David Oakes

Shows

Episodes

  1. Sweet Chestnut: Legendarily tasty, but as prickly and trustworthy as a Borgia

    09/14/2021

    Sweet Chestnut: Legendarily tasty, but as prickly and trustworthy as a Borgia

    Our thirty-eighth tree, the Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa). A mighty tree, but actually a non-native archeophyte; one whose fruit has both fattened us and inspired us. We soak the chestnuts in sugar, we sing christmas songs about them, and they’ve inspired histories greatest fable-fabricators to have a LOT of fun! So, whether you want stories of 4000 year old trees growing in the shadow of a volcano and sheltering 100 horsemen, or myths about a horny Roman god wanting to make illegitimate love-tadpoles with a water nymph, or simply the tried and tested Renaissance tale of Alexander the chestnut-depraved Borgia Pope and the joy of sharing his nuts with his cardinals... this tree has it all! (Special thanks to Francois Arnaud for adding his voice to this episode.) More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    17 min
  2. Prof. Carlos Mena: Trust the Locals, Trust the Science, Protect the Galápagos

    FEB 24

    Prof. Carlos Mena: Trust the Locals, Trust the Science, Protect the Galápagos

    A Galápagos native – born on Isla Isabela – marine biologist and conservation geneticist Diana Pazmiño focuses her research on rays, sharks, and the human communities that live alongside them. In this relaxed discussion with David Oakes, Diana explains why she brings conservation science home, how education shapes what gets noticed, valued, and protected, and what ‘protected’ actually means in practice – especially in those liminal spaces where rules and regulations require regular enforcement. Nothing epitomises Diana’s belief in the value of education more than the project she initiated on the archipelago – The Gill’s Club. Empowering girls aged 8 to 12 across the four inhabited islands of the Galápagos through experiential learning in marine science and conservation, The Gill’s Club fosters a strong bond with the ocean, develops aquatic skills, critical thinking, and female leadership. They also explore what happens when conservation becomes purely prohibitive, how bans can drive use underground, and why durable protection depends on local buy-in, education, and a sense of shared identity that’s still being built. This episode was recorded live at the Galápagos Science Centre on Isla San Cristóbal in the Galápagos. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    37 min
  3. Rakan Zahawi: Giant ambitions at the Charles Darwin Foundation

    2D AGO

    Rakan Zahawi: Giant ambitions at the Charles Darwin Foundation

    Following on from two episodes recorded on San Cristóbal Island, this episode finds David having set sail across the Galapagos archipelago for Santa Cruz; destination: the headquarters of the Charles Darwin Foundation — the research institution founded alongside the Galápagos National Park, and still at the heart of how science becomes conservation on the islands. Joining David is Rakan Zahawi, CDF’s relatively new Chief Executive. Rakan is a botanist and restoration ecologist who arrived after running botanical gardens in Hawaii and Costa Rica, and now helps steer one of the most ambitious ecological recovery efforts anywhere on the planet. At the centre of this conversation is the Floreana Project: a multi-decade initiative to restore the Galapagos island of Floreana to a natural state, one pre-dating humankind’s arrival in the Galapagos. By tackling invasive species at scale and rebuilding ecosystem function from the ground up, Rakan explains why removing cats and rodents is only the start, and how quickly native wildlife can rebound when pressure lifts — from finches and reptiles to the startling reappearance of the Galápagos Rail for the first time since Darwin’s 1835 visit. With that groundwork laid, attention turns to what comes next: a carefully sequenced programme of reintroductions, led by the recent (last week, no less!) return of giant tortoises to Floreana — hybrids, standing in for a lineage wiped out long ago — as a headline step in a restoration story decades in the making. All that, plus the methodical science behind biocontrol, the worries of a parasitic “avian vampire fly” that threatens Galápagos avian life, and what lies ahead for CDF and its present and future partnerships. This episode was recorded live at the Charles Darwin Science Centre on Isla Santa Cruz in the Galápagos. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    33 min
  4. Dr Bhaskar Choudhury: The Floodplain Guardians and the Elephants of Kaziranga

