Ep 234 - Ludobotany 1: Tree Climbing

Ep 234 - Ludobotany 1: Tree Climbing

From The Forest School Podcast by Lewis Ames and Wem Southerden

December 5, 2025 · 58 min · Season 2 · Episode 234

About this episode

The episode explores tree climbing through research and lived experiences, discussing various tree species and their impact on movement and play.

In this lively Ludo Botany special, we explore tree climbing as play, practice, and design. Lewis brings fresh research on branch collars, spacing, and load strength while Gemma brings lived experience on how different trees invite different kinds of movement. From laurel and rhododendron “nest” trees to coppice stools and swooping live-oak ramps, they unpack species, shapes, and access. The chat ranges across myths and heuristics, defender branches, orthotropic versus horizontal shoots, group dynamics in shared trees, how adult presence changes the climb, and why our bodies feel different in trees compared with ladders. It wraps with a community callout for your best natural loose parts for the next Ludo Botany episode. 🌳 ⏱ Chapter Timings 00:44 – New cold open, studio fidgets, and scene-setting 02:30 – Ludo Botany focus: tree climbing, research versus lived experience 06:16 – Myths to mechanics: collar development, spacing, and those wrist-width rules 12:34 – Trees on slopes, branch distribution, and what that means for access 15:09 – Defender branches, orthotropic versus horizontal shoots, and bark wear 20:19 – “Nest” trees and fallen logs: comfort, horizontality, and play…

People in this episode

Hosts: Lewis Ames, Wem Southerden

Guest: Gemma

Topics covered

  • tree climbing
  • play
  • research
  • movement
  • species
  • group dynamics
  • natural loose parts

Keywords

  • tree climbing
  • branch collars
  • movement
  • species
  • group dynamics
  • natural loose parts
  • play

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Ludo Botany

Places: laurel, rhododendron, live-oak

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