A celebration of Martin Wood

Sir Martin Wood (1927-2021) was a patron, companion, and friend whose philanthropy supported much of my professional career as a forester. In 2009, we cofounded Sylva Foundation together. I wrote a poem titled ‘The Noblest Forester’ to read as a eulogy at a celebration of his life with a gathering of family, friends, and colleagues held in Oxford today, 14th September 2022.Continue Reading

Moon Glade by Gabriel Hemery

The moon glade, gathering
My stealthy shadow, lighting
The wood and me, brightly
Flashing in amber glow, a warning
Its crepuscular namesake, hiding
Cryptically beneath the holly, stirring
Its wings a blur, zig-zagging
On the waning of the Woodcock Moon. Continue Reading

When I Fall by Gabriel Hemery

When I fall I dream my leaves will brighten Recalling a life lived well To nurture future souls Gabriel Hemery, November 2021Continue Reading

Winter Ash Haiku

Afterlife tool and spoke Winter ash gale bend and yield Oak a merest nod Gabriel Hemery http://youtu.be/fZYMHKjnCbs During the recent winter gales in England I was inspired to write a Haiku poem. The amazing flexibility of the ash Fraxinus excelsior tree means that its wood is widely used in toolContinue Reading

“Walnut is without the question the most beautiful wood on earth, ranging from the colour of honey to the rich depth of chocolate-brown, often marked with smoky swirls and streaks of pigment from dark brown to black. The grain can be perfectly straight, elegantly swept, or a festival of waves,Continue Reading

Today is Easter Day or the day of ressurection in the Christian world. Trees feature as very sigificant elements of the bible …Continue Reading