The author and environmentalist, Jonathan Drori, recapped a selection of his favourite trees and provided riveting insight into their historical origins.
Drori read excerpts of his book Around the World in 80 Trees, one of which documented the history of avocado trees and how the vegetable was marketed in America.
While gripping the audience with his infectious love of nature, Drori emphasised that trees and wildlife on a broader level are threatened.
He said, “There is a theme of overexploitation, and trees really do need some love and protection.”
“Trees are under a fantastic amount of threat. The things that we do affect the lives of trees, and in a way, it has been ever thus.”
The environmentalist pinpointed the four most significant threats to trees and urged people to join movements to help counter the dangers that trees face.
1. Habitat loss
2. Climate change
3. Extraction and overexploitation
4. Pests and diseases
If you are interested in Nature, also see Henry Chapman talk about climate change at 4 pm, 30 May. If you like watching Hay Festival events digitally, please sign up to the Hay Player for more from the world’s greatest thinkers.
Picture by Sam Hardwick