We live in an age where many of us depend upon supermarkets for our food, and mass production for all of our possessions. This system is not only bad for the environment, but it also serves to alienate us from the natural world and the part we play in it.
Going out and looking for wild food and useful plants is not only useful for the things you can eat and make - it also offers a simple way for ordinairy folk living in cities to reconnect with the source of their food. Perhaps when we make the connection between the seasons and our food, the available natural materials and man-made products, then we will begin to make better informed decisions, both for our health and the health of our environment.
Unlikely. Wild food growing on public land is not something that can easily be gathered in economically viable quantities. Most foragers quickly realise that the fruit provided by one tree is more than a single person can manage, and it simply doesn't make sense to gather more than you can use, or more than the environment can support.
Our aim is not provide a database for people to go out and harvest plants for themselves, but to encourage people to go out together to gather and learn about wild plants. We hope that this website will provide a graphical demonstration of the abundance of useful wild plants growing around us, and encourage us to re-engage with our local environment in a positive way. Please forage responsibly.
If you would rather no-one else knew about the location of your favourite damson tree then that is fine, you do not have to enter the plant into the database. But think about whether you would rather eat its fruits alone or share them with friends.
When I started out foraging I once went out in the autumn to collect Elderberries. I was enjoying myself so much that when I got back in I was surprised to find that 2 hours had passed. I had arranged to meet a friend for lunch, and so I left the berries in the kitchen with the intention of using them later to make some cordial. It wasn't until the end of the weekend that I remembered about the big bowl of berries, and by that time they had spoiled and couldn't be used for anything. If I had spent just 1 hour outside collecting the berries I would have had half as much, but at least I would have had time to make something with them rather than just scattering them as seed.
I guess that this is a good lesson to learn - always use wild food plants when they are fresh and never gather more than you can use
Many plant and trees grow edible berries as part of their life cycle, and it is actually good for the plant for them to be eaten when ripe. However, if we harvest all of the berries and don't return the seed to the ground that plant will not be able to produce more for future picking.
Some plants will benefit from having their neighbours harvested, so think about the long term effects of your foraging when you are collecting. Sustainable foraging means managing wild resources, not exploiting them.
There are plenty of wild plants that can make you sick or seriously ill. Even some edible plants contain parts which are poisonous, so it is important that you know what is safe to use.
The best advice is to only collect plants for which you are certain of their identification - it is worth investing in a good plant key that is specific to your local area. If you find a plant that is reported safe but you have never used it before, it is a good idea to try it only in very small quantities until you are sure that you do not have a personal reaction against it
If you ever do have the misfortune to make yourself ill from wild plants you have collected you will learn your lesson quickly. But it is wise to heed the warnings of others who have gone before you - be careful!
This depends upon the laws of your country.
The best I can do is point you towards information regarding the legal situation in the UK :
Generally speaking it appears that foraging for pleasure, education, or non-commercial purposes is legal provided you are not causing a nuisance to the landowner.