Ethnobotany, People-Plants, Nature Connection, Growing
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I’m still in the northern hemisphere but suffice it to say most things are different here! Oaxaca is north of the equator and one of the more northern parts of Mesoamerica. It is an area of megadiversity and strong biocultural diversity and it is a huge honour to be able to spend time here learning from traditional cultures whose traditions, particularly food cultures, often go back hundreds if not thousands of years.
I was delighted to be back in the ethnobotanical gardens on Friday evening for a wonderful talk on jicarras, a gourd used here in Oaxaca and across mesoamerica, and to start diving back into the extraordinary biocultural diversity here. I would like to find out more so intend to ask for a copy of the talk – it was really fascinating.
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In my late 20s I spent a year researching wild foods in Broad Oak, Canterbury, as part of my MSc at the University of Kent. And through this I got to know woodland, field margin and hedgerow wild foods. Such areas were traditionally used by our ancestors in the UK for food and medicine. Whilst at the university, I also had the opportunity to prepare dishes with these wild foods. Enthusiastically, I served them up as part of the ICE (International Congress of Ethnobiology). So, it was a lot of fun learning about these wild foods and I was hooked!
Since then I have been spending time in Bradford, Yorkshire, to study for an MPhil in Ethnobiology. Here, I gained experience of two migrant communities practises around traditional foods and remedies. This helped me deepen my learnings around food systems and community organising around food.
For the past 10+ years I have also been working in a wide range of settings. During this time I developed food-related skills in growing, foraging and preserving. Mostly, I have found them incredibly useful for day-to-day life in relation to plants and foods and plant-based medicines. Now, the aim of this website and my offerings is to share some of my learnings with those wanting to learn! So, thanks for visiting.
Most recently I have been working on seed saving at Horton Community Farm, setting up the Seeds of Hope Seed Library there. Then, I worked for the Gaia Foundation’s Seed Sovereignty Programme, I spent 2 years supporting the formation of Northern Seed Networks.
So, I invite you to please see the links below for more Ethnobotany, People-Plants, Nature Connection, Growing.
About Me
These are my ‘field notes’. My name’s Charlie Gray and I am an ethnobotanist. I am keen to learn about the relationships between people and plants, sharing as I go.