Being Tree-ish | Notes on The Genius of Trees

This is an in-person event only. There is no live stream.

(The talk will be followed by a drinks reception in our historic library, where a paid bar will be available.)

When modern humans evolved about 40,000 years ago, there were an estimated six trillion trees on the planet. By the time we appeared on the scene, trees had already altered the planet’s air, changed the flow of water, used fire as a tool and built relationships with the plants and animals around them.

This talk is about the science of trees and how trees have used biochemistry to shape the world. It is also about taking the science of trees and imagining beyond it, for our imagination has been influenced by trees ever since we’ve been thinking about the world around us.

Drawing from her book , Harriet Rix talks about the specific ways in which trees manipulate fire, water, air and earth, shape the development of plants underneath them, and use animals as scouts for exploration and reproduction. From the junipers of Pakistan to the duraka of the Amazon, she tells the stories of the trees she has encountered in her travels, and their unique identities and stories.

is a tree scientist and explorer who studied biochemistry at Oxford and the history of science at Cambridge before working in landmine clearance in the Middle East. She worked for the London-based charity The Tree Council, was secretary of Hedgelink during the post-Brexit transition, and participated in the 2021/2022 London Library Emerging Writers programme.

Her photographs and writing have been published in the London Review of Books, the Times Literary Supplement, Cornucopia magazine and the Financial Times. She is a trustee of the Iraqi environmental charity Hasar and a Fellow of the Linnean Society.

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Concessions

Please buy the concession ticket if you are any of the below:

• 65 years of age, or over
• Under 26 years of age
• Currently in receipt of UK government benefit (including, but not limited to, Income Based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Housing Benefit, and Universal Credit).
• Currently in full-time education.

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This is an in-person event at the Linnean Society of London on Piccadilly, London, only. There will be a recording, which will be uploaded to our later.

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