We’re diving into the wonderful world of seaweeds! My guest today is Allison Poklemba, environmental educator, botanist, and herbalist. Allison shares how plants have fascinated her from a young age, why her move across the country for university was the financially responsible choice, and how she incorporated both botany and herbalism into her career. Allison puts a few different species of kelp on highlight today including bullwhip kelp and wakame. She shares how kelp will actually devour cancer tumors, how a walk on the beach can also be a walk in a medicine cabinet, and some fun ways to cook with sea vegetables. We have a two part, fun ask for you at the end of today’s episode, so stay tuned for that.
Connect with Allison: Instagram| Dandelion Website| Backcountry Website
Quick Links
Humboldt State University
Phycology
Dandelion Herbal Center
The Lost Coast region
Nori
Bulb kelp
Wakame
Kombu
Chelate
Algae fucoidans
Osmotic potential
Backcountry press
Conifers
Sea sacs
The Bigfoot trail
Greenwood Schoolhouse
Andy Goldsworthy
Sea Vegetable Enthusiast Facebook Group
In-person Event:
Seaweed Adventure
Distance Learning Classes:
Sea Vegetables of the Pacific Coast
Cooking with Sea Vegetables
Show Notes
0:49 Allison describes how she fell in love with plants when she was just a little girl, playing in her garden with her cat and sister.
2:28 Allison explains that she studied herbalism alongside her botany degree in college, and talks about her first jobs as a botanist in the field.
4:25 From New Hampshire her birth state, she ended up studying in California at Humboldt State University. It has now become the place she lives in.
07:23 Allison presents how she discovered algaes during one of her classes, which included a lot of field trips.
09:11 She presents the Dandelion Herbal Center where she studied herbalism. She is now one of the co-directors of the school.
13:33 The Dandelion Herbal Center offers field trips and classes of ocean herbalism where students can learn how to cook seaweed or use it as medicine.
15:09 Allison gives a list of the diversity of algae that can be found in the Northern part of California : nori (there are 20 species of this seaweed!), bulb kelp, wakame, kombu… She then explains the difference between the terminologies algae/seaweed/kelp.
19:10 She gives an overview of the different ways of preserving seaweeds after harvest, the many benefits of eating seaweed on our bodies and the medicinal powers of algaes.
29:34 Do all seaweeds have medicinal properties?
31:46 What is Allison’s favorite seaweed as food and medicine?
40:21 Allison presents how her husband and her founded a publishing company, after her husband wrote his first book on conifers. They are mostly selling hiking and field guide books.
46:58 What is her favorite plant to hunt for?
53:16 Allison talks about her favorite sea creature and gives two heartwarming anecdotes about it.
59:21 What projects would Allison fund if she were given a blank check?
1:03:23 What ocean conservation advice could Allison give to the audience?