“This book is a set of biographies of trees,” said Jonathan Drori of the Woodland Trust and the Eden Project. His enthusiasm for trees came through immediately, captivating the audience with his unique style of storytelling. The book tracks his journey from Berlin to London and Australia to California, citing science to reveal the wonder of trees, from the sacred Indian banyan under which Buddha gained enlightenment, to the fragrant cedar of Lebanon and the weirdly shaped baobab of Africa.
Through stories from his childhood that confirmed his early interest in plant life, Drori conveyed the breadth of his botanical knowledge in an accessible way. He eloquently explained the role of animals as agents of pollination, and warned that lack of biodiversity was a threat to ecological sustainability, deforestation being a major concern. "We must guard the symbiotic relationship between human and plants for a healthy planet," he said.
If you enjoyed this, you might like to go to event number 344, Curlew Moon, at 7 pm on 1 June. Please visit Hay Player for the world’s great writers on audio and film:
https://www.hayfestival.com/hayplayer/default.aspx?