Trees in a Pod | Podcast Guru

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Trees in a Pod – The Tree Law Podcast Hosted by Sarah Dodd, founder and CEO of Tree Law, Trees in a Pod explores the complex, fascinating world where trees and the law collide. From high-profile trials like the Sycamore Gap case to the everyday legal battles around roots, branches, boundaries and planning disputes, Sarah brings clarity, curiosity and expertise to each episode. With over two decades of legal experience and a deep commitment to environmental justice, Sarah unpacks real cases, interviews key voices in the sector, and explains how the law can both protect and challenge the natural world around us. Whether you’re a tree officer, solicitor, insurer, landowner, or just someone who cares about trees, this podcast will help you see our legal landscape – and our landscapes – in a whole new light.

Recent Episodes

11 - From Tree Surgeon to Business Leader: Simon Rotheram on Growth, Leadership and Letting Go

What does it really take to build a successful business, and how do you know when it's time to stop doing everything yourself? In this episode of Trees in a Pod, Sarah Dodd welcomes Simon Rotheram, founder and Managing Director of Beechwood Trees and Landscapes Ltd, for a refreshingly honest conversation about entrepreneurship, leadership and the challenges of growing a business. Simon started Beechwood in 1998 with a borrowed pickup truck, a trailer, a labourer and his trusty collie dog. The...

75 MIN

10 - Why Is It So Hard to Plant a Street Tree? with Kitty Thompson

Why is it so hard to plant a tree on your own street? In this episode, I'm joined by Kitty Thompson, Head of Policy and Campaigns at the Create Streets Foundation, a charity helping communities create beautiful, thriving places to live. Kitty shares the findings of the Foundation's thermal imaging study through Lambeth and Southwark on a hot July afternoon, where shaded surfaces were dramatically cooler than those in full sun. A hopscotch grid in the shade measured 26.9°C, while the one in th...

51 MIN

09 - It's Not Just a Tree: What Ecologists See That Others Miss, with Jess Stuart-Smith

When we protect a tree, what are we really protecting? In this episode, I'm joined by Jess Stuart-Smith, Associate Ecologist at Ecology by Design, where she leads the Cotswold team. Jess specialises in bats and birds, works with developers, landowners and estate managers, and in her spare time is a bird ringing trainer, a passion that recently took her to Arctic Norway. We explore why the biggest, healthiest looking tree isn't always the most valuable one, and how cracks, cavities, loose bark...

46 MIN

08 - The Lake Tahoe Tree Poisoning Mystery, with Alex Wigglesworth

In this episode, Sarah is joined by journalist Alex Wigglesworth to unpick the bizarre, unsolved case of tree poisonings in Incline Village, Lake Tahoe. Since 2022, 28 trees have been deliberately poisoned, diesel fuel poured around the base and copper sulphate drilled into the roots, in what many suspect is an attempt to clear lake views and boost property values. With around $300,000 of damage, a $147,000 reward on offer and still no suspects identified, this is a genuine real l...

23 MIN

07 - Are We Planting Trees to Fail? Water, Drought and the Future of UK Trees | Neil Davies

Why are so many newly planted trees in the UK failing to survive, and are we doing enough to help our existing trees cope with a changing climate? In this episode of Trees in a Pod, I’m joined by arboricultural consultant Neil Davies for a wide-ranging conversation that begins with water and tree establishment, but takes us into some much bigger questions about the future of our trees. Neil explains why planting a tree and successfully establishing a tree are two very different things. We dis...

41 MIN