Wild Days ~  Cornwall

Spring Greens & Seaweeds Foraging Walk

Sunday 27th April

09:30-15:30

A spectacular foraging walk down a gorgeous wooded river valley full of springtime wild edibles down to the sea, where we will also meet and learn about edible seaweeds at a secluded cove on the low spring tide.

Designed to be a spacious day connecting back to nature, plants and the wild which is good for our soul.

Come & explore the magic of wild edible spring greens, flowers & highly nutritious seaweeds on this foraging walk set at a beautiful beach location on the Cornish coast near Looe.

You will learn how to safely identify and sustainably gather and prepare an array of spring plants and seaweeds to be able to bring this wild nourishment into your life.

What to expect:

• We will meet at the designated car park (exact location given on booking, free if you are a national trust member otherwise £8/day)
• Introductions and a chat about what draws us to foraging, what it means to us whilst also drawing on legal, ethical and sustainable practices to be in reciprocity with the land. Reverence and reciprocity with nature and the land is a hugely important part of responsible foraging and something we will explore throughout the day.
• We will start to meander through a sleepy country lane and down a beautiful river valley, stopping to meet some wild spring edibles as we make our way down to the cove.
• We will arrive down on the cove in good time before the peak low spring tide which is at around 12:30.
• As the tide recedes, we will start to explore the principles of sustainable seaweed foraging and meet our most common edible species.
• Some small wild treats and tasters provided, though please do bring a full packed lunch to have down on the cove.
• Opportunity to swim if you wish and conditions allow.
• A slow meander back up through the wooded valley, looking at some more abundant wild edibles at this time of year. 1.5 miles of walking in total.
• An email listing all the plants / wild edibles we covered and some recipe ideas after the day.

What to bring:

• Cloth bags (like the one you put veg in in the shops) and ziplock plastic food storage bags for seaweeds
• Foraging basket
• Scissors
• Sea shoes to help you move over the rocky shoreline (important as can be slippy and uneven)
• Walking pole to help move over rocks if you feel that would be helpful
• Whatever you need to allow you to get in to the sea / rock pools potentially up to your knees
• Towel
• Packed lunch
• Water
• Thermos hot water to make our own foraged wild teas / mug to drink tea
• Swim stuff if you'd like to swim
• Warm layers
• Waterproof jacket / trousers (if rain forecast)
• Notepad / pencil if you wish

This walk is suitable for ages 16+.However, if you have a child who is very interested and will be able to cope with a full day out walking please get in touch and we can work it out.

Not suitable for  dogs.

1 Pay as you can space available for those struggling to meet their basic needs. I offer this from a place of personal experience with this and as a way of rejecting capitalist norms which teach us to over extract from each other and exclude certain people from accessing wellness spaces. If you would like this space please let me know and it will be offered no questions asked.

This walk is going ahead with the full knowledge and permission of the National Trust who owns and cares for the land we will be visiting.

About Rebecca:

Rebecca is an experienced forager and nature obsessive. She is also a qualified hill and moorland walking leader leading walks on Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor, a nurse and is outdoors first aid trained and has full public liability insurance. 

Rebecca is also taking part in the Wildbiome Project this year, a scientific study researching the effects of a 100% wild diet on our gut microbiome and health. She will be endeavouring to follow a wild food foraged diet for one month in May with 115 other participants. Funds from this event will go towards costs for the scientific testing required as part of the study.

Terms and Conditions for booking

(Sorry but got to be done to meet my public insurance conditions)

Health & Safety

In booking onto a course, you agree to follow Rebecca’s instruction and guidelines for safe and responsible foraging and tasting of wild foods. This includes checking everything you’ve picked yourself with Rebecca before tasting it to make sure you have the correct species, and showing her anything you’re planning to take home from the walk so she can verify your identification is correct on those too. This is very important to ensure poisonous species are not inadvertently gathered. You understand and accept that the gathering and consuming of wild plants without complete certainty and knowledge of the correct identification of said plants is dangerous and can result in injury and / or death. For this reason, you agree to not pick, consume or give to somebody else any part of a plant without having checked the correct identification with Rebecca first. 

You understand that there are risks associated with being in outdoor environments and that these cannot be completely eliminated.

You are responsible for ensuring your own safety in the physical environment, watching where you’re walking etc and not taking unnecessary risks whilst on the workshop.

Medical Conditions

To help ensure your comfort and safety, please let Rebecca know of any pertinent medical conditions for all members of your party at the time of booking onto a course. Rebecca will also need to be informed of any pregnancies or breast-feeding mums as some plants are not advised to be consumed in this instance. It is also important to let Rebecca know of any allergies. All allergies (food / medication / bee / wasp stings) are relevant especially as some medication components are naturally present in wild plants. You will be asked to give this information on the booking form when you book and pay for the course. If you have a medical condition that could be affected by walking or being outside, or that could be life threatening such as severe asthma, diabetes, angina or being allergic to bee stings, you must let Rebecca know at the time of booking as well as reminding her on the day. You must also bring any important equipment with you, such as your inhalers, blood glucose monitoring equipment / hypoglycaemia kits, GTN spray and epi-pens and let Rebecca know where it is at the start of the walk. You give Rebecca consent to deliver first aid if required using this equipment. 

