Did you know?
- Foraging for your own food and medicine helps limit your carbon footprint and maintain the environment.
- When foraging plants for food, drinks, skincare or medicine it is essential to do so with integrity and environmental health in mind
- Know WHERE you are foraging – to avoid pollution from vehicles, pee from passing animals…and private property. When foraging in public spaces, a good rule of thumb is 50ft in from roadways, with 100ft being even better.
- Know WHAT you are foraging – a rule of thumb is that if you don’t know what you are picking, leave it be. But there are great apps and field guides that can help you confidently identify plants. Zoe Devlin’s book ‘The Wildflowers of Ireland’ is a very good resource in helping identify plants accurately.
- Know WHY you are picking plants. This comes down to the fact that just because nature is free, doesn’t mean we get to take what we want. If you are foraging, have a plan for what you are going to use the plants you take for ie food, medicine, nourishment. Remember that wildlife relies on plants for food, so they always get first dibs!
- Bring your tools with you – gloves to protect you from stings and thorns, snips or scissors so you can take a little of what you need without tugging on and damaging the plant or tree, and a basket or trug to carry your bounty home.
- Take only the top 6 inches so you will help ensure the plant will continue to flourish. If you take the root then the plant won’t grow back.
- Take only a little of what you need. A good guideline is to take only 10% and 30% of the plant you are foraging. If you are taking leaves just take one or two from each branch
- Here are some safe local plants to try:
– Dandelion leaves packed with vitamins A,C & K
– Daisies wonderful for digestive system and also help fight colds
– Wild strawberries good for the heart and also helps digestion
– Wild garlic contains vitamins A, C, Calcium & Iron
- When you get home with your foraged plants you have a few jobs to do, like washing, storing and using the plants you have taken. In most cases, wild plants will wilt quickly so if you leave them in the basket for a day or two, they’ll go to waste so by working with them quickly – to make teas, oils, butters or adding them to your food, you get to benefit from the most potent, freshest goodness in the plant.
11. Feebee Foran is a nature enthusiast and experienced forager. She creates skincare and healing products using all natural and locally foraged plants and herbs. Find out more at www.forager.ie and on Instagram @forager.ie
