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Celebrating 20 years of Plant Passion

Posted by Céline ⚘ on November 17, 2021

A lifelong journey with plants Anato Skincare

In October of 2021, I joined the 30s club. This was an opportunity to reflect on everything that has gotten me where I am today. In the 'journal' below I share some of the highlights of my journey studying plants and how Anato came to be. [Easier to read on DESKTOP]

I was diagnosed with an immune deficiency right around ten. Herbal remedies and a nutritional shift cured me. This was the beginning of my fascination with plants. I spent the rest of my childhood foraging, making herbal concoctions, learning folk remedies, reading about agroecology and seeking mentors in ethnobotany.

While my passion for herbalism grew stronger it was a little too 'niche'. I set off to study Plant Science at Cornell University... My experiences in college shaped my determination to uncover the best way to 'feed the world' sustainably.

Alongside my Plant Science studies, I volunteered on countless farms to better understand how to harness the power of nature through biomimicry. In 2013, I got a grant to attend a Permaculture conference in Cuba. I met world leaders in holistic gardening and discovered 'food forests' .

2011-2014 My week-ends in college were spent exploring ecology in all its forms. I got summer jobs managing 15 campus gardens, counting seeds and collecting lily data in the university greenhouses.

2011-2014 I began teaching kids about plants + compost. My senior year I became a visiting scholar at MIT to study hydroponics. I quickly realized that I was more interested in studying plants in their natural surroundings.

Eager to gain a better understanding of forest ecosystems, I pursued a Masters in Environmental Change & Management at University of Oxford.

I undertook my fieldwork on Hawai'i to study indigenous agroforestry systems and cutting edge forest restoration practices. My week-ends were spent foraging wild edibles and creating funky dishes from perennial plants. Summer 2016 I received my Permaculture Design Diploma in Portugal. I measured lots of trees!

I took a gap year and I set off on a surf & sailing trip around the world with my brother. This is when the zero waste voyage was born. Some highlights from my travels included planting moringa trees in Brazil and observing a diversity of perennial edible landscapes.

I moved to Santa Cruz, CA and discovered the incredible kelp forests and giant sequoias. Anato was founded in 2018. One year later I refined Anato's mission to elevate the social capital of trees.

My passion for trees keeps growing...

THANK YOUs — First and foremost I must thank my loving parents for facilitating my plant journey and supporting my passion in so many ways. Thank you to my herbal & nutrition mentor, Jeanne-Lyse, who concocted the herbal remedy that got me back on my feet. Thank you Susan, who helped me shape my passion on paper and connect the dots of my interests. You are greatly missed. Thank you, my parter Christian, for exploring novel ecosystems and plants with me for the last 10 years ! Our self-sustained Hawai'i expedition deep in the Waimanu Valley is one of my favorites. Thank you to all the passionate professors like Marvin and Becky who taught me how to conduct science. Thank you to all the friends I've made while getting my hands dirty in the soil — thank you for letting me stay in your eco-village, on your farm, and in your tree house! A final thank you to all the other mentors that I've met in person or who teach me from afar through books.

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