West Coast Wild Harvest Issue 1 Spring/Summer 2016 | Page 53

HARVESTER’S TALE Bryce M. Watts leading a group through Stanley Park on a plant walk With our bamboo baskets, gloves, and scissors at hand, we would spend most of the day wandering through the forest picking a few leaves from each bush we came across until we had enough to make a few batches of a blend. Willow leaves quickly became our favourite, because collecting them meant we were by water and in a shady spot. The willow also makes an exceptionally flavourful tea. Each day would end by putting our wild harvest into the dehydrators, and planning where we would explore the next day. When I was selling my teas at farmer’s markets, a lot of people were really interested in the plants themselves and how they could be used. The teas had become quite popular but I started to shift my focus to how I could help other people learn more about local plants and start their own journey into wild foods. Birth of a Foundation passion for plants and reinvigorate a sense of identity with my heritage. I wanted to create a space where people from all differen BvƷ2