Aimee’s Instagram posts are some of the most enchanting to follow. During the peak mushroom foraging season, her feed is flooded with captivating images of enormous and rare specimens from the fungi world, often presenting finds that are visually incredible and have surprising uses. Echoing the charm of her spring explorations among delicate plants, followed by summer harvests, her content is engaging for many people with various interests.
Foraging For Solace
Aimee embarked on her foraging adventure a decade ago, seeking solace in daily nature walks during a challenging period. It was then that she realised her early education in plant and animal identification came from her mum; decades later, the wealth of knowledge was subconsciously engraved. As a foodie initially from London and now residing on a smallholding in Wales, Aimee tends to the land, embracing old ways of living by growing some of her food and hunting for gourmet species in the wild.
Goats Help With Weed Control
Her five goats play a vital role in weed control, slowly clearing undergrowth in the paddock and the woodland area, allowing more light and different species to emerge. One of her goats, Phillip, recently shared a moment of fame when presented with a beautiful haul of Amanita muscaria. He calmly munched on this medicinal mushroom, educating us about the food choices of wild and domesticated animals.
What began as a mission to enhance her mental and physical health has evolved into a commitment to help others through land and connection. Aimee runs foraging retreats and educates people in person and on her Instagram about the benefits of various specimens.
Her knowledge also finds artistic expression in the tattoos she creates, featuring a style she calls Fantasia. Inspired by a cult film, beautiful depictions of animals and fungi cover many body parts worldwide. She’s particularly taken with drawing goddesses in nature, an inspiration that comes naturally when so much wild beauty surrounds her life.
What struck me the most was the line she ended our conversation with, which sounded real and anchored in her voice: that she likes traditions and old ways of living and strives to live her life through a lens of beauty. This feeling transcends through the inspiring content she produces.