Biofore Magazine 2022

By Sal Ahmed Photography Sal Ahmed, Getty Images

FEATURE

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A s the front door to Tash’s apartment opens, you are overwhelmed by the wafting aromas of elderflower, lavender and the earthy notes of roots. This sensory magic is loudly interrupted with a “hey, how are ya?” delivered in a heavy Australian accent. The walls of her home are adorned with shelves stacked high with dark tincture bottles and glass jars full of herbs and dried flowers – there are also some books on foraging and other earthy pleasures. “People likeme in Australia are called ‘bush babies’, growing up in the countryside, messing around in the dirt outside, absorbing all that nature has to offer, making our immune systems nice and strong.” Theremust have been a few hundred samples of roots, leaves, flowers and berries at home, she says: “I grew up in a very alternative family; I remember we were brewing kombucha before the Western world had even heard of it.” Born Natasja English , the self-sufficient herbalist is informally known as ‘Tash’ and has lived in Germany since moving there 20 years ago to work as a pattern maker in the fashion industry. “Everyone goes through this phase of rebellion against your parents, but I have never ventured too far away from my love for nature.” Today she is one of Berlin’s most popular foraging experts, but that didn’t come easy. “I had to do a diploma in Western herbalism if I wanted to work as a herbalist in Germany, so I took a sabbatical from the fashion industry and have never looked back.” Growing food and health insecurities Global food insecurity has seen a rise in alternative food pro ductionmethods and debates around foraging plants and herbs, as well as the nutritional value of certain insects. In the nearly 50 workshops she conducts in a year, Tash

says she has seen a visible concern among the participants not just around global food insecurity but also physical and psycho logical health. “That’s why I like to focus on the use of herbs and plants for health reasons. During the coronavirus pandemic, I noticed a very clear spike in people suffering fromanxiety and insomnia.” For our sleep issues, Tash says, we can find answers in linden, lavender, passion flower and valerian root. Over the past summer, Tash focused on all things elderflower – from syrups to tea to tinctures. Elderflower syrups are a great way to beat the heat, says Tash, while elderflower tea can have a soothing effect during periods of increased stress. Responsible foraging Tash’s foraging enterprise, Avant Garden Life, takes people on forest walks and educates them about the value of nature and the respect that it deserves. For our sleep issues, Tash says, we can find answers in linden, lavender, passion flower and valerian root.

Foraging nettle seeds in Berlin's forested Plänterwald neighbourhood.