Exploring the rich diversity of London through a series of urban forest trails, this new, expanded edition of London is a Forest uncovers the fascinating stories and secrets the city holds.

Through seven carefully devised paths, author Paul Wood explores the urban forest's geography, its past and future, and looks at the remarkable variety of life supported in this unique metropolitan ecosystem. For curious Londoners and anyone who’s fascinated by nature, a wealth of arboreal details, history, myth and anecdotes are revealed along the way. Complementing the trails, Wood looks in more detail at the fascinating stories of some of the iconic, and some of the less obvious species that define the urban forest.

In London, 9 million people are crammed into just 600 square miles alongside 8.5 million trees. According to one UN definition, this makes the city a forest. The Forestry Commission agree, describing London as the world’s largest urban forest. And a particularly diverse and historic urban forest at that.

A constant explorer of the city and the irrepressible, boisterous nature it supports, Paul Wood is author of several books about the trees of London. He was a Trustee of the London Wildlife Trust for many years, and is a founder of the Urban Tree Festival and TreeTalk.