    11/18/2025

    Dr Bhaskar Choudhury: The Floodplain Guardians and the Elephants of Kaziranga

    David travels to the floodplains of Assam to meet the Wildlife Trust of India’s Dr Bhaskar Choudhury, veterinarian and project head of the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) in the heart of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve. From one-horned rhinos and swamp deer to clouded leopards and king cobras, Kaziranga’s UNESCO-protected grasslands host a breathtaking array of life – yet each monsoon, the mighty Brahmaputra River rises, displacing animals into the paths of highways, villages, and tea estates. Dr Choudhury’s team rescues the injured, the orphaned, and the lost – from palm squirrels to Asian elephants – nursing them back to the wild in what can be a ten-year journey of care, acclimatisation, and eventual release. Together, they discuss the delicate science of wildlife rehabilitation, the changing flood patterns of a climate-altered landscape, and the deep reverence with which Assam’s people greet the elephants they call gods. Along the way, Dr Choudhury reveals the quiet triumphs and heartbreaks of rewilding India’s giants — and why, after decades of work, the moment an elephant calf rejoins a wild herd still feels like a prayer answered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 min
  5. Elephant in the Room: Wildlife Trust of India’s Rapid Response to Grounded Humans & Uprooted Wanderers

    11/20/2025

    Elephant in the Room: Wildlife Trust of India’s Rapid Response to Grounded Humans & Uprooted Wanderers

    Following on from the conversation with Dr Bhaskar Choudhury in the previous episode... Recorded further south, near Bandhavgarh National Park in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, this bonus episode is with Amrit Menon, department head of the Wildlife Trust of India’s (WTI) Wild Aid division. This conversation looks not solely at rescue and rehabilitation, but at coexistence. What happens when wild animals are forced from their traditional habitats into states that have never before had to co-exist with them? For example, how do local farming communities adapt to life when their new neighbours are forty-five elephants strong? This conversation details the WTI’s Rapid Action Projects - RAPS — funded in part by David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation. Think of RAPS as conservation’s Thunderbirds: small, nimble teams that drop into crisis zones, offer immediate help, and try to stop future problems before they grow. We’ll then head into the field — to meet with some of the farmers facing the daily reality of elephantine visits, and the RAP project manager there on the floor, Meghna Bandyopadhyay. With thanks to David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation for making this episode possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    19 min
  6. Prof. Diana Pazmiño: Rays, Research and the Real Guardians of the Galápagos

    FEB 17

    Prof. Diana Pazmiño: Rays, Research and the Real Guardians of the Galápagos

    A Galápagos native – born on Isla Isabela – marine biologist and conservation geneticist Diana Pazmiño focuses her research on rays, sharks, and the human communities that live alongside them. In this relaxed discussion with David Oakes, Diana explains why she brings conservation science home, how education shapes what gets noticed, valued, and protected, and what ‘protected’ actually means in practice – especially in those liminal spaces where rules and regulations require regular enforcement. Nothing epitomises Diana’s belief in the value of education more than the project she initiated on the archipelago – The Gill’s Club. Empowering girls aged 8 to 12 across the four inhabited islands of the Galápagos through experiential learning in marine science and conservation, The Gill’s Club fosters a strong bond with the ocean, develops aquatic skills, critical thinking, and female leadership. They also explore what happens when conservation becomes purely prohibitive, how bans can drive use underground, and why durable protection depends on local buy-in, education, and a sense of shared identity that’s still being built. This episode was recorded live at the Galápagos Science Centre on Isla San Cristóbal in the Galápagos. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    55 min
  7. Abraham Joffe: The Secret Trade in Polar Bears (or, “How to Save an Animal Everyone Thinks Is Already Protected!”)

    12/09/2025

    Abraham Joffe: The Secret Trade in Polar Bears (or, “How to Save an Animal Everyone Thinks Is Already Protected!”)

    In the second of two CITES-centric episodes, this episode finds David in conversation with Australian filmmaker Abraham Joffe – director of Trade Secret, the award-winning documentary exposing the global trade in polar bear skins. While climate change relentlessly erodes the sea ice these animals depend on, Abraham reveals how polar bears are still legally trophy-hunted, skinned and sold as luxury rugs and taxidermy, their fate decided in conference halls thousands of miles from the Arctic. David and Abraham explore how Trade Secret follows journalists, advocates and Arctic guides – including previous guest Iris Ho – as they investigate both legal and illegal polar bear markets, and push for the species to be “uplisted” to the highest level of CITES protection. Along the way, they discuss the blurred line between filmmaking and journalism, the ethical weight that comes with shaping a story in the edit, and the power – and limits – of a documentary to change international policy. Crucially, the conversation also turns north, to the Indigenous communities who have lived alongside polar bears for generations. Abraham reflects on the cultural and subsistence importance of traditional hunting, how little money actually reaches those communities from the luxury trade, and why giving polar bears the protection they deserve doesn’t have to mean erasing the people who share their icy home. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    35 min
  8. Iris Ho: Primates, Policy, and the Power of CITES

