Tree Amble

Series 3 Episode 2 - Vegetables Flowers and Wellbeing with Holme Grown Veg

Organic Vegetables / Mental Health / Wellbeing / Tree Planting / Pond Creation / Flower Growing / Community
We spent a lovely morning with Abby and some of the local community who come together, when they want to, to grow veg and cut flowers on this amazing small plot of land in North Yorkshire. I met Abby a few years back when she had just started the project by buying a bit of land from a neighbour and inviting local folks to help plant trees and a hedge. Since then this project has grown into Holme Grown Eastby which now, in the summer, supplies veg boxes to 2 villages along with lovely cut flowers - producing food and importantly bringing isolated local people together to work as a team - its a brilliant wee project! 

Series 3 Episode 1 - Ancient Woodland Walk with Jamie

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 our woodland walk. 
Ancient woodland in the UK is now a rare habitat as people through development and agriculture have eroded what was once a very significant woodland cover. In some areas with the right climate and rainfall we can also say that this ancient woodland is rainforest - and our temperate rainforests are just as important as others around the world. 

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!