In search of the wild
with Fergus Drennan
ABOUT THE SHOW
Exploring themes of nature, connection, food, traditional crafts, spirituality, wildness and randomness.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Fergus has been gathering and learning about wild plants, seaweeds, and fungi for over 40 years. His journey began on Wimbledon Common, aged 3 years, collecting dandelions for the family’s pet tortoise. Since those early days, and through much creative and experimental exploration he has continued his foraging practice, not only as a means to understand and to discover the practical relevance that foraging has in the modern developed world, but also in terms of what it means to be an environmentally conscious human in relation to the natural world. “Can foraging ever be considered a truly sustainable practice, and if so how?”, is a question that always orchestrates his foraging activity. So too does a pursuit of foraging’s playful and creative possibilities, whether they be found in novel recipes using plants, fungi, and seaweeds, or unlocking the potential that wild botanicals offer for other non-food-based creative pursuits such as the making of baskets, mushroom paper, natural dyes and pigments, drums, and countless other traditional and less traditional crafts.
Truth be told, Fergus just loves being outside, admiring nature as part of nature, living in touch with her reassuring seasonal cycles, awake to her sensuality, her surprises, opportunities, and endless gifts, in pursuit of the good life.
Fergus also regularly featured on radio and BBC tv as well as producing podcasts.