The ideal portable companion, the world-renowned Collins Gem series returns with a fresh new look and updated material.

In the first of the River Cottage Handbook series, mycologist John Wright uncovers the secret habits and habitats of Britain's thriving mushrooms - and the team at River Cottage explain how to cook them to perfection. In the first of the River Cottage Handbook series, mycologist John Wright explains the ins and outs of collecting, including relevant UK laws, conservation notes, practical tips and identification techniques. He takes us through the 72 species we are most likely to come across during forays in Britain's forests and clearings: old friends the Chanterelle and Cep, as well as a whole colourful host of more unfamiliar names - edible species including the Velvet Shank, the Horn of Plenty, the Amethyst Deceiver, the Giant Puffball and the Chicken in the Woods, and poisonous types such as the Sickener, the Death Cap and the Destroying Angel. The handbook is completed by more than 30 simple and delicious mushroom recipes from the River Cottage team. With colour photographs throughout, line drawings, a user-friendly Key and an introduction by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, the River Cottage Mushroom Handbook is a comprehensive and collectable guide, destined to be an indispensable household reference.

Publishing to tie in with the major four-part BBC2 prime-time series, WILD FOODS is the definitive guide to finding food in the wilds of Britain

A fun, informative guide to safely foraging with kids—featuring beautiful illustrations, plant facts and profiles, and 50 family projects for making the most of your wild edibles In today’s world of increasingly sedentary lifestyles and a growing detachment from the food that we eat, it has never been more important to encourage children to put down their screens, get outside, and engage with the natural world around them. Foraging with Kids is a fun, practical book for parents and their children that encourages families to interact with their environment and gain a practical understanding of the natural world through exploration and play. Featuring projects based around 50 easy-to-identify plants common in parks, forests, and hedgerows worldwide, Foraging with Kids makes the challenge of discovering functional flora just as achievable to those who live in the city as in the countryside. Once they have foraged their plants, children will be amazed by the diverse practical uses of their discoveries—from making soap from conkers or setting a delicious egg-free custard with plantain, to stopping minor cuts from bleeding with hedge woundwort. Children will take great pride in seeing their gatherings forming part of the family meal, and parents will be amazed at how even the most vegetable-averse child will develop an enthusiastic appetite for a meal that they have contributed to. Featuring beautiful hand drawings, essential information on plant facts and identification, and a diverse range of engaging family projects, this is the perfect book for anyone who wants their children to get outside, connect with nature, and have a lot of fun in the process.

The ideal portable companion, the world-renowned Collins Gem series returns with a fresh new look and updated material.

This “fun, sassy, and colorful” guide to herbal medicine “contains a wealth of information and offers a deeply profound and personal approach to herbalism” (Rosemary Gladstar). Take charge of your wellbeing by reconnecting with your local plants—and with the land, elements, and seasons—through the 5 tools of Sensory Herbalism. This book has been written for anyone who has heard the whispers of the wild and has been stirred to know more—for those with a political conscience and for lovers of the outdoors. Whether you are new to the ways of herbs or already a practicing herbalist, it explains how you can take your physical and mental health into your own hands using the plants that grow around you. Sensory Herbalism is a unique system of health devised by the Seed Sistas over 20 years of practice. It combines traditional herbal knowledge with an understanding of how the elements (water, fire, air, earth and spirit) and the ever-changing seasons interact with the human body. Their approach blends science, medicine, creativity, ritual, magic, and fun into 5 practical, easy-to-use tools that help readers develop their own relationship with their local medicinal plants: • Observation • Intuition • Interpretation • Characterization • Plant Dream Creation Illustrated with 140 artworks, photographs, and diagrams, The Sensory Herbal Handbook will guide you on a journey throughout the year, deepening your knowledge of each season’s featured plants and enhancing your wellbeing with herbal medicines, nutritious recipes, and healing rituals.

A clear introduction to the world of knots, from the practical to the decorative. Illustrated step-by-step instructions on how to master over 50 knots. Step-by-step instructions to tying over 50 knots from the essential to the decorative. A practical guide for sailers, moutaineers and campers as well as those who would like to try their hand at more decorative knots.