Isabel Openshaw is a forager, a researcher at Kew Gardens in London, and a medicinal plant walk guide. She always loved spending time outside, and was inspired by her grandmother, her mother, and the abundance of elder plants around her, to become a forager herself. Her experience with elderberries and elderflower unlocked the world of medicinal plants, and got her thinking about what else there was out there.
And here we are now, having a very inspirational conversation.
About her favorite places to go foraging.
About honouring what you bring home by preserving it well.
About meditating on raisins and connecting with the lifecycle of where our food comes from, and feeling the connection to our ancestors.
About how the UK can seem like a herbal paradise compared to the situation in Belgium.
About the average botanical knowledge in the UK and the difference between the countryside and cities.
About the concept of "the commons".
About the impact of industrial agriculture on our planet and rewilding projects to turn farmland back intro wild nature.
About the work Isabel is doing in Kew Gardens and the role of botanical gardens in the 21st century.
And lots more.
You can find more information about Isabel on the Kew Gardens website:
https://www.kew.org/science/our-science/peope/isabel-openshaw
Or follow her on Instagram @iza.herbalremedies.
🌿 I'm looking for more interesting guests to talk about European herbalism and foraging in Europe. If you know anyone that would be perfect for this podcast, please let me know.
If you want to reach out, you can find me on Instagram @wildplantforager, and on Facebook.
You can also find more about me or contact me through my website www.wildplantforager.com
But please don't hang around online for too long. Go outside, and follow your wild heart 💚
🎼 music by Eva LaRuna
Disclaimer:
The information in the WYLDE podcast has been compiled with the utmost care. We try to keep it as current, complete and accurate as possible, yet no rights can be derived from this podcast episode.
We accept no liability for: direct or indirect damages resulting from possible errors and omissions, the content of linked websites, or the opinions of interviewed guests.
The content of this podcast in no way replaces personal medical advice or treatment by doctors and other medical professionals.
