Forest of Dean
Foraging

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Introduction

This is a section of the site 'for future expansion'.

I believe there are a number of people in and around the Forest of Dean who are in to foraging. This part of the www site is here to bring them together. But since I do not know who you are or what you want from or what you can contribute to this site, it is difficult to add the information you may want.

So if you are interested in contributing to and using such a site, please contact me (Contact button at top).

Places to forage

Edible leaf plants

I have a site listing and detailing some useful edibles. This is not specific to the Forest of Dean but many will be found in the area, Food For Free www site.

The main problem with listing edible leaves is that it is mainly opinion as to what is edible and what is inedible! For instance Salad Burnet - whoever defined this as a salad plant must have liked tough plants! Similarly lettuce and chicory. Now they are fine cultivars - but the original ancestor plants are fairly bitter, tough and inedible. There ar many wild leaves that are far more palatable - but have not been cultivated!

Fruits and nuts

Fungi

Of recent years the fungal population has, I am informed, apparently crashed. One theory is that this is caused by the last foot-and-mouth disease outbreak when virtually all of the forest sheep were destroyed. This caused a huge change in the Forest under-story and this has had a knock-on effect into the fungi. It is noticeable that many of the less-dense forest areas are over-grown with bracken and brambles. Most sheep don't eat bracken, but apparently the Soay Sheep will control it, so too apparently will goats..

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Page Information

Document URI: www.greenbottom.org/DFF/index.html
Page first published: 1st July 2010
Last modified: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:39:44 BST
Written by and © Richard Torrens.