Presentation by Kathryn Aalto

Bestselling author and garden historian Kathryn Aalto explores how the real-life Ashdown Forest, a wildlife haven spanning more than 6,000 acres, moved both A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepherd to create the cherished tales that remain wildly popular today. Aalto discusses the landscape of Ashdown Forest and shares iconic moments for the book in an exciting interplay of landscape and literature.

Kathryn Aalto is a landscape designer, historian, lecturer and nonfiction writer. She is a lecturer at Plymouth University, UK and teaches a range of writing and landscape courses. Aalto also lectures at arboretums, libraries, art and natural history museums worldwide. Her talk is based on her New York Times bestselling book, The Natural Wonder of Winnie-the-Pooh: A Walk Through the Forest that Inspired the Hundred Acre Wood.