Tom Boughton's episode kicks off our series of 4 podcasts about Epping Forest. This amazing 6000 acre ancient woodland and site of special scientific interest is literally cheek by jowl with the city of London - the woodland sits mainly between the London boroughs of Chingford and Epping - an area of woodland that rises not far from the city and travels north and east out to the M25. Its management history goes back 1000's of years of cattle grazing and tree management through pollarding and coppicing of trees. Its conservation status is fascinating too as it was the first major win for conservation in the UK through the forest's acquisition and safeguarding by the City of London by act in 1878. Today the forest receives 10,000,000 visits a year. Our 4 episodes consider history and people, pollard management, cattle grazing and the future extension of the forest northwards.

James needs little by way of introduction - he's well known for his views on farming and both his books and many broadcasts and interviews he's had on the subject. We were lucky enough to have worked with James on the farm with various hedge and tree planting events over the years. Enjoy an episode about farming planting trees and hedges and not losing productive land!

We meet coppice worker Lee Bassett on a Cumbrian farm talking about his work to bring farm woodlands back into economic use and value to farms. Given the increase in planting on farms we need to value wood on our farms either using it directly or for sale. Lee is especially interested in bringing sweet chestnut into use in Cumbria, and on this farm discusses how it might be planted, managed and used.

In this episode we meet Maurice Pankhurst who spent his life working for nature and especially trees and woods. Maurice recently retired as the National Trust's forester for Borrowdale in the north of the English Lake District - and, for this interview, we meet him close to his home in Borrowdale for a walk in some of his favourite woods and trees. As with many people that work with natural systems the history of human engagement with them becomes very important as to how they were shaped and continue to be so. We discuss how busy with people, industry, grazing by cows and horses, fire and disturbance these woods would once have been yet they retained their inherent biodiversity and we go on to talk about the insidious loss that happens through modern forms of air pollution (from cars) and sometimes for the very protection measures we put in place.

Andy and Kathy Swinscoe have developed, from very small beginnings, a cheese retail business that now employs over 20 people in the heart of Yorkshire. The business has been located just outside Settle since 2017 and has grown to include the Cheese Shop, cheese production facility, museum and restaurant. Andy has spent a life in and around cheese both as a retailer and as maker in the UK and in France - his knowledge about cheese is astounding.

We went to interview Andy because of the effect his business is having on a small but beautiful resurgence of quality artisan farm cheeses in Yorkshire and the wider UK. Can we bring back jobs and culture, through farm house production, to our uplands which are suffering the loss of young people and jobs?

Mike has been ecologically monitoring habitat restoration sites for us for nearly a decade. He has shown to us several times over not just the value of monitoring change but also how, when you do monitor change after a habitat restoration project, nature responds rapidly.... but not always by the book! He has uncovered lots of positive changes that the textbooks say should not happen. The value of having a "Mike" in the team is enormous. This chat we had opens up some of Mike's findings and how he approaches monitoring.

The second agroforestry show is coming to Woodoaks Farm, Maple Cross in Hertfordshire on 10th and 11th of September. Here at tree Amble we really support the bringing back together of trees and farming - particularly with all the benefits for animal welfare, productivity and nature that can be gained from well planned agroforestry systems. So, we went to chat with site manager Steve Dutch at Woodoaks and also met with Rose Lewis (Steve's boss!) to talk about how Woodoaks farm came to the SA and there thinking around soils and agroforestry.

Part 2 of our conversation with Peter Livingstone at his not for profit tree nursery near Glasgow. We hear more about about the other species Peter is working on and more about his motivations, people and projects.