Keith

A foraged meal with a wonderful learning community 🍛 In early-mid spring, ramps, wild carrots, scarlet elf cups, fiddleheads, and dandelions can be found in any hardwood forest/field. This is a time of year the abundance is everywhere 🥔🥕🍄‍🟫🥬 Dandelions are young, tender, and less bitter before they flower. Wild roots are big and holding energy before they start to grow more🏵 We added potatoes to our soup, sunchokes could be a wild replacement to them We learned the difference between wild carrot and lookalikes, as well as ramp lookalikes. We sketched, and handed out my new plant observation cards Workshop highlights: 🌱Learning plants by having a 5 senses experience 🫵👁👅👂👃 🌱Practicing our fire building and safety guidelines 🔥 🌱Engaging kids who want to do hands-on learning🫳 🌱Showing appreciation and thoughtfulness when foraging Sustainably🙏 🌱Learning how cool and friendly nature can be🧚‍♂️ Edibly Wild Junior Survival System curriculum worksheets and lesson plans are available. Comment "Junior" and I'll send a preview #wildfood #forestschool #waldorfeducation #foraging

Dryad’s Saddle (Pheasant Back) 🍄 • One of the first spring mushrooms to appear • Grows on dead/dying hardwood (elm, maple, poplar) • Best after warm rains, early spring to early summer Identify it: • Brown scales (pheasant feather look) • White pores (no gills) • Smells like cucumber when young Use: • Edible when young (slice thin, cook well) • Older ones = tough, can be dried and powdered to add to soups, or even better, roasted until golden brown and used in a mushroom broth History + folklore: • Linked to forest spirits “dryads” (male faries) 🧚‍♂️ who are said to sit on them • Seen as a sign of life in dying trees Benefits: • Antibacterial + anti-inflammatory compounds • Adds wild nutrients + fiber • Simple, reliable beginner mushroom • Helps you start seeing the forest differently @common_insight

🌿✨ Join us for an Urban Foraging Walk! ✨🌿 Curious about the edible plants growing all around you? Keith from @edibly_wild will be leading us on a hike as we discover natures abundance. Dress for the weather and come with curiosity as you never know what we may find! Saturday May 23rd 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Investment: $20 Learn how to responsibly forage wild foods right in your neighbourhood. Perfect for beginners and nature lovers alike 🌱 Link in Bio #UrbanForaging #NatureInTheCity #ForagingWalk #WildEdibles #SustainableLiving

🌿 Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) ​Aroma & Scent: Possesses a distinct warm, peppery, and earthy fragrance similar to tropical ginger, released when the roots or leaves are bruised. ​Unique Pollination: Unlike most plants that reach for the sun, Wild Ginger flowers are ground-dwellers. ​They are dark maroon/brown to mimic rotting meat. ​This attracts flies and gnats crawling on the forest floor, who serve as the primary pollinators. ​Historical & Medicinal Uses: ​Native Traditions: Historically used by Indigenous peoples to treat digestive issues, heart palpitations, and respiratory fevers. ​Antibacterial: Contains natural compounds that were once used as a topical folk remedy for wounds. ​Culinary History: * Early settlers used the roots as a spice substitute for true ginger. ​The roots were often boiled in sugar syrup to create "candied ginger" treats. ​Botanical Note: While it shares the name and scent, it is biologically unrelated to culinary ginger (Zingiber officinale). It also contains small amounts of aristolochic acid, so it is generally admired more for its beauty and scent today than as a food sourc

Today’s learning came straight from the land 🌿 Our students foraged wild leeks and dandelion greens from the forest, then gathered together to create their own small-batch, homemade pesto using fresh, whole ingredients. With pestle and mortar in hand, they experienced the beauty of slowing down, working together, and transforming what the earth provides into something nourishing. Each child brought home a jar they made themselves… a little taste of the forest and a whole lot of pride 💚 @pondsideacres @edibly_wild @refoundeducation

Tiny red forest treasures that elves may or may not use as cups… and yes, they poof when you blow on them 🍄💨 Scarlet elf cup mushrooms release spores in a little cloud because they build up pressure inside the cup, then launch them into the air to spread They take advantage of wind to spread their seeds (spores) You’ll find them in early spring, especially after snowmelt, growing on dead sticks and damp hardwood debris in shady forests, usually half buried by leaves 🍃 Edible and mild, but the magic is in the texture. Sautéed in butter and garlic, they’re slightly crisp, a bit chewy, and soak up flavor like tiny woodland bowls. Not strong tasting, but seriously fun to cook and eat #foraging #wildfood #forestbath #naturetherapy

