Wild foods: that's what hunting and gathering is all about. This is a journey into Britain's ancient way of life as we attempt to find the food available within the landscape. When we imagine how our ancestors lived, almost certainly it's their hunter - gatherer ways that stand out to us. Foraging and gathering plays an equitable role in human existence and has a significant positive impact on the landscape. By learning the ways of the forager we can become more in tune with the seasons and gain a deeper understanding of the natural world as well as our role within it.
Goals
During this course we are exploring the Peak Districts wild foods of the woods and moorlands. Two dynamic landscapes that our ancestors would have known.
If there is one place we can connect it is here in broadleaf woodlands that make up the banks of the river derwent in what is today the Dark Peak. While simply enjoying the woodland is a big part of any journey here's some of what you can expect from the seasonal forager course - learning the identification of over 2o wild species forms the basis of the course, well also teach the correct gathering techniques as well as cooking methods and wildlife observation thus combining local ecological knowledge with a fun and memorable experience.
Specifications
Our courses take place throughout the year allowing us to tap into each seasonal glut, just as our ancestors would have. The first part of the journey takes us to woodlands that make up the upper Derwent, Derwent in Latin means ‘Valley thick with Oaks’ so you can well imagine the kinds of paths we'll be taking and what the woodlands have in store for us.
Group sizes no larger than ten to allow an immersive environment, also ensuring sustainable practices throughout.
Seasonal and wild
We invite you to join us - First take a look at what kind of thing we might be up to throughout the year
Spring
The forager follows the seasonal changes, in spring as the sap rises and new life is reborn up to the land you can join us in the forests to gather Birch sap and earth nuts, bake bread made from wild seeds and harvest wild plants for refreshing spring salad. In early spring the landscape to some can look dull and uninviting but nature's plans are already well underway. During our Springtime forage well journey through Hazel woods to forage fresh wild greens and enjoy a full day out in the woods with a good chance of encountering an abundance of native wildlife on the way.
Spring is a time to anticipate the changes that occur within the landscape.
Summer
Summer brings the return of the sun, a time for the forager to harvest wild foods. Join us in the woods in summer to gather fungi, berries and nuts. Learn how to dry and smoke foods over the fire first hand in this experience. The days are longer and it's a great time to slow down and pass on our knowledge of the landscape, especially for younger ones. On our summer course we'll gather wild medicinals that we can make natural herbal remedies with for the coming winter.
Autumn
Autumn reminds us that the sun is drawing away, but for the forager it's a time to migrate to the Hazel woods and old Oaks, the deciduous woodlands where we'll find an abundance of wild foods, from nuts, Berrys, roots and fungi. Join us to cook wild foods under an autumn canopy, make wild recipes and herbal remedies for the coming months.
The forest itself made up the very fabric of the hunter - gatherer way of life way, harboring everything our ancestors would need. With the right knowledge and indigenous wisdom, the natural landscape becomes your supermarket, pharmacy and hardware store all things rolled into one. It was vital that the forager has an acute knowledge of the land and seasons.
Sustainability:
While foraging wild foods has a direct impact on the landscape this isn't to suggest that this is necessarily bad.
True hunting and gathering wherever you look around the globe is always done with sustainability in mind.
Often indigenous wisdoms are overlooked and in many cases have been forgotten by modern society all together.
The foragers good practice code all but spells out how we should be foraging: *Only take what you need. This is a reflection on the differences between commercial and personal foraging and comes down to not only the quantity of wild foods that a forager may be harvesting but also the manner and care you might take when gathering wild foods. An experienced forager will always take great care when harvesting, being selective and respectful to the wild items before them. It's always important to remember to treat the natural world with a great deal of respect. Many indigenous peoples are still living the old way despite conservationist actions to remove them because they show in their practices just how sustainable their actions are within the landscape.
When it comes to sustainability the forager should have a good understanding of the wider ecosystem before gathering wild foods even in relatively small quantities. This is the cultural importance that underlies foraging especially in Britain. Through ecological evidence we know that our ancestors valued and respected the natural world that sustained them. They might have even retired year after year to one particular place if they knew it was a productive environment. There are many aspects of proto agriculture that the forager can implement ensuring that not only their impact on the landscape is minimal but can be actually positive to the restoration and preservation of wild spaces.