Pick Up? Put Down? The Ecological Benefits and Downfalls of Foraging

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a surge of interest in the practice of foraging as home-bound people around the world turned to outdoor activities to keep themselves occupied in quarantine. This interest spurred from a justified impulse to get out from our four walls into the coverage of trees. However, this begs the question: is foraging as environmentally friendly as it seems?  

The act of foraging for one’s own food dates back milenia, when the nomadic hunter-gatherers ancestors foraged for sustenance as well as other herbs to remedy ailments. This practice created the foundation for what we know today as alternative medicine, or herbalism. Nowadays, people will forage in an effort to find their own wild foods, while others enjoy the act of exploring and getting closer to nature. 

There are many health benefits to collecting wild herbs in both urban and rural areas. In fact, there are many plants that have considerable nutritional and medicinal value that normally are avoided by those who are unaware of their properties. One example of this would be pennywort, also known as Dollarweed. Although it is seen as a pest plant or “weed”, it has actually been used in Asian medicinal practices for centuries due to its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. With the proper education about wild plants, one could be introduced to a vast number of medicinal plants right in their own backyard. Yet, overharvesting these plants can lead to detrimental consequences for the environment. 

According to researchers, it is important to take into account the species, quantity taken, location taken from, date collected, and the technique used to collect the species to determine if one’s foraging practice is sustainable. This is because a certain species that is being collected might be endangered and/or protected in the area where it is being collected. This would make it not only illegal to remove the plant from the area or harm it, it would also have a negative impact on the surrounding ecosystem, especially if it is essential to the food chain from where it is being harvested. 

The amount of a species collected is also imperative to sustainable foraging as overharvesting can be devastating for the ecosystem. The amount of a specific species collected, coupled with the location and the date when the species was gathered, is important information to obtain when foraging because the chosen species may be more scarce in one location than the other. Collecting information on the gathered plant is important to give the species population time to bounce back after harvesting. It could be beneficial to have several different forging locations and alternate between them throughout the year to allow each spot to heal after being foraged. 

It is important to remember that foraging cannot be a practice that everyone in the world takes part in according to the laws of supply and demand. With nearly 8 billion people on the planet, we would devastate ecosystems and deplete almost all natural resources. 

There is no need to look far and hard to learn more about foraging. On Instagram, @misswondersmith is a great resource for learning how to forage in a sustainable way. They also offer a variety of recipes that are made with seasonal, foraged ingredients that may open one’s mind to a variety of new flavors and cooking techniques that can make foraging a fun and rewarding experience. 

Before going out and foraging, one must remember that the area where he or she lives may have laws that protect certain species of plants or fungi or they may require a person who is foraging to have a permit. It is important to check with one's local government or state government to determine what the laws are. It is also beneficial to be aware of what species one is collecting since there are many poisonous plants and fungi that may look like an edible plant. Plant and fungi identification books, as well as plant identification apps, such as PictureThis, can assist with identifying the specimen in which one is foraging. 

By following these guidelines, we can ensure that we maintain the integrity of the ecosystems that are all around us while foraging so we can continue to appreciate them for generations to come.