About us

WHAT IS WORTH THINKING ABOUT, worth knowing about, and worth sharing with others? We want to publish what matters to us and you — and to us these are contributions of all kinds that address what matters now for later, whether it be in the zones of nature, society, culture, science, politics, or elsewhere.

The publication, The Journal of Wild Culture, and its organization, The Society for the Preservation of Wild Culture (SPWC), grew out of founder Whitney Smith’s experience of foraging for wild foods and selling them to chefs in hotels and restaurants. So, food and nature and our relationship to the untamed are subjects close to our hearts. But there is much that can be seen through the wild culture bifocal lens where wild and culture appear together — contradictorily and harmoniously — at the same moment. That's where you come in.

Much is spinning out of control, and it's often the job of humans to see if what is getting too wild can be brought back into balance. The Journal of Wild Culture wants to be part of the discussions and stories that are at the center of this rebalancing work. For us, one aspect of it is what we call ‘new future practice’: how we can live today for a future that is morally and physically sustainable.

We are based in Toronto, inviting members, contributors and volunteers from everywhere into a stimulating, playful, and moving exploration that navigates the edge . . . between the inner and outer landscapes . . . between wild and culture.

For more information on how to join our community of contributors to The Journal of Wild Culture, go to our Submissions page.

The beginning of wisdom is the ability to call things by their right names.

      — Confucius

Image by Ric/Simon.