Time goes by, seasons change, and the Earth keeps throwing its natural wonders for us to devour. And as you can see from this list, members of the ‘Foraging’ and ‘Mushrooms’ communities never pass an opportunity to snatch some tasty bites. No wonder tens of thousands of enthusiasts are eager to immerse themselves in the outdoors and share their finds online — nature is teeming with delicious edible morsels they can pick up, eat, cook, brew, and enjoy with their loved ones.

For anyone craving greenery, plants, and soul-soothing gifts of nature, it’s only natural to grab a basket and set off to the nearest countryside or park. But what is it about foraging that makes it such an exciting and soothing activity?

To gain more insight on the topic and to learn more about what to keep in mind while heading out into the wild to collect edible wild foods, we reached out to foraging expert Diego Bonetto. The Italian native, who has lived in Australia since the mid-1990s, spends his time guiding novices, chefs, and other professionals through the parks and outskirts of Sydney looking for hidden-in-plain-sight ingredients.

Being a renowned author of a best-selling book Eat Weeds, a field guide to foraging: how to identify, harvest and use wild plants, Bonetto, aka “The Weedy One”, now aims to remind us about the natural treasures many of us have forgotten.

“Foraging is the oldest of skills,” Bonetto told Bored Panda. “As an organism, we evolved into what we are today by engaging with whatever edible resource was available to us in our surroundings.”

The professional forager believes that by re-engaging with this century-old art, we can once again connect to nature — and rekindle the bond with the ancient rituals that made us who we are. “By collecting and eating wild food we rediscover our wilder selves, and that is enriching and grounding,” Bonetto added.

Historically, we had a much stronger connection with wild food. But what was once an activity our ancestors heavily relied on to survive and thrive seemed to become unsophisticated and forgotten in the past few decades. Until recently. Because, according to the annual Waitrose Food and Drink report, there’s definitely been a shift in attitudes. In fact, social media interest in foraging grew by 89% in 2021.

Bonetto explained that only the past couple of generations have stopped or diminished the practice of harvesting wild seasonal produce. “Three generations ago most people, all over the world, were still regularly collecting wild berries, mushrooms or greens. Two generations ago this practice became shameful, like the kind of things poor people or peasants would do.”

“Last generation knowledge was greatly lost due to not practicing it, not being taught, and opting for supermarket and agriculturally produced foods,” he continued. “This is the generation that we want the knowledge back.” Bonetto argued that today, we know that these old skills have become an extremely valuable tool that allows us to connect with resources as stakeholders. “We want to learn back how to care for our surroundings, getting rewarded with free food in the process.”

So, in essence, foraging provides us with free food and triggers deeply rooted memories that allow us to revive that lost spark and strengthen our bond with nature. But knowing little about the foraging habits and practices or the ins and outs of the countless different species, taking up the endeavor can seem daunting.

For those planning to head out, Bonetto suggests starting small. “Learn three-four plants at first, the easy ones like dandelion, purslane or mulberries. Once you know them well you will also get accustomed on what are the key features of the plants that help with identification. This skill will be used for all the other edible plants that you will learn.” The expert added there is no better teacher than curiosity: “You will never stop learning and adding new knowledge to your skill set.”

Moreover, Bonetto pointed out some of the most important things beginners should have in mind when taking up foraging. “The best place to forage is your garden: Forage where you know who sprays what, how many dogs there are and have a good idea of how the soil has been treated in the past.”

Another piece of sage advice is to positively identify everything. “Make sure you know what you are eating before baking the pie. Slow down, there are plenty of books and resources online. Start small, learn well, and progress from there.”

“If it looks like a stick it tastes like a stick: Meaning that you have eyes, use them,” Bonetto continued. “If a plant looks sad and half dead, that is what you will be eating. If the plant looks juicy and happy, that is because the plant is juicy and happy. You use these skills every time you go to the greengrocer to select some vegetables. You would select the best-looking ones, same skills apply to foraging.”

And lastly, be conscious of your environment and look after resources. “Foraging knowledge is NOT your license to exploit resources, but the trigger point to turn you into a stakeholder and caretaker of your local resources.”

The best thing you can do to access wild food sources is to join your local bush regeneration group, the expert forager added. “They are all over the world. They would meet in your local park or wild area and remove bags of introduced species, oftentimes edible.”

“You would get help with identification, they have public liability and most probably free coffee and biscuits for you to have while you fill up your bag. Most importantly you would only engage with invasive plants, removing them from native ecologies. You would look after your local native species while filling up your fridge,” Bonetto concluded.