Country diary: A day in the life of a man going feral
I'm woken early by starlings frantically ferrying food to their squawking chicks in my bedroom wall. To live in an ancient cottage is to be close to the wild, with the weather permeating the daub plaster and creatures coming and going. This morning I have more in common with the starlings than just my home, as I must also head out to forage. I am midway through the wild biome project, a research initiative studying the effects of consuming a wild diet for three months, with a focus on the gut microbiome.
I'd like to describe the exercise as a gentle rewilding, but in reality it's more jarring than that, like turning feral. My body and mind are reverting to an ancestral blueprint, while modern life continues about me with its bemusing artifice. Happily, hunger trumps such philosophical thoughts. The day begins with a broth of braised venison, three-cornered leek, watercress and St George's mushrooms, jewelled with glistening discs of fat.
The first month was a challenge, but my body, tastes and, more importantly, my gut bacteria have altered, transforming my perception of breakfast from a greasy bowl to a satisfying meal. To further my appreciation, I remember that I'm not eating roadkill fox or polecat today, two profoundly musty meats that I have no intention of revisiting.
Topped up with soup, I follow the starlings into the verdant landscape that has become my ever-evolving larder. The lane verges are tall with vegetation now, and where I once searched for hogweed shoots, I now pick their bulging flower buds while lamenting the passing of lady's smock, which lent a welcome kick to my simple food.
As the available ingredients alter, so does my gut biome, affecting me physically, mentally and emotionally. Changed though I am, this project is still a challenge. Survival is not a problem, but to thrive there must occasionally be sumptuous variety, so tonight I feast. I sit down to a plate of sweet-fleshed signal crayfish from the stream, crispy acorn fritters and roasted hogweed buds seasoned with wild garlic salt. For once I am sated, and, thinking of my early alarm call, retire to bed noisily in a mild act of neighbourly retribution.
Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at guardianbookshop.com and get a 15% discount
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