WorldWild Podcast
Episode 39 7th April 2020
The Janus-Faced Present with Adrian Boots
During COVID-19 we are forced to be present. What we all do in moments such as these - looking back, looking forward - to seek out answers and pathways means we are always in connection with our Janus nature. The power of memory work and the imagination is evident; but what is most important is our relationship to the present. How can we take what lessons we can learn from the past, for example: from our hunter-gatherer ancestors, and apply it to a future we want to build and inhabit. In other words: how do we weave ourselves back in with the fabric of life, together?
In this chat, we are joined by Adrian Boots, wild food teacher, outdoor activities instructor, and landscape ecologist, to talk about how we can re-engage with our landscapes, some wild food horror stories to help you avoid them, how our current moment forces us to move from control to relations, and some wild plants to go out and forage right now...
'Look at the shape that person is making, that picking, collecting, gathering pose, that has been done for the last 250,000 years'
- Miles Irving / ep.39
About Adrian Boots
Growing up in the New Forest, Adrian Boots' affinity towards the natural world grew from a young age. This led to studying environmental management at university and an MSc looking at hedgerow connectivity. He has taught landscape ecology at university and worked for agencies such as the Wildlife Trust. He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and currently lives in the Mendip Hills, Somerset.
Further reading
> See more from Adrian Boots and Go Wild.
> Adrian also runs foraging workshops near Bath, UK, at Vale House Kitchen.
> Mentioned in episode: Against the Grain by James C. Scott.
> Mentioned in episode: Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales Prologue by Raymond Crooke.
> Follow Miles' Instagram wild plant videos.
About the show
We offer a series of conversations to tap into the wildness within ourselves and to uncover what is possible when we do. It is our hope that through the WorldWild Podcast we can contribute to the revitalisation of wild food culture and conversation around the world.
Through people who know their landscapes intimately, we gather the threads to weave a rich tapestry. Piece by piece the vision of a wilder world comes into view. The wild embrace of nature welcomes us back and offers us a seat at the table. A feast, no less!