Foraging can be defined as to search for, to identify, and to collect food; medicine; materials for tools that are sourced from nature. Humans have lived this method of surviving for about 90% of history, usually by the help of simple tools to collect fruit/leaves/seeds, to fish, or to hunt animals. Currently, only about 0.002% of total global population, or 250,000 people of hunter-gatherer communities who still depend their lives by foraging. They live mainly in marginal environments, such as deserts, the Arctic, and rain forests.
For most of people who live in modern societies, foraging is no longer the ideal way as a primary subsistence strategy, but rather a hobby, a lesson to learn about how foods are sourced, and a way to get them in touch closer to nature. Today, many green spaces have been converted to human habitations and agricultural lands, thus, we, who partake in harvesting from nature, must be aware of this natural degradation; and practice how to forage ethically, not only for the sake of environment but also for our own safety.
Here are 6 ethical foraging tips that you can follow:
- DO NOT TAKE TOO MUCH
One way for you to maintain the balance of the environment is to not over forage. Remember, the area where you forage is an ecosystem for other living beings. It is advised, not to harvest more than 1/3 part of a plant and from particular patch of plants. This is to ensure that there are still plants left in abundance for other animals that depend on the plants, for other foragers, and to let the plants or mushrooms still be able to reproduce. As an example, when wild mushrooms are harvested until there’s not one mushroom left, over and over in one location, this will decrease or get rid of the mushroom’s next generation availability, in the future. So, if you notice plants and mushrooms are limited and have thinned out in one location, it’s best to leave them.
As a forager, it is also important to educate yourself which species of plants are considered rare and still abundant in your area. Don’t let your foraging activities contribute further to the scarcity of those species. Here’s a few list of plants that are considered rare in Indonesia 11 tumbuhan langka di Indonesia
2. RESPECT AND PROTECT THE NATURE
When you enter the area where you forage such as the woods or shrubby fields, make sure not to cause damage as much as possible. For instance by treading gently and carefully on your path, to prevent plants and critters get trampled on. No need to chop tree branches and shrubbery to get your way to the targeted plants. Try looking for another alternative path or look elsewhere. Last but not the least important one is not to leave your trash there. Respect the land where you forage, so when you leave, it’s still as good as when you entered it.
3.FORAGE IN UNPOLLUTED AREA
Avoid harvesting plants from polluted places such as roadsides, landfills or waste dumps, industrial areas, and around pesticide-sprayed crops – all places that contain lots of contaminants. Many plants are hyperaccumulators, the ones capable to absorb heavy metals in the soil which can be a potential hazard to your health.
4. DO NOT TRESPASS
Foragers feel compelled to approach green areas, however in most places, the green and abandoned lots are either private properties or perhaps protected areas to preserve their biodiversities. Although in many cases, undeveloped land owners in certain residential areas are tolerant or do not care about presence of foragers, we should not trespass fenced lands and/or cause damages to their landscapes. If you are not sure whether you are welcomed to enter the area or not, you can ask the locals or check the regulation of the area.
5. KNOW PROPERLY WHAT YOU FORAGE
One important aspect for foragers to follow is to identify properly before you harvest plants you’re about to forage. From a safety perspective, it can be dangerous for you to consume plants that you are unsure of, since there are many poisonous plants and mushrooms that have similarities to edible ones.
You should not harvest any plant or mushroom that you haven’t been able to identify, unless you need them for observation and identification. Nowadays, most of us have gadgets which can be useful for taking pictures of unknown flora species and connecting with other foragers on social media, like Facebook, who may have more informations about them. There are also many free apps that can help you to identify plants from pictures, as in the following list 9 best plant identification app choices of 2020.
From my personal experience, an app and information from foraging community on social media are helpful but sometimes not always 100% accurate, so a simple follow-up research via Google are needed for you to ensure its identity, edibility, and contents. Remember, always identify a plant by its Latin name first, common name of a plant may vary in different regions and/or be used for several other plants. Latin name stays unique for each species and may lead you to more valid information.
As a forager, you are solely responsible for your own safety each time you choose to consume your wild harvested plants. So be mindful not to blame any community or anyone else if identification or edibility doesn’t match the information you get. Each person may also react differently to wild plants or mushrooms, even though they may be safe for anyone else when consumed. Your research and execution skills are really put to the test in this identification process.
are very helpful for a more accurate identification process
6. USE THE RIGHT CONTAINER
Mesh bags and baskets with small holes at the bottom are recommended containers for you foragers who adhere to responsible foraging principles. Especially for good mushroom hunters surely understand that spore dispersal is very much important to sustain mushroom regenerations in the area, ensuring its future availability for the ecosystem. Not only to let the spores falling to the ground but also to let small insects carried away, having a chance to free themselves.
Foraging gives different experiences and unique benefits for each individual to find. These considerations, hopefully, will help you to have a pleasant foraging experiences while still keeping in mind the sustainability of the ecosystem where you forage.
Take care of your surroundings and have a peaceful foraging time!
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