The Wild Dispatch

Back in Episode 11 Ejler shared some memories of farm life on the rural island of Bonholm, Denmark. One story that really struck a chord was the existence of a food called Head-cheese, a magical substance created from the boiled remains of whatever comes out of the head of a pig. Never one to turn down a challenge, Robin provided the head of a wild boar the very next chance he had to harvest one. In this Episode Robin and Ejler rem...

Today we dive deep into the world of ancient culture with Tony Fair —A guy obsessed with figuring out how our ancestors scraped out a living in some truly wild environments. In this episode, we explore the intricate connections between nature, history, and art as Tony shares his experiences of discovering ancient petroglyphs (plus the occasional mushroom) and the stories they tell. 

Growing up on the run from the law, It was Tony&ap...

Today we are sitting down with writer and modern day explorer Riaan Manser. His adventurous journey began the day he decided to quit his job and go for a bike ride... around the entire continent of Africa. This was done without backup, and before personal gps and smartphones were in public circulation. Riaan has since become the holder of numerous world records: first to ride 42000km around Africa, first to lap the islands of Madag...

In this Episode Robin takes a seat with Monroe Robinson - author of 'The Handcrafted Life of Dick Proenneke' to chat all things wilderness living in Alaska: The relentless nature of maintaining a homestead and your gear in such a harsh environment, building a greater connection with nature and the sometimes tragic consequences that come with it. 

A big thankyou again to Monroe for sharing his time today. You can hear more ...

The fallow deer rut is an all-bows-blazing non-stop action-packed month that’s firmly marked in every South African bowhunter’s calendar. It’s a magical time that testosterone in the fallow population bubbles over and the thickets of the Eastern Cape descend into mating season mayhem. This episode we follow Robin from @thewilddispatch @williamdonian from Wellington Farms and Callum Methley from @kudu_hunt as he experiences the fall...

An immensely talented bowhunter-spearfisherman from South Africa –Jandre has been honing his skills since the age of 5.

Wherever you're from, when it comes to sourcing protein, there’s an easy way, and there’s hard way… Then there’s Jandre’s way.

An anomaly in the South African hunting community, Jandre hikes many kilometers deep into the mountains to areas with no roads, and no backup. Although he’s harvest...

Lama Nasser-Gammett and her husband Matthew are owners of The Forest People, and supply a large area of the Mendocino coast with cultivated mushrooms. 

Building their business from the ground up at a time when there was very little information available, they taught themselves exactly how to make mushrooms thrive in a controlled environment. Chefs and natural grocery stores appreciate their attention to details, knowing it’s the lit...

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 u...

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 hug...

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...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 Su...

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 ...

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 Den...

Henry Shires is the joint founder of Tarptent - an ultralight tent company based out of Nevada City California. A tinkerer by nature, when the world didn’t provide the ultralight gear Henry wanted, he just bought a sewing machine and made it himself. Little did he know this would be the beginning of an almost 25 year business…

This Episode’s got coming of age stories, adventures, learnings and some fascinating technical st...

Dave Holder has dedicated most his life to thriving in wild places. The Englishman now lives in Canada running expeditions and survival courses with his wife Brenda. He also spends four months of the year consulting for the TV show Alone, keeping it's participants and staff safe and informed in a variety of potentially dangerous environments. In this episode we hear how Dave fell in love with the outdoors and learned his skill...