On:
In: feature, history, news

In January this year I wrote about the 800th year anniversary of the Charter of the Forest, in the form of the new Charter for Trees, Woods and People – read my earlier post. The launch of the new Charter is now just one week away, taking place in Lincoln CastleContinue Reading

On:
In: art, book development, books, feature

Following visits to Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) and Benmore Botanic Garden, botanical artist Nicola Macartney (collaborating in my GREEN GOLD book project) has started work painting sketches of western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) including foliage, cones and a section of bark. These elements will be included in the final paintingContinue Reading

Young birch tree in a treeshelter

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In: ash, beech, black poplar, elm, forestry, history, horse chestnut, oak, sweet chestnut, walnut

There are 60 or more trees in Britain that are native, meaning tree species, subspecies or hybrids that have established themselves without the hand of man. Yet only 35 are widespread meaning that the palette is actually quite limited, particularly when the full range of benefits from woodlands are considered, together with threats from environmental change.Continue Reading

Top tree and nature books 2016

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In: books

2016 has been a rich sylvan literary year, and for the first time I include some fiction too. Hopefully there’s something here to cater for all interests. In no particular order, these are the tree and wood books that have informed and delighted, surprised and shocked me in 2016. [Update:Continue Reading

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In: Uncategorised

Environmental change is impacting Britain’s trees and forests with increasing frequency and severity, caused by human influences and/or natural ecological processes. Somerset owner William Theed replanted with different conifer species when Japanese larch in his woodland was the first in the UK attacked by Phytophthora ramorum. Photo Gabriel Hemery. An important national surveyContinue Reading

On:
In: art, woodland visit

Day two of our Scottish drawing expedition took us to the southern shore of Loch Rannoch. We were in search of a treescape that would enable us to feature birch and water together. We had a specific place in mind for where the drawing will feature in the book. TheContinue Reading

On:
In: art, woodland visit

Yesterday our Scottish Drawing Expedition for The New Sylva got underway. In search of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) we had travelled to one of the last remaining and best examples of Caledonian Pinewood: the Black Wood of Rannoch, in Central Scotland. High above Loch Rannoch, on an undulating heather-clad ridge,Continue Reading

On:
In: Our Forests

The much heralded report by the Independent Panel on Forestry on the future of forestry in England was released this morning. It is anticipated that the Government will take until January 2013 to consider the Panel’s recommendations and that the suspension on sales of public forests will be extended untilContinue Reading