Welcome to the Virtual Exhibit
As a kid (or curious adult), have you ever seen a plant growing outside and wondered, "Can I eat this?"
If the answer is yes, then you will be delighted to discover 5 common weeds that you can eat!
Meet the Weeds
Why these plants?
They are common
If you don't already recognize the species, you'll soon be noticing them everywhere.
Grow in urban areas
Foraging can be done pretty much anywhere, even in urban areas!
No Toxic Look-a-likes
The priority of foraging is not dying and these plants are a great place for beginners to start.
Grow in Early Spring
All 5 start to pop up around spring time.
Non-native
These 5 species come from around the globe and none are native to North America.
Considered 'weeds'
Currently, these species are considered hooligans by many. Whether they are truly harmful or not will be up to you!
Some Food for Thought with Our Weeds
01
Should we still call certain plants "weeds"?
02
How the colonization of North America has influenced our relationship with plants
03
Discover how anti-foraging laws stripped autonomy from Indigenous and Back communities
04
Become a pro at foraging and cooking 5 common weeds
4 Guidelines of Urban Foraging
Foraging can be a fun and enjoyable experience!
However, there is a right and a wrong way to do it. Here are some guidelines to help you be a respectful and responsible forager.
01
Know How To Identify
Are you absolutely certain you are harvesting the right plant? If in doubt, leave it behind. The goal of foraging is to snack and not die.
02
Be aware of your surroundings
Is the location safe to forage from? Are there signs of pollution or herbicide treatment? Do dogs walk here? Never consume something if you aren’t sure its contaminant free.
03
learn about the impacts
Do you want to help spread the plant or c completely eradicate it? More on this later.
04
Be responsible and respectful
Foraging is not just a hobby. It has a deep cultural significance around the world. In North America, much of what we know about foraging comes from Indigenous and Black communities.
Check out the sources below!
In this video, Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass, discusses the Honorable Harvest. This practice has been applied to foraging by Indigenous communities for thousands of years.
A Black Girl's Guide to Foraging
by Dr. Fushcia Hoover
For Dr. Fushcia Hoover, foraging has always been a means to reconnect to her upbringing. But, as she details in a definitive foraging guide for Black women, parsing through and collecting what nature has to offer is as spiritual as it is resourceful—an act of resilience and a way to reclaim her roots.
