Author Spotlight: Daniel Butler

Daniel Butler, author of How to Plant A Tree, answers our questions about his passion for trees.

How did you become interested in trees?
I am convinced trees are rooted in man’s deepest psyche. Perhaps, it is some deeply-buried ancestral memory of being rocked to sleep in the branches of an acacia, out of the reach of lions and leopards; maybe it’s countless millennia of relying on them for food, warmth and shelter, but almost all of us empathize with trees on some level. Certainly many of my earliest memories involve trees – be it the fantastic tree walkway my father constructed through the tops of a local shelter belt, clambering up veteran oaks in the warmth of summer or lovingly planting apple- and cherry saplings in the back yard. As I have grown older, had children and seen them grow, I appreciate the importance of forward planning more – the need to plant now to give future generations the same pleasure and benefits that I am enjoying now, courtesy of the foresight of my forebears

How did you acquire your tremendous knowledge of trees?
It was a vegetative process, really. I learned the very basics in school science lessons, but most was just acquired as I went along. I love wandering through woodland, listening to bird song in spring and gathering mushrooms in autumn. Yes, I was very lucky to have worked with the Tree Council, which does a fantastic job promoting the value of woodland – but once again, I would say there is something very primeval about trees. Sap runs in our blood, so you don’t so much learn about them as open yourself to absorb what they have to give.

How to Plant a Tree comes out April 15. Pre-order it here: