Where the Wild Things Are

Jeremy Budd fell in love with foraging at age seven, when he first joined his father for a search for pine mushrooms near their Sunshine Coast home. Foraging for seasonal, wild foods was a way of life that continues to this day—the passing of knowledge that has come down through generations on the Italian side of his family.

That knowledge became West Coast Wild Foods when, in his 20s, he met kindred spirit and co-founder Austin Glenn, who had grown up foraging in the Chilcotin. We recently spoke with Jeremy about the pleasures and responsibilities of wild food foraging.

British Columbia’s forests, meadows and mountains offer an incredible bounty of wild foods. And foraging, says Jeremy, is a lost pursuit becoming more popular as people’s desire grows to connect more with the natural environment.

“Knowledge of foraging goes back thousands of years, in every culture in the world. First Nations people have a lot of existing knowledge, and in European countries, foraging is part of their seasonal, traditional diet. It’s on the rise, again, as more people in younger generations are now interested in harvesting wild foods.

“It’s a way of connecting with the natural environment in a way that’s hard to find today, in anything we do. Usually, when people interact with a forest—hiking or mountain biking—it’s at a faster pace. Foraging is a different speed, incredibly slow and contemplative, and very important for people to really experience the outdoors in an intimate way. You also come to understand how everything is so interconnected and how everything we do has a consequence.”

How to Begin Foraging

• Do your homework. Visit your library or go online to learn more. The Vancouver Mycological Society is a great resource for mushrooms. www.vanmyco.org

• Find a knowledgeable guide or join a tour. Seasonal walks and tours are available throughout BC.

• Buy a field guide to identify plants.

Be Safe

Pick in verified pesticide-free areas.

• Wear appropriate clothing and footwear, ready for weather changes, rough terrain and dense brush.

• Know how to use a compass to safely return to your campsite or vehicle.

• Tell someone where you are going and the time of your return.

Never underestimate the power of plants. Do not eat or use anything until you are 100% sure it’s safe, especially if your health is challenged or you are pregnant.

Be Respectful

Wild food sustains and protects area wildlife and ecology.

• Leave the land in the same or better condition than when you arrived.

• Protect the site to encourage recovery:

Pick only what you can positively identify and use.

Do not dig up, rake or disturb the forest floor, break branches or remove or disturb moss.

• Be very careful with fires, butts, matches and lighters. Don’t leave your butts behind.

• Obey forest closures.

• Bring your garbage home, and if you see someone else’s garbage, take it out with you.

What to Gather

All the forests around us, of different ages and elevations, offer different wild plants, mushrooms or berries. Look for these finds to be discovered each season, depending on topography, rainfall and temperature.

1. EARLY SPRING

Fiddleheads, young dandelion greens, chickweed, skunk cabbage shoots, purslane, young nettles, wild garlic, blackberry shoots

2. LATE SPRING

Salmonberries, elderberries, morel mushrooms, wild asparagus, wild fennel, plantain, miner’s lettuce, sheep sorrel, elderflower

3. SUMMER

Blackberries, huckleberries, salal berries, Oregon grape berries, wild blueberries

4. FALL

Nuts, rosehips, bearberry (kinnikinnick), and mushrooms including oyster, pine, cauliflower, bear’s tooth, lobster, matsutake, shaggy mane, chanterelle, hedgehog and chicken of the woods

Where To Gather

Foraging is legal on Crown land and, by invitation and with a permit, on First Nations’ territories. Always ask permission before wandering on reserves or private land. Check your maps to make sure you are not inside a park.

It’s illegal to forage here:

✘ National and Provincial parks

✘ Defense lands

✘ Ecological and special reserves

✘ Recreation areas

First aid kit

Headlamp

Compass

Charged cell phone with good GPS

Food and water

Bear bell and bear spray

Breathable cloth bags for plants and mushrooms

Sharp knife with sheath

Spoon and brush to remove debris and stems

Gloves