
Trees A Crowd
David Oakes
Conversations with deep roots. From the Galápagos to the English hedgerow, actor and ecologist David Oakes talks with scientists, conservationists, artists and campaigners about the natural world and what it means to them.
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Many episodes are recorded in the field – beside the painted dog packs of Hwange in Zimbabwe, on puffin-strewn Lundy, in the gardens of Hampton Court. Others are unrushed conversations with some of the most influential voices in conservation today. Alongside them, the 56(ish) Trees series takes Britain’s native trees one at a time.
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David is Vice President of The Wildlife Trusts and a Fellow of the Linnean Society. Trees A Crowd was Highly Commended at the 2025 Independent Podcast Awards and has been Podcast of the Week in The Times and The Guardian.
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Every episode, with notes and links: treesacrowd.fm
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Support the show (any profit goes to our guests’ charities): patreon.com/treesacrowdpod
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 21 episodes
- Avg 45 min
- English
S6 · E11September 23 · 27 min
S6 · E10May 12 · 1 hr 5 minPainted Dogs of Hwange: Where the Wild Pack Runs

S6 · E8March 3 · 32 minRakan Zahawi: Giant ambitions at the Charles Darwin Foundation
S6 · E7February 24 · 36 minProf. Carlos Mena: Trust the Locals, Trust the Science, Protect the Galápagos
S6 · E6February 17 · 55 minProf. Diana Pazmiño: Rays, Research and the Real Guardians of the Galápagos

S6 · E4Dec 8, 2025 · 31 minIris Ho: Primates, Policy, and the Power of CITES
S6 · E3Nov 20, 2025 · 18 minElephant in the Room: Wildlife Trust of India’s Rapid Response to Grounded Humans & Uprooted Wanderers
S6 · E2Nov 18, 2025 · 30 minDr Bhaskar Choudhury: The Floodplain Guardians and the Elephants of Kaziranga

S5 · E13Jul 1, 2025 · 10 minMore M.G. Leonard: Further Furry Tales from the Riverbank

S5 · E11Aug 13, 2024 · 48 minDr Hannah Trayford & Rachel Bigsby: The State of the Badger, with the Badger Trust
S5 · E10Jul 9, 2024 · 52 minMatthew Oates: A Paean to the Purple Emperor. One Man’s Passion-filled Past Devoted to Great British Butterflies

S5 · E8Jun 11, 2024 · 45 minFiona Mathews & Tim Kendall: Wild Mammals are far from 'Boar-ing'

S5 · E6Apr 9, 2024 · 1 hr 10 minThe Horstmann Trust: Vultures in the Valleys!
S5 · E5Mar 12, 2024 · 55 minAndy & Peter Holden: A Filial History of Nest Building