‘We will bring about environmental change by making people feel joyful and excited.’

How can trees tell the story of our most urban landscapes? Rebecca Hardy meets the Quaker nature writer Bob Gilbert to find out.

'Poplar is in Tower Hamlets, one of the poorest borough’s in London [near] the glassy new blocks of Canary Wharf (pictured).' | Photo: Ryan Tang / Unsplash.

One of my most inspiring moments came while walking along the heavily polluted Green Lanes in North London towards Wood Green, and spotting a large heron on the bank of the adjacent New River. These sudden unexpected glimpses of wildlife in urban settings are something that Bob Gilbert, an author and naturalist, has dedicated himself to recording.

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