We took Tree Amble to see Liam McNulty to talk about his journey into organic farming on a small tenanted farm in north Cumbria. Liam is a soil association ambassador and is passionate about his soil and his hay meadows, which he has worked hard to restore as well as feeding local people from his market garden. From my side of the equation conversations with Liam about increasing the tree cover and hedges all adds to the farms' diversity but also, ultimately, its productivity and resilience. We very much hope you enjoy this conversation.

Tree Amble went to meet Jonny in Yorkshire where we walked a stretch of stream which had undergone restoration - fencing off stock, tree planting and in stream work - with his help and where outcomes for nature are looking up. Jonny is a very keen fisherman and works for the Wild Trout Trust with a day a week at Lancaster University as Professor in Practice. He is deeply committed to both research and delivery of ecological restoration and having spent many years seeking to answer ecological questions, primarily in aquatic ecosystems. His research includes freshwater food webs as well as assessing the effects of invasive non-native species (like the American Signal Crayfish)

In his role at The Wild Trout Trust, Jonathan will be developing future research to tackle issues (e.g. connectivity, habitat degradation / restoration, stocking) affecting the iconic sentinel species, the brown trout (Salmo trutta).

We really hope you enjoy this episode!

Bill and Alison Lloyd are truly legendary in Cumbria. Perhaps best known for their musical ability as folk performers on the festival circuit and with their studio and recording business but also well known for their work with woodlands. They came to Cumbria by horse to work woodlands by horse power in a time of oil shocks and price rises... this seems familiar today does it not? Well, the oil shock and price rises anyway... Deeply committed to environmental ideals this couple have worked the land, sung its stories and supported their fellows in a way very few have. This was truly a deep and meaningful conversation. Tree Amble hope you enjoy it.

Martin farms arable crops in South Cambridgeshire and leads the Nature Friendly Farming Network. On farm, he focuses on soil health, integrated pest management, mixed rotations and schemes that pay for public goods. In his CEO role, he works with government, retailers and the finance sector to back farmers with simple rules and fair funding. Martin convenes farmer networks, shares what works in practice, and acts as a constructive voice across the sector – aiming for resilient businesses, better food and more nature. We hope you enjoy this walk and talk with Martin on his home farm!

In this episode we meet Luke Barley - Senior National Consultant - Trees and Woodlands for the National Trust to talk about his fabulous book "Ancient - Reviving the Woods that Made Britain" which was published in early 2026. Just before the book was published we went to meet Luke in Yorkshire and went for a walk to look at some ancient woodland and veteran trees on what turned out to be a miserably wet day! Despite the rain we had a cracking chat about Luke's motivation for writing the book and his very personal experiences in and around woodland. He is clearly a man of the trees and it comes across delightfully in our conversation. We hope you enjoy this chat.

In this Tree Amble episode we went to the South Lakes to find forester Edward Mills in his patch of ancient woodland. Ed's wood is buried deep in a part of the world rich in a woodland heritage and culture around wood products and management but also one which encompassed mining and farming. We talk about the woodland and its management today but also imagine how these sites were lived in, worked and connected to the outside world through trading of woodland products and their connection with mining, farming and textile production. Our modern world looks at these sites for their conservation value but we often miss the working nature of them - the work that created much of the structure we value today.

In this episode we meet Antonio from Spain and Charles from France talking about what we would call "Wood Pasture". Antonio talks about the value of his old wood pastures for the quality of his stock in his holistic system. He also says that where he lives they are now experiencing temperatures over the mid 30 degrees regularly... and sometimes 40... and his trees are essential to feed his cattle but also for their welfare. Charles talks about adding trees in his french system - 3D grazing. Well worth a listen particularly given our very high temperatures of the moment!

A group of committed volunteers came together in spring 2026 to create the first "Cumbria Nature Festival". We were invited to come along and record some of the festival voices ... and we did... this episode has 18 different voices from the weekend. Such a positive gathering of people who care. I hope you enjoy this Tree Amble Special!