Plant Stories | Featuring Kristy Bredin

This week’s Plant Stories episode features the marine herbalist, purveyor of seaweeds, and founder of Mermaid Botanicals, Kristy Bredin. With a passion for exploration, wildcrafting, and utilizing the medicinal plants of the Pacific Northwest, Kristy found herself drawn to the eldest marine ancestors of all botanicals we know today, seaweeds! We sit down with Kristy and learn about her journey that began through apprenticeships with wise herbalists who embarked her on her journey into the vast ocean of herbalism, wildcrafting, and seaweed activism. Kristy shares with us her profound knowledge of the ancient history of seaweeds, responsible seaweed harvesting practices, utilizing seaweeds as plant medicine, and even her recipe for kelp pickles!

As always, we truly hope you enjoy today’s Herbal Radio episode, thank you for tagging along with us for this marine botanical adventure!

Kristy Bredin began her journey as an herbalist in 2009, when she began a two-year apprenticeship with herbalist Robin Rose Bennett in New York. Over the years she has studied clinical herbalism with Chanchal Cabrera, Paul Bergner, Matthew Wood, and Margi Flint. For the last decade, she has worked with Ryan Drum, wildcrafting medicinal herbs and cultivating an in-depth knowledge of traditional Western herbalism and local plants and seaweeds. Since 2013 she has been sharing plant remedies of the Pacific Northwest through Mermaid Botanicals. Mermaid Botanicals now encompasses Ryan Drum’s Island Herbs since he retired from wildcrafting in 2019.

Kristy is passionate about exploring the natural world and working with wild plants in ancient and creative ways. She supports folks in re-engaging and integrating with their natural environment through wild plant medicine work. She currently offers classes locally and internationally on seaweeds, wild plants, and healing with herbs and is working on a book about seaweeds for health and healing: Marine Herbalism, to be published in 2029.

Learn more about Mermaid Botanicals here!

Click here to preorder a copy of Kristy’s book, Marine Herbalism!

Visit Kristy’s Seaweed Resource Page here!

Important – If you are interested in harvesting your own seaweeds, be sure to check the fish and wildlife regulations, limits, and permitting for recreational harvesting within your local area. Regulations and permits will vary from state to state, and there may be additional regulations or restrictions regarding beach access or harvesting on beaches that are part of State and National Parks.

Despite the fact that there are few reports of incidents of acute toxicity or poisoning related to seaweed consumption (see this article for a detailed review of seaweed poisoning cases), folks interested in foraging seaweeds should do their own research—consult with multiple field guides, seaweed books, reputable online resources, and/or local instructors to learn about safe and sustainable harvesting practices and how to properly identifying edible seaweeds in their area. Stick with easy-to-identify, known edible seaweeds as you embark on your intertidal explorations. Always harvest with caution and discernment—be aware of local potential contamination sources, such as off-shore sewage or waste-water disposal, industry, etc. Fresh-eating seaweeds is best avoided; rinsing (with clean fresh water or salt water), properly drying and storing, pre-soaking and discarding soak water, and cooking seaweeds before consuming are some practices that can help reduce potential contamination issues. Purchasing seaweeds from organic harvesters that properly process seaweeds and do regular testing for a range of contaminants is one of the best ways to limit the risk of consuming toxic or contaminated seaweeds.

Other sustainable harvesting recommendations, in addition to those mentioned in the podcast and those specific to local regulations: harvest no more than 10-25% of seaweeds in a stand and rotate harvest locations to give each site time to recover. Always use what you collect and never collect more than you can use.

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Strengthening the bonds between people and plants for a healthier world.

Mountain Rose Herbs
www.mountainroseherbs.com