Foraging With Children
By Matt Pinkham
1998 Published in The Community Newspaper Unity, Maine
"Daddy, Daddy," my five year old calls out from the backyard. "Look, it's wintergreen, can I eat some?" "Yes!" I reply as I take a closer look at the plant at her feet. The joy I feel inside is overwhelming as I realize she has truly learned her first plant.
Foraging with children can be a fun and exciting way to bring them closer to the world we inhabit. Here are some helpful hints to start you on your way.
First and foremost get some good field guides and study them often. These will be your best ally in passing along this important knowledge. Know what you are teaching your child and know that it is safe. Plants can be tricky as there are many common plants that have poisonous look-a-likes. Encourage your child to look with you. You would be surprised at the amount of information they pick up just by looking at the pictures.
Before you get started, explain that while there are many edible plants, there are also those that are poisonous. Positive identification is of the utmost importance. Teach them how to use field guides along with some basic identification of plant parts. If they are a bit too young to read and/or understand the books, have them ask before putting anything in their mouth. This way you know exactly what they are sampling. Don't ignore the poisonous plants; show your children how to identify these as well. When I lead plant walks with children the most commonly asked questions is "Is that poison ivy?" Show your children poison ivy so they will know it and be able to avoid contact. Point out several characteristics, as I have met many children who think all three leaved plants are poison ivy!!
The best place to start is in your own backyard. An overwhelming majority of those "common weeds" have both edible and medicinal qualities. Grasses, dandelions, clovers, wood sorrel, and plantain are all easy to identify and have few poisonous look-a-likes. From there move toward the edges of the lawn and finally into the woods. Show them how the plant life changes as you move about. Wet areas are another great place to look for edible plants. Cattails, sedges, mints, jewelweed, and water lilies are all easy to find and identify. Be aware of poison hemlock and water hemlock two of Maine's deadly poisonous plants.
It is best not to simply walk by a plant and name it, as this does nothing for the child. Talk about the plant; point out parts such as leaves, stems, sepals, stamens, and petals. Have your child sit with the plant and take a closer look. All this will help them notice the identifying characteristics of different species. When they are able to identify an edible plant have them sample it. Talk about different ways to prepare it and tell them about it's medicinal qualities.
A herbarium can be a fun way to learn plants as well. You can place samples between newspaper and then stack heavy books on them. Try to get as much of the plant as you can, including leaf, flower, fruit and stem. Store them like this in a warm place for several weeks. After they are dry, glue them on acid free cardstock paper and record information such as plant name, date, where found, and flower color (this can change during the drying process). Each plant can be stored in file folders and referred to as often as you like.
Lastly, teach your child a caretaker attitude. Explain to them how much we rely on the plant people for oxygen, food, and medicine. Teach them to harvest only where the plant is abundant. Even then harvest only what you need and have them spread the seeds for future generations. By doing this you are not only planting an actual seed in the ground, but you are also planting a seed in your child towards a better appreciation for the real and natural world.
Important Note: Please be sure to positively identify all plants, herbs, and trees you are using in several reputable field guides. Also, be sure to consult your doctor before making changes in your diet or medications.
This article was written by me, Matt Pinkham, and is strictly my property. Use of it is available but please ask first. Contact me to ask permission. Thank You!
