I have always loved trees from walking in the woods on the Downs near my home as a child to now studying the impact of climate change on pour forests for my PhD. My O Level Biology project was based on studying a tree through the seasons in my local woodland making detailed observations including the variety of creatures living on the tree, budburst and leaf senescence timings and processes and other measurements. My studies continued with Biology at A level, and Botany in my first year a university. Even when I wasn't studying or working in Botany, I attended night school to study for the RHS Certificate and Diploma in Horticulture, including the practical module. I loved the science and application of horticulture and even enjoyed the plant identification tests we had to pass as part of the exams (names of fifty plants, trees and weeds, anyone?) Serendipity has brought me full circle to an unmissable opportunity to pursue a PhD studying the impact of climate change on forest and grassland habitats, their resilience and how to detect early warning signals of critical slowdown. The hope is that we can detect early warning signs in time to apply adaptation management and save our beautiful trees from mortality.