Gabriel Hemery's Blog: Gabriel Hemery, page 27

Rethinking the history of common walnut (Juglans regia L.) in Europe: its origins and human interactions

I’ve recently co-authored this scientific paper which reveals the history of common walnut in Europe.

Abstract

Common walnut (Juglans regia L) is an economically important species cultivated worldwide for its high-quality wood and nuts. It is generally accepted that after the last glaciation J. regia survived and grew in almost completely isolated stands in Asia, and that ancient humans dispersed walnuts across Asia and into new habitats via trade and cultural expansion. The history of walnut in Europe is a matter of debate, however. In this study, we estimated the genetic diversity and structure of 91 Eurasian walnut populations using 14 neutral microsatellites. By integrating fossil pollen, cultural, and historical data with population genetics, and approximate Bayesian analysis, we reconstructed the demographic history of walnut and its routes of dispersal across Europe. The genetic data confirmed the presence of walnut in glacial refugia in the Balkans and western Europe. We conclude that human-mediated admixture between Anatolian and Balkan walnut germplasm started in the Early Bronze Age, and between western Europe and the Balkans in eastern Europe during the Roman Empire. A population size expansion and subsequent decline in northeastern and western Europe was detected in the last five centuries. The actual distribution of walnut in Europe resulted from the combined effects of expansion/contraction from multiple refugia after the Last Glacial Maximum and its human exploitation over the last 5,000 years.

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Spatial genetic structure of 91 walnut populations in Eurasia. Population structure inference for 91 walnut populations by Bayesian assignment using STRUCTURE for K = 4. Synthetic map of Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) interpolations of the estimated mean population membership values (Qi) (a) and bar plot showing assignment probabilities of individuals to K clusters (b). Abbreviations: CN = China, UZ = Uzbekistan, KG = Kyrgyzstan, TJ = Tajikistan, PK = Pakistan, IR = Iran, GE = Georgia, TR = Turkey, MD = Moldova, RO = Romania, HU = Hungary, SK = Slovakia, GR = Greece, IT = Italy, FR = France, ES = Spain.

Reference

Pollegioni P, Woeste K, Chiocchini F, Del Lungo S, Ciolfi M, Olimpieri I, et al. (2017) Rethinking the history of common walnut (Juglans regia L.) in Europe: Its origins and human interactions. PLoS ONE 12(3): e0172541. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0172541

Read the article online

Tagged: research, science, walnut, writing

AramcoWorld features history of walnut cultivation

I’m delighted that some of my walnut photographs, captured during expeditions to Kyrgyzstan, have been selected to feature in an article this month in the online edition of AramcoWorld.

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AramcoWorld, March 2017

The magazine aims to increase cross-cultural understanding by broadening knowledge of the histories, cultures and geography of the Arab and Muslim worlds and their global interconnections.

The article, by Graham Chandler is titled Walnuts and the First Forest Farms. I also happen to be co-author in the main research article quoted, along with colleagues Drs Keith Woeste, Maria Malvolti, and others:

Rethinking the history of common walnut (Juglans regia L.) in Europe: Its origins and human interactions

Interested in tree photography? See more at: www.500px.com/thetreephotographer

Tagged: Kyrgyzstan, photography, walnut

The Man Who Harvested Trees – now in paperback

My short story The Man Who Harvested Trees and Gifted Life is now available as a paperback from Amazon.

Available initially from Amazon in the UK, USA, France, and Germany.

Find out more here.

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The Man Who Harvested Trees and Gifted Life

From the back cover

Following the telling of a remarkable story a young girl develops a lasting affinity with a forest which becomes richer than she could ever have imagined. The Man Who Harvested Trees And Gifted Life is a sequel to Jean Giono’s much-loved 1954 classic, The Man Who Planted Trees And Grew Happiness. This modern eco-parable, a compelling short story in its own right, encourages us all to seek a stronger connection with the natural world.

