Lucy Cuzzocrea
Founder of Wild Roots Foraging
& Wild Roots Wild Women
I live in a beautiful little town called Guisborough, which is at the foot of the North York Moors. I live here with my husband and two little ones. We have an abundance of nature on our doorstep here but I haven’t always had wild food given to me on a plate like this. I lived in central Middlesbrough for many years and have made many an Albert Park pie, after rummaging through the park bushes, my lovely bum sticking out for all to ponder and scratch their heads at, as they innocently walked their Labradors.
It’s easy to think you have to live out in the countryside to get into foraging but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Wild Food is all around us, right under out very noses. It grows under the disguise of “weeds” in our gardens, under our hedgerows and in our green spaces. Most are pulling it out, scared of what? And why? They don’t really know. Most council workers are spraying it to death, in fear of the many complaints that would surely flood in if they stopped.
I want to change this.
I want to show EVERYONE that wild food is for them and that it is our friend, not our foe. That it’s ok to let nature thrive and be herself. If only people knew the amazing uses and medicinal power of each wild plant, we may all have a better relationship with nature, and we may just live very differently, indeed.
And so, it is my intention to do just that. To help spread the good word and empower our communities with the lost knowledge of our ancestors. To reduce our use of plastic packaging and our huge reliance on agriculture for sustenance. Wild food is a million times more nutritious AND one of the best solutions we have available to us to reduce our carbon footprint.
If you would like to find out more, I would love you to join me on a walk in nature. Let me reveal to you the secrets of our ancestors and the immense power that lies within that knowledge.
ExpertisE
Foraging Teacher & Proud Member of AoF
My number one love is foraging! Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved to spend my days rummaging through the hedgerows. I’ve always felt at home within them and always been in awe at the beauty and wonder of nature. Nature is my teacher, my guide, my peace and my solace. And now, it is my passion to pass these gifts and this amazing ancestral knowledge about the fruits of our earth, on to others. I am also a member of the Association of Foragers, hoping to help them spread their message and build on their fantastic work.
Founder of The Northern Food Food Forest
Aside from this I run a community project called Middlesbrough Food Forest, where I raise awareness on the many benefits of Forest Gardening and help people to create their own private or communal forest gardens in the North East. I have my own nursery of plants and seeds to help people access the plants they need for their own growing spaces.
Wild Women Facilitator
My next biggest passion is raising the roof on collective feminine energy and helping women to reclaim their power. I help women reconnect with nature, themselves, and each other, so they may shine their light on the world and live a more authentic life. We do this by relearning the old ways of the land and claiming back the lost wisdom of our ancestors.
Graphic Design & Branding
Believe it or not, I wasn’t always sure of my true path in life. I completed a degree in Graphic Design, specialising in Branding. While I don’t have a desire to work in this industry anymore, I do like to support other women in business by trading skills with them. Something our ancestors did for a very long time! If this is something you are interested in, get in touch.