“The forest princely robes receives, Inwrought with gold and crimson leaves, With fairy tints and brilliant dyes Like sunset’s glory-lighted skies.” ~ Phebe A. Holder
Artwork by Tarn Ellis Art
There’s a message on the Autumn breeze It whispers softly through the trees Of leaves that dance in shades of gold, A tale of change, both bright and bold.
The birds are gathered, taking flight, To warmer lands, away from sight, They leave behind the chilly air, In search of sunshine, warmth, and care.
The fields are ripe with harvest’s yield, As nature offers up its shield, The flowers bow, their colours fade, In restful slumber, they’re remade.
The trees stand silent, bare and wise, As sunsets paint the evening skies, This season’s growth has run its course, Each creature’s journey from its source.
So let us too take time to rest, As nature has given up it’s best, And now we adhere to Autumns flow, Of understanding and letting go ..
Glasgow’s “Argyle Street Ash” has been crowned Tree of the Year 2025 after being nominated by the public as this year’s wildcard entry.
The tree, which stands tall on one of the Scottish city’s busiest roads, was named the winner of the Woodland Trust’s competition on Thursday after several weeks of public voting.
Earlier this year, a panel of experts selected nine trees of differing ages and species for the shortlist, while the public were allowed to choose a 10th as a wildcard.
Those nominated included an oak that may have inspired Virginia Woolf and a lime representing peace in Northern Ireland, a nod to this year’s theme of “rooted in culture”.
But it was the Argyle Street Ash that pulled in the most votes after being put forward by David Treanor – an arborist from Glasgow who has been managing the tree in recent years.
Mr Treanor pointed to its reference in the 1951 book by journalist James Cowan, From Glasgow’s Treasure Chest, in which he describes the Argyle Street tree as “quite the most graceful ash I have seen”.
This quote hangs framed in the pub opposite the tree, which hosts Gaelic live music events.
As the winner of the competition, the ash will now progress to represent the UK in the European Tree of the Year finals in early 2026.
The Glasgow tree narrowly beat the “King of Limbs” oak that inspired a Radiohead album, and the photographic “Lonely Tree”, which sits on the edge of the Llyn Padarn lake in North Wales.
The cedar tree in Chiswick was once used in photographs featuring The Beatles (Woodland Trust)
The ancient “Lady Jane Grey Oak” in Leicester’s Bradgate Park, and a majestic cedar with low-sweeping boughs where The Beatles were photographed at London’s Chiswick House, completed the top five in the rankings.
The Woodland Trust said the “rooted in culture” theme was chosen to celebrate how trees shape the cultural landscape in literature, music, poetry and art.
Adam Cormack, head of campaigning at the charity, said: “Trees really matter to people, and this is clear from the response we’ve seen to the Argyle Street Ash.
“Trees inspire us to write stories and create art, whilst connecting us to cultural legacies and a sense of place.
The so-called King of Limbs which inspired Radiohead came second (Lee Cooper/Woodland Trust)
“We encourage people to notice and enjoy the trees around them, and learn more about how they benefit us – from boosting biodiversity and wellbeing, to mitigating the effects of climate change.”
Laura Chow, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, which supported the competition, said, These trees, rooted in culture, show how valued they are by their communities, and the significant importance they have in our wider cultural history.
Historic West Midlands woodlands walk opened for the first time in nearly 1,000 years with 190,000 new trees.
A new woodland walk granting access to previously private woodlands has been opened by Bradford Estates as part of work to make the estates more accessible to the public.
The ‘Bradford Walk’ was officially unveiled by Sir William Worsley, chair of the Forestry Commission, on Wednesday September 24th.
The estates, bordering Shropshire and Staffordshire, are home to historic woodlands which cover almost 10 per cent of the land and for nearly 1,000 years access has been private.
The new walk, however, now offers public access – combining 10 miles of newly-created permissive paths with existing paths to enhance connectivity.
Alexander Newport, managing director of Bradford Estates, said: “We want to open up our beautiful estates in a sensitive way and create connectivity for both native wildlife and the local community as well as visitors to the area.
“In these times, when people are calling for more green space, access to nature has never been more important.
“As an organisation, we are also acutely aware of the Climate Emergency and believe this scheme will contribute towards the nation’s net zero targets.”
