HARVESTER’S TALE
S
itting at my desk with my morning coffee, I look
out the window at the mountains surrounding
Squamish, where I live. I am trying to think of
how I came to be so involved with foraging. The air
is calm, and a fine mist hides the tops of the peaks.
I can’t help feeling a sense of excitement and optimism for the soon approaching spring. New flowers
are making their debuts out of barren garden beds and
the trees are shaking off their winter slumber as their
sap begins to flow.
It’s easy to forget the beauty of the place I live
and to take the abundance my own backyard offers
up for granted. When I get bogged down with emails
and meetings, it is difficult to remember and appreciate what is going on around me. Foraging gives that
back to me: getting out and being immersed in nature,
seeing my food growing in the forest, and tasting the
nuances that each ingredient offers up.
The Influence of Elders
When I was a child, my family used to visit my grandfather in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta. It is a tiny
town nestled in the boreal forest on the eastern slopes
of the Rocky Mountains. My mother’s family had been
farmers: a difficult path to take in a remote place in
the early 20th century, and not one everyone would
choose. My grandfather was very much an outdoorsman; he was in love with the forest. Every visit we made
would include walks through the forest just outside of
town. Being under ten for most of these visits, I wasn’t
too interested in learning the names of all the herbs
growing along the forest floor. Instead, I just wanted
to run around and splash in the little streams snaking
their way through the muskeg.
It wasn’t until this year, when I was being asked
why foraging was such an important part of my life,
that I realized how influential these forest walks with
my grandfather really were. Now that he is gone, I
finally appreciate what he was doing: he was trying to
pass his knowledge on to my sister and me. Although
I didn’t realize it at the time, his enthusiasm sparked an
interest in me that would become a driving force in my
life. Through this realization I also gained a new and
stronger appreciation for the wisdom of Elders and for
their importance in our communities.
50
WEST COAST WILD HARVEST
Bryce M. Watts and his grandfather, Alfred
Payne, on an early plant walk
Looking back, I can see the source of my love of
sharing my knowledge with people on plant walks of
my own. I find it intoxicating when I find someone who
shares my passion towards foraging.
Building Skills
After high school I took a summer job at the Salmon
Habitat Restoration Program in my hometown, and
began to build the more detailed knowledge and
tools that would be necessary to start my foraging
career. That summer was full of nature and it was
wonderful. Every day we soaked in the sunshine
and planted native trees along creeks and streams
throughout the city. I took every opportunity to learn