Wildfinding

Long description

The global pandemic has been tragic but has also provided us with several valuable insights. Among these are a greater focus on our local areas, the need for more active lifestyles to promote physical and mental wellbeing as well as a realisation about our over-reliance on large supermarkets. Therefore as life now begins to return to a more stable reality, we have the chance to change our consumption patterns. What if a simple solution could help us and others explore our local areas, be more active whilst also reducing our over-reliance on produce that is out of season, chemically enhanced and fertilised, has high food miles and is over packaged.

Foraging for food and medicinal plants is a traditional skill which used to be common knowledge, passed down through the generations, but as lifestyles changed and urban developments took over, it became a knowledge set which has been largely lost.

Wildfinding works by encouraging community groups to implement a system of guerilla wayfinding signs to help people find places to forage safely for edible and medicinal plants. Naturally, a sustainable approach will be needed in order to ensure that plants are not over picked as they are part of a delicate ecosystem including wildlife. The system consists of stickers on lamposts, markers in the ground and tiles (thus saving surplus bathroom/kitchen stock from landfill) with screen printed, seasonal and intriguing haikus. The Wildfinding website provides further information.

Walk (and eat) on the wild side.

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