Trees in Unexpected Places with Harriet Rix, Jon Stokes and Paul Wood

Join three authors and experts in the field as they take a look at the extraordinary capacity of trees to establish themselves in the most unexpected of places, giving us hope for a future filled with trees.

Ex-Tree Council Science and Research Project Manager, Harriet Rix, has travelled the world uncovering the inventive and astonishing ways trees sculpt their environments. Her highly original exploration of the science of trees unveils a new way of understanding our natural world. In her book, The Genius of Trees, Rix gives us hope for the future, showing us that trees are not victims but agents of change in a grand ecological narrative.

In Tree Hunting, Paul Wood (@thestreettree) seeks out the best individual trees – the most charismatic, quirky or downright spectacular – that grow in Britain and Ireland's towns, cities and villages. From a stumpy sycamore in Shetland, contorted by wind and hard weather, to the shining jewel in Brighton’s unlikely treasure trove of elms, Paul’s travels take him into a rich ecosystem, revealing how trees are inextricably bound to the story of our towns and cities and how they continue to shape the fabric of urban life in deep, and often surprising ways.

Jon Stokes, The Tree Council’s director of trees, science & research, is a passionate tree science communicator with a keen eye for the weird and wonderful. His latest book, Trees of Britain and Ireland – released in his 35th year with The Tree Council, is the field guide he’s always wanted. It includes many largely unknown and previously under-recorded species and varieties, such as the low-growing net-leaved willow mainly found in the mountains of Perthshire and the rare Margaret’s whitebeam clinging to the cliffs in north Devon.

Together, these three intrepid tree explorers will share their insights and discoveries, redefining how we see and value trees in both wild and urban environments. From mountaintop willows and cliff-clinging rarities to street trees flourishing against the odds, they’ll delve into how trees adapt, persist, and thrive in even the most challenging conditions.