    12/08/2025

    Iris Ho: Primates, Policy, and the Power of CITES

    Recorded on the outskirts of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, this episode finds David at the 20th Conference of the Parties to CITES – the global treaty that has regulated international trade in endangered species for the past 50 years. Inside, beneath flickering lights, 185 nation-states haggle over commas, clauses and quotas; at the back of the room sit conservation NGOs, animal welfare groups, trophy-hunting lobbyists, biomedical interests and import–export industries, all vying to shape the fate of the world’s wildlife. Amid this diplomatic circus, just outside the expo centre, David sits down lakeside with Iris Ho, a proudly self-professed “CITES nerd”. Born in Taiwan and now based in Washington, DC, Iris is Head of Campaigns and Policy at the Pan-African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) – the largest network of accredited primate sanctuaries in Africa. She explains how PASA’s work caring for rescued primates on the ground connects directly to the policies debated in those halls, and why a single well-crafted decision can protect far more animals than any one sanctuary ever could. Together, they explore Iris’s efforts to up-list the golden-bellied mangabey to the highest level of CITES protection, to re-establish an international great ape enforcement task force, and the troubling case of a private “rescue centre” in India that has imported tens of thousands of wild animals under highly questionable circumstances. Along the way, Iris reflects on growing up in a Taiwan where shark fin soup went unchallenged, the quiet shift in public attitudes she’s witnessed across Asia, and how daily walks in her local DC nature reserve give her the strength to keep fighting for the natural world. It’s an episode about primates and policy, hope and heartbreak – and about why, if we truly care for the wild lives we share this planet with, we might all need to become just a little bit more “nerdy” about treaties like CITES. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    31 min
  9. More M.G. Leonard: Further Furry Tales from the Riverbank

    07/01/2025 · BONUS

    More M.G. Leonard: Further Furry Tales from the Riverbank

    Last Summer, MGL shared a very exciting secret with me. A year on, it is with no small amount of delight that I can now finally cease my silence! In Maya’s words: “I have written a book about Portly the Otter, son of Otter from The Wind in the Willows. It is modelled on Kenneth Grahame’s original, as a series of riverbank stories, and features characters we all know and love, as well as introducing you to some new ones. The book is called The Adventures of Portly the Otter - Untold Tales from The Wind in the Willows and will answer a mystery I wondered about a lot as a child, which is - what really happened to Portly for him to be missing for so long, and end up - discovered by Ratty and Moley,- curled up between the cloven hooves of the god Pan? The book is illustrated by the fabulous Polly Dunbar and will be printed as a four colour hardback gift book in March 2026 by Farshore. I cannot tell you what a joy it has been to revisit the riverbank and spend time with the much beloved Ratty, Moley, Badger, and of course the mischievous Mr Toad, but the biggest delight of all has been spending a year researching and learning about otters.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    11 min
  10. Dr Brian Briggs: The Return of the Marsh Warbler and his Secret Identity hidden amongst the Reed Beds

    05/02/2023

    Dr Brian Briggs: The Return of the Marsh Warbler and his Secret Identity hidden amongst the Reed Beds

    Dr Brian Briggs is a man of two halves; by day he is the Nature Reserve Manager at the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust’s Llanelli reserve, but by night he is the lead singer and songwriter for the Glastonbury-playing, Later-with-Jools-Holland-appearing, Silver-record-selling, “Rural existentialist orni-folk-band”, Stornoway. Reforming after a 10 year hiatus for a new tour and a new album, on a walk around the Llanelli reserve, Brian details how being immersed in nature during the pandemic is what has brought the band (like the Lapwing) back from the brink. In this interview of two halves, Brian discusses the dynamism of Wetlands; the return of Grebes, Lapwings and Water Voles; the battles of invasive Mink vs. Kingfisher, and of industrious winter-causeway-crossing hungry Hedgehog vs. beautiful rare lapwing egg. But also, Brian opens up about an awakening, through birdsong, to an appreciation of our Sonic world; about a creative excitement of using Nature both as metaphor and instrument; and, why Stornoway’s music ultimately works best outdoors. He also explains, that somehow, despite being a writer of a song about Ash dieback, he isn’t even the biggest geek in the band…! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    59 min
  11. "Her Deepness" Dr Sylvia Earle & Dr Tessa Hempson: Protect the Oceans Like Your Life Depends Upon It... (Because It Does!)

