Robin Harford Mark Duffell is one of Britain’s foremost botanists and ecologists. In this episode we talk about:
- The best way for beginners to learn plant identification.
- Why the ecology of a plant is important to know before harvesting.
- Forager or pillager? Which one are you?
- How to overcome your fear of botany and science jargon.
- Why learning plant families is important.
- Sustainability and commercial wild food harvesting. Is there a problem?
- How ecology can guide us to live harmoniously with the Earth.
Show notes
- Arvensis Ecology – Mark’s website
- Manchester Metropolitan University – MSc in Biological Recording and Ecological Monitoring – This is one of very few courses that offers practical field skills in botany and other natural history groups, taught in collaboration with the Field Studies Council. Out of a total of 10 weekends (over 2 years), 6 are taught at a Field Centre gaining identification training.
- Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland
- Online Atlas of the British and Irish Flora
- Collins British Wild Flower Guide by Streeter
- Field Studies Council foldout guides
About Mark Duffell
Mark Duffell is an experienced botanist with a lifetime’s interest in plants. Originally trained a horticulturist he went on to win the Chartered Institute of Horticulture’s ‘Young Horticulturist of the Year’ in 2001.
He currently splits his time between running Arvensis Ecology (conducting botanical surveys and teaching botanical identification to undergraduate and postgraduate University students, consultants, and environmental organisations) and working as a Lecturer with MMU on their MSc in ‘Biological Recording and Ecological Monitoring’.