Tagged: books, environment, fiction, forestry, nature, paperback, trees

Tree Charter: a voice for trees and people

Our life on Earth is entwined with trees, even if we’re not always aware of their importance. It often takes a special moment for us remember the significance of something we can so easily take for granted. The Year 2017 is one such moment for trees and forests in the UK, this being the 800th anniversary of the Charter of the Forest.

In 1217, all of the rules contained in the 1215 version of Magna Carta which related to forests were defined in a separate dedicated charter called the Charter of the Forest.

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The National Archives provide a simplified transcript:

Edward by the Grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Guyan, to all to whom these presents shall come, sends greeting: we have seen the charter of the Lord Henry our father, sometime King of England, concerning the Forest in these words. Henry, by the Grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland, Duke of Normandy and Guyan and Earl of Anjou, to all archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, earls, barons, justicers, foresters, sheriffs, provosts, officers, and to all his bailiffs, and faithful subjects which shall see this present charter, greeting. For the honour of Almighty God, and for the salvation of our soul and the souls of our ancestors and successors, to the advancement of Holy Church, and amendment of our realm, we have, of our mere and free will have given and granted, to all archbishops, bishops, earls, barons and to all of this our realm, these liberties, following, to be kept in our kingdom of England forever.

(1) First, we order that all lands which became forest under King Henry II, our grandfather, shall be examined by good and lawful men; and if these investigations find that Henry II created forest on land that did not rightfully belong to the king, this land shall no longer be considered forest.

(9) And if the swine of any freeman sleeps one night within our forest, he should not lose any of his property as punishment.

(10) Henceforth, no man shall lose his life or suffer the amputation of any of his limbs for killing our deer. If any man is convicted of killing our deer, he shall pay a grievous fine, but if he is poor and has nothing to lose, he shall be imprisoned for a year and a day. After the year and a day expired, if he can find people to vouch for him, he shall be released; if not, he shall be banished from the realm of England.

More than 50 organisations representing a wide range of interests—led by Woodland Trust—are standing together during 2017 to call for a new charter which is called the Charter for Trees, Woods and People.

Through collecting stories about what trees and woods mean to people, the movement is building a picture of their value to everyone in the UK.  These stories will be used to create a set of guiding principles, around which the Charter will be written. The final Charter for Trees, Woods and People will influence policy and practice and celebrate the role that trees and woods play in our lives.

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Charter for Trees, Woods and People

The new Charter for Trees, Woods and People will launch on November 6th 2017, the 800th anniversary of the Charter of the Forest. Before this there will more and more activities getting underway with opportunities for everyone to get involved.

Get involved:

Find out more by visiting a dedicated website at www.treecharter.uk.
You can share your own story on the website
Tweeting your story using the  #treecharter tag (tweets will appear on a tagboard)
Find your nearest Charter branch
Woodland owners can complete a simple survey – see www.sylva.org.uk/myforest/charter

Tagged: environment, forestry, people, policy, public charter, woodland

Ode to the saw

This article first appeared in the Living Woods Magazine, Winter 2016.

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Living Woods Magazine

British children learn about tropical rainforests and deforestation in schools, as part of the national curriculum, but are taught virtually nothing about our own forests. In an increasingly urban world most young people, except those fortunate enough to experience Forest School, will leave education with little understanding of the natural world round them. It’s perhaps unsurprising therefore that the sound of a chainsaw in a British woodland is often associated with destruction rather than rejuvenation.

I’m increasingly convinced by the power of art, in all forms, in helping tackle what Richard Louv coined ‘nature deficit disorder’. I’ve run a number of projects at Sylva Foundation (which I co-founded in 2009), for example the OneOak project, that have combined science and art to introduce forestry to wider society. On a personal level I’ve chosen to write widely on the subject, both in my forestry blog and in books; my first being The New Sylva, Bloomsbury Publishing 2014.

My latest book is an eco-parable short story, and a sequel to Jean Giono’s 1954 classic The Man Who Planted Trees and Grew Happiness. Giono aimed to popularise tree planting, and his allegorical story contrasted the benefits of environmental restoration with the futility and destructiveness of war. His popular book certainly played a part in helping make tree planting not just a social norm but a ‘good thing’ celebrated by individuals and families, and corporates looking for good PR. Yet 60 years later harvesting trees is still associated with exploitation and destruction.

