NATURAL HISTORY & WILD FOOD WALKS ~ NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2008

I hope you were able to find time over the festive season to get out into nature, with friends and family, and reconnect with what is really important at such a special time of year. As we have now gone beyond the winter solstice on 21st December, the shortest day of the year has passed when our pagan ancestors would have celebrated the rebirth of the sun and the beginning of a new year in one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world. With the passing of the solstice, we begin to move away from the lean time of winter and can look towards the promise of spring with increasingly longer days and more variety of wild food. Below you will find some information about the last wild food walk and dates for the next event. I’ve also included my ‘pick of the season’, jelly ear, with a sneak preview from my January article in The Mendip Times.

I always appreciate your feedback on the newsletter, my web site, and any suggestions about activities or courses you would like me to provide. I hope to see you again in 2008 and to share my passion and enthusiasm for this wonderful part of the country with you.

Best wishes, Adrian

Contents

• Report on November event
• Next walk Sun 27 January
• Normandy 2008
• Pick of the season ~Jelly Ear
• Mushroom Myth No 2
• Regulars: Foraging Facts, Services, Small print & subscribing details

Photo from November 07 walk. The photo shows Blackdown in the background, we are looking down into the gorge and discussing the geology and formation of Burrington Combe.

Report on the November Wild Food Walk & Mushroom Talk

A great time was had by us all in November with the walk & talk on winter greens & mushrooms. We were lucky to have bright, dry weather, which added to the enjoyment. Although in the very ‘lean time’ of winter, we were quite lucky to see several types of edible fungi including some jelly ear, albeit a little the worse for wear! Winter greens were quite abundant and included Sorrel, Daisy, Ribwort Plantain and Dandelion. Here are some comments from the participants:
• Gorgeous landscape, very varied, took us to see mushrooms, wild greens, sites of archaeological and geographical interest, all very interesting and very impressed with the breadth of knowledge shown.
• Many thanks Adrian, I enjoyed the afternoon, it was informal, relaxed, fun, a nice group of people, informative, healthy and a great part of the world to explore....
• The talk was clear, practical and well-researched, & presented by someone with an obvious love of the subject. This was a great start to the walk, and exciting to then come across the mushrooms we'd seen in the talk.
• This was a great afternoon and we enjoyed it very much. It gave us a good introduction to the subject and left us wanting more. Adrian presented his subject well and we were impressed by his knowledge on all sorts of topics, geology, history, landscape, etc. which all added to the afternoon's enjoyment.

Wild Food Walk, Forage & Cook-Up ~ Sunday 27 January 2008

The date for the next Wild Food Walk is Sunday 27 January. The walk will be at the top of Burrington - we’ll be looking to identify a range of winter greens on the extensive grassland, and moving on to some foraging on our own land. This event gives you the opportunity to practise your identification skills, to collect a variety of wild greens and to participate in a cook-up and tasting session.

Sunday 27 January, 1.30pm start

Short briefing on winter greens with tea/coffee/hot chocolate and biscuits
Wild food walk leaving from Ashcroft House
Foraging session
Cook-up session, outdoor if possible

The wild food walk, forage & cook-up is just £15. Places are limited and available by booking only, so please reserve your place as soon as possible - by phone 01761 463356 or email.

Pick of the Season ~ Jelly Ear

Jelly Ear is found throughout the year particularly during warmer wet spells. As the name suggests it is a funny looking fungus bearing a striking similarity to a human ear, complete with veins, and it has a rounded shell like appearance. When young, it can be red-brown in colour with a soft, velvety texture and quite flexible to the touch. When mature, they appear as though freeze dried on the branch with a much darker brown-black colour. I have tried re-hydrating these to eat but I would recommend searching for younger specimens as the older ones remain quite tough.

The host species for jelly ear is the old, or dead, elder tree. As discussed in previous articles there are many myths surrounding the elder tree which was much used by our Saxon forebears – maybe they even ate the fungus that grew on it? Judas allegedly hung himself from an elder and this is reflected in the Latin name of the jelly ear Auricula auricular-judea. Ancient Chinese herbalists valued jelly ear as a poultice for inflamed eyes and a related species is cultivated as a source of food in China today. Our own 17th century herbalists used it as an ingredient in a mixture to treat sore throats.

Young jelly ear is best delicately cut from the tree, washed well, finely sliced and cooked in well seasoned stock for at least 45 minutes. Personally, I like to add it to a stir fry of gathered greens where its unique, almost crunchy, texture suits this type of cuisine very well which is perhaps why it’s so popular in China. It certainly lends itself to a generous dash of soy sauce!

Mushroom Myth No. 2: If an animal can eat it, so can you…

WRONG, just because it’s already been nibbled, don’t ever be tempted to try it!

Foraging Facts

A few notes:
• Avoid poisonous plants or those causing allergic reactions
• Make sure you are 100% sure of your identification before eating any plant – carry a good plant identification book or go with a knowledgeable guide
• Avoid plants near busy roadsides, dog walking areas, or places where chemicals may have been used
• It is illegal to uproot or destroy any wild plant without the landowners permission, but you can pick small quantities of leaves, nuts, fruit from plants on public rights of way
• If you are actively foraging, please only pick a few leaves, flowers or fruits from a number of plants across a geographical area so as not to affect populations, and never pick a whole plant
• Please avoid picking any part of a plant if it is uncommon in the area

Services

Adrian Boots
Adrian is a landscape ecologist, researcher and conservation adviser with a passionate interest in wild food, nature conservation and the history of the landscape. Adrian has a BSc (Hons) in Geography & Environmental Management and MSc in Built Environment Research. He has worked as a Research Associate and Lecturer at the University of the West of England (UWE), has carried out consultancy & corporate training, and worked as a farm conservation adviser helping farmers and landowners achieve greater environmental benefits from their land. He has specialized in raised water levels and currently works for Natural England as a Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer. He is a member of the International Association for Landscape Ecology UK and writes a regular article for The Mendip Times.

Adrian's published work includes research papers at conferences of The British Ecological Society, The British Geographical Society and The International Association for Landscape Ecology. He recently contributed a chapter on Inclosure Act Field Boundaries to ‘A History of Blagdon Volume III’ (2007) and writes a monthly half page article for The Mendip Times on wild food.

He started ‘Walk the Mendips’ (www.walkthemendips.com) in 2005, and works with The Lakewood Conference Centre, ACF Hospitality, Goblin Combe Environment Centre, individuals from the local community, corporate clients including Yeo Valley and The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers. He is a member of Active Mendip.

His ‘Walk the Mendips’ services include:
• Wild Food, Natural History and Bushcraft walks, courses and activities for individuals, groups, families & friends
• Training for professionals working in nature conservation and ecology
• Corporate training, entertainment, team-building and team away-days
• Research, presentations, lecturing and writing publications and articles on landscape ecology, nature conservation, history of the landscape and wild food

Ashcroft House Bed & Breakfast

For peace and quiet, home from home comfort, spotless rooms, breathtaking views and a warm welcome. Ashcroft offers some of the nicest rooms and most outstanding value B&B in the area. Great walks straight from the doorstep.

Tel: 01761 463356, www.cottagebandb.co.uk

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Copyright: All content and photos are copyright Adrian Boots 2007. Photo of Burrington and Blagdon lake and church with thanks to Dave Parke.
Contact details : Adrian Boots, Walk the Mendips, Ashcroft House, Ellick Rd, Blagdon, Bristol, BS40 7TU.
Tel: 01761 463356. Email: adrian.boots@onetel.com