Dames' Rocket feels spicy 🔥 like a rocket in your mouth🚀😋 If you are walking near sime disturbed soil, on a trail you may see this plant and wonder what it it How to identify: Smell it → cabbage 🥬 Leaves → soft, slightly hairy, oval with small teeth old ones can have some purple in early spring Growth → bushy (not flat like dandelion) Snap it → no milky sap Taste → mild mustard (spicy) Flower clue: 4 petals in a cross (this is where cruciferous comes from. Think about it. Now people use the word brassicas Autumn → long, bean-like seed pods Most people mix it up with Chicory or wild lettuce which are very bitter and usually have milky sap Also confused with Wild phlox when flowering 4 petals vs 5 petals Edible, high in vitamin K… but don’t go wild, large amounts can upset your stomach. Also invasive in many areas (in a good way 😋)

Wednesdays are for the wild ones 🌿🔥 Today in Outdoor Ed & Survival Skills with Keith @edibly_wild we gathered in circle and felt the rhythm of the drum move through us… grounding, connecting, bringing everyone into the same heartbeat. From there, the learning unfolded naturally. We explored the land and were introduced to plants that can support us in survival. Not from a textbook, but through touch, observation, and story. The kind of knowledge that lives in the body. The children tapped a birch tree and tasted fresh birch water straight from the source… witnessing, in real time, what the land can offer when we approach it with respect. And of course, there was space to run, play, climb, and just be kids in nature. This is what learning looks like here. Alive. Rooted. Remembered. 🔥🔥🔥 #TinyOaks #OutdoorEducation #SurvivalSkills #ForestSchool #LandBasedLearning

Welcoming back Keith from @edibly_wild for all things pine 🌲 Needle-less to say, it was a beautiful day of learning, tasting, creating, and connecting with nature. The children explored the unique flavor of Jack pine needles, gathered close to hear a powerful Iroquois story about living in peace with the natural world, and reflected on the meaning behind the five clusters representing the different tribes that still exist today. Beneath the tree flowed water, symbolizing a river to wash away heavy or unwanted energy, while the eagle stood watch above, reminding us of wisdom, perspective, and the importance of keeping peace. Hands and hearts stayed busy as we crafted pine tree mini books, created pinecone art, baked pine cookies, and warmed ourselves with pine tea to close the day. We love you @edibly_wild #NatureSchool #starseedsearthacademy #LearningThroughNature #HandsOnLearning #foraging

Ever drink sap straight from a tapped tree? What about from a straw?! We just did this on a whim and we're surprised how much more sap came out! That little sip creates suction, the same principle used in modern vacuum sap systems. A tiny pressure change…and the sap starts moving. 🍁 try this next time you aren't getting a flow! Vacuum systems can boost sap yields by 50–100% Some trees like black walnut are only done this way and it is commonly used in birch and maple syrup production 🤯

Staghorn sumac has a soft, cork-like pith in the center. Push or drill that core out and you instantly have a natural tube. Carve one end into a taper, tap it into a drilled hole, and the sap flows through it like a straw. This could save you if you are in a survival situation. Indigenous peoples across the Great Lakes region used spiles like these to harvest maple sap during the spring “sugar moon,” boiling it down into maple sugar and syrup that could be stored for the whole year. And maple isn’t the only tree you can tap. Sap can also be collected from birch, black walnut, box elder, and even apple trees when conditions are right. What makes sumac special for bushcraft is that hollow center. Once you start noticing it, you realize it’s one of the most useful plants in the forest. From a branch you can make: • Tree taps or spiles • Drinking straws for sap or water • Whistles or flutes • Pipe stems • Blow tubes for fire starting • Small funnels or drip tubes #canadianoutsoors #foraging #wildcraft

Maple syrup season is here 🍁 Aren't we lucky to be Canadian I have gotten taps/spots/spiles from hardware stores, farm feed stores, and anazon What trees to tap: Tap maple trees, especially sugar maple, but red and silver maples work too. Trees should be at least 10–12 inches widecto stay healthy. You should get 20-25 sap flow days in roughly a 30-40 day window So even if you have a 1 gallon pail, that should collect a half gallon of syrup worth of sap Tap in late winter to early spring, when days are above freezing and nights drop below 0°C / 32°F. That freeze thaw cycle is what makes the sap flow. • Drill 2–2.5 inches (5–6 cm) deep • Drill about 3 feet (60–90 cm) off the ground • Use a very slight upward angle so sap flows out • Gently tap in the spile, snug, not forced Hang your bucket or line and let nature do the rest Maple water (fresh sap): Fresh sap is called maple water. It’s naturally hydrating, low in sugar, and contains minerals like manganese, calcium, and potassium. Great for re-energizing after a long winter. Drink it cold and fresh, it’s clean, lightly sweet, or make beverages like coffee with it, or boil it just a bit to make it sweeter Respect the tree, tap responsibly, and enjoy the process 🌲🍁