Nicole Apelian

About

Biologist, anthropologist, herbalist, survival instructor, and author known for her appearance on the History Channel survival series Alone and for her bestselling books on herbal medicine and wild foods, including The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies, The Forager's Guide to Wild Foods, The Holistic Guide to Wellness, The Forgotten Home Apothecary, and Wilderness Long-Term Survival Guide. She is also the founder of Nicole's Apothecary and The Academy of Remedies.

Before Fame

She studied biology and ecology in college and earned her Ph.D. while conducting fieldwork with the San Bushmen of Southern Africa. She served as a Peace Corps game warden and field biologist in Botswana working on lion research in the Okavango Delta. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis around 2000 which encouraged her to turn toward holistic healing, plant medicine, and ancestral which shaped her future career as an author and educator. She appeared on Alone in 2016 during Season 2 and reappeared on the show in 2019. She published her first book The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies in 2019.

Trivia

She coached actors and consulted on wilderness realism for the film Leave No Trace in 2018. She survived 57 days alone on Vancouver Island during her first appearance on Alone. She has spent more than 20 years working with the San Bushmen learning traditional plant uses and cultural survival techniques.

Family Life

She grew up in Massachusetts where her stepfather fostered her love of nature by taking her hiking, canoeing, and birdwatching. She has two sons.

Associated With

She trained Ben Foster in wilderness skills for the movie Leave No Trace in 2018.