Keeping in mind a few simple guidelines on your foraging adventures will add joy to your finds. Feel secure in the knowledge you have foraged with safety and respect with these foraging guidelines.
Foraging Guidelines:
► Check the laws concerning foraging that apply to your state. It is illegal to forage in national parks; you will need a permit to forage on crown land.
► Do not trespass. Ask for permission before entering private property.
► Acknowledge the traditional owners of the land upon which you forage.
► Avoid areas you know that have been sprayed with pesticides or exposed to other pollutants such as council verges or reclaimed industrial sites. Herbs are nutrient-rich as they can draw nutrients from the soil – the good and the bad.
► Be 100% sure you know what you are picking. Some plant are poisonous and potentially fatal. Cross-check with at least two authoritative sources (books, websites).
► Know which parts are non-toxic and how to use them. Self-education and education of others are at the core of respectful foraging.
► Forage only plants that grow in abundance.
► Never strip or denude a plant. Take a little, not a lot. Leave plenty for wildlife, other foragers and for the plant to reproduce and provide you with a bounty the following year.
► Do not harvest the roots of the plant.
► Only harvest cadmium and bark from felled trees.
► Only forage vibrant, healthy-looking plants.
► If a plant is endangered – leave it be.
► Do not damage the plant. Use a knife, scissors or secateurs to help minimise damage.
► Do not damage the environment surrounding foraged plants. Leave no trace.
► When tasting a new wild edible only chew on a very small amount, just in case you react to it.