Foraging for Salmonberries
A Poetic Tribute and Invitation to Forage Summer's First Wild Berry
A Tribute to Salmonberry
To Salmonberry,
You aren't the sweetest berry in the forest,
but surely the most luminous.
Swelling pustules blush deep-scarlet to soft-orange,
between each a delicate stalk of peach fuzz
gathering fingers reach to brush.
Like flowers lead to fruit, touch may to taste.
Your unpredictable flavor bursts
from sweet and robust to refreshingly flavorless,
rounded out with the slightest bitterness,
the refreshing juice of June.
Your paper arrowhead leaves
crowd to shade the cool trickles
carving smooth the jagged gravel
of regrown logging roads.
You, my ripening friend,
are a seeded vehicle from the roots
for pies, smoothies, pit stoves, jams,
but probably best out-of-hand.
May the richness you add to my basket
and glean from these streams
act as a scout for the return
of your namesake spirit
with their storied fins and rainbow gleams
of nutrients fertilizing eggs as well as trees,
to spawn again and give
this land back from the dams.
This Weekend — Forage for Salmonberries
Summer is almost here. The forest is singing, but so is everyone else. The frenzy of festivities may conspire to keep you in town, which is awesome for a while, but pretty soon gets you down. That's when getting out to nature can turn things around, especially if there's something tasty to gather as you explore.
And this sunny time of year, there always is. That's why Foraging for More is hosting a summer series of bi-weekly walks called Foraging for Berries. Each will target a different edible berry as the enticing incentive to get away from the hustle and out into nature. My goal is to share knowledge and love of Mother Earth while learning how to ethically harvest one of her magnificent fruits. Not only will you walk away with at least a few handfuls of berries, but also the confidence to identify and gather them time and time again.
First up is Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis). Fruiting throughout the Pacific Northwest from California up through Alaska, this rose family relative has a rich history of traditional dining alongside feasts of the culturally and ecologically vital Salmon. Its hollow young shoots can also be used to eat or make pipe stems and its leaves for lining baskets or earthen ovens.
Event Details
What is it?
A reverent yet playful guided group walk reviewing the basic principles to keep in heart and mind for what, how, and why to forage throughout the year. Nourish your nervous system while soaking up hands-on knowledge and feeling a meaningful sense of belonging to the land and community with others present.
When is it?
On Sunday, June 29, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., I'll hold reverent yet playful space for a guided group walk at…
Where is it?
Blachly Mountain Forest, a half-hour outside of Eugene.
How much is it?
The knowledge of Nature should belong to everyone. That's why I'm making these walks accessible to all, with only a suggested donation of $15 - 50 per person.
All I ask is to keep in mind the principal of reciprocity, to return the favor in thanks for whatever you receive, even if it's far down the line. We live in a monetary economy where it's supportive for my financial and emotional security to receive a wage for the skills I have to offer, but I trust in the natural cycles and human kindness enough to know what I give here in service will come back around and make me even richer in the long run.
What to bring
Weather appropriate clothing, sun protection, hiking shoes, paper or plastic bags/food storage containers to take some berries home.
How to book
Book your spot on my Calendly.
How to donate
Support me through Venmo @Jeffree-Morel or on Buy Me a Coffee.
