Cork Oak
It’s one of the most important plants ever known to humans. It’s the Cork Oak, Quercus suber. It’s a beautiful medium-sized tree …
An intimate embrace
I’ve visited Orley Common a handful of times. I’m fascinated by it because nobody owns it; it’s a true common. At the …
Do we need to pay for oaks to grow?
I’m walking down a city centre street in Rome. It’s November and it’s 20 degrees Celsius. It’s forecast to be blue skies …
Cherries growing on Oak trees
There are Cherry Galls, Cynips quercusfolii, on the fallen Oak leaves here in Bridford Wood. They are the tree’s defensive reaction to …
The Medusa of the Oak
The Oak Medusa Gall, Andricus caputmedusae.
Spangles
It’s forty years since I first saw and photographed spangle galls on an oak tree. I noted it down in my Nature …
The Tree: An afternoon on Dartmoor and a wild idea
Dartmoor is a wonderful upland area of Devon. It is based on granite rocks which frequently outcrop on high tors. I’m having …
An Oak tree in the making
Here’s an Oak tree in the making. It is just at the start of unleashing the incredible chemical power stored within it: …
Simple pleasures
Life is a sequence of experiences. The ones I’ve treasured most have been ones that I’ve shared, with people, with family and …