A blog by Paul Wood
In August last year I walked through Epping Forest from Epping tube station to Chingford. It's an amazing walk with incredible beech pollards and prehistoric earthworks, musclebound hornbeams and rare wild crab apple trees to be seen along the way. It's just a section from one of the trails through London, from the greenbelt to... Continue Reading →
I'm thrilled to announce, on Valentine's Day, that my new book 'London is a Forest' will be published on 2nd May! It’s a book about Urban Nature, and, I hope, a new way to look at London. There’s lots of great nature books out there, but this one’s a little different, it’s about the plants... Continue Reading →
This is the post I’ve been thinking about for months. Yep, the one about how they’re cutting down all the street trees in Sheffield. Until now I didn’t feel I could quite do it justice, but a few days ago I went to Sheffield to meet the campaigners and to see for myself what was... Continue Reading →
This post was originally published in March 2018, towards the end of the harshest winter in London for years. You may have noticed – possibly with some alarm – the delicate, yet persistent blooms of the winter-flowering cherry which have been flowering for months now. The snow and ice of last week hasn’t been kind... Continue Reading →
From Hibiscus in Shoreditch, Golden Rain Trees in Osterley, and Bottlebrush trees in Pimlico, London has unexpected and fascinating street trees. Our urban forest, often under appreciated, is extremely varied and, what grows where differs around the city. So, which are the most interesting boroughs for a discerning London street tree admirer to visit, and... Continue Reading →
Trees and technology are not, on the face of it, natural bedfellows. But I believe new technology can provide the trigger for people, especially young people, to become interested in what is around them. So, I'm very pleased to be part of a 'Trees and Technology' seminar during London Tree Week where I am sure this will... Continue Reading →
My book, ‘London’s Street Trees: A Field Guide to the Urban Forest’ will be published by Safe Haven Books at the end of May.
Some months ago I heard rumours about a London Street Tree map being prepared by the GLA at City Hall. Excitingly, that map is now live and has been for a couple of months. For those who haven’t yet poured over the fascinating insights into what trees can be found on London’s streets would be... Continue Reading →
“I can’t understand why anyone would want to buy a house on such an awful street.” These words, uttered by a passer-by 15 years ago, acted as a red rag to a bull for Wharfdale Road resident John Ashwell. A typically busy inner London street of multiple building styles and ages, Wharfdale Road connects York... Continue Reading →
How exciting - next week, Saturday 28 May – Sunday 5 June, is London Tree Week! I'm sure this fantastic initiative from the Mayor will prove to be a great success. There are a whole raft of activities organised by City Hall’s environment department to check out on the London Tree Week pages. Not to be outdone... Continue Reading →