The new walk is part of Bradford Estates’ 100-Year Plan, championed by custodians Alexander and Eliza Newport, and the project integrates historic woodland with newly planted areas.
Sir William Worsley officially opens the new woodland path off Mill Lane, Shifnal. Pictured with Sir William is Alexander Newport, MD of Bradford Estates
More than 190,000 new trees have been planted to create connectivity through the landscape for people and wildlife – with the planting and access funded through the English Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO), administered by the Forestry Commission.
The project supports Bradford Estates’ aim to increase woodland cover on its landholding to 20 per cent over the next 15 years to help capture carbon dioxide as a contribution towards the UK’s net zero targets.
The planting of the trees was completed by the end of the 2025 planting season with the trails construction completed subsequently along with wayfinding, gates and other infrastructure.
In an innovative approach, the planting has been entirely plastic-free. Bradford Estates invested nearly double the usual costs to use eco-friendly tree guards made from cotton and pine resin to help eliminate plastic from the environment and reduce the CO2 generated through manufacturing and transportation.
‘The Bradford Walk’ – which according to the Forestry Commission has become the longest public path funded via the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) scheme – also aims to address the current fragmentation of public rights of way in the area, creating a cohesive network linking pleasure grounds, carriageways and heritage assets such as Weston Park, Boscobel House and Tong village.
Eliza Newport, of Bradford Estates and trustee of The Tree Council, said: “During Covid, we walked the forests and lakes on the estates and were inspired to find a way to open up these beautiful natural spaces for the community to enjoy. We wanted to reverse the trend of declining tree planting, maintain the lush forests and restore woodland habitats for today and for future generations to enjoy.
“It has taken almost five years, but we are proud to see this vision come to life.”
Keith Jones, area director at the Forestry Commission, said: “It’s fantastic to see the new woodland being planted at Bradford Estates. This project is an example of how landowners can play a key role in helping to achieve the national target for woodland cover in England and net zero target.
“The expansion of timber-producing woodlands, alongside improvements in water quality, nature recovery, and river ecosystems, is incredibly positive, as is offering the local community easier access to the woodlands and surrounding countryside.”
Future plans for the permissive trails include parking facilities, art installations and possibly a playground, establishing a community facility that will enable Bradford Estates to hold events and other activities.
Anyone wanting to find out more about the project can email enquiries@bradford-estates.co.uk
This green canopy is not a forest. It is a single tree. The world’s largest Cashew Tree of Pirangi also called (Maior Cajueiro do Mundo) in Natal, Brazil, covers more than 8,500 square meters, and its circumference is about 500 meters spreading across an entire city block. A natural giant hiding in plain view. It has the size of 70 normally sized cashew trees.
This tree is recognized {in 1994} by the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest cashew tree.
Its immense size is attributed to a genetic anomaly that causes its branches to grow horizontally and bend downwards, rooting themselves in the soil and forming new trunks.
Only one of the tree’s five branches has a normal behaviour and stopped growing when it reached the ground. Locals call this branch “Salário mínimo”, or “Minimum wage”. The upkeep of Maior Cajueiro do Mundo is a somewhat controversial subject in the city of Natal. The tree is still growing and is now pushing against the boundaries of the park established for it. Without pruning, it will soon overrun one of the main roads through the city.
The tree produces 70 to 80 thousand cashew nuts or 2.5 tons annually.
Some say the tree was planted in 1888 by a hunter/fisherman called Luis Inacio de Oliver. Whilst others believe it is thousand of years old.
Strolling inside the sprawling canopy, you may think you are walking in an entire lush, green forest of cashew trees. Making the experience even more wonderful is the beautiful drive along the Brazilian coast down from Natal. Just follow the cashew-shaped signs and you will be at the tree in 20 minutes. Admission is cheap. Yes, they charge admission to a tree.
The tree is surrounded by an equal or greater amount of acreage dedicated to souvenir shops selling all sorts of cashew-themed souvenirs. The cashew-flavoured cachaca (a Brazilian sugar cane based alcohol) is highly recommended to bottle those memories of your visit to O Maior Cajueiro do Mundo, the World’s Largest Cashew Tree.
Tree Weaver 