The glory of climbing trees: Up, up and away with Robert Macfarlane

You may well have climbed a tree or two in your youth. Time you give it another go, says the mighty Robert Macfarlane. In an exclusive piece for The Big Issue, he explains why adults should get up amongst the branches. See things differently. There is also a guide to some trees to tackle.

Building on a theme, green fingered boffin Nigel Dunnett explains how a little cultivated space can improve our well-being hugely. He’s working on a garden for Hampton Court Palace Show that he’ll then remove and replant at a homeless hostel in Bristol. Emma Bonham, from the Woodland Trust, also features.

Bear Grylls delivers a humdinger of a Letter to My Younger Self. Academically lousy, bad at sport, his spirit of adventure and bloodymindedness made him what he is. He talks frankly about missing his late father, and about his total, rock-solid faith.

John Bird unveils a new Big Issue initiative, Godoseebuy.com. It arrives next Friday and will be a “crossroads for social trading”. It is a way to work towards transforming marketplaces, looking for the social good.

Brendan O’Neill, meanwhile, gets his hard hat back on and opens up on the Pope’s encyclical and Jurassic World. He doesn’t hold back on what he calls ‘anti-progress’ themes.

Our featured vendor this week is Martin Mackenzie, who sells on George Street in Edinburgh. The Big Issue has been there for him, he says, when he has fallen on his backside. Relationship breakdown brought him back. Still, he’s happy at his work.

Also, art historian Dana Arnold says we need to trust our instincts when it comes to art; we highlight the work of Big Issue Invest’s progressive CSV mentoring programme; and Steven Mackenzie talks to cult favourite Storage Hunters host Sean Kelly.