In 2022 the Woodland Trust celebrates its 50th anniversary and this new book is released to help mark this milestone. Norfolk-based John D James OBE was not only the trust's first employee but was to become the charity's first chief executive. He is uniquely placed to describe in detail the formative years of this innovative conservation body, acquiring and defending ancient woodlands throughout the UK. His time at the helm saw rapid growth and the establishment of an important force in British nature conservation. The Woodland Trust provided access to its extensive image library for the numerous illustrations. The 160-page book also summarises the Trust's achievements since the author stepped down.
"[...] From Little Acorns is well illustrated, and well written in an engaging and useful fashion. It suffers from a lack of an index, and from several of the photographs being unlabelled, and it stops short of being a full and engaging history with limited coverage after 1996. For those with an interest in the challenges of establishing a large environmental organisation, however, and those with an interest in the history of conservation as a movement, this book is well worth purchasing."
– Jonathan Spencer, British Wildlife 35(1), October 2023