Urban Foraging: A Look at the Deep Connections Between People and Ecosystems in Seattle

Do you fancy a little wild fennel? Pluck juicy berries from nearby shrubs? Gather fallen figs, apples, plums, walnuts and chestnuts? Harvest stinging nettles, dandelion, chickweed, watercress or other edible greens? Use Oregon grape or woodland fungi to dye textile fibers? If so, then you just might be an “urban forager.”

Foraging is a deeply interactive nature practice that links urban residents to the intricate web of urban ecology while improving overall health and well-being. Urban ecosystems yield a bounty of edible, medicinal and useful plants and organisms important to the diverse communities. Forested woodlands, parks, alleys, parking strips, vacant lots and other areas outside the garden provide habitat for well over 250 native and introduced species of plants and mushrooms in Seattle, some which are foraged year-round. Gathering vegetative material serves many purposes, including: providing food, medicine, and raw material, strengthening social ties, and maintaining cultural identity.

The Institute for Culture and Ecology (a non-profit applied research organization) is currently taking an in-depth look at the diversity of plants and fungi important to people in Seattle. As part of the Green Cities Research Alliance, we are examining the social, economic and cultural importance of foraging and gathering in urban ecosystems and the extent to which foraging practices foster stewardship of plants and habitats. The Seattle Urban Foraging project has the potential to link planners, land managers and gatherers in ways that build new bridges for urban green space management that not only supports a diversity of environmental stewardship activities, but also supports broader initiatives of environmental justice.

If you are a forager or interested in participating in this project, please consider getting in touch with the project leader, Dr. Melissa Poe (mpoe@ifcae.org or 206-473-7880). Here is a list of ways you can participate: share personal stories of collecting and using plants & fungi in the Seattle area; participate in a focus group or individual interview; or spread the word to other Seattle foragers who might want to participate in this project.

About the author: Melissa Poe is a Seattle-based applied environmental anthropologist who focuses on socio-ecological dimensions of forests. In her spare time, Melissa gardens, collects wild foods and explores plant-based crafts. Melissa is currently leading a project on urban foraging practices and stewardship connections in Seattle with the Institute for Culture and Ecology.

Related posts:

1. People On The Move: Sue Gibbs of Sustainable South Seattle
2. Deep-Rooted Thoughts: Recognizing the [Property] Value of Urban Farming
3. Seattle Times on Urban Ag

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