Plants & People: An Ethnobotanical Journey Through The Plant Kingdom

An interview with Miles Irving, author of the Forager Handbook and creator of The Wildbox, on why we must include humans in our conservation models in order to look after wild spaces. Why foraging is sustainable. How foraging can help feed an ever growing population, and how we can restore our vital connection to Land.

Lukasz Luczaj presents Kew’s 19th Annual Distinguished Ethnobotanist Lecture.

A poisonous plant in one culture can be a food plant in another. In this rare interview, one of Europe’s leading ethnobotanists, Łukasz Łuczaj shares his passion for wild food plants. Prolific in his research, Łukasz reveals some surprising facts about what is considered ‘food’.

Hilltown Organics are revolutionising how we farm. Incorporating wild edible plants into their polyculture farming systems, they grow high-nutrient food plants that are sold at farmer’s markets. According to soil scientists, their revolutionary farming practices have produced some of the richest soil found anywhere in the UK.

Fermented foods are a delicious and rich source of nourishment. The fermentation process can transform the flavour of food from the plain and mundane in to delicious flavours enlivened by colonies of beneficial bacteria and enhanced micronutrients. In this episode I talk with former plant biochemist Viola Sampson turned "fermentation passionista" on the benefits of wild fermented foods. 

Notorious New York vegan forager Steve Brill was busted by the cops for picking a dandelion. In this interview the father and daughter double-act discuss their foraging antics around New York. While revealing how to craft delicious vegan cuisine from their foraged finds. Including some truly unique ways to use wild edible plants.

An interview with Becs Griffiths and Annwen Jones from Herbalists Without Borders (Bristol) - talking about social justice, radical herbalism and providing free healthcare to people fleeing conflict, persecution, and intolerable living conditions.

In this episode I talk with two amazing herbalists about why we need to build ‘health resilience’ using herbal medicine, in an age of NHS cuts and a national health crisis. When is the best time to self-medicate, and when should you visit the doctor? Why modern medicine isn’t always evil, and what our grandparents could have taught us about how plants, herbs and other foods can empower us.

Robin Harford discusses with Pete Yeo from Future Flora why invasive plants may actually be good for the environment. Does the science stack up in favour of the balsam bashers? As well as the parallels and phobia over ‘immigrant plants’ with nationalism and the racist hysteria of ‘foreigners’. Is there such a thing as a native plant?

T.A. Breaux, one of the world leading experts on the distillation of absinthe, reveals its forgotten history, sings its praises and dispels the common myths of this much maligned liquor.

The Seed Sistas (radical herbalists extraordinaire) discuss passion potions, wild herbalism, wellbeing, resilience, anarchy, connection, community and activism.

Nathaniel Hughes discusses intuitive herbalism. How to develop deep relationship with the healing plants that live around us. How to know plants beyond the intellect, and meeting plants as friends. Lay-herbalism; the controversy of regulation, and certification. Do you actually need them in order to practice herbalism in your community?

A walk in the woods fungi foraging with the wild and wonderful Craig Worrall from Edible Leeds.   I recently visited Craig at his home in Leeds, and he kindly took me out to one of his favourite fungi patches to talk all things fungi. In this walk in the wilds we discovered Penny Bun, The Miller, Amethyst Deceiver and Hedgehog Fungi.

A very special interview with foraging grand-master Francois Couplan. In this podcast Francois talks about his early influencers, animism, human and non-human relationships, plus the new wave of using wild edible plants in gastronomy.

Practical ways to deepen your relationship with plants, by enhancing your ability to 'see' plants more fully, in a way that no mainstream botany class can ever teach you.

Miles Irving from Forager Ltd, talks about commercial foraging and sustainability, and why the old conservation paradigm is now obsolete.

Michael Cole the creator of Leafu a commercially available leaf protein product, discusses why it is so beneficial to humans and the planet.

On the anniversary of Frank Cook's passing, friends remember him and how his work continues through the organisation Plants & Healers International. Includes interviews with Sandor Katz, Mary Morgaine & Marc Williams.

An interview with Craig Holdrege from the Nature Institute on "Plant Observation & Goethean Science". How to truly know a plant beyond the traditional classification & pattern methods of plant identification.

An interview with Simon Mills, herbal practitioner and author of Principles & Practice of Phytotherapy, The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety, Dictionary of Modern Herbalism. In this interview Simon's talks about : Why plants are not pills. Taking back control our health from experts, and much more.