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 and deadwood can provide vital homes for bats, birds and rare invertebrates. Jess explains why hedgerows matter just as much as the trees they connect, why one mature tree can't simply be replaced by planting ten saplings, and why finding protected species on a site doesn't automatically mean nothing can be done. We also talk about what arboriculturists and ecologists could learn from each other, the difference that early collaboration makes on any project, and why it might be time to leave those fallen apples on the ground. In this episode: What bird ringing is, and why it's one of the world's biggest citizen science projects How bats use the smallest gaps in trees Why hedgerows are the "corridors" of the landscape Deadwood, tidy habitats and the case for leaving things a little wild Protected species, licensing and the mitigation hierarchy Why ecologists and arboriculturists should talk sooner Jess's (slightly controversial) favourite tree If you work with trees, land or development, this conversation will change the way you look at the trees around you. 🎙️ Enjoying the podcast? I’d love to hear your thoughts. You can leave me a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/treelaw – your questions or reflections might even feature in a future episode. 🎧 Huge thanks to Mike at Making Digital Real for producing and editing this episode to such a high standard.