grove & grit restoration brief on foraging & food sovereignty
Release Date: 02/12/2026
grove & grit restoration brief on foraging & food sovereignty
treehugger podcast
Let's explore foraging as a living, contested relationship between ecology, culture, law, and survival. Beginning with za’atar - a resilient wild thyme central to Palestinian foodways - we examine how conservation policy can criminalize cultural harvest. From there, we move briefly through international access models (UK personal-use law, Nordic everyman’s rights, regulated European mushroom harvest), and closer to home: US National Parks, Washington State Parks, Seattle, and Tacoma. We unpack how language like management, stewardship, and resource protection can obscure power, and...
info_outline
grove & grit restoration brief January 18, 2026
treehugger podcast
grove & grit launches with local restoration in Hilltop, Dublin Bay oyster recovery, UN World Restoration Flagships, and an ecological reckoning on war, climate, and accountability — plus two essential upcoming reads from Emma Marris and Clare Follmann. This episode is released during the week of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday, grounding restoration work in a shared ethic of collective liberation. Local Action (Tacoma) Tacoma Tree Foundation - Green Blocks: Hilltop A neighborhood-based urban forestry program supporting residents with tree selection, permits, delivery, and...
info_outline
Forest History with Jennifer Ott
treehugger podcast
What happens when we trace the history of our forests? Not just through trees, but through people, policy, and place? In this episode, I talk with Jennifer Ott, Executive Director of , Washington’s free online encyclopedia of history. Jennifer is an environmental historian, author of Olmsted in Seattle: Creating a Park System for a Modern City, and co-author of Waterway: The Story of Seattle’s Locks and Ship Canal. She brings a deep knowledge of Seattle’s reshaped landscapes; it's filled tidelands, leveled hills, and rechanneled rivers, and a lifelong commitment to accessible public...
info_outline
Urban Evolution with Liz Carlen
treehugger podcast
In this episode, Michael talks with evolutionary biologist and urban ecologist Dr. Elizabeth Carlen about how cities - shaped by war, politics, religion, and everything in between - are evolving alongside the wildlife that calls them home. Liz is an urban evolutionary biologist whose research explores how human social structures, from redlining to sacred groves, shape the genetics, behavior, and survival of city-dwelling creatures like squirrels and pigeons. We dive into the often-overlooked ways that social histories leave their mark not just on human communities, but on the DNA of the...
info_outline
My Head for a Tree with Martin Goodman
treehugger podcast
In this special episode, we welcome author and storyteller Martin Goodman to explore the extraordinary living story of the Bishnoi people—a community in the Western Thar Desert of India who have made protecting life, in all its forms, their deepest devotion. Three centuries ago, 363 Bishnoi villagers led by Amrita Devi gave their lives to defend the sacred khejri trees from destruction, speaking the words still taught to Bishnoi children today: “My head for a tree is a cheap price to pay.” But the Bishnoi are not just a story of sacrifice from the past—they are still here, still...
info_outline
Giants on New Ground with Philip Stielstra
treehugger podcast
We are joined by Philip Stielstra, founder of, to explore the fascinating world of coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) and giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum). Philip shares his inspiring journey from Seattle Tree Ambassador to becoming a leader in assisted migration, helping these ancient giants find a new future in the Pacific Northwest. We dive into: The unique traits that make coast redwoods and giant sequoias candidates for assisted migration, including their fire resistance, drought tolerance, and pest resistance. Challenges such as slow seed...
info_outline
A Natural History of Empty Lots with Christopher Brown
treehugger podcast
treehugger podcast is 5 years old this month! In this episode, we sit down with Christopher Brown, author of A Natural History of Empty Lots, to uncover the stories hidden in the overlooked spaces of our cities. Christopher shares his unique perspective on urban landscapes—vacant lots, overgrown alleys, and forgotten corners—revealing the vibrant ecosystems and cultural narratives thriving within them. Drawing on his experience as a speculative fiction writer, he challenges us to rethink the value of these unintentional landscapes and their role in shaping our connection to the wider...
