Written By Teresa Baumann
Photos by Lorili Toth
April 29, 2013 – A fog laden morning on the coast gave way to warmth and sunshine in the afternoon, as a group of explorers gathered at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve last Sunday and prepared to go on the first ever foraging walk to locate and identify edible and medicinal plants. This was a unique opportunity to wander off the beaten path and out into the field in the company of knowledgeable guides, stewardship specialist Bree Candiloro of the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve and Dr. Keith Rayburn.
One focus of the walk was to learn a bit about the ethnobotany of the Ohlone Indian tribe. In keeping with the spirit of this journey, the participants set off, armed with a list of plants and their traditional uses, along with bright yellow signs bearing the Ohlone names of the plants they were responsible for finding on the walk. Due to the expertise of the guides, over 35 plants were identified, marked and harvested (when appropriate) by the group.
The walk, which began at the visitor center, took the participants through a vast diversity of habitats. In the more exposed sunny areas of the trail, we encountered plants such as narrow leaved mule ears, of which the seeds and stems can be used for food and the roots used to treat lung problems. Also sharing this area was the soap plant, the bulb of which was harvested for the group’s inspection. The young leaves of this plant can be used for food. As for the bulb, the name of the plant implies its intended use….soap.
The path then led the group from the welcome shade of a pristine oak woodland into an area thick with native grasses, where we came upon a stand of stinging nettle. A couple of the more adventurous participants wandered off the path to harvest the nettles, under supervision of the guides, and learned that nettles cease to sting after being cooked or steamed, but can still sting when dried. It was the perfect time to collect the nettles in their pre-flowering state.
As the walk progressed, participants got to know the guides and each other, as they searched out, identified and harvested the plants that had been assigned to them at the beginning of the walk. “We walk right by and don’t even see some of these amazing plants,” observed one member of the group.
A highlight of the walk was traversing some difficult terrain to arrive in a leaf littered landscape under a dense oak canopy where woodmint, wild rose, giant trillium and wood fern were found thriving in this untouched setting.
When the tour concluded back at the visitor center, participants were led to a conference room that had been transformed into an interactive resource center. There was a brewing station for teas crafted using some of the plants from the tour and two different types of “nesto” stinging nettle pesto—one made with pine nuts and the other with almonds. Tasting and comparisons revealed that both recipes were indeed very tasty. Sautéed cattails were also on the menu, with a station to learn how to prep them for cooking.
Participants were slow to leave, lingering around the table for one more bite of the verdant pesto and dreaming of their next foraging adventure. Said guide Keith Rayburn: “I was gratified to see so many people come out to the event, which bodes well for the agenda of making evident the pragmatic utility of wilderness and the need to preserve wilderness for out own sake.” The event was a sell out, with a long waiting list, so a second walk is in the works. Dates will be posted at www.elkhornslough.org
About the author
At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
