Foraging
- Daley
- May 17, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 1, 2022
Many of us are taught that wild plants and mushrooms should be considered 'weeds,' but have you ever stopped to thing what the real difference between these plants and 'non-weeds' really is? A history of colonization and commodification of our food system has left much of the diversity in our native ecosystems behind!
“For some, to forage on the land is to see possibility. In what untrained eyes see as walls of undifferentiated green, they can find sustenance…collectors’ items…and links to their heritage" (NYTimes).
The "Picture This" app (available for free on the App Store) allows you to take a photo of any plant to identify it. This app is a great way to reinstate some of our 'lost' native knowledge and even to find out about the variety of food, flavor, and medicinal uses for plants that you may walk by every day!
Note: when opened, this app displays a page asking for you to pay $29.99/year for a membership, DO NOT hit "Continue," instead HIT "Cancel" in small print in the top right corner for access.
You can also use the free iNaturalist app, which is for more than just plant identification, or look up "Plant Identification" in the app store.
Not sure where to get started in terms of foraging? Here's a link to Seven Basic Rules of Foraging: https://thegoodliferevival.com/blog/foraging-rules
Did someone say FREE FORAGING TOUR?! 'Wildman' Steve Brill is all about teaching about, as he says, "many common, overlooked, renewable wild edible and medicinal plants and mushrooms that people often destroy as 'weeds.'"
NYC Tour locations: Alley Pond Park (Oakland Gardens/Douglaston, Queens), Bronx River Pathway (Bronxville, Bronx), Central Park (Manhattan), Forest Park (Parkside/Kew Gardens, Queens), Fort Greene Park (Brooklyn), Inwood Hill Park (Manhattan), Marine Park (Flatbush/Flatlands, Brooklyn), Morningside Park (North Manhattan), Prospect Park (Brooklyn).
The suggested donation is $20, but NO ONE is turned away for lack of funds. Book a tour. His list of edible native plants: https://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/plants
His list of edible native mushrooms with an 'Essentials' guide and 'Cooking/Recipes' guides: https://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/mushrooms
The NYTimes long-time discontinued 'Urban Forager' series by Ava Chin dives in depth into edible plant foraging in NYC for: Mulberries, Reishi Mushrooms, Maitake Mushrooms, Epazote, Amaranth, Sweet Wineberry, Juneberries, Dryad's Saddle Mushrooms, Blue Spruce, and Ramps! Each plant has its own article, detailed descriptions, and recipe inspiration!
In need of a guide? Check out this Guide to Edible Plants and Fungi of New England where you can search for plants by name, use, growth type, or harvest season. I suggest checking out plants by harvest season and familiarizing yourself with a few native species that may grow near you or you can plant yourself!
6 edible plants you can forage for in New York City: Mugwort, Garlic Mustard, Dandelions, Cattails, Wild Blackberries, and Ramps. Hit the link for more info!
Need some inspiration? Alexis Nikole is a Columbus, OH based foraging and environmental science enthusiast who uses her Instagram and Tiktok as platforms to teach and learn about wild food!
You can also check out this NYTimes article called 'How Black Foragers Find Freedom in the Natural World,' features insight from Alexis and several other Black foragers.
The Swale Barge is "floating food forest built atop a barge that travels to public piers in New York City welcoming visitors to harvest herbs, fruits and vegetables for free" and was founded in 2016. "Since 2016, Swale has hosted 205,000 visitors, over 800 guided tours, 75 school field trips, 50 free public programs and 38 Summer Youth Employees!" It is currently under renovation to become a PERMANENT floating park, but plans to reopen this summer! Check their Instagram and Website for updates and other projects, like the Foodway at Concrete Plant Park in the Bronx that allows community foraging for edible/medicinal plants!
For community members able to spend:
More interested in education yourself on edible plants? Join the New York Mycological Society for a yearly fee of $20 to join their in the city walks focusing on documenting biodiversity.
Sources:
Comments