We had our winter walk in January in Highfield Country Park a few weeks ago. IDing trees is much harder in the winter but there are a few techniques that can help. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to recognise every single tree (even if like me you have a masters in forestry). It’s good if you can learn just one thing when you go out, and the more you look the more you will learn. People often start IDying by looking at individual features of trees such as leaves, buds or bark. But I always say the best way to recognise trees is vibes (cringy as this sounds). The first thing you should look at is the shape of the tree and where it is growing. Fruit bearing trees like rowan and hawthorn are likely to be growing at the forest edges and ‘pioneer’ trees like birch which are the first to grow in barren areas and are often where not much else is growing. Oaks are tricky as they are amazing and can grow pretty much anywhere and adapt to the conditions but few other trees have the sprawling free grown shape when space allows. Once you have a good idea of the ‘vibe’ you can check this using the leaves, or other features, this way you looking at whole tree and gleaning more information. If you are interested in learning how to ID trees look out for the seasonal walks from Station South (one is planned for next month). Woodland Trust has some really good resources, they are in the children’s section but they’re the most helpful guide I’ve found online.