I grew up in the middle of Birmingham, so I have always appreciated trees and their importance in urban settings for people and the environment. At university, I volunteered in practical conservation and tree planting, which I loved - planting a tree is one of the most satisfying things you can do in life. For my master's degree, I spent a year researching the ecological, ecosystem service and cultural values of old parkland trees, which really kick-started my appreciation of how amazing trees are. I am an ecologist and am currently training to become an arboriculturalist.