    10/21/2025

    "Her Deepness" Dr Sylvia Earle & Dr Tessa Hempson: Protect the Oceans Like Your Life Depends Upon It... (Because It Does!)

    Amid the energy of the IUCN World Conservation Congress, David meets legendary marine biologist, oceanographer, and explorer Dr Sylvia A. Earle — affectionately known as “Her Deepness.” Still diving at 90, Sylvia began her career with a PhD in phycology (the study of algae) in 1966, has graced the cover of TIME magazine, authored nearly 200 scientific papers and 13 books, logged over 7,000 hours underwater, and still holds the 1979 record for the deepest solo dive — 380 meters beneath the sea. Joining her is conservation biologist Dr Tessa Hempson, Chief Scientist at Mission Blue, the nonprofit Sylvia founded in 2009. Mission Blue inspires global action to explore and protect the ocean through its network of Hope Spots — special places vital to ocean health. Partnering with local communities, scientists, and policymakers, the organization drives awareness, expeditions, and protection efforts toward one shared goal: safeguarding 30 percent of the ocean by 2030. Five years to go… Sylvia speaks of the fish she calls her friends — sentient beings with personalities, intelligence, and an inherent right to thrive in their ocean home. She reflects on the species lost to time — from the Steller’s sea cow to the dodo — their fate sealed by humanity’s destructive hand. And with a glint of curiosity, she admits her wish to meet a megalodon, that ancient giant of the deep. Yet her message is not one of nostalgia, but of hope. Sylvia believes the youth of today hold the key to a blue future — one where curiosity, courage, and compassion can restore balance to the seas she has spent a lifetime defending. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    40 min
  12. M G Leonard: Storytelling and the power of Beetles! “Elytra Literature” from Shakespeare to Starship Troopers.

    09/10/2024

    M G Leonard: Storytelling and the power of Beetles! “Elytra Literature” from Shakespeare to Starship Troopers.

    A writer concerned with wondrous beetles and beautiful birds, M G Leonard and her award-winning books, for the past decade, have been inspiring the entomologists and ornithologists of tomorrow. Here, Leonard joins Oakes on the banks of the river that inspired Kenneth Grahame's "The Wind in the Willows" for an episode about how Nature and Storytelling are vitally important in inspiring young (and old) minds. In an interview that spans the arts - everything from Shakespeare to "Starship Troopers" - David and Maya discuss why badgers walk like an actor called Michael Bryant, how Ladybirds are actually Transformers, why Entomologists hate "The Hungry Caterpillar", and why beetles deserve a co-credit for authoring Darwin's "The Origin of the Species". Most importantly, hear how Maya’s journey into our natural world was far from guaranteed; in reality, it was a wild journey forged through stories, storytelling and one or two lies. Initially just a "Bug Tourist", Maya is now the Vice President for the insect charity BugLife, and manifested the world's first Masters Degree in Entomology. All that, and how to survive if you were ever to find yourself in a battle against a human-sized beetle! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr
  13. Tan Twan Eng: The Master of the Nature Metaphor with his roots deep in the Concrete Jungle

    05/16/2023

    Tan Twan Eng: The Master of the Nature Metaphor with his roots deep in the Concrete Jungle

    Tan Twan Eng was the first Malay writer to win a number of key literary prizes including the Man Asia Prize and the Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction. David Oakes and Twan Eng first met whilst in Malaysia shooting the film adaptation of his Booker prize nominated “The Garden of Evening Mists”, and on the eve of publication for Twan Eng’s new novel, “The House of Doors”, David seeks to find the secret behind the novelist’s skill at crafting pitch-perfect nature metaphors - despite the truth of Twan wanting “…nature to be ordered”. Here we hear how Twan Eng met the Emperor of Japan’s Gardener, how one should be weary of jungle spirits and tigers should one be 'caught short' in the Malay Rainforest, and how Twan Eng’s heart, despite being born in Malaysia, is actually imbedded into the tow-paths of Richmond upon Thames; “I Dream in English” he says, as he shakes his gin martini... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    48 min
  14. Chris Packham (Part One): Deep in the New Forest with the Really Wild Showman

