There are a lot of different terms to describe the event of going out into the woods looking for wild edibles. A hunt, workshop, session, adventure, and one of the stranger terms, is a “foray.” According to Merriam Webster, a foray is “an initial and often tentative attempt to do something in a new or different field or area of activity.” I hope you’re considering trying something new and different! Whatever you choose to call it, if you haven’t been on a foray, you may be curious what one is.
The day may vary depending on many factors, but this is a typically how a foray will go:
At least a day before the event, you will get a message from Chick of the Woods stating where we will meet and cover any other details that may be important for the day. Foraging locations are kept secret because it’s possible someone would see the location and assume there are mushrooms there and purposely go there before the event to pick whatever they can find. Not saying anyone would do that… ok, yes I am because I once had someone tell me they did that! We do kindly ask that you don’t divulge the location to anyone, even after the foray.
On the day of the foray, we will meet at the location and discuss foraging basics and the species we will be looking for. No experience is necessary and we will cover all your concerns and answer any questions before we venture out into the woods. This could take up to an hour.
Then into the forest we go! We will hunt for about 2 hours, pointing out trees and habitat that are associated with the mushrooms or plants we hope to find. Knowing the habitat and trees are arguably the most important factors to a successful hunt. It may sound like a long time, but time flies when you’re having fun! You don’t need to be “fit” to join, but you will need to be able to be stand/walk slowly for two hours. We will also be walking off trail and on uneven terrain – sometimes encountering prickly plants and insects. It’s best to wear long pants and close-toed shoes or boots.
There’s a good chance we’ll find non-edible or poisonous plants and mushrooms along the way. While we are focusing on common edibles, we will definitely point these out as well.
Unfortunately, there are too many variables to guarantee what or how much we will be able to find. That’s why they call it hunting and not picking! Even if we don’t find exactly what we are looking for, you will still have a great time and leave knowing the factors important to increasing your chance of a successful hunt.
After our time in the woods expires, we will all meet back at our starting location to review what we found. If we found some edible goodies, we will split them up so everyone has something to take home and try. This is also a good time to talk about how to cook what we found and answer any last questions.
And there you have it! I have no doubt a few hours in the woods with Chick of the Woods will change the way you look at the natural world for the rest of your life.