How to identify ten common European trees
A field guide to the leaves, bark and fruit of familiar European trees.
Trees · Forests · European landscapes
Leroy Bastiaanse
Field notes on trees, forests and the landscapes they shape
A closer look at the natural worldThere is a great deal to discover in a single tree.
These notes explore the familiar and the overlooked — from the shape of a leaf
to the living systems of a forest. A little science, a little observation, and time to look closer.
From the field notes
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Oak, beech or hornbeam? Telling them apart
Three woodland neighbours, and the small details that distinguish them.
Why leaves change colour in autumn
The quiet chemistry behind the most colourful season of the year.
How trees move water upward
From soil to canopy: a remarkable journey powered by evaporation.
What science says about how trees interact through roots and fungi
Below the forest floor, real connections meet an evolving science.
The life cycle of an oak, from acorn to ancient tree
A small seed, a long life, and an ever-changing community of living things.
The oldest trees in Europe
Ancient pines, hollow yews, and what it really means for a tree to be old.
Rewilding explained: what it is and how it works
Making room for natural processes, and the questions that come with it.