Book review by Francesca Boyd
Trees in a city often provide important structure, shade, and seasonal change in the urban environment. Jake Robinson, author of Treewilding, challenges the reader to move beyond this common view and urges us instead to understand the incredible perspective that exists within the physical and social structure of a tree.
Robinson introduces the concept of ‘holobionts’ meaning living systems that are deeply interconnected with their environment, hosting a myriad of microbes, fungi and other organisms that collectively contribute to the tree’s health. This perspective helps those responsible for trees to further consider how microbes play a crucial role in keeping trees healthy especially in response to a changing environment.
“If you could extract the bacteria from a single 5-tonne tree and line them up, they could wrap around the perimeter of the Amazon Rainforest over 1,000 times”
Another core message of Treewilding is the recognition that tree and forest restoration go beyond the physical structure of a tree into their social value. It’s therefore important to engage with ecological knowledge and promote Indigenous and local leadership of those who live on and care for the land. The book emphasises that by understanding and fostering these complex relationships, land managers (including urban planners) can design and restore spaces that are more sustainable and resilient to the challenges posed by climate change and urban expansion.
The author pulls together examples of changing ecosystems which can create flourishing forest ecosystems from previously degraded sites. For example, tiny forests in urban areas such as one in Witney, Oxfordshire, where the author pays a visit are surprising in the diversity of species living in such a small patch of trees.
For urban planners, local authorities and those passionate about trees, Treewilding presents an opportunity to rethink how it could be possible to ‘grow’ and nurture trees, recognising them as vital, complex systems that are essential to the health and wellbeing of our cities.
Find Jake Robinson’s new book Treewilding: Our Past, Present and Future Relationship with Forests here: https://pelagicpublishing.com/products/treewilding
For more information on Jake’s work, visit www.jakemrobinson.com