How to forage for food

Foraging for morel mushrooms is a hobby fit for all ages. (Photo credit: Lindsay Coulter)

I grew up foraging for morel mushrooms, Saskatoon berries, wild blueberries, strawberries and raspberries in Alberta. On the West Coast now, I forage for salmonberries, blackberries and young stinging nettle.

For me, foraging is less about sustenance and more about time in nature with family and the thrill of seeking and finding -- and Grandma once made me a delicious wild blueberry pie! My family looked for morels in the spring -- my grandmother, Mom, my aunts and me. Last spring, my then two-year old son developed a killer eye for morels. It's a hobby for all ages.

If you're a city dweller or don't come from a lineage of gatherers, don't fret. You can take a foraging tour in a local city park. For example, Forager Foundation @ForagerFDN leads tours in the Vancouver area, ranked beginner to advanced. There might be similar tours or courses led by businesses, non-profits, Indigenous groups or parks where you live. (If so, please share below with a comment and link.)

Tips for foraging

Avoid poisonous or endangered plants -- purchase an identification guide to help you triple check the plant or fungi species you find.
Harvest only what you need.
Obey signage. Harvest away from parks and nature reserves. (For example, Metro Vancouver Parks asks people not to harvest chanterelle mushrooms in Pacific Spirit Park.)
Beware of pesticide- or herbicide-sprayed areas -- if you're collecting in ditches for example, watch for signs of spraying (brown vegetation) or call your local municipality.
Obey trail signs, tread lightly and try not to trample natural areas.
Learn animal track, scat and sign to see what else might be foraging in the area.
Take a tour and learn from experts.
Try new recipes.
To increase your chance of seeing wildlife in their natural habitat, leave your dog at home.
Start foraging in your backyard -- make dandelion salad!

Have you foraged? Why? What did you find?

Sincerely, Lindsay Coulter

A fellow Queen of Green

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