Searching for environmental podcasts with inspirational interviews and thought provoking content? Subscribe here! Our mission: introducing you to people who share our passion for sustainable solutions that make our world well. Tune in as our planet-loving Team host conversations we hope inspire you to take more positive eco-actions in your home, business, community, perhaps even your country (we do like to #DreamBig). The Word Forest Organisation is an international reforestation charity that plants trees, builds schools, facilitates education and supports women's empowerment in rural Kenya.
It is time to let a very large and exciting cat out of the bag! On Tuesday 1st April 2025, with great humility and joy, Tracey West handed the baton of CEO to our dear colleague, Simon West, the other co-founder of Word Forest.Listen to our latest episode to hear about all the wonderful work Simon has done over the years and how this changing of the guard will drive us forward to new heights!Read this article here: wordforest.org/2025/03/31/handing-over-the-torch/Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
As a small charity with a big mission—reforesting the tropics and protecting communities on the frontlines of climate change—we rarely comment on global trade policy. But when international decisions begin to ripple through the systems we depend on, it's important to share what that means for our work—and how our supporters can help.Read this article here: wordforest.org/2025/04/07/how-global-trade-turmoil-could-impact-the-fight-against-climate-change/Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
A new year, a new series. Here you'll find all of our 2025 articles in podcast form!Teach the Future is a campaign led by secondary and tertiary education students to greatly improve education on the climate emergency and ecological crisis in the UK. Word Forest has been a supporter of their mission since they were founded in 2019. Today's article, written by Nico King, explains what they are doing to achieve their aims.Read this article here: wordforest.org/2025/02/10/teach-the-future/Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
This season comes to a close with our last article from 2024. Christmas in rural Kenya is a joyous occasion, marked by unique traditions, heartfelt gratitude, and a spirit of togetherness that brings communities closer. This episode combines reflections from two distinct parts of Kenya - Garashi and Rusinga Island - to paint a vivid picture of how this special day is celebrated. Both contributions offer an authentic glimpse into the festive season as experienced by the Mothers of the Forest and their communities, supported by Word Forest. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/12/25/how-christmas-is-celebrated-in-rural-kenya/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
Word Forest is an ambitious charity. As well as aiming high to mitigate our climate emergency, we're also doing all we can to arm the leaders of the future with the information they need to make the best decisions possible. We've been working with Dr Fiona Whitehouse, Head of the Internship Office at the University of Oxford for the past few years. It has been a pleasure to offer their undergraduates a chunky range of internship opportunities that they can really sink their teeth into. In today's episode, find out about their amazing work and the opportunities we provide. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/10/21/our-internship-opportunities-with-the-university-of-oxford/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
Scotland, known for its rugged landscapes, misty lochs and ancient castles, also boasts a rich diversity of tree species that contribute to its unique and picturesque scenery. From the iconic Caledonian pine forests to the delicate rowans scattered across the highlands, Scotland's trees are an integral part of its natural heritage, besides playing a crucial role in the country's ecology. But what are these trees and what are they called? Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/08/26/exploring-scotlands-diverse-tree-species-a-glimpse-into-the-countrys-arboreal-riches/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
Here's a reflection from our Kenyan team on International Day of Forests this year. We mark this day in March by creating awareness of the importance of creating new and conserving existing forests. During this day everyone is encouraged to undertake activities involving forests by highlighting the importance of ecosystems in the fight against climate change. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/08/09/international-day-of-forests/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
Permaculture – the idea of living lightly on the planet – has been around for half a century. For some, it's a sustainable and environmentally friendly way of living. For those living in countries devastated by climate change, it can be the difference between life and death. In this series of three articles, we explore the 12 permaculture principles and how the communities in Kenya are using permaculture to live securely on the land. Part 1 and Part 2 cover the principles of permaculture. This part describes the challenges the communities in Kenya face and how Word Forest is supporting them as they develop permaculture practices to survive and thrive. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/08/02/permaculture-principles-and-practice-part-3/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
Permaculture – the idea of living lightly on the planet – has been around for half a century. For some, it's a sustainable and environmentally friendly way of living. For those living in countries devastated by climate change, it can be the difference between life and death. In this series of three articles, we explore the 12 permaculture principles and how the communities in Kenya are using permaculture to live securely on the land. This part covers the second six principles. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/07/26/permaculture-principles-and-practice-part-2/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
Permaculture – the idea of living lightly on the planet – has been around for half a century. For some, it's a sustainable and environmentally friendly way of living. For those living in countries devastated by climate change, it can be the difference between life and death.In this series of three articles, we explore the 12 principles of permaculture and how the communities in Kenya are using permaculture to live securely on the land. In this article, we introduce the origins of permaculture and the first six principles, which focus on the bottom-up perspective of elements, organisms and individuals. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/07/19/permaculture-principles-and-practice/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
