Foraging with Atom & Luna

During our rehearsal and R&D process we were supported by our Forager in Residence, Lora Aziz.  Lora took us foraging, helped us create the character and world of Old Mother Redbeard and led workshops. 

Here she shares her top 5 tips to become an expert forager just like Old Mother Redbeard. 

Foraging asks you to slow down, to pause and look. These 5 tips will help you develop the skills to gather wild plants, as it is important you are 100% sure of your identification before you pick and that you care for the environment you go picking from.

·      There is a responsibility that comes with gathering wild plants. When learning to forage, it is best to start with the mindset of ‘first, take care’. This applies to yourself, as well as the landscape. This means take a pair of gardening gloves to pick from thorny bushes and some scissors to cut away exactly what you need.

 Always leave plenty for the birds and bees, never taking too much from one area.

·      Before you set off, it’s also a good idea to do a little background research into the area you plan to forage in. Foraging is permitted in the vast majority of public spaces, including parks, beaches, nature reserves, woodlands and hedgerows, with one important note: it’s illegal to uproot a plant without permission from the landowner or occupier.

·      Be mindful of areas that are near busy roads exposed to exhaust fumes, or popular dog walking spots.

·      Go out regularly and pause by easily recognisable plants that you may already know like blackberries, nettles or rose hips. They are a great place to start.

There are always new things to learn and try whilst you’re waiting to pick blackberries- consider how you could use fresh bramble (blackberry bush) leaves in spring, the rose petals that come before rose hips or the nettle seeds that come in late summer rising high above nettle tops.  All of these things have different edible and medicinal components and can be enjoyed just as much as the more familiar parts of these plants!

·      If you are not sure of something, or don’t know where to start, try learning the names of plants right on your doorstep.

Spend time observing and going out from time to time without picking straight away. Make mental notes, or start a journal and bring plants into your foreground one stage at time. Maybe the shoots you are looking for are masked in the ground and easily confused with lookalike species. Don’t rush - wait a few weeks for the stem to shoot up or the flower to arrive, watch how it grows, learn of its surroundings, or note which trees it grows under.

·      Going out in a group can help too, as different people hold different information, and we all learn at different rates. It isn’t necessary to always have a foraging leader by your side. Go at your own pace.