In this new short-form episode, Robin Harford challenges our relationship with common sorrel (Rumex acetosa) – a plant we've dismissed for centuries simply because it grows freely everywhere.

This episode introduces a new podcast format: short observations (2-5 minutes) with a call to action. Robin doesn't want you to just listen, he wants you outside, engaging with plants where you are.

Safety note: If you suffer from kidney stones or sensitivity to oxalic acids, avoid sorrel due to its high oxalate content.

In this episode of the Eatweeds Podcast, Robin Harford is joined by Dr Sarah Edwards, ethnobotanist at the University of Oxford.

Together they explore the 400-year history of Oxford Botanic Garden — Britain’s oldest physic garden — and why ethnobotany is vital for preserving both cultural knowledge and biodiversity.

Dr Edwards shares her remarkable journey from Kew Gardens to working alongside First Nations communities in Australia, documenting traditional plant use and wisdom.

She reflects on the threats facing global plant diversity, the role of botanic gardens in conservation, and why re-establishing kinship with plants is essential for our future.

About Dr Sarah Edwards
Dr Sarah Edwards is the author of The Ethnobotanical (link) and co-author of Phytopharmacy (link).

She teaches Ethnobiology and Biological Conservation at the University of Oxford and manages plant records at the Oxford Botanic Garden & Arboretum (link).

Her work bridges science, culture, and art, from field collaborations with First Nations communities in Australia to recent projects with the Richmond Arts Service’s Cultural Reforesting programme.

Tom Baxter is the founder of Bristol Fungarium, the UK’s first organic-certified medicinal mushroom farm. A former organic vegetable grower and forest school leader, Tom has spent years foraging in the wild across the Pyrenees, Siberia, and the forests of Somerset. Today, he leads a pioneering operation that not only cultivates native strains of mushrooms but also funds neuroscience research and runs the only dedicated analytical lab for medicinal fungi in the UK.

In this episode, Tom joins Robin Harford for a rich and far-reaching conversation about the power, mystery, and challenges of working with medicinal mushrooms. They explore the rise of lion’s mane, the pitfalls of the supplement industry, why most mushroom powders are misleading, and what makes a mushroom extract genuinely effective. It’s a frank and passionate look into one of nature’s oldest and most complex kingdoms.

🎧 Listeners get 15% off at https://bristolfungarium.com/ — use the code WILDPOWER at checkout.