June 15, 2020

Wood for the Trees: watch part 4 of our series

This year, our MD Tom Barnes is making a series of films exploring the future of our forests. 

“I’m concerned about the many risks facing British woodland, but hopeful that we can protect and enhance them for future generations.”

Part 4 looks at the health benefits of trees and was filmed during the Covid-19 lockdown. Tom talks with Suzi Martineu, who founded the annual Tree Conference and works with the Tree Sisters network, about how to value the health benefits of trees. 

Tom said “to a great extent, the future of our woodland depends on how we value it. Economic value, environmental and ecological value – and that intangible value that we experience amongst trees.” 

Suzi noted that the lockdown has deepened and strengthened people’s connection with their local green spaces and woodlands. She says that the positive feelings that we seem to experience in woodland have a basis in science. Trees stimulate the senses of beings that will come and propagate their seeds – and that includes us humans. 

Although Covid-19 has delayed filming, we are planning to continue the series during 2020.

All of the films are available on our environment page, and at our ‘Wood For The Trees’ youtube channel. 

In part one, Tom talked about the risks facing our woodlands, and his concerns that future generations might no longer be able to enjoy woodlands as we do. He explained that he is working on this series with ecoactivist film-maker Charly La Marchant to get a broad range of views about the future of our forests.  

In part two, Tom talked to Dougal Driver, the head of Grown In Britain, about how our woodlands are managed, and the benefits of taking better care of the woodland we already have in this country. 

In part three, Tom spoke to Jez Ralph, head of Timber Strategies, about how to plan and plant the resilient woodlands of the future, and the benefits of ‘native’ and ‘novel’ species for future   woodlands in a changing climate. 

Part four was the first to be filmed remotely, and looks at valuing the health benefits of trees.

We’re planning part five already, and will be talking with silviculturist Gabriel Hemery in June. 

For more information about the series visit  Tom Barnes Blog.