Before I started The Bay wellbeing sessions I didn’t stop and take in my surroundings as much. Having grown up in Heysham my whole life, the woodlands and walks are very familiar to me, but for the first time I see them in a completely different way. Now I know where to find sea spinach along the beach, wild garlic and stickyweed in woodlands, and nettles and garlic mustard in abundance!
Spring Foraging & Nature Connection
In Morecambe, with support from The Pots of Possibility fund, we have been running a series of 5-week programmes and events all about sustainability, foraging and outdoor cooking. Here are some reflections from one of our group members who attended our Spring Foraging Programme.
Cooking on the beach
I love cooking and have always been fascinated by foraging, but there really aren’t any other local opportunities to learn more about it. It’s brilliant that I can keep exploring these local, accessible areas after the sessions are over, with the same friends I’ve made through attending. The importance of in-person foraging and wellbeing can’t be overstated. When it comes to identifying the difference between hawthorn and field maple, or lords and ladies and wild garlic, hands-on learning has helped me remember things much better. It’s also just been so beneficial to feel part of a group, and the joint cooking has probably been my favourite part of each day. It really makes you appreciate every small step in creating food when you work together to collect ingredients and prepare meals.
Cooking Foraged Nettle Curry
I’ve loved sharing the dishes with my friends and family - the wild garlic pesto and nettle curry were the most popular! It’s made everyone in my circle focus a lot more on sourcing our ingredients locally, and seeing what else we can make with foraged ingredients. I’ve felt more confident and had so much motivation to try new things and not worry about the outcome, because the process teaches me a lot and gets me out enjoying nature. I’ve made dandelion cordial, added nettles and garlic mustard leaves to stews, and I want to keep learning more so I can continue to pass on this knowledge to my friends and my godchildren, who have been benefiting from extra time in our local wildlife with me.
Nature shouldn’t be rushed, and there is an easy-going atmosphere to the activities we’ve done. Everything feels like an encouragement or friendly suggestion, there’s no pressure to partake in everything and there’s always opportunities for a solo wander through the trees or time to sit quietly and reflect. It has meant so much to know that I’ve been with likeminded people who are understanding about all of our differences - as someone who uses mobility aids, I often feel a pressure in social groups to match other people’s abilities. There have been plenty of times where I simply haven’t been able to join in with events, so it’s been a breath of fresh air - literally! - that all the sessions have been completely accessible, including dietary requirements. It’s just been really nice to feel I can properly take my time and feel accommodated instead of having to fit a standard that doesn’t work for me.
I’m honestly quite proud that our local natural areas can be a host to such positive and engaging sessions. I actually ended up inviting a couple of friends from Salford to the village after we discussed the foraging sessions - they were so keen to visit in person and I had a blast giving them a tour of the allotment, the produce our group helped grow, and the areas we foraged for ingredients. I even gave them a few of our recipes to take home and try! I also have become closer to some new neighbours as we share our home grown produce with each other over the garden wall, as well as foraging and gardening tips. These sessions forge connections more than anything else - with nature and with the local community.
I’m so grateful to have finally started a journey with foraging and within nature that I hope to continue, now that I’ve been shown a path I can follow.
You can read more about our Spring Foraging sessions on the Food Futures Blog or download our free recipe cards here.
If you’d like to get involved with our future foraging programmes in Morecambe, please sign-up via our referral form or get in touch with Alex ablomfield@edenproject.com