Partnership.  Pete and Paul have worked together on many schemes in the last 18 years and discuss the changes in farming over that time. Has there been a shift towards working with nature and more awareness of the impac...

Pete catches up with Lee Schofield, author of Wild Fell, at RSPB Haweswater where Lee leads a team managing an amazing complex of habitats from wetland to woodland from fields with sheep grazing to upland fells with native breed cattle.  Lee discusses the fascinating flora, fauna and fungi within the nature reserve, and the methods used by his team to support this important and thriving habitat. T...

As CEO of Ribble Rivers Trust, Jack leads a team of folks working to improve the River Ribble in Lancashire and all its tributaries, for both people and wildlife. He is immensely inspiring and hard working.   Pete and Jack discuss the key threats to our rivers and their wildlife - from water quality and water flow to water temperature and river bank erosion. Jack explains how he works with farmers...

David talks to Pete about Wakelyns Farm in Suffolk, a long established diverse agroforestry project of real note in the UK. The farm is small at 23 hectares but is incredibly productive with numerous stacked enterprises - the land managed in collaboration with a wide range of small businesses. Pete and David discuss how the Wakelyns project uses efficient growing methods, tailoring agroforestry pr...

Organic Dairy / Upland Farm / Sheep / Curlews / Nature Friendly Farming Andrew runs a remote upland farm of 460 acres in the Yorkshire Dales. His herd of native rare breed cows (Northern Dairy Shorthorn) produce a rich and flavoursome cheese from the farm’s diverse floral grasses and traditional wildflower hay meadows. Against the backdrop of curlew calls, Andrew talks to Pete about how he manages...

In this episode, Archie, Estate Manager and Owner of the Spains Hall in Essex, talks to Pete about its 860 hectares, from ancient woodland, tenanted farms, and holiday cottages, to a ground-breaking beaver introduction, which Archie masterminded for local flood management. We discuss a wide range of topics across conservation and farming economics, and how Spains Hall Estate is navigating both of...

Pete meets Jenny and Mark Lee on their Cumbrian dairy farm, which they’ve radically changed from intense dairy unit to organic, pasture-only system. As 'Torpenhow Farmhouse Dairy', they now make their own cheese, butter and ice cream, to get the most out of their high quality milk. We join the family on a momentous day - the first day of ice cream production! Pete sees the dairy setup in action, a...