My aim in writing The Man Who Harvested Trees and Gifted Life is to help illustrate how foresters care for woodlands over multiple generations, and explain how managing forests and harvesting trees can equal good environmental stewardship. I include a short poem in the foreword Philosophy is Forestry’s Child, and the Sustainable Forestry Song in the back of the book, which I’ve had fun developing in the classroom.

Gabriel Hemery’s new book The Man Who Harvested Trees and Gifted Life is available as an ebook on Amazon. Read more at www.GabrielHemery.com/books

 

Philosophy is forestry’s child

When a tree falls in a lonely forest, does it make a sound?

It rings in the labouring forester’s ear,

Yet resonates for all the human race

In nature, so much more profound.

Can we love a forest, yet fell a tree?

The forester sees beyond herself.

Harvesting one, breathes life into more;

More trees, more life, and a future for you and me.

Ask not which came first, the acorn or the oak.

We came as children of the forest;

First our wooden cradle, then our kindling for industry.

Instead think forward — trees will shelter us from ourselves.

 

Gabriel Hemery, December 2016

My thanks to Living Woods Magazine for granting permission to republish my article here.

Review of Arboreal in Nature

This week the long-awaited woodland anthology Arboreal was finally released. Edited by Adrian Cooper the book includes contributions from more than 40 authors, poets, photographers, sculptors and others.

Arboreal: a collection of new woodland writing. Little Toller Books. 2016.

The book is dedicated to the memory of perhaps our most famous and influential woodland ecologist, Oliver Rackham, who died in 2015. Two of his best known books, Ancient Woodland (Edward Arnold, 1980) and The History of the Countryside (J. M. Dent & Sons, 1986) helped shape my learning and love of the British landscape while I studied geography at university in Wales, so it was a privilege to be asked to contribute to this anthology.

My short story Don’t Look Back consists of an interview with me taking place in 2050 and I ‘talk’ about the reforestation of Dartmoor in the face of climate change and changing societal needs. The focus of the story is Piles Copse — currently only one of three tiny fragments of woodland remaining on Dartmoor — yet I describe it being at the heart of a new ‘Dartmoor Forest’ in 2050. I wonder what Rackham may have made of my musings!

The book has received a glowing review by Caspar Henderson in the journal Nature:

“Arboreal . . . resembles a thicket of ancient woodland — unruly and pulsing with life, full of surprises and beauty in both detail and the long view . . .”

“The more than 40 pieces by ecologists, educators, photographers, sculptors and writers, are highly diverse. Their common starting point is that the perceptions, memories and imagination of individuals matter, and that without wonder and reflection, research and action are blind and blundering.”

Natural history: Voices from the greenwood. Review by Caspar Henderson. Nature: 538, pp. 314–315, 20 October 2016. doi:10.1038. Published online: 19 October 2016. Read full review here

Arboreal can be purchased direct from Little Toller Books or all good book shops. List price £20.

Related posts/links:

Caspar Henderson

Top tree and wood books for 2016

Tagged: anthology, books, Dartmoor, Little Toller, Rackham

Top tree and wood books 2016

2016 has been a rich sylvan literary year, and for the first time I include some fiction too. Hopefully there’s something here to cater for all interests. In no particular order, these are the tree and wood books that have informed and delighted, surprised and shocked me in 2016. 

Ladders to heaven by Mike Shanahan

Ladders to heaven: how fig trees shaped our history, fed our imaginations and can enrich our future. By Mike Shanahan. Unbound Books. ISBN-1783522364.

The author romps through the history, biology and culture surrounding fig trees with style. Writing fact-packed non-fiction in a way which captivates and enthrals, in language that is accessible to a wide audience, Shanahan reveals a masterful touch. A highly recommended insight into an amazing tree genus.

The wood for the trees by Richard Fortey

The wood for the trees: a long view of nature from a small wood. By Richard Fortey. William Collins. ISBN-0008104662.  

