Tree Amble

Series 2 Episode 9 - Chris Hodgson Lake District Sheep Farmer

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 working with Chris now for over a decade trying to see how we can integrate trees into his farming system - notably via a higher level stewardship scheme. When first met Chris we probably had one of those standard adviser / land manager slightly stilted relationships. But as time has gone on we have become friends and the occasions we can share a cuppa around the kitchen table are always fun and stimulating. The farm is about to launch into its next scheme and trees are again a very significant part of the deal... as is good grazing management. 

Series 2 Episode 8 - Chris Neave Make it Wild

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 possible outcomes and went on to create a woodland with wildflowers much like Alwyn did [see one of earlier episodes - Alwyn's Forest of Flowers].  Since then they have acquired more land and started a farming and wildlife operation and employing a small team under the banner "Make it Wild". This interview is with Chris at a gorgeous site which links a low input farming system with ancient woodland and scrub restoration.

Oxford REAL - Voices of ORFC 2024

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 REAL has become a big DEAL!
Tree Amble went along with a mic and a bag of questions. We interviewed many people and this episode brings together many of those voices into one space to give you an idea of the variety of people, thoughts and activities on offer. 
IF you can ... book in for 2025!     

Oxford REAL Farming Conference - conversation with founders

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 REAL has become a big DEAL!
Tree Amble interviewed two of the founders - Ruth West and Colin Tudge - to hear about the inspiration and the early days of ORFC.

Series 2 Episode 7 - Alasdair and Sam On The Croft

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 Temperate Rainforest or even, this close to the sea, Maritime Rainforest. This zone of rainforest has moderate year round temperatures and high humidity.. it is extremely rare and every bit as valuable as tropical rainforest. Within this rainforest are also hazel woods which hit the "rare" scale in a big way.
Sam and Alasdair manage their croft with animals and for nature. Alasdair is a true man of the woods and his knowledge is exceptional. 

Series 2 Episode 6 - Mike the Ecologist

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 changes in projects designed to bring back nature. Mike and Tamsin are a couple and both work as ecologists helping us monitor change. The evidence they provide can either give us satisfaction that we have done something well and nature is returning or that we need to do more or change an aspect management. 
We spent a long time counting frogspawn in this episode!

Series 2 Episode 5 - Ruth Dalton farming with nature

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 and like all good farming couples have to come to agreement about where what and when in their farming system.
Ruth does a lot of work with farmers across Cumbria and, notably, works with Pasture For Life on their mentoring programme. The programme brings regenerative farmers together to provide support and to share knowledge.
She also has other multiple strings to her bow and is truly one of those people who is rooted in managing land for both people and nature. Enjoy the listen! 

Series 2 Episode 4 - Alwyn’s Forest of Flowers

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 suitable wildflower seed beds using the same principle - reduce surface fertility by inverting the top layers of soil potentially to 1m in depth.  We have pinned this on one stage by adding in trees to the mix. 
Many people are now very and rightly concerned about ploughing and its ability to impoverish soils, release carbon, open soil up to erosion. Many more are concerned that we should not be ploughing and planting arable soils upon which we could grow food. But this approach will only ever operate on a few small sites and the monitoring we have carried out on these few sites suggest that [as a one off operation] the carbon release is rapidly compensated for by sequestration and the boost to biodiversity is off the scale.
Alwyn's site in Yorkshire - which we visit in this episode - was restored only in 2015 and 2016 and is now one of the best butterfly sites in Yorkshire. This is creative conservation at its best!