We are lucky enough to live near Park Wood in Ruislip, one of the largest ancient woods in England, predominantly hornbeam and oak. As an NHS doctor, mother of teenagers and daughter of elderly parents, walks during the pandemic have been a respite. We have seen deer leaping through the snow, carpets of bluebells and wood anemones and now, once more, the leaves beginning to turn a rich yellow. Sometimes, pausing in the woods, you feel the presence of the trees around you: their quiet strength, their watchfulness and contentment in simply being.