EP62: Why your body knows things about trees that your mind will never understand

EP62: Why your body knows things about trees that your mind will never understand

Author: Robin Harford June 12, 2026 Duration: 5:38

A guided contemplative practice. Lean your back against a tree for five minutes of sensory presence.

Robin opens with Tommy Cooper's "pick a card, any card." It becomes a playful doorway into stillness.

He walks through breath, posture, and bodily sensation. The body settles into rhythm with its surroundings.

The episode then turns reflective. Civilisation has distanced us from sensory, embodied intelligence.

From hands-in-food eating to chairs and utensils, we've lost touch with our senses. This simple act of leaning against bark reclaims something.

It's "the oldest conversation," Robin says. One living nervous system meeting another.


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There's a quiet revolution happening just outside our doors, in the hedgerows, parks, and forgotten corners of the landscape. Eatweeds Podcast: For People Who Love Plants is your guide to that green world, hosted by forager and ethnobotanist Robin Harford. This isn't just a list of what's edible; it's a deep, sensory dive into our relationship with the flora around us. Each episode feels like a walk with a knowledgeable friend, one who points out not just the names of plants, but their stories, their historical uses, and their place in both ancient traditions and modern kitchens. You'll hear conversations that weave together practical foraging tips with cultural anthropology, exploring how plants have sustained human life for millennia as food, medicine, and material. Robin brings on experts and practitioners who share their hands-on experiences, from turning acorns into flour to understanding the medicinal compounds in a common weed. The podcast moves seamlessly from the science of plant identification to the folklore buried in their old names, creating a rich tapestry that connects listeners directly to their environment. It’s for anyone who has ever looked at a plant and wondered, "What's your story?" This series provides those answers, fostering a deeper appreciation for the wild, often overlooked bounty that grows all around us, making every walk an opportunity for discovery and connection.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Eatweeds Podcast: For People Who Love Plants
Podcast Episodes
EP31: The Importance of Ethnobotany - An Interview with Mark Nesbitt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:34
Ethnobotany is the study of the interrelationship between people and plants, historically and cross-culturally, particularly the role of plants in human culture and practices, how humans have used and modified plants, an…
EP30: Edible City - Urban Foraging During Lockdown [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:36
John Rensten (author of Edible City) discusses how to keep foraging in a city during the coronavirus lockdown. How to stay safe, keep your distance and why foraging is vitally important for mental and physical wellbeing.
EP29: Calm Ease [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:23
A discussion on foraging, stillness and mindfulness as a way to work with difficult feelings during the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.
EP28: Introducing Plant Talk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:13
Introducing Plant Talk, a new supplement to the regular Eatweeds podcast show that encourages and prompts you to deepen your relationship with plants.
EP27: Be Your Own Authority - A Forager's Perspective [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:41
Chris Holland (Talks With Tellers) interviews wild food author and forager Robin Harford. They discuss the importance of restoring vital connection to the ecosystem. Teaching plants through the power of story. Empowering…
EP26: Herbalism With Attitude [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:37
It’s round two with the Seed Sistas. Britain’s most irreverent herbalists. For the past few years, they have been making waves in the plant community. Overthrowing the colonialism that has turned herbalism from something…
EP25: Edible Acorns - The Forgotten Food [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:50
Acorns are a massive, under-utilised and forgotten food source. Join Robin Harford (your host) and Marcie Mayer (Europe's foremost acorn food producer), as they explore the edible uses of acorns as a food and in cooking.…
EP24: Nutritional Cultural Identity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:06
Masanobu Fukuoka's one-straw revolution inspired Krishna McKenzie to start his own organic farm in Auroville, Tamil Nadu, India. In this interview he talks about the importance of nutritional cultural identity, wild food…
EP23: Wild Tea Ceremonies & Celebrations [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:47
How to create your own local wild tea ceremonies and celebrations for community building and wild wellbeing.
EP22: Foraging The Future, Sustainability & Vital Connection [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:12
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 for…