    03/07/2023

    Chris Packham (Part One): Deep in the New Forest with the Really Wild Showman

    Chris Packham is undoubtedly one of the most recognisable faces on British Television. He’s been a mainstay of the BBC’s Natural History programming for nearly 40 years. Alongside this commitment he also currently serves as President for the Bat Conservation Trust and Vice President for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, Butterfly Conservation, and the RSPCA. In this two-part discussion, David and Chris walk through the New Forest (the site of both their childhoods), and discuss how Chris came to prominence on Television, and then balanced his role there alongside his creative passions and his environmental concerns and campaigns. In search of Chris’ favourite Beech, David and Chris set out into the fabric of their lives – the New Forest. In the shade of “…a giant green cathedral, bathed in green light” they discuss the pressures facing one of Britain’s favourite national parks, the fact that even Belgium has a wolf-pack, and how over-grazing in the New Forest needs to be resolved for a healthy ecosystem. Closer to home, the big questions are asked: Should Chris’ father have helped him boil the head of a Pilot Whale? Should Chris’ own parenting skills have involved putting wasps on his step-daughter Megan McCubbin’s nose and then making her dissect Roadkill? And should Chris, at 61, climb the 30 foot into a Scots Pine tree to examine an abandoned Osprey nest whilst recording a podcast?! The driving force behind Chris is an obvious one: “I’ve got to do something, I’m running out of time; I don’t want to leave this world in a worse place than I inherited it.” But where does Chris stand on the effectiveness of modern non-violent protest? Is it too little too late? Or is something more dramatic required? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    41 min
  15. Chris Packham (Part Two): Through sand and snow with Rothko and Rimbaud... (No, that's not what Chris calls his dogs!)

    03/14/2023

    Chris Packham (Part Two): Through sand and snow with Rothko and Rimbaud... (No, that's not what Chris calls his dogs!)

    In the second half of David's interview with Chris Packham, we hear how Chris originally wished to pursue a career as a wildlife cameraman, but a twist of fate thrust him into the arms of the Really Wild Show (or perhaps it was Chris who twisted their arms to let him in!) And from there, his TV career exploded! Chris clarifies exactly how his co-star, Terry Nutkins, lost his fingers, and how Chris himself was partially eaten by a vulture – you know, all the important stuff – and you’ll learn how modern BBC natural history programming truly owes a massive debt of gratitude to the Aston Martin DB6! Nowadays, Chris is regarded as much for his environmental campaigning as for his TV presenting. As well as co-founding Wild Justice (an organisation campaigning for better and stronger laws and policies for nature), he has taken the Government to court over HS2, and is currently mounting plans for a march through London, a second “Walk for Widlife”, on behalf of our nation’s depleting biodiversity. But he is also now taking some time out for himself. Chris explains his love of art, his true creative drive, how he has spent a life walking through sand and snow accompanied by Rothko and Rimbaud, and how he has plans now to spend the next few months making Brutalist sculpture. Far from art being at odds to the natural sciences, Chris sees science as “…the art of understanding truth and beauty.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    38 min
  16. Katie Holten: Hedge Schools, Tree Time and the Language of our Forests

    12/05/2023

    Katie Holten: Hedge Schools, Tree Time and the Language of our Forests

    Katie Holten is a visual artist and environmental activist who splits her time between Ireland and New York. She has exhibited at the Venice biennale and many galleries across the globe, with her work being described as “…an ongoing investigation of the inextricable relationship between man and the natural world in the age of the Anthropocene.” Recently she created the internationally best-selling book, “The Language of Trees”. Reclining in a mossy moot deep within the Woodland Trust’s Duncliffe Woods, Katie shares with David Oakes how her passion for nature stems from two roots: her mother – a gardener, teacher and floral artist – and her father – a man who led Katie to be enthralled by logic and physics and Feynman. Katie is now an artist who prides herself upon collecting the connected and noticing that from chaos sprouts equilibrium. It is perhaps not unsurprising then that she has devoted her artistic career to creating compendiums of things she feel necessary to share, and devoting her personal life to many of the goals of Extinction Rebellion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    49 min
  17. Andy & Peter Holden: A Filial History of Nest Building

