Tamsin Sagar
Growing Futures Team, Herbalist, Forager, Ecologist
Tamsin feels drawn to work with herbs through the deep and ancient genetic and biological connection that she believes every human being has. She enjoys empowering those around her by helping them to rediscover that sense of connection to the plants. Tamsin has completed a series of herbal medicine courses delivered by the Rhizome Clinic in Bristol, including the Foundation and Intermediate courses in Herbal Medicine, Herbal Gynaecology, Kitchen Medicine and also the Outdoor Summer Herb School course. Tamsin currently practices 'community' based herbalism by helping friends, family and also her own physical and mental wellbeing using wild medicine that she has made from herbs foraged in the local countryside. She believes this innate skill that we all have is vital in the current climate where there is a need and desire now more than ever, to be more self-sufficient and shorten the supply chains of food and medicine.
Tamsin strongly feels that the growing problem of systemic poverty gives added momentum to the necessity for everybody to be able to utilise the nutritious wild free food by learning what is safe to forage and also to learn to grow their own fruit and vegetables. She has grown food communally in various different alternative living settings over the years and is constantly deepening her knowledge of growing and foraging food through books and courses. Tamsin has lived off grid on and off over the years, with friends and more recently with her family. She loved the intimate relationship with the elements and the moon and the stars and the sun which is enhanced when you are living in a vehicle. Following the traditional ancient festivals throughout the cycle of the year is important to her as another way of deepening her connection with the natural world and Tamsin enjoys involving her children in these celebrations now also.
Tamsin spends a lot of her free time foraging and finding new ways to consume and preserve the produce. She has just completed a year long permaculture course with Heather Jo Flores and spends time on an ongoing learning journey exploring forest food and medicine gardens, seed saving and herbal medicine. She also spends time continuing to experiment with the recipes she is perfecting to create natural body products out of the herbs she has foraged.
Tamsin worked as a gardener from 2001-2014, during this time she also completed a BSc in Animal Behaviour and Ecology. For the next few years she gained further ecological and conservation knowledge through working as an Assistant Ecologist. Tamsin is currently a Community Ranger for Forestry England where she has gained valuable experience setting up and working with conservation volunteer groups, assisting local community projects on FE land such as community orchards and wild flower meadows, organising and executing various tree planting events with local schools and much to her delight has got to know trees even more intimately than before.