This lovely article from our Kenyan colleague shows how women's lives are being transformed through education and empowerment. Thank you to all our supporters for facilitating this work. "Behind every great woman in Kenya, there is another great woman!..." Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/07/12/the-strength-of-a-woman/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
Trees have long been revered by the Celtic peoples for their wisdom, and used as crafting materials and even for their healing properties. It is no wonder that they are often so central to the stories that have carried through the ages and are described in such great detail despite their perceived simplicity. In this series we will explore native UK species and their place in the great tales of Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Cornwall, the Isle of Man and beyond. Today is the summer solstice, a time associated with light and the banishing of demons and evil spirits. The Celts believed that the sun's intense heat would burn away darkness and open the path to the abundance and wealth of the summer and harvest months. It is also a time associated with one tree related story in particular: the ever raging battle between the kings of holly and oak. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/06/21/trees-and-their-place-in-celtic-mythology/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
Over the past 18 months, our Permaculture Teaching Centre in Garashi has made a significant positive impact on tree planting communities across rural Kenya. Its very existence has proved to be an absolute blessing, strengthening our ability to reforest the country and mitigate our global climate crisis. However, having a great educational establishment is one thing; having access to reliable data and communications is quite another. Digital communications, particularly across rural Kenya, are deteriorating due to several factors, including frequent power outages, ageing infrastructure, bandwidth limitations and connectivity problems caused by extreme weather events. We've identified three essential steps to solving this problem. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/06/13/abc-fundraiser-for-digital-data-will-save-lives/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
This is a lovely article by Cyprian Ogoti, environmental journalist and passionate conservationist in Kenya, about why inclusivity is important and the difference supporting women as well as men can make. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/05/24/support-for-women-in-conservation/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
Our Special Scientific Advisor, Professor Bill McGuire recently penned an article for The Guardian. As shocking to the core as it is, we are delighted to reproduce it verbatim with Bill's kind permission. We hope it nudges you to take more responsibility for the precarious situation the planet is in meteorologically and climatically. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/04/19/46c-summer-days-and-supercell-storms-are-britains-future-and-now-is-our-last-chance-to-prepare/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
Our co-founders, Tracey and Simon West, are thrilled to announce the launch of a brand new fundraiser for us called Wordplay. It's a monthly poetry and spoken word event which will be held in the Leigh Brown Room at the Unitarian Hall in Sidmouth. Simon comments: “Wordplay will give poets and writers of prose a chance to perform their work with a microphone, perhaps for the first time, in front of an appreciative audience. It's always fascinating listening to pieces performed by their creators in the way they envisioned they would be. The South West is teeming with talent and I can't wait to open the doors to let the wordy magic happen!” Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/04/12/sidmouth-celebration-of-the-spoken-word-helps-combat-the-climate-crisis/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
Our decision to ensure the UN's International Day of Forests would always fall within Word Forest's Trees Are The Key Awareness Week, was a deliberate one. This amazing celebratory day for biodiversity always occurs on the 21st of March and this year, it fell on a Thursday... Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/04/05/celebrating-the-international-day-of-forests-on-rusinga-island/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
Time flies by when you're having fun and over the past week, we had lots of that and the week has whizzed past. Our mission was to help you forge a deeper connection with trees and the natural spaces that surround you. We really hope you enjoyed the features and articles we posted, as much as we enjoyed creating them. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/03/24/trees-are-the-key-awareness-week-2024-its-a-wrap/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
In December 2023, our co-founders, Tracey and Simon West started hosting a monthly fundraiser: the Word Forest Bring & Share Vegan Lunch. It was such fun and so successful, it swiftly moved to being a regular event on our calendar. Click here to find out more about the lunches and to check forthcoming dates. Read this article and access the links and resources discussed in this episode here: https://www.wordforest.org/2024/03/23/word-forest-bring-share-vegan-lunches/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
Trees have long been revered by the Celtic peoples for their wisdom, and used as crafting materials and even for their healing properties. It is no wonder that they are often so central to the stories that have carried through the ages and are described in such great detail despite their perceived simplicity. In this series we will explore native UK species and their place in the great tales of Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Cornwall, the Isle of Man and beyond. In this episode: Alder, Hazel and Rowan. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/03/22/tatkaw2024-5/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
Creativity is a vital skill that is important in all aspects of life. Through creativity, one is able to think outside the box, communicate better, stand out, adapt to change, build relationships and connections and improve physical and mental health, not forgetting that it also increases happiness and wellbeing. The sad thing is, as children, we Mothers of the Forest on Rusinga Island were not taught creative skills. However, thanks to Word Forest's kindhearted supporters, we have a fantastic opportunity to learn them as adults! Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/03/21/tatkaw2024-4/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
‘Optimistic, educational and community-driven' best describes #TreesAreTheKey, the incredible eco-film created by Word Forest back in 2019. Filmed by Tim Short and narrated by Kate Winslet, it was released in October of that year by Tracey and Simon West, founders of Word Forest, and brings to our screens the community of tree planters near Garashi in Kenya with whom Word Forest works. This collaboration has paved the way for a brighter future for us all. It's a film that everyone could benefit from watching and being inspired by and, with your help, this could become a reality! Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/03/20/tatkaw2024-3/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