    03/12/2024

    Andy & Peter Holden: A Filial History of Nest Building

    At the launch of his latest video installation at the Tate St Ives, artist Andy Holden meets with David Oakes to discuss the creativity present within the bird world. But, whilst exploring avian aesthetics, Andy's artwork - "A Natural History of Nest Building" - also explores the roles of nature versus nurture at an additional level. This exhibition, one exploring how and why Birds learn to create nest structures, is created by a father and son team; the son an artist, and the father a famous ornithologist. Which begs question: was this film, one about creating homes, nurturing eggs, and fledging one’s young, really just about birds? In this ornithological deep dive, Andy and Peter Holden discuss approaching a shared passion from opposite directions. You'll hear about the super-stimulus associated with the gaping beak of the infanticide-committing cuckoo, the individual spin that different birds of the same species place upon their own personal nests, and the complicated legacy of the mysterious egg-stealing Jordain Society. Andy Holden is a multi-faceted artist who has exhibited at the Tate Britain, has had music aired on BBC 6 Music, and has created everything from human-sized bower-bird bowers, to enormous knitted rocks based upon a piece of pyramid which he stole as a boy. His father, Peter Holden MBE, worked for the RSPB for almost 40 years to boost their youth engagement. He was most notably instrumental in developing their “Big Garden Birdwatch” - the UK’s first 'citizen science' project, which has been running now for 45 years, and counted around 190 million birds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    55 min
  18. CURL-EW-PHORIA!

    04/21/2020 · BONUS

    CURL-EW-PHORIA!

    Why the duck is everyone wacky about this wonderful wader? In this special episode of Trees A Crowd, David Oakes calls on friends in lockdown to discuss the wonders of an incredible bird, the Curlew. Featuring field recordings from sound-recordist Chris Watson, a world premier of original music by folk-singer Bella Hardy and poetry recitals by Natalie Dormer and Sam West, this is more than just affectionate “waffle about a wader”. David Lindo, aka “The Urban Birder”, environmentalist and writer Mary Colwell, farmer and conservationist Patrick Lawrie, the CEO of Wader Quest, Rick Simpson, Jennifer Smart from the RSPB, and Lucy Walker from Britten Pears Arts will tell you why they love this bird and what needs to be done to save it. You will also hear from several previous Trees A Crowd guests; namely, Sir John Lawton, the President of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Dr Richard Benwell, the CEO of the Wildlife and Countryside Link and Amanda Owen, the Yorkshire Shepherdess. For further information on this and other episodes, visit: http://www.treesacrowd.fm/world-curlew-day/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    50 min
  19. Yew: From Agincourt to cancer-cure, the ancient tree of life and death

    04/20/2021

    Yew: From Agincourt to cancer-cure, the ancient tree of life and death

    Our first tree, the Yew (Taxus baccata), has accompanied humanity since the very beginning, giving us the opportunity for longer life and a rapid death. The oldest human made tool is made of Yew, and the tree’s toxins hold a deadly poison and a remedy for cancer. This and much more; there is perhaps no other British tree with such an in-depth relationship with mankind. More from David Oakes as he uproots the secrets and stories beneath the 56(ish) Native Trees of the British Isles can be found at: https://www.treesacrowd.fm/56Trees/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    8 min
  20. Oakes on Oaks: Introducing our 56(ish) Trees

    SEASON 3 TRAILER

    Oakes on Oaks: Introducing our 56(ish) Trees

    In season three of Trees A Crowd, David Oakes uproots the secrets and stories beneath the native tree species of the British Isles. Each week for the next few months, Oakes is going to be exploring our trees - from Scots Pine to Privet; Box, Beech and the Buckthorns; Wild cherries, wild pears and wild apples; Ash, Aspen, Alder, Elder and Elm... and many more (56 of them to be precise-ish!) But what is a Native Tree? Firstly, by 'tree' he means a woody plant that can, in the wild, reach at least 5m in height, and; secondly, by 'Native', he means a plant that has arrived naturally in Great Britain and Ireland since the last ice age - 11,700(ish) years ago. A new episode will be dropped each tuesday throughout 2021... (ish). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    3 min
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