Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2016 10:02:21 GMT -8
Impact depends upon the area, how many people visit it, how many of those may be inclined to forage, how dense the growth of edible foods, and in some cases, any regulations that may apply. Along popular trails with occasional patches of raspberries, the fruits may be picked clean because so many people can identify the plant but can't resist tasting a few. That is significant impact in my view, and not something I wish to participate in — especially in a wilderness area or national park.
On the other hand, I've seen hillsides off-trail where there are enough wild berries to practically sustain a grizzly in hyperphagia — and virtually no one else ever hikes there. The areas are off-trail and outside wilderness or national park. Any impact from human foraging is pretty much negligible. Gulp.
On my longest backpacking trip I lived off dry grains, beans, and nuts that I packed in — supplemented by foraging. The time of year was autumn when berries are most accessible. But in that sort of life, backpacking becomes less a process of traveling and more a process of finding food for survival — as other animals do.
I spent years studying wild edible plants, but living off them is time-consuming, tedious, and a lot of work. It is also very risky because there are numerous poisonous plants — or plants that can be poisonous if not prepared right. And ultimately, the harvest tends to be seasonal. Some processes are lower impact and some are higher impact and hardly compatible with Leave-No-Trace.
The seasonal availability of many foods leads one to think of killing animals for food. And that would conflict with game laws. Or fishing, which leads me to say that, in my opinion, stocking wilderness lakes with non-native fish, as is commonly practiced in many states, is a gross violation of the Wilderness Act and the purposes for which we preserve wilderness.
On the other hand, I've seen hillsides off-trail where there are enough wild berries to practically sustain a grizzly in hyperphagia — and virtually no one else ever hikes there. The areas are off-trail and outside wilderness or national park. Any impact from human foraging is pretty much negligible. Gulp.
On my longest backpacking trip I lived off dry grains, beans, and nuts that I packed in — supplemented by foraging. The time of year was autumn when berries are most accessible. But in that sort of life, backpacking becomes less a process of traveling and more a process of finding food for survival — as other animals do.
I spent years studying wild edible plants, but living off them is time-consuming, tedious, and a lot of work. It is also very risky because there are numerous poisonous plants — or plants that can be poisonous if not prepared right. And ultimately, the harvest tends to be seasonal. Some processes are lower impact and some are higher impact and hardly compatible with Leave-No-Trace.
The seasonal availability of many foods leads one to think of killing animals for food. And that would conflict with game laws. Or fishing, which leads me to say that, in my opinion, stocking wilderness lakes with non-native fish, as is commonly practiced in many states, is a gross violation of the Wilderness Act and the purposes for which we preserve wilderness.
