Foraging fires up nature’s healthy benefits
A foraging event at a Rhyl nature reserve has fired up knowledge on the human benefits the site can provide.
The Council’s Countryside Service works alongside Nature for Health to help people enjoy the outdoors for physical and mental wellbeing through undertaking physical activities outside.
Nature for Health is a collaborative project that works together with individuals and communities to highlight the role access to nature can have in improving health and wellbeing. The Nature for Health Programme has received funding from the UK Government.
A group guided by Leah Apostolou from the organisation Living Wild toured Bruton Park nature reserve to learn how to forage plants and fruit at the site that can benefit their own health.
Covering the paths on the site to also help their physical wellbeing, the group learned about how fruits on the site including blackberries, apples and sloe berries can be used to support the fermentation of a health natural drink.
They also discovered that rosehip, hawthorn berries and pinecones can be used to help create fire cider, which was their task to make in the outdoors following the foraging around Bruton Park
Mixing their choice of ingredients in a jar with apple cider vinegar the group created their own fire cider drink which is said to provide natural benefits to the immune system using the foraged items that the nature reserve provided.
Denbighshire Countryside Ranger Sasha Taylor who accompanied the group said: “It was amazing to see how many edible fruits and flowers the site supports. Leah’s knowledge meant that we were also able to identify and collect previously overlooked plant species and components which provide a whole host of health benefits. This included the roots of the wood avens plant which boast anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent and diaphoretic properties”
“Having Leah’s expertise on site allowed us to safely collect a range of medicinal plants and fruits. The foraged materials were then used to make individual fire cider tonics tailored to each persons preferred benefits. Tonics such as these can be an excellent alternative to standard vitamin tablets as they contain a host of synergistic substances which can help the body to absorb and process vitamins more effectively. Taking the time to mindfully collect the plants as we walked around the site also allowed us to take advantage of the mental and physical health benefits of being out in nature”
Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport and Biodiversity Champion, said: “Getting outdoors and experiencing our fantastic environments across the county is so important for helping physical and mental health and we are grateful for Nature for Health for providing this fantastic opportunity for learning more about the plants all around us in these important areas for nature and local communities.”