About Me
Hi, I’m Amanda,
A mum of two, who can often be found pushing a pram around while staring at the plants growing out of the cracks in the pavement.
I have been fascinated with wild plants for as long as I can remember.
My happiest childhood memories consist of picking wildflowers on walks, or creating infusions with mint and other herbs growing wildly in my grandparents’ garden in the Italian Alps, pretending to be the village witch doctor in times gone by.
The past has always fascinated me, and that's how I ended up doing a history degree at Cambridge - which was an incredible experience but left me with no clue of what I wanted to be when I graduated. So, I did a Graduate Diploma in Law (which I hated) then an MA in International Relations (which I loved).
All this studying left me sure that good policymaking and international trade were what humanity needed - for peace and prosperity. So, I embarked on a 15 year career in government affairs, working in the European Parliament, and also in private sector and trade associations.
I enjoyed this career and learnt a lot, but at some point it stopped feeling like me.
I found myself escaping back to the plants again, and getting to know them in a new way. I began reading compulsively to learn as much as I could about them and spending any spare time I had outside getting to know them.
I became convinced that, while government policy is important, what we need if we are going to avoid ecosystem collapse is to change our cultural narrative to one where we have respect for the living beings around us.
Reconnecting with these plants is, I believe, deeply healing.
Alongside my plant work, I’ve completed a Foundation Certificate in Counselling Skills, and working towards my Diploma in Counselling. I hope one day to offer psychotherapy services in connection with nature connection.
For me, connecting with wild plants is about re-rooting ourselves in something real. Something enduring. It’s about remembering that we are part of a living, interconnected world.
I hope this space invites you to slow down and reconnect and notice what’s growing at the edge of the pavement.
Even that small shift can be quietly transformative.
Amanda x
