Noticing Oaks

A friend kindly lent me her copy of 'Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm' which I've only just started but I'm already gripped by. Isabella Tree tells the story of the pioneering rewilding experiment at the Knepp Estate in West Sussex; describing how exhausted land can once more become a rich ecosystem. 

At the beginning of the book she talks fondly of Ted Green who visits Knepp in 1999 and causes an epiphany thanks to his observations of the veteran oaks suffering under the intensive farming practices on the Estate. He says, 'if I had one wish, it would be for our trees to command the same respect and recognition that we give our historic buildings - trees are living heritage'.

Ted sounds like a wonderful human, and I'm keen to hear more of his wisdom as I continue reading. I loved his comparison of aging oaks to old men with walking sticks - as they age, they too need to steady themselves and do so by lowering their branches. Since then I've become so captivated by these magnificent trees and often ponder about their stories, how they've lived, what they must have witnessed in their vast lifespans. My camera is currently brimming with photos of oaks because they sure do stand out when you start to take in their grandeur. Ted is right, the more you know about them the more they command respect.