Return to My Trees

Return to My Trees was published by Calon Books, part of the University of Wales Press in 2022. It is inspired by a walking adventure through Wales exploring how we lost our connection to nature and how we go about rebuilding it.

Back in the spring of 2020, when all of the UK was in lockdown, I read about the newly proposed National Forest for Wales. I thought it would be a fun idea to map a walking route that people could follow, enjoy and learn to appreciate nature and the forests.

I walked for more than 300 miles. In South Wales I learned about the ancient Druids and their connection to the forests. I discovered how the Romans feared the Druids and burned down their oak woods. I saw firsthand how the iron and coal industry made a few people rich but robbed entire communities of their connection to nature.

In Mid-Wales I walked through the woodlands of legend and folklore – where the princes of the Mabinogi dwelt, where the faeries of the underworld played and where folk heroes like Twm Sion Cati hid out.

I also followed in the footsteps of some of the greatest writers and artists – including JMW Turner, William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge – who walked through Wales looking for that same connection to nature.

And in North Wales I began to discover just what and how we need to change if we are to truly make peace with and restore balance with nature.

Buy the book here

Reviews and media coverage

On October 5th, Matthew appeared on Lauren Laverne’s BBC 6 Music show discussing the book and sharing tracks from the Return to My Trees playlist in the Social Recall segment. You can listen to the interview below.

Praise for Return to My Trees

“As our forests begin their fiery, season display – and our awareness of deforestation become ever sharper – Matthew Yeomans’ reflective travelogue exploring our vital relationship with trees is a timely release.”

– National Geographic Traveller

“Return to My Trees is the author’s tale of reconnecting with the natural world as he follows trails that loop their way through hills and valleys. National forests, he suggests, could help make nature an “integral part of a national identity”; a proposition that should spread far beyond the Welsh borders.

– The New Statesman

“As Yeomans falls back in love with nature and finds his own anxieties soothed, the reader feels the same sense of optimism and connection.”

Geographical Magazine

“Yeomans has written a rather interesting book…full of fascinating bits and bobs about
Cymru, all relayed casually as he tramps the beautiful land of his fathers. It drops attractive leaves of lore, culture and history.”

– John Lewis Stempel in Country Life Magazine

“An important contribution to the climate and biodiversity emergency [debate].”

– BBC Countryfile Magazine

A delightful account of a walk across Wales under the canopy, in search an answer to the question that vexes many – why are trees so important to us.

– Robert Penn, author of Slow Rise and The Man Who Made Things Out of Trees

‘A beautiful, gentle adventure through Wales’ wild wonders and history that will leave you cursing at the bog-like morass of modernity, but hopeful the forested path to a better future might just appear beneath our feet.’

– Ed Gillespie, co-presenter of Jon Richardson and the Futurenauts

‘If the Wales coast path is about walking the shape of a nation, this book is about walking its heart and soul. In this delightful exploration of a potential Welsh National Forest Trail, the author sheds new light on Wales’ identity and mythologies through its trees both absent and present. Crammed full of things you never knew, this is a joyous journey of the mental and physical release brought about by walking and nature.’

– Jane Davidson, author of #futuregen: Lessons from a Small Country

Yeomans’ new book, “Return to my Trees”, brilliantly captures the personal catharsis provided by his decision to discover his home country of Wales on foot, as well as providing an intimate, first-hand account of the sustainability challenges facing our planet.

– Oliver Balch, author of Under the Tump and Viva South America!