Owen Charles Johnson MBE has spent the last twenty years studying and recording over 60,000 trees around Britain, and has developed skills in field identification. He grew up in Hastings near Alexandra Park. He graduated from Durham University in 1988 with a degree in English Literature. He completed a doctorate on the poetry of Ted Hughes. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to the Environment.