There are two times of year I particularly love being among trees. The first is at the height of spring, when new leaves and woodland plants are at their most intensely green. The second is the point in autumn when the summer hues shift overnight and the woods take on a whole new coat. In Japanese there is a wonderful term for both, mikkaminumanosakura, meaning a moment of sudden, dramatic change. As we move deeper into autumn, we’re heading for one of these moments, and I’ll be out in the woods trying to catch it.
I have spent much of the past two years travelling the length of the UK and Ireland exploring our relationship with trees and woodlands for a new book. I wandered in stunning beech groves in Oxford, pinewoods in the Highlands, ancient oaks in Wicklow and Atlantic rainforest in County Clare.
