Every summer the topic of foraging for food in the wild arises. While we often are hiking and camping in areas with a plethora of edibles, like wild blueberries, we refrain from picking them.

Why?

Well it is simple – we like to leave the berries for the bears, birds and other wild animals. We can easily go to a store and buy what we need to survive. It is not so easy for the wildlife especially with habitats shrinking.

There is another issue. If we pick the berries to take home, we also take the seeds with us. This means the plant has less opportunity to propagate unless you are “leaving” them in the woods, if you know what I mean. Birds often eat the berries and “leave” the seed elsewhere, which allows the plants to spread and provide food year after year. Bears need a lot of food and things like berries are an important part of their diet.

If you do not feel the way we do and you decide to pick wild edibles here are a few guidelines.

• be cautious of wildlife, especially bears
• only take what you will eat while you are in the woods
• make sure you are positive that what you are taking is not poisonous
• it is illegal to uproot the plants in Canadian wilderness parks
• make sure you have permission and observe picking limits
• don’t pick fruit if the plant looks unhealthy
• don’t pick fruit that has signs of mould
• keep a bit of what you have picked aside in case you get sick
• don’t let children pick wild edibles without supervision
• don’t pick mushrooms unless you are expert at their identification
• wash the edibles well before eating