My mission: To know the land, like the back of my hand.
I gotta explore it's an absolute must, gotta start with what I know, and expand outwards from there :) Might as well share my experiences with other curious individuals.
- My day begins early, after class I call a friend. We decide the local preserve is our destination. So.....Upon arriving at the forest I take my shoes off, for some close and personal time with my land. Some of you maybe asking, "my land" am I some sorta native american or something? The answer is NO. I have zero relation to Native Americans, or any indigenous culture.
being born in this region. Makes it my land.
So perspectively: We are all "Natives"
Some are interested in foraging to survive. I'm interested in foraging to live. What does that mean? I'm sick of our culture being fine with individuals & whole businesses taking advantage of life as we know it. Taking anything(including humans) and everything to then flip it for a price.
No one raised me to love the ground beneath my feet.
No one raised me to be a forager.
No one raised me to walk barefoot anywhere.
What I was raised to do was drench my body in chemicals without asking why.
What I was raised to do was take food into my body that has been shipped across oceans and mountains.
What I was raised to do was to find a occupation I love, no matter if it exploits other living creatures or not.
STARTING BASIC:
- Start simple. Find the familiar.
- Take Mental notes, maybe physical ones too.
- When your ready, begin investigating unknown common species.
- Ingest at your own rate! Be cautious! ****some plants can be eaten raw, while others require being cooked!****(Beware of Look-a likes, some are poisonous all together!)
- Compile your own foraging guide. Personalize it to you. (Put drawings/photos, recipes, instructions, background information.) Anything you want!
With a friend, I walked around a local forest called "Van Horn Woods". I found clovers, dandelions, catsears, snail shells, unknown mushrooms, & oak nuts.
I was unable to find chives at Van Horns like I did at West Park.The numerous dead snail shells all over Van Horns was shocking to me. I've never seen an actual wild snail shell. It dawned on me. I don't know anything about snails. Nor have I ever really been encouraged to know anything about them.
Where are they to be found? What does it mean to be a snail?
You maybe asking yourselves whether or not you know anything about them. So I think in the future i'll dedicate a whole day to snails and mushrooms. :)
 Clover  Unknown mushrooms, in need of identification!
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| Oak Nut |
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