Brill gained notoriety during the 1980s when he was arrested for eating dandelions in New York's Central Park while giving a tour. That arrest won Brill numerous appearances on local, national and international TV news programs, and eventually led him to a hugely successful career as New York's best known naturalist.

Brill was even hired by the New York Parks Commissioner after the Central Park incident and has since appeared on many television shows, including the Food Network. In addition to segments on the National Geographic Channel, the Travel Channel, Late Night with David Letterman and others, Brill hosts the "Enquiring Naturalist" series on Public Access TV in New York, as well as the "Foraging with the Wildman" video series. Brill has also authored three books on the subject—"The Wild Vegetarian Cookbook," "Identifying and Harvesting Edible & Medicinal Plants in Wild and Not-So-Wild Places," and "Shoots and Greens of Early Spring."