Extreme Simplicity - Christopher Nyerges
“Some people think I’m teaching for the apocalypse...how to get by. You probably could, if you take these classes. But I’m hoping we won’t have an apocalypse. If we change our behavior, and [learn how to] use less and work together better, we won’t have apocalypses.
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This week, I step away from my Skype interview setup to head out into the urban wild with Los Angeles-based survivalist (and National Geographic Doomsday Preppers alum) Christopher Nyerges, who has taught wild food foraging, wilderness skills, and ecology awareness to nature-starved urbanites for the past five decades. Christopher was the editor of the former Wilderness Way magazine, and is also a prolific writer, having authored thousands of articles and more than 20 books on the skills of self-reliance, including How to Survive Anywhere, Guide to Wild Foods and Useful Plants, Foraging California, and Extreme Simplicity: Homesteading in the City.
In many ways, that latter title could serve as the theme of his life's work, as I learned in this forthright conversation with Christopher about our societal obsession with money, his School of Self-Reliance, and what’s driven him to live a (some might say, though I wouldn’t) radically spartan, even off-grid existence in a city where materialism seems to know no bounds. I also got a literal taste of Christopher’s vast wild food knowledge, thanks to the accompanying edible plant walk he took me on in Pasadena’s Hahamongna Watershed Park.
Here’s the breakdown of the show:
My edible wild plant walk with Christopher, and how to avoid poisonous plants
His experience being homeless and living as a squatter in LA
Christopher’s wilderness/survival classes
“Food was sacred”: Growing up not wasting anything in a family of six kids
Why Christopher chose the path of minimalism
Writing Extreme Simplicity and living off-grid for 20 years in the Highland Park neighborhood of LA
Modern-world clutter versus owning things that have purpose
Christopher’s thoughts on the apocalypse
Bukowski and death: “[My] focus on death isn’t about death; it’s about life”
What we can learn from tribal peoples about functioning as a communal society
Christopher’s thoughts on the future of cities
You can learn more about Christopher’s classes, special events and writings on The School of Self-Reliance website as well as on Facebook. See links to a few of his most popular books, below!
If you enjoyed this show, subscribe on iTunes so you don’t miss the next one (and don’t forget to leave a rating and review). The theme music is by Paul Damian Hogan. Want to chime in on this episode or have an idea for a future show? Connect with me via my Instagram page, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
