FORAGING

Foraging along the hedgerows in late summer and autumn is among my fondest childhood memories. Still nothing quite beats scoffing on an abundance of blackberries down country lanes. Such simple delights like how to find and identify free and healthy food, however, can be easily taken for granted.

With fewer and fewer wild spaces for people to roam and enjoy, coinciding with readily available supermarket supplies, today’s generations have less opportunity, and less motivation to learn valuable skills such as foraging. For example, a recent survey revealed that 78% of British children do not know how blackberries grow. Meanwhile, other reports indicate that we rely on just 15 crop plants to meet most of our nutritional needs, despite up to 300,000 potentially edible plant species around the world.

The practice of gathering wild plants, fungi, seaweeds, and other natural resources brings numerous benefits; from opening a world of new flavours and medicinal properties, connecting us with and fostering a deep appreciation of nature and the seasons, easing the burden of rising food costs, encouraging our self-sufficiency, and reducing our reliance on an unstable food system. Current industrialised agricultural practices are also a leading driver of habitat loss, pollution, and climate change, and by keeping traditional knowledge alive this may be part of the solution to building a resilient and sustainable future.