James Wong of Grow Your Own Drugs coming to Eden
October 21, 2009
Top TV presenter James Wong from BBC2’s Grown Your Own Drugs is coming to talk at the Eden Project on Friday October 30.
In the highly-rated show aired earlier this year he cooked up home-made herbal remedies to offer an alternative to over- the- counter medicines for a variety of common ailments as well as some great beauty fixes.
James has made his name as an ethnobotanist – a scientist who studies how people use plants in many different ways.
James has joined BBC1’s Countryfile team and was also one of BBC4/2’s Fossil Detectives. He has appeared on Gardeners’ World, The Alan Titchmarsh Show and BBC Breakfast.
James is half Malaysian and was born in Singapore. He spent most of his childhood growing up in the jungles of Borneo and other parts of South East Asia. His grandmother used to teach him about traditional medicines and this is where James’s passion for plants originated – a passion that would see him travel the world in search of new plants and their fascinating uses.
James was trained to Masters level at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, and graduated with distinction. He went on to work at BGCI the world’s largest plant conservation network, where he transformed information from botanical journals into engaging and relevant stories for the press, education projects and conferences as well as contributing to scientific journals.
Carolyn Trevivian, Eden’s Friends Manager, said: “We are really looking forward to James’s visit. He recently visited Eden to record for his next series so he knows the project well.
“His passion and untamable sense of adventure are infectious. He is a unique blend of explorer, anthropologist, gardener and ethnobotanical adventurer.
“We do hope you will be able to join us for this exciting and unique event with James at Eden. Tickets are limited so do book early to avoid disappointment!”
Tickets cost £15 each (students £7.50) from Carolyn Trevivian, Eden Project, Bodelva, St Austell PL24 2SG. Telephone 01726 811910 or email ctrevivian@edenproject.com.