info_outline
Ecosystem Monitoring with Dylan Mendenhall
treehugger podcast
In this podcast episode, the discussion dives into the complexities and nuances of ecosystem monitoring, led by the Dylan Mendenhall's deep experience and passion for the field. He emphasizes the importance of well-defined questions to drive high-quality monitoring efforts, contrasting effective monitoring with what they term “zombie monitoring”—data collection that continues without purpose due to sunk cost fallacies or lack of clear objectives. The conversation spans from traditional techniques like plot-based sampling and transect surveys to advanced molecular methods like eDNA, which...
info_outline
medicinal weeds: rethinking integrated pest management
treehugger podcast
We explore a fresh perspective on non-native and introduced species. Traditionally viewed as pests or threats to ecosystems, some of these species offer hidden benefits that are often overlooked in conventional pest management frameworks. We dive into the complexities of integrated pest management (IPM), discussing the importance of balancing ecological restoration with justice, health, and livelihoods. This episode was adapted from a talk originally given to an audience focused on integrated pest management. It encourages listeners to rethink the language we use around non-native species,...
info_outline
Seed Banks and Ecological Memory
treehugger podcast
Underground seed banks, passive restoration, and ecological memory - these elements are crucial in understanding and facilitating natural recovery processes in ecosystems. We'll explore how leveraging underground seed banks, which contain dormant seeds waiting for the right conditions to germinate, can support native plant regeneration. This approach is relational, often less expensive, and informs a long-range view. It also relies on the ecological memory, which refers to an ecosystem's ability to retain information about past states and disturbances, aiding its recovery and resilience....
info_outlineLet's explore foraging as a living, contested relationship between ecology, culture, law, and survival. Beginning with za’atar - a resilient wild thyme central to Palestinian foodways - we examine how conservation policy can criminalize cultural harvest. From there, we move briefly through international access models (UK personal-use law, Nordic everyman’s rights, regulated European mushroom harvest), and closer to home: US National Parks, Washington State Parks, Seattle, and Tacoma.
We unpack how language like management, stewardship, and resource protection can obscure power, and we ground the conversation in ecological restoration, justice, livelihoods, and human health. We also highlight examples of agencies attempting to align policy with principle and how there is a new story emerging that could signal change - if we demand it. Ultimately, the question remains: Who gets to eat from the land?
Selected References & Policies
Hernandez, J., & Vogt, K. A. (2020). Indigenizing Restoration: Indigenous Lands before Urban Parks. Human Biology, 92(1), 37–44. https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/humbiol/vol92/iss1/5/
Society for Ecological Restoration. (2021). International principles and standards for the practice of ecological restoration (2nd ed.) https://www.ser.org/page/SERStandards
United Nations. (2007). United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/declaration-on-the-rights-of-indigenous-peoples.html
National Park Service. (2023). Tribal leaders guide for NPS plant gathering.
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/upload/Tribal-Leaders-Guide-for-NPS-Plant-Gathering.pdf
Washington State Legislature. (2008). WAC 352-28-030: Harvest of edibles.
https://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=352-28-030
Seattle Parks & Recreation Rules & Regulations
General park conduct and prohibited activities (including damage or removal of park property ➝ plants, trees, soil, etc.).
https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/rules-and-regulations
Parks Tacoma Conduct in Parks
City parks code regulating conduct on Tacoma park land including damage or removal of plants, shrubs, trees, etc.
https://www.parkstacoma.gov/places/conduct-in-our-parks/
Support the Work
Full show notes and additional essays live on the Grove & Grit Substack https://substack.com/@grovegrit
If this episode resonated, you can support treehugger podcast through the donation links in the show notes. Your contributions help cover research, editing, hosting, and independent production.
Venmo: @myadrick | PayPal: paypal.me/myadrick | CashApp: $michaelyadrickjr
Ratings and reviews also help more people find the show.
Music
Intro/outro music by MK2 and Grey Room, courtesy of the YouTube Audio Library