I had the privelege of sharing the stage with Fortey earlier this year. He writes as he speaks, with quiet unassuming authority in a way that quickly beguiles. The purchase of his own small woodland in the Chilterns prompted him to step from geological history to living nature, a task he achieves with aplomb. We’re fortunate he chose to share his journey of natural history discovery with us.  

The long, long life of trees by Fiona Stafford

The long, long life of trees. By Fiona Stafford. Yale University Press. ISBN-0300207336. 

Delving into the arboreal lives of 17 British trees species, Stafford guides the reader through a sylvan spectacle. Skilfully written the easy prose explores the lives of trees in multiple dimensions. Shame that more species  are not covered, especially walnut, but then I’m biased on that subject. 

The trees by Ali Shaw

The trees. By Ali Shaw. Bloomsbury Paperbacks. ISBN-1408862301. 

A Hitchcockian rustle through a menacing sylvan world. The premise of this book – where trees take over the world – is a refreshing dystopian approach. Surely the best book cover in this list – gorgeous art. 

Trees Ex Libris by Jovis Glans

Trees Ex Libris: a collection of environmental erotica. By Jovis Glans. Environmental Erotica Press. ASIN-B01KR7VAF4. 

I was sent this e-book by the publisher, and I’d never have discovered it otherwise. It’s a book about tree sex, yes you read that correctly, tree sex! For originality alone it deserves inclusion but don’t expect lessons in tree biology. This is no holds barred erotic fiction, and I mean no holds barred. It’s actually intelligently written, even if filthy. Adults only. Available only in e-book format from Amazon. 

Arboreal: a collection of words from the woods

Arboreal: a collection of words from the woods. Edited by Adrian Cooper. Little Toller Books. ISBN-9781908213419. 

I’m not so vain as to include my own book in a top list of tree books but I hope I’ll be forgiven for including an anthology in which I’m one of many among dozens of contributing authors. Richard Mabey, Germaine Greer, Ali Smith, Simon Armitage, and George Peterken are just a few of the headline contributors. Hotly anticipated and does not disappoint. A wonderful collection of diverse arboreal prose. 

The man who made things out of trees by Robert Penn

The man who made things out of trees. By Robert Penn. Penguin. ISBN-0141977515.

Robert Penn follows the story of the felling of an ash tree in the Welsh Black Mountains and the conversion of its timber to a myriad of wooden wonders. Everyone will learn something from this fabulous book, which captures the beauty and utility of this graceful yet threatened tree species.  Delighted that the Sylva Foundation OneOak project so inspired you Rob!

Norwegian Wood by Lars Mytting

Norwegian Wood: chopping, stacking and drying wood the Scandinavian way.  By Lars Mytting. MacLehose Press. ISBN-0857052551. 

A lyrical treatise on firewood that has captured the imaginations of those that never thought wood could be so interesting. The oldest book on this list (October 2015) but impossible to omit. Prepare to be surprised, amused and educated. 

Essential woodworking hand tools by Paul Sellers

Essential woodworking hand tools. By Paul Sellers. Rokesmith Ltd. ISBN-0993442307. 

Sticking with the wood theme, I’m lucky enough to know Paul quite well and to have witnessed his craft. What comes through in this hefty tome is not just his craft in great detail, but his zeal for passing on his skills to others. He likes the ‘amateur’ moniker which I can understand as his informative approach is down-to-earth and accessible, but never confuse the term with unskilled! This book is a woodworking bible. Available from Rokesmith direct. 

Read more about my books

The man who harvested trees and gifted life by Gabriel Hemery

The Man Who Harvested Trees And Gifted Life is a sequel to Jean Giono’s much-loved 1954 classic, The Man Who Planted Trees And Grew Happiness, and a compelling short story in its own right. Available as an e-book on Amazon. 

Tagged: books, review, trees

An hommage to Jean Giono

Today my sequel to French author Jean Giono’s 1954 masterpiece The Man Who Planted Trees and Grew Happiness is published. My book — The Man Who Harvested Trees and Gifted Life — is released to coincide with the 46th anniversary of his death in October 1970.

