Forage for understandings of ‘foraging’ as a method, a sensibility, etc. Be prepared to share these in class.
When I searched for an answer to what ‘forage’ means, I came across an intriguing article on the National Geographic website, written by Wross Lawrence the Covid pandemic. When the world stopped and the borders closed, the interest in local foraging grew. The author of the article states that urban foraging is an “intimate study and interaction with the living world around us, singling out a flower or a berry, learning its name and properties, what it tastes like, when and where it grows, and how to cook with it or preserve it.” The way I see it, it means getting familiar with, befriending and becoming curious of our surroundings, which we might often leave unnoticed. The author suggests looking at the past and learning from our ancestors who used to forage food and medicine locally and were able to keep themselves fed and cure the diseases.
Wross Lawrence celebrates 10th years of foraging. His shelves are occupied with “sloe gin – infused with sloe berries, a fruit of the blackthorn bush, acorn schnapps, elderflower cordial, nettle pesto, rosehip ice cream, blackberry jam, dried wild mushrooms, and wild hop beer”. Everything he consumes is hand-picked from streets, parks, and watersides of London!
In my understanding, urban foraging is a rethinking of our relationship with the natural world. It encourages us to remain almost childlike, curious and open to the world around us, finding out what is already accessible in nature and learning how to benefit from it.
It is crucial for artists as well as humans to forage our surroundings. If we carefully listen and observe, we can better understand our position in the world, the local systems and communities.
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