Steve Brill

Steve Brill
Born New York City, New York
Occupation Naturalist
Years active 1981 to present
Known for New York City park forager
Title "Wildman"
Website
http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/

Steve "Wildman" Brill is an American naturalist, environmental educator and author. He gained notoriety in 1986, when he was arrested in New York City's Central Park for eating a dandelion.

Education

Brill attended George Washington University and was a pre-med student who changed to psychology major midway through his studies and attended many of the university's botany courses.[1]

Career

Brill has been taking people on nature walks in New York's Central Park since 1981.[2] Brill says his tours had the approval of the parks department until they began refusing to issue him a weed-picking permit in 1983.[2] He is reported to be the foremost expert in New York City foraging and works with nature centers, schools and libraries to educate the public on foraging in New York City parks.[3]

He gained notoriety in 1986 when he was arrested by two undercover park rangers and charged with criminal mischief after allegedly eating a dandelion he picked in New York's Central Park.[2] Brill was released with a "desk-appearance ticket" pending trial.[4] According to Brill, the New York City Parks Department "dropped the charges and hired me to lead the same tours I was busted for" until a change in park administration in 1990.[5]

In 1994, Brill published his book: Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places which explains how to identify and forage for edible or medicinal plants.[6] In 2001, Brill published The Wild Vegetarian Cookbook: A Forager's Culinary Guide; a 500 recipe wild and natural foods cookbook.[7]

In 2011, Brill released an iPhone app called Wild Edibles with Winterroot, which gives information on "150 common North American plants".[8] They also created an Android version. Both applications feature edible plant photos and recipes.[9]

Personal life

Brill met his wife on one of his nature tours.[5] The couple have a daughter. The name "Wildman" came to him during Transcendental Meditation.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Clark, Kenneth (September 23 1985) "Wild Man", Chicago Tribune
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Harney, James (3 April 1986). "Don't Eat The Dandelions, Arrested Ecologist Ordered". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  3. ↑ Mathew, Kirsten (2012)The Man Who Ate New York: Wildman Steve Brill New York Post, retrieved March 26 2012
  4. ↑ Brill, Steve. "Wild Foods and the Environment". Raw Foods News Magazine. Archived from the original on 26 June 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Kharakh, Ben (August 13, 2007) The Wildman: Steve Brill, Naturalist Gothamist, retrieved March 26 2012
  6. ↑ Steve Brill; Evelyn Dean, (1994) New York : Hearst Books, retrieved March 26 2012
  7. ↑ Brill, Steve (2002) Boston, Mass. : Harvard Common Press retrieved March 26 2012
  8. ↑ Miller, Jenny (April 8, 2011) Plants App Hits iPhones Grubb Street New York, New York magazine, retrieved March 26, 2012
  9. ↑ Driver, Blake (October 31 2011)Pick Pockets Time (Vol. 178, No. 17|2011)

External links