Dan Snow investigates

Looking up at a canopy of tall trees in a forest

Trees play an essential role in combating climate chaos by removing planet-wrecking emissions from the air around us.

In "#MoreTreesPlease", a special series made for Friends of the Earth, TV presenter and historian Dan Snow MBE interviews artists and scientists on the connection between trees, the natural world and our wellbeing.

The weight of a tree

Trees clean our air by sucking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

But how much carbon do trees actually store – and how on earth could we go about measuring that carbon?

Scientist and lecturer Mat Disney teaches Dan the basics (including the technology needed to weigh a tree), and explains the multiple benefits of increased tree cover.

How the trees shape us

Writer Zakiya Mckenzie grew up in the city of Kingston, Jamaica.

The weekends represented freedom for her, as it was when she’d escape to her Grandma’s house and explore the countryside.

Now writer in residence for the Forestry Commission, Zakiya shares some of her poetry with Dan, and speaks about the importance of connecting people from all backgrounds with the quiet of nature.

The music of trees

What does the music industry have to do with forests?

And can we legitimately call the countryside “peaceful”?

Folk singer Sam Lee talks to Dan Snow about the history of his musical genre, the importance of our natural habitats and why all of us – no matter what our profession – should protect and rewild our land.

The Wood Wide Web

We all know trees have roots, but did you know that trees also house large-scale fungal networks?

Even rotting trees on their last legs can home up to 1700 species of invertebrates.