Rebecca is Level 3 outdoor first aid trained and a qualified nurse and will carry a first aid kit however, it is your responsibility to ensure the above conditions are met.

Weather

Foraging courses will go ahead in all normal British weather conditions, including sun, wind and rain. If dangerously adverse conditions are forecast, Rebecca will make a safety decision and in the very unlikely event of having to cancel due to the weather, she will offer transfers for future courses on alternative dates. Refunds will not be given. Rebecca advises in the pre-course information email that attendees check the weather forecast before leaving on the day and that you and your party come dressed appropriately for the weather, and come prepared for rain and temperature fluctuations. You should also consider bringing sunscreen, shades/hat, insect repellent and always bring plenty of drinks on hot days.

Footwear & Clothing

 Rebecca recommends you wear suitable, sturdy footwear for a reasonable walk and grippy enough to cope with potentially slippy or muddy patches (eg walking boots, wellies etc). Long trousers and sleeves are highly advisable as there may be ticks and other insects in long grass, plus the possibility of getting scratched by brambles or stung by nettles if you have bare legs and arms. Please come prepared for walking outdoors and possibly heading off the trail slightly. 

Foraging Principles

Rebecca is committed to promoting sustainability and ecological stewardship through teaching and gathering wild plants and fungi for use as food, drink and medicinal value. 

Foraging should always be carried out in ways that do not compromise future species populations or the biological communities of which they are a part.
Species that are rare or locally scarce will not be gathered. Rebecca teaches that all species should be harvested using techniques that do not cause permanent or irrevocable damage to them, their future survival and the environments in which they exist.

On occasion, walks may pass briefly through Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI’s). Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985, it is illegal to forage any plants in these areas without consent. If this occurs, we will learn about any interesting edible species of note without picking them to protect the natural beauty of that site.

 Rebecca asks that workshop attendees do not return to forage at the sites where the workshops have taken place to avoid undue pressure on single sites. 

Unpredictability

There is always something to be found to forage all year round though, it can never be guaranteed which edible species we will find on the day, or how much variety there will be. The very nature of foraging is that it is unpredictable and very dependent on the weather and climatic conditions in the weeks and days prior to the course. However, Rebecca does target the most likely habitats and seasons to maximise the chances of finding a good range of wild foods to show you.

 Wild Swimming

 Some foraging workshops will take place near the coast with opportunities for optional swims in the river or the sea. If you decide to swim, you do so entirely at your own risk as Rebecca is not life guard trained nor is she a qualified outdoor swimming leader. 

Dogs

 These workshops are not suitable to bring dogs to. Please leave dogs at home, unless of course a guide dog. If you arrive with your dog on the day, you will not be able to join the group and a refund will not be given.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations up to 3 weeks before the workshop date will be fully refunded.

Cancellations 2-3 weeks before the workshop date will be 50% refunded.

If you cancel less than 2 weeks prior to the workshop, the fee is non-refundable.

In extenuating circumstances, Rebecca may choose to offer a percentage of refund or a transfer for another course if you have to cancel within 2 weeks of the course date, but this is entirely at her discretion and she is under no obligation to do so. If in exceptionally rare circumstances Rebecca has to cancel a workshop for unforeseen events (such as emergency/illness/injury etc), then all prospective attendees will be offered the choice of a full refund or the option to transfer to another course within a year of the cancellation. Cancellations due to extremely unsafe / adverse weather conditions will result in transfers to another course at a later date. If you test positive for Covid-19 prior to the course, your place will be transferred onto an alternative course date. 

Associated Travel & Accommodation Costs

Tending the Wild inside is not responsible for arrangements you make to travel to and from foraging courses, and is not responsible for any accommodation arrangements you might choose to make nearby for the night(s) before or after the course. It is the prospective attendees’ responsibility to check cancellation policies with the relevant travel companies/carriers, vehicle hire companies or accommodation establishments before booking any of these services, taking into account the remote possibility that Rebecca may have to cancel a foraging course at the last-minute due to unforeseen circumstances (see the point above). Should a course cancellation happen, Rebecca will refund the course fee, but is not responsible for, and will not refund delegates for, any associated costs surrounding delegates’ planned attendance of the foraging day – delegates take these additional costs on at their own risk. If this concerns you, you may wish to consider taking out travel insurance to cover the trip in the event of cancellation.

Insurance

All activities run by Tending the Wild inside are covered by public liability insurance.