What is a folk tale, but a tangled woodland of words, where anything could happen? Ever since the last ice melted, trees have been our constant companions. Trees have transformed us, protected us, inspired us and created bridges for us. They will continue to shape our lives as we walk into an uncertain future.

The islands of Britain and Ireland hold a rich heritage of folk tales, history, knowledge and song about trees. It is a living heritage, changing all the time through the circling year as oak and rowan are joined by spruce and plane, and as old stories are reworked and new ones created.

Following the wheel of the year, storyteller and ecologist Lisa Schneidau brings our trees alive through their stories and songs, whether they are rooted in rural magic or modern myth. Take a fresh look at the tree folk you share your life with, and discover their stories.