Trees of Knowledge

Why Are We Here? What is a sentient being? These are questions we don't normally explore using plants but perhaps we should. Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough hears how identifying more closely with living beings who produce our oxygen and store the Sun's energy is a good way of navigating existential angst and have much to teach us about co-operation and mutual support and the unifying principles of life.

Peter Wohlleben The Hidden Life of Trees: The Illustrated Edition is out now
Emanuele Coccia The Life of Plants: A Metaphysics of Mixture is out now
Marion Sidebottom: https://www.marionsidebottom.co.uk/
Luke Turner has written Out of the Woods - a memoir about the way Epping Forest helped him deal with depression and his identity which is out in New Year.

Producer: Jacqueline Smith

Main image: Beech Tree, Epping Forest
Photographer: Marion Sidebottom (c)