Of some 30 books The Man Who Planted Trees was Giono’s most popular and enduring work. His simple yet beautiful writing emphasised the power of the written word, and opened my mind to environmentalism, revealing how everyone can help make the world better for nature.

In the Foreword to my new book I write:

The Man Who Harvested Trees and Gifted Life

“Giono’s aim was to popularise tree planting, and his allegorical story contrasted the benefits of environmental restoration with the futility and destructiveness of war. More than 60 years later we are following a path towards unprecedented environmental change, and perhaps even greater societal upheaval. At the same time, humanity is drifting ever-more distant from the natural world. Planting trees is now a popular social norm, but harvesting trees is more often associated with exploitation and destruction, even though good silviculture (forest management) is equally important in the care of our forests.”

Jean Giono was born on 30th March 1895 the son of a shoemaker and laundress. He died aged 75 on 9th October 1970, having rarely left his beloved town of Manosque in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department of south-east France. The only significant time he spent away from home was during the First World War when mobilised for four years, two of which he spent at the front, serving as an infantryman at Verdun, Chemin des Dames, and Kemmel. His experiences made him a fervent pacifist, and his strong anti-war stance became a central theme alongside environmentalism in many of his books.

Henry Miller wrote that reading Giono was a “cosmic delight”,and his beloved Provenance is transformed into a place that includes adventure, intrigue and passion.

There is a Jean Giono centre at Manosque which acts as a focus for research and dissemination of his work, set in a beautiful historic building with landscaped gardens. Read more

For a list of 30 distinct works, many of which have been translated into English, see: Jean Giono’s works on GoodReads

Gabriel Hemery on Amazon

Tagged: books, France, Jean Giono, literature

Philosophy is forestry’s child

It’s just one week to go until my new book is released on Amazon. The Man Who Planted Trees and Gifted Life is a sequel to Jean Giono’s 1954 classic masterpiece The Man Who Planted Trees and Grew Happiness.

In the Foreword I write:

“Giono’s aim was to popularise tree planting, and his allegorical story contrasted the benefits of environmental restoration with the futility and destructiveness of war. More than 60 years later we are following a path towards unprecedented environmental change, and perhaps even greater societal upheaval. At the same time, humanity is drifting ever-more distant from the natural world. Planting trees is now a popular social norm, but harvesting trees is more often associated with exploitation and destruction, even though good silviculture (forest management) is equally important in the care of our forests.”

I also include a short poem: ‘Philosophy if forestry’s child’:

Philosophy is forestry’s child

When a tree falls in a lonely forest, does it make a sound?

It rings in the labouring forester’s ear,

Yet resonates for all the human race

In nature, so much more profound.

Can we love a forest, yet fell a tree?

The forester sees beyond herself.

Harvesting one, breathes life into more;

More trees, more life, and a future for you and me.

Ask not which came first, the acorn or the oak.

We came as children of the forest;

First our wooden cradle, then our kindling for industry.

Instead think forward — trees will shelter us from ourselves.

Gabriel Hemery, September 2016

Oxford, England

The Man Who Harvested Trees and Gifted Life – view on Amazon

Read more and purchase on Amazon. Available now for pre-order.

Tagged: books, fiction, poetry, writing

Free book giveaway

The Man Who Harvested Trees and Gifted Life

I’m offering a free book giveaway this week. I will select at random 10 lucky winners who will receive the ebook version of The Man Who Harvested Trees and Gifted Life before it is published on October 8th.

How the give away works

Fill in the form below with your details. Don’t worry none of your details will be passed on to anyone else.
The email address you provide will be the address that I will send the ebook to.
The file type is .mobi and is only readable on Kindle devices.
You can then transfer the file to your kindle device. ‘Send to Kindle’ is particularly easy. This includes kindle devices plus kindle apps on iphone, ipad and Macs. To find out more read here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/sendtokindle/email
When you’ve read the book I would really appreciate a review – ideally on GoodReads here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32034146-the-man-who-harvested-trees-and-gifted-life

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Tagged: book, free, giveaway