Take a walk in the forest with this immersive guide to our life-giving trees- discover which wood to use for fire, or make tools, which trees point the way, provide food, medicine and shelter, and learn how they protect our world.

Nobody sees and understands woodland better than Ray Mears.

With deep natural history knowledge and practical woodcraft skills, gained over a lifetime of travels to remote regions learning skills from the word’s last remaining indigenous peoples, Ray Mears offers a different way to experience and value our wooded landscapes.

Ray challenges the old concepts. Woodland doesn’t need to be fenced off. He looks to our ancestors, and shows how man’s hand in shaping woodland is critical to what it is. We are not separate from nature. We just need to be sure that our interactions have a positive impact.

So, with the emphasis on interaction, the book is structured by uses. For example, we learn in Fire that sycamore and clematis are among the best for burning, pine and oak help us navigate, hawthorn and beach have Edible Leaves, while we should look for blackthorn to pick Edible Flowers. Make Rope from willow, Utensils and Tools from hazel and discover how our ancestors made Weapons from yew and wych elm.

With Ray as our guide, encouraging this aboriginal sense of connection to individual trees, our appreciation of these landscapes will change. We’ll learn how to live inclusively in nature, for our own wellbeing and enjoyment, and for the future of our planet.