The benefits of spending time in nature and the positive impacts on well-being are supported by a range of scientific studies in fields such as environmental psychology, public health and medicine. Words such as ‘nature and health', ‘forest therapy', and ‘green spaces and well-being' prove that being in the natural environment can improve our physical, mental and emotional well-being. This article will delve into the captivating world of forest therapy and the incredible benefits of hugging trees. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/03/19/tatkaw2024-2/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
Welcome to another Trees Are The Key Awareness Week! We hope you'll enjoy the content we've got lined up for you. It's designed to help you form closer relationships with the beautiful trees in your favourite places and with the ones we're planting 5,000 miles away in Kenya. The next few episodes come from articles from our 2024 #TreesAreTheKey Awareness Week. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/03/18/tatkaw2024/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
The China Agreement in the CoP15 Biodiversity Convention held in China was to bolster cooperation on conservation and sustainable management of forests, combating illegal logging and associated trading. This was China's first move in making a decision to support the global effort to reduce deforestation. At CoP26, in Glasgow, China and the US made a joint statement which recognised that ending illegal deforestation would contribute to the goals of the Paris agreement. Listen for a tour through the history of China's reforestation efforts. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/03/08/chinas-reforestation-journey/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
Literacy and numeracy skills are vital for breaking cycles of poverty, food insecurity and gender marginalisation. Almost 7% more men in Kenya are literate than women and closing this education gap is key to providing the foundation for women to engage in income opportunities, embrace opportunities, educate their families and improve the health of their households through greater food security. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/03/01/empowering-women-through-education/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
Word Forest is thrilled to launch a new food-based fundraising initiative enabling our amazing supporters to mitigate the climate emergency in a convivial way. Our charity co-founders, Tracey and Simon West, trialled the concept of a Word Forest Bring & Share Vegan Lunch at two local venues in recent months. They were financially successful, very enjoyable and by word of mouth, they grew in size. They're now a firm part of our fundraising event calendar in East Devon. As they're so easy to organise and so much fun to run, we've decided to roll them out as a national campaign. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/02/24/our-bring-share-vegan-lunch-initiative-combats-the-climate-crisis/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
Today, Mothers of the Forest facilitator Joy Maseno discusses the positive impact numeracy and literacy lessons have had on the women of rural Kenya. "We feel truly blessed that you're giving such consideration to our physical well being and good mental health. Just like the other Mothers in the Garashi area in Coast Province, a great many of our Mothers never had an opportunity to go to school as young girls. They felt education had indeed passed them by." Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/02/16/mothers-of-the-forest-rusinga-island-the-positive-impact-of-literacy-and-numeracy-classes-2/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
This article was written by one of our Oxford University Interns and first published in The Oxford Blue magazine. Energy used to be something that was always there. A flick of a switch. A push of a button. But reality hits when a commodity slips out of your grasp, and you no longer have access. The frightful realisation that you are held in limbo within the clawed ownership of an energy company sinks in. And all you can do is hope for help. Your hands are tied... Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/02/09/could-community-solutions-fix-the-energy-crisis/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
A kitchen garden can be a transformative asset for a subsistence farmer in Kenya, especially for a woman. Beyond providing a convenient source of fresh produce, it empowers her with autonomy over her family's nutrition. The diversified crops enhance dietary variety, addressing nutritional deficiencies. Reduced reliance on external markets fosters self-sufficiency, shielding against price fluctuations. Listen to hear about the ones we recently facilitated. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/02/02/kitchen-gardens-on-rusinga-island/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
Women play a key role in society and family units in Kenya and around the world. In Kenya – particularly rural Kenya – these demands often result in immense pressure being placed upon women as they square up to the challenges life throws at them and what society expects of them. This article from Juliet Anyanzwa and the Kenyan team details these struggles and what we can do to improve the lives of women throughout Kenya. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/01/26/women-in-kenya-and-the-challenges-they-face/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
As we all know, getting involved in environmental conservation work is key to protecting our planet. We wanted to get involved by immersing ourselves in one of COP28's publicly accessible online presentations. We chose the Youth Climate Forum on Food and Water Security, driven by the knowledge of how important this topic is to Word Forest's key remit. Word Forest has been an avid participant in the University of Oxford's Internship Programme, one of this cohort's missions was to attend the drop-in virtual session, this is their report. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/01/19/our-virtual-visit-to-cop-28/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
In 2021, Arkbound published Tangled Yet Coiled, a poetry collection by the talented Tom Burgess who, most kindly, has donated his profits to Word Forest. Now we are excited to share news of a new project – musician and composer Joe Will, a friend of Tom's, has set one of his poems to music. Here's what they told us about the inspiration behind their collaboration. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/01/12/like-trying-to-speak-the-journey-of-a-poem-taking-musical-form/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: wordforest.org/donate/
Listening to the sounds of nature has the power to calm the body and mind. Immerse yourself and relax with the dawn chorus on Monday 18th March outside our office.
