Author name: Steven Edwards

I am not exactly sure where my fascination and love of trees came from, but I do remember from a very young age seeing fallen acorns under a huge oak tree and being told that this tree had produced all of these acorns and that each one, like the one I had picked up and was holding in my hand, could grow into an oak tree and be hundreds of years old.
After spending a lifetime working with trees, they continue to amaze me with their ability to grow and adapt through decades, and in many cases centuries, of seasonal change.
Recently we’ve discovered their mechanism for communicating with each other below ground, which has become known as the wood wide web. The web is most active and thrives in areas of unworked woodlands (1) and forests, such as ancient woods, where the soil has been left undisturbed for centuries. This has led to an extensive underground network, linking trees in a forest together, young and old, helping them flourish as one giant superorganism. They share nutrients and even warn each other of attacks from pests.

Virtually every home in the UK is subjected to air pollution above World Health Organization guidelines, according to the most detailed map of dirty air to date.
More than 97% of addresses exceed WHO limits for at least one of three key pollutants, while 70% of addresses breach WHO limits for all three.
The map, produced by the non-profit group the Central Office of Public Interest (Copi) and Imperial College London, combined 20,000 measurements with computer modelling to produce pollution estimates every 20 metres across the country. People can check their address at the website addresspollution.org for free.

Mobility Hubs are highly visible, safe and accessible spaces where public, shared and active travel modes are co-located alongside improvements to public realm and, where relevant, enhanced community facilities.

They are about the removal of the private car from journey planning.
What you might find at one are bus and train connectivity, bike and lift share, a car club, electric vehicle charging, digital demand responsive transport, cycle parking and storage, lockers for parcels collection and other facilities to make the place special, including toilets, a cafe, vendors or vending machines, wayfinding and shared office-space.

Winning tip: Terrific terrain, Yorkshire Dales
In Swaledale, between Keld and Reeth, the Swale Trail is a stunning 12-mile cycle track that snakes along the crystalline River Swale in the Yorkshire Dales. The terrain is manageable for rookie cyclists (that would be me rather than my husband and teenage kids) and there are plenty of stops along the way to have a cold drink and give the pedals a rest.