Tree Amble

Hosted by Peter Leeson

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Aug 2026

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About the show

After 30 years working to restore nature in forests and on farms, Pete Leeson takes time out to revisit the people he’s met along the way. Throughout the series, Pete discovers how land managers are adapting and responding to the nature crisis we all face, while navigating the economic challenges within farming today. People are at the heart of this podcast, holding the potential to do some incredible things. We meet farmers, ecologists, rewilders and more to find out how communities are building a future together which respects and supports nature.

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60 recent

September 3, 2026Episode 791 hr 6 min

Series 7 Episode 1 - Horses and Forestry Bill and Alison Lloyd

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 socialist 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.

August 20, 2026Episode 7846 min

Series 6 Episode 10 - Martin Lines and Nature Friendly Farming at Scale

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!

July 30, 2026Episode 7755 min

Series 6 Episode 9 Luke Barley and his book "Ancient"

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.

July 12, 2026Episode 751 hr 7 min

Series 6 Episode 8 - Edward Mills and his ancient woodland

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.

June 25, 2026Episode 7437 min

Series 6 Episode 7 - Antonio and Charles - Wood Pasture and Trees in Fields

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!

June 10, 2026Episode 8446 min

Tree Amble Special - Cumbria Nature Festival

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!

June 4, 2026Episode 8353 min

Series 6 Episode 6 - Chloe and Rakesh Leaving it Better

Chloe and Rakesh were instrumental in bringing farmers and climate activists together in the North Pennines and filming the conversations about food, farming and climate..... its a great listen!

April 30, 2026Episode 721 hr 11 min

Series 6 Episode 5 Knepp - Reimagining Landscapes

Anyone in the "re-wilding" conversation will be well aware of Knepp - from Isabella's book on Knepp's ground breaking work to copious media reports, videos and personal testaments. But fewer folks will be aware of some of the deeper thinking that underlies the conversations about nature people and history and how do we restore vital habitats without erasing or better still positively respecting our culture and history? This podcast episode is of a 2025 meeting of ecologists and archaeologists who got together at Knepp to talk about just that! I hope you enjoy....

April 13, 2026Episode 641 hr 3 min

Series 6 Episode 4 Sam and Emily Coppicing in Cumbria

One of the most traditional forms of woodland management is that of coppicing - cutting a tree to its base, using the material you have cut to make things like tool handles, fencing or chair legs, letting the tree regrow and cutting it again later on. This craft and way of living has had something of a resurgence in South Cumbria with apprenticeships and co-ops now working to support young workers into a skilled and satisfying craft. Listen here to Sam and Emily on their work and life and ideas....

March 25, 2026Episode 7649 min

Series 6 Episode 3 - Patricia Wiklund - Food and Farming Finland

In this episode we meet Patricia Wiklund from Finland - recorded over TEAMS. Regular Tree Amble listeners will know we spent some time on Aland in 2025, Patricia was behind our journey there. Patricia's company, known as Invenire, has the ambition to create rural landscapes that are regenerative and thriving. It was set up to help farmers and companies design and deliver better, more equal, human-centric and regenerative systems products and services. Check out Invenire.fi - we hope you enjoy this episode.

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