A small team from UK based international reforestation charity Word Forest, join colleagues and tree planting friends in Kenya to perform an annual Monitoring and Evaluation visit. Subscribe now and be among the first tropical flies to sit on their wall to find out what they get up to.
A small team from UK based international reforestation charity Word Forest, join colleagues and tree planting friends in Kenya to perform an annual Monitoring and Evaluation visit. Subscribe now and be among the first tropical flies to sit on their wall to find out what they get up to.
Simon and Tracey receive the bad news that all tomorrow's swims have been cancelled. Is there still hope? What will they do? What about the wetsuit hire dilema? The answers to these questions and more are in Episode 53 of The SwimCast!
Tracey and Simon prepare to set off on the first leg to get their legs in Lake Windermere, for their one mile swim challenge on Saturday. To sponsor Tracey and Simon to swim the mile, visit WordForest.org/swim22
As the weekend of the Great North Swim approaches, Tracey and Simon are keeping a beady eye on the sand timer and trying to squeeze in as much practice as possible. To sponsor Tracey and Simon to swim a mile across Lake Windermere, visit WordForest.org/swim22
Tracey and Simon cometed an uninterrupted mile in their local pool as the final training swim before the big swim on Saturday. To sponsor Tracey and Simon to swim a mile across Lake Windermere, visit WordForest.org/swim22
Tracey and Simon discuss the merits of drying your washing on an outside line. Simon invents the Solar Clothes Port. To sponsor Tracey and Simon to swim a mile across Lake Windermere, visit WordForest.org/swim22.
After a break of two days, the rambling duo are back with a bang. The ghost of Ronnie Corbett influences the conversation and Simon and Tracey realise its a week until they travel to Lake Windermere. To sponsor Tracey and Simon to swim a mile across Lake Windermere, visit WordForest.org/swim22
Tracey and Simon talk about Adam's Ale and discuss getting Wet Wet Wet in Lake Windermere. To sponsor Tracey and Simon to swim a mile across that lake on 11th June, visit WordForest.org/swim22.
Tracey and Simon have been on their travels and ponder the costs of different forms of transport. How can flying be so cheap and why is train travel so expensive? To sponsor Tracey and Simon to swim a mile across Lake Windermere, visit WordForest.org/swim22.
Tracey and Simon have had a long and tiring day. Did Simon swim in the sea? Did Tracey join him? Will they continue rambling on about vegetables? Find out, in this episode of The SwimCast! To sponsor Tracey and Simon to swim a mile across Lake Windermere, visit WordForest.org/swim22
Tracey and Simon discover what has been munching their roses and make a promise to swim in the sea tomorrow. To sponsor Tracey and Simon to swim a mile across Lake Windermere, visit WordForest.org/swim22
Tracey and Simon continue to rail against the bunnies and discuss oily sunflowers. To sponsor Tracey and Simon to swim a mile across Lake Windermere, visit WordForest.org/swim22
Tracey and Simon discuss vegetables, foxes, thrushes and open water swimming... all whilst eating (vegan) bangers and mash. To sponsor Tracey and Simon to swim a mile across Lake Windermere, visit WordForest.org/swim22
After a two week hiatus, Simon and Tracey are back on their early morning swims and for once, they arrive before the pool opens at 6:30am! To sponsor Tracey and Simon to swim a mile across Lake Windermere, visit https://www.wordforest.org/swim22/
Tracey and Simon ponder a squirrel's jumping ability and terminal velocity, and promise to return to swimming practice tomorrow. To sponsor Tracey and Simon to swim a mile across Lake Windermere, visit WordForest.org/swim22
Tracey discovers a huge bee that has died and laments it's passing and discusses how critical they are with Simon. To sponsor Tracey and Simon to swim a mile across Lake Windermere, visit WordForest.org/swim22
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