Learn essential foraging awareness for outdoor adventures, including identifying risks, avoiding harmful plants and understanding the importance of safe, responsible foraging.
A handful of fresh greens can turn a basic pot of soup into something worth making again. Nettles have a mild, earthy flavour once cooked, wild garlic brings a gentle savoury sharpness, and sorrel adds a fresh, lemony taste. Each works well in a simple soup, whether you’re cooking at home or preparing a meal…
There is a big difference between recognising a plant or fungus and knowing that it is safe to eat. When you’re learning to forage, the safest habit you can develop is being comfortable leaving something alone when you cannot identify it with certainty. Some poisonous species are surprisingly common, and some can look very similar…
Foraging can be a great way to learn more about the plants around you, but the most important skill is not knowing how many wild foods you can eat. It is knowing when you have identified something confidently enough to eat it — and when you haven’t. There are edible plants growing in many familiar…
Activity Overview Difficulty: ModerateTime: 45–90 minutesLocation: Woodlands, hedgerows, fields and other suitable countryside areasBest for: Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and experienced Cubs with close supervisionSkills: Plant identification, responsible countryside access, conservation, observation and sustainable foraging Ethical foraging means taking only what you can positively identify, what you are permitted to collect and what the environment…
Activity Overview Difficulty: Easy–ModerateTime: 30–60 minutesLocation: Woodlands, fields, parks and other suitable outdoor areasBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult leadersSkills: Observation, identification, outdoor awareness, responsible countryside access and risk management The safest rule for Scouts is never eat a wild mushroom unless it has been positively identified as safe by someone suitably…
Activity Overview Difficulty: Easy–ModerateTime: 30–60 minutesLocation: Woodlands, fields, hedgerows and other suitable outdoor areasBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult leadersSkills: Observation, plant identification, outdoor awareness, responsible countryside access and risk management Wild plants can be useful and interesting to learn about, but never eat, touch or use an unfamiliar plant simply because…
Foraging means finding naturally occurring food in the wild. It can be a fascinating way to learn about the natural world, improve your observation skills and understand what grows around you. But foraging also comes with serious risks. Some edible plants have poisonous lookalikes. Some plants are unsafe to eat at certain stages of growth,…
