The Wild Dispatch

This week it is Violet Warman's 97th Birthday. She was born in 1928 — Rather a lot of wild stuff happened since that day... 

In this episode Robin was lucky enough to hear some of Vi and Ray's memories from the past: The moment WW2 was declared, being evacuated, watching dog fights in the skies above... and trading bike rides to American soldiers for enormous amounts of pocket money. 

In this episode takes a leap from the urban world of East London, and escape to the English countryside.

Happy Birthday Violet! And thank you both for sharing your time and stories today.

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In this episode we break from a week-long adventure in the Eastern Cape to celebrate a successful bow hunt. The jokes roll thick as backstraps and wild game sausage sizzle on a flat-stone locally called an Yster Klip, which literally translates to 'Iron Stone'. 

— sound quality took a bit of beating early on in this episode, if you’re over the sound of sizzling meat then jump to about 35 mins in —

Cooking over fire is a huge part of South African culture, this episode gives an lighthearted insight into a backbone activity of the nation. Two professional hunters and a game farm manager share hunting memories and stories about life in the Eastern Cape, with an extra helping of banter too.

A big thank you again to Fred Hammer, Robin Gertz and James the farm manager for sharing their stories and outdoor cooking skills with us today.

You can find Fred Hammer on Instagram

Check out Robin's Gertz's videography work on Instagram 

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In EP55 Robin and William Arthur Sprague IV continue on their two-part myco-nautical adventure. Many topics are discussed, including but not limited to: how mushrooms make you make better music, the real reason humans evolved to have such big brains, and what Amanita Muscaria does, and how to get the most out of this medicine.

All the music you hear in this episode was created by William Arthur Sprague IV. A big thank you to William for sharing his knowledge, time and tunes with us today!

You can find his music, along with a whole variety of mycelium based treats at his online store Born Free Natural Mystic

The game-changing Lone Wolf Mushroom Knife can be found here

Also be sure to give William a Follow on Instagram and Facebook

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Adam Brennan has been shooting a traditional bow for as long as he can remember. Born and raised in the Yukon, It was here he learned what it takes to thrive in the Canadian wilderness. 

It's his life-long honed skill-set, dogged perseverance and willingness to suffer that’s made him the successful outdoorsman he is today. In this episode we enjoy a smorgasbord of Adam’s wild stories, including a recent successful hunt closing the distance on a 10 year old Dall sheep in the high mountains... not just once, but twice. 

He also shares a few handy nuggets of advice for anyone curious about getting into the world of traditional archery.

A big thank you again to Adam for sharing his stories and wisdom with us today!

Be sure to give Adam a follow on Instagram

And check out his article about that very same sheep hunt published in Traditional Bowhunter Magazine.

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Our journey through mycelium universe continues today with Eugenia Bone. A food and nature writer, her work has appeared in many anthologies, magazines, and newspapers across the world. 

Eugenia is also the author of nine books on food and biology, including: Well-Preserved, Mycophilia, and most recently, Have a Good Trip: Exploring the Magic Mushroom Experience.

As usual we have plenty of informative rabbit-holes, but the meat of our conservation centers around psylocibin —what it is, how it works, and how to have a positive experience. We cover stories, tips and psychedelic revelations, both through her extensive research and personal experiences.

A big thank you again to Eugenia for sharing her knowledge and time with us today!

Visit Eugenia’s site

Find all her books here, including Have A Good Trip, Mycophila, and Well-Preserved –her book about canning.

Be sure to also subscribe to Eugenia’s Substack 

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In EP52 Robin and William Arthur Sprague IV don their helmets, detach from the Mother-ship and set off on a two-part myco-nautical adventure. 

But first they couldn't resist catching up on the highs and lows of the NorCal mushroom season before jumping deep into the world of psilocybin. They cover micro doses, heroic doses... personal experiences,  how taking mushrooms can help you find more mushrooms, make music, move through nature with more ease and much more. Buckle up –we've been excited about making this one for a long time.

All the music you hear in this episode was created by William Arthur Sprague IV. A big thank you to William for sharing his knowledge, time and tunes with us today!

You can find his music, along with a whole variety of mycelium based treats at his online store Born Free Natural Mystic

The game-changing Lone Wolf Mushroom Knife can be found here

Also be sure to give William a Follow on Instagram and Facebook

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----- The second part of this story continues with EP61 -----

Having spent 30 years homesteading at Twin Lakes, Alaska, building an incredible cabin (and entire lifestyle) with nothing but hand tools –Dick Proenneke fast became a legend of the Alaskan Wilderness. Author Monroe Robinson and his wife K spent 19 summers caring for Dick Proenneke's cabin after he left in 1999. A master craftsman in his own right, Monroe spent that time restoring and replicating the amazing tools and objects Dick created.

Through Dick's extensive journals, the nuanced way he created and repaired objects, and Monroe's own memories of their friendship –We are able to paint a picture of the truly wild way this man lived.

A big thank you again to Monroe for sharing his time, knowledge and entertaining stories with us today. You can hear Monroe's story in EP43.

You can find Monroe's fantastic book - 'The Handcrafted Life of Dick Proenneke' at Lost Art Press.

If you'd like to get hold of a signed copy, you can shoot an email to [email protected] with the title: The Handcrafted Life of Dick Proenneke

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In England there's an expression "all talk and no trouser" Kiefer is the opposite of this saying. An all-out and all-round outdoorsman based in Michigan, Kiefer is constantly trying to squeeze that elusive 25th hour out of his day. From trapping to chasing ducks to downing enormous herd bulls with his bow - this guy gets after everything in his free roaming converted schoolbus.

Give Kiefer a follow at his Substack and Instagram. And keep an eye out for new beaver trapping and other adventurous content on YouTube and TikTok too.

Also mentioned at the end of this episode are William Sprague's Lone Wolf Mushroom Knives found on his website Born Free Natural Mystic.

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Raymond and Violet Warman, aka Ray n' Vi... aka Robin's Nana and Gramps were born in England in the 1930s. Raised in both the English countryside and East London—their experiences growing up were very different. But life changed for everyone on the arrival of World War 2. Here are a few of their stories.

From memories of evacuations to hunting rabbits with self-made bows, from D-Day preparations to dog-fights in the skies above – even kids jerry-rigging their own fireworks from live ammunition... This one's packed with wild stories from a completely different era.

Thanks again to Ray and Vi for sharing their time and wisdom!

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That's (almost) a wrap on 2024. Thank you to everyone who's been part of this adventure! To the guests sharing their time and knowledge, the listeners tuning in from all over the world, and the friends and family who've put up with my wild babblings on a variety of topics... Thank you and Merry Christmas!

05:00 — EP21: Renias and Alex -Tracking leopards for the president
10:30 — EP17: Surviving with Dennis Mckiver
15:01 — EP20: Mastering African Mushrooms with Justin Williams
20:02 — EP24: Hunting Gourmet Ingredients with Chef Tiffany Friedman
23:44 — EP01: Fred Hammer - South African Bowhunter
29:38 — YouTube evidence: catching The 28lb Gopher Ling with no hook

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