Return to My Trees Notes from the Welsh Woodlands

About this book

When and how did we humans lose our connection with nature – and how do we find it again?

Matthew Yeomans seeks to answer these questions as he walks more than 300 miles through the ancient and modern forests of Wales, losing himself in their stories (and on the odd unexpected diversion, too).

Return to My Trees weaves together history and folklore with tales of industrial progress and decay. On his journey, he visits landmarks that once were home to ancient Druids, early Celtic saints, Norman Lords and the great mining communities that reshaped Wales. He becomes immersed in the woodlands that inspired the country's great legends. At one point he even stumbles upon a herd of television-watching cows.

As Yeomans walks, he reflects on these woods' uncertain future, his own relationship with nature and the global problems we need to solve if humans are to truly make peace with the natural world, from tree planting in ways that are actually beneficial to the environment and local communities to embedding the value of nature into our financial and economic systems.

The result is a fascinating and funny adventure that offers insight into the past, present and future of Wales's woodlands and shows what the rest of the world can learn from them.

Contents

Introduction

PART ONE The Fall of the Trees
Chapter 1. The Wisdom of the Druids
Chapter 2. The Story of the Saints
Chapter 3. The Attack on the Forests
Chapter 4. A New Forest Economy
Chapter 5. The Original Black Gold
Chapter 6. Stranded Assets

PART TWO The Power of the Trees
Chapter 7. Reconnecting through Community
Chapter 8. The Science of the Trees
Chapter 9. In the Footsteps of the Welsh Robin Hood
Chapter 10. The Stuff of Legend
Chapter 11. Environmentalism's Romantic Past

PART THREE The Rise of the Trees
Chapter 12. A National Forest is Born
Chapter 13. The Rights of Trees
Chapter 14. Forest Politics
Chapter 15. The Business of Nature
Chapter 16. Sheep and Trees
Chapter 17. Making Peace with Nature

A Note on Sourcing
Acknowledgements

Customer Reviews

Biography

Matthew Yeomans is a writer and the author of four books. As a journalist, he was written about the environment, sustainability, travel and business for publications both in the USA and UK, including the Guardian, The Atlantic Monthly, National Geographic, Travel & Leisure, and the Village Voice, where he was a senior editor and helped shape environmental and political coverage. Matthew has also been a contributor to the Rough Guide travel book series and has taught writing and journalism at New York University and Cardiff University School of Journalism, Media and Culture.