Discovering Edible and Medicinal Plants with Hackney Herbal
- Voice4Change England
- 22 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Autumn marks a critical period of transition and renewal for our living world. We experience cooler temperatures and shorter days, trees shed their multicoloured leaves, most animals prepare for hibernation, and birds migrate to and from the UK for better food supplies and weather conditions.
We were able to appreciate these seasonal changes on our most recent herb walk with Hackney Herbal. Just as nature requires time to rest and regenerate itself, the same is true for us. Entering into colder, shorter days, our immune systems are weakened and we become more susceptible to colds and flu viruses particularly as we spend more time indoors. Walking through Mabley Green gave us a taste of all the healing, mineral rich, and nutrient dense herbs that exist within our reach.
We spotted and sampled herbs native to the UK, some of which included common nettle (Urtica dioica), white deadnettle (Lamium album), marsh marigold (Caltha palustris), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), and yarrow (Achillea millefolium). All of them had unique flavour profiles and had different medicinal properties that could help with skin healing, inflammation, and digestive support, as well as being a natural remedy for our stressed and anxious minds.
For many of us, walking around or running through our local green space means that the variety of herbs growing side by side often go unnoticed. Slowing down to analyse each herb individually allowed us to appreciate the depth and abundance of nature. Renewing our interest in herbalism and plant medicine also allows us to revisit the colonial roots of botany – including how plants were named to celebrate colonial explorers and exploits, erasing the Indigenous knowledge and wisdom that existed long before the ‘discovery’ of exotic plants.
Remembering this history of erasure and reconnecting with nature ourselves is how we honour diverse knowledge systems, whether this relates to our use of medicinal plants or other vital resources such as how we secure food more sustainably through regenerative agriculture. This fits into the bigger picture of how we go about forging just climate solutions, and it begins with solutions that have already existed and been proven by generations before us.
“Even in zone 2 London, you can find precious resources in our green spaces that help with medical symptoms such as eczema, anxiety, hay fever, or foods that reflect cultures and heritage. Our nature walk was a reminder of how our earth gives back to us. Being able to experience this was an absolute joy and a reminder how sacred our environment is. As a collective, we must advocate for the preservation of nature, protect access to it, and remain conscious of our ecosystem. After all, green spaces are the soul of food and medicine – they sustain our health and our communities.” Christabelle Quaynor, Policy and Influence Officer at V4CE
"Many wild herbs are often seen as weeds, removed from private gardens without a second thought. Yet their resilience is truly admirable - they survive and thrive quietly, playing an essential role in our ecosystem. The very existence of these humble plants deserves celebration. It’s a gentle reminder to appreciate what we have and not take the everyday wonders of nature for granted." Shuqi Zhou, Marketing and Communications Officer at V4CE
About Hackney Herbal: Hackney Herbal is a garden-based social enterprise that promotes wellbeing by connecting people with herbs through creative nature-based activities. We run a variety of hands-on workshops, courses, and events with all our profits being used to fund free nature-based activities connecting people and herbs in Hackney. You can find out more here.
About Where Climate Meets Race:
This event is part of our Where Climate Meets Race project, a three-year programme supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation looking to catalyse deeper and more inclusive community engagement on climate. You can learn more about our climate justice work here.
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