A brief guide to ethical foraging
By Autumn Sevy
Photo by Carol Wd
An Ode To Wild Edibles
The smell of overripe blackberries perfumes Oregon air every August.
In spring, their older shoots send out spiny tendrils that cover the ground in green. In summer, their delicate white flowers transform into heavy curtains of dark purple fruits.
Sticky fingers and mouths stained with blue filled the summer months of my childhood.
The urban area where I live now is home to many wild edibles.
Pineapple weed explodes through cracks in the concrete while serviceberry grows tall in wetlands. You can find yarrow in almost every public park.
Start relationships with the plants around you by observing. Take note of the color of flowers, the shape of leaves and how their appearance changes every season.
It’s a special feeling to see the evolution of a wild berry from flower to fruit to a table shared with friends.
Foraging is a way to reconnect, decolonize and divest from cycles of overconsumption. Foraged food can be a great alternative to supermarket fruits and vegetables in areas that have limited access to fresh, nutritious produce.
This guide provides some basic knowledge and tools to forage ethically within urban spaces and wild areas.
Photo by Zen Chung
Know your local foraging laws
Depending on your state, foraging can be legal or illegal in government-owned areas. Anti-foraging laws have existed for Black, brown and Indigenous people since settlers colonized this country.
The National Park Service prohibits “possessing, destroying, injuring, defacing, removing, digging, or disturbing natural, cultural and archaeological resources from their natural state” unless a superintendent allows it.
In New York, foraging is illegal in state parks, although activists and public food projects are working hard to find ways around the law.
On the West Coast we are luckier with foraging laws in public spaces. In Oregon, it is legal to harvest small quantities of non-endangered wild foods for personal use.
Follow the law, but it is equally as important to follow equitable foraging practices. As a biracial Chinese American woman, I’ve gotten some strange looks in primarily white spaces, but knowing laws well can keep me safe. I forage with the knowledge of my privilege. For Black, brown and Indigenous people of color, foraging is a greater risk.
Recognize what is not yours to take. If you are not Indigenous, avoid culturally significant food to First Nations peoples, especially if it is not in abundance.
Never consume anything before identifying it
Many plants have poisonous look-alikes, so be sure of a plant before taking it home. I’d recommend starting with plants that are familiar and easily identifiable. Dandelion, rose hips, blackberries and stinging nettle are good places to begin if they’re in your area.
To identify a plant, check that each feature matches your guidebook or information source. Use all of your senses. I like to observe the plant in its habitat a few times before I harvest. Take note of branches, stems, leaves, flowers, fruit, hairs or thorns, seeds and fragrance.
It’s also important to know which parts of a plant are edible. For example, elderberry flowers and berries contain antioxidants that protect you against free radicals, but the leaves, stems, roots and branches are highly toxic.
Be prepared and bring helpful tools
Wear protective clothing that shields you from the sun and thorns, especially in non-urban areas. I always carry a pair of scissors alongside reusable bags and containers in my pack.
Foraging doesn’t have to be expensive. You don’t need a pruning knife the first time you go.
The one tool I do recommend investing in is a quality guidebook. Or, rent one from your local library!
Forage for invasive species before native ones
Invasive species reduce biodiversity, outcompete native plants and drastically alter native landscapes. Foraging can be a way to mitigate habitat loss and is a method of control for smaller spaces. When you’re foraging for invasive species, there’s no need to worry about the amount you collect.
Native species, on the other hand, require more care when harvested. Leave the first plant you see; it may be the only one in the area. Especially if you’re collecting berries, try to spread seeds as an act of gratitude.
When you harvest from native plants, never take too much from a single plant — forage for flowers, seeds, leaves and shoots before tubers and roots. Take care not to disturb or harvest from endangered edible species.
Start foraging in areas where you feel safe
Your urban neighborhood, a hiking spot you frequently travel to or your backyard are great places to start foraging. Just make sure you’re far enough away from highways with heavy traffic.
Gasoline, heavy metals and chemicals can contaminate areas near heavily used roads. Remember to be wary of parks and lawns that appear heavily manicured. Pesticides and herbicides are most likely used to create those spaces.
If you are especially concerned with food contamination, research has shown that metals are less present in the fruit and nuts of trees in urban spaces.
I strongly encourage always foraging with a friend for safety. Connections with other foragers will develop as you grow in your connection to your practice.
Photo by Viktor Mogilat
Other Foraging Resources
Falling Fruit: A foraging website that provides a global map of fruit trees and encourages users to share foraging locations in their area.
Pacific Northwest Foraging: A great foraging guidebook for those living in the Pacific Northwest. This is the book that I bring with me on my foraging walks. It’s simple but contains a lot of information on how to identify wild edibles and collect responsibly.
Alexis Nikole Nelson: Alexis Nikole is a wild food maker and foraging educator who shares her knowledge as @blackforager on Twitter and Instagram, and @alexisnicole on TikTok.
Picture This: A plant identification app that allows you to upload a photo of a plant to potentially identify it. I use this on my walks with any interesting looking plants I find, not just wild edibles. However, make sure you always corroborate anything you learn on the app with another source.
