Using local ingredients has become popular on social media, but people involved in foraging say rising food prices, a lack of education and the impact on wildlife are also shaping the trend. They are urging foragers to take only what they need, choose abundant species and consider the needs of other people and animals.
John Dobson, of Reflectory restaurant near Agborough, said he believed there were other factors behind the interest in foraging.
“The price of ingredients has gone up and I think it’s encouraging people to go out and get things from other places because they’re so expensive. There’s also a lack of education about the impact of that,” he said.
Mr Dobson added that he foraged responsibly, taking only a third of what he found and acting with permission from landowners.
Enjoying nature without taking it home
Mr Middleton said foraging was a great way to connect with nature, but he encouraged people to enjoy the forest without taking anything home.
“We have come a long way since the Victorian era in capturing everything we see, fixing it, and enclosing it with nets,” he said.
“Now we are in the age of technology. Just by using your mobile phone, you can take great photos. Especially in protected areas, you can see them without touching them.”
“That’s always an issue,” said Rachel Lambert, a Penzance-based hunter-gatherer, wild food guide and founder of Wild Walk South West.
“One of the basic rules, guidelines for foraging, is to consider who else is foraging in the area, and that includes all non-human creatures, including the wildlife in the area.”
She said people should take only what they needed and choose only what was in abundance.
Ms Lambert added that foraging “takes time” and that people needed to think about their impact on nature.
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Source: www.bbc.co.uk