Recent sunshine brought out three North East organisations to enjoy a special visit to the Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre run by Northumberland Wildlife Trust. There they explored some of the edible wonders of the region, before helping to build community well-being, walking along the Boulmer Bay coastline.
The three organisations were the Men’s Pie Club, Northumberland Wildlife Trust and Northern Wilds, who are foraging specialists. These three organisations worked together to create a series of outdoor culinary adventures designed to improve well-being, bring people together and show the natural larder of our lovely Northumbrian landscapes.
The sessions were supported through Legal& and VONNE, with the General Health Equity fund. This funds community projects that improve social connection and health.
It is true that the Men’s Pie Club is best known for its pie making sessions, but these recent workshops saw plants being introduced instead of pastry and allowed members to be introduced to edible wild flowers, seaweeds. common weeds and herbs.
Positive reception for the event
Jo Burke, Nature and Wellbeing Officer at Northumberland Wildlife Trust, commented:
“It was wonderful to welcome the group to our Hauxley reserve to showcase just how great it is. The event enabled us to chat about foraging ethically, before delving deeper into the rich North East plant folklore and traditional uses of certain plants.
“The sessions’ benefits to wellbeing were brilliant; from spending quality time in nature, being active together, forming new friendships, to sharing absolutely delicious dishes created from the foraged ingredients.”
One Men’s Pie Club participant said:
“What a wonderful day out! The sun shone! A great walk around somewhere I’ve never been to. So beautiful and lots of bird life. Learning about plants and how they have been used through time. And how to cook them now! To taste them was extraordinary.”
Ollen Wolfendale, Programme Coordinator at Men’s Pie Club, adds:
“The guys from Men’s Pie Club and our Xtra Ingredients Project had a fantastic experience learning how to forage sustainably. They attended multiple events and loved the variety and knowledge shared by Northern Wilds.
“These workshops helped participants connect with the Five Ways to Wellbeing, and the feedback has been full of gratitude. One member even asked how to grow garlic mustard at home because he enjoyed it so much.”
Louise Thompson, Foraging Expert at Northern Wilds, says:
“Working on the Hauxley reserve provided me with the opportunity to inform the group how precious our natural habitats are for all living beings – man and bird alike, as well as giving me the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience of how nourishing our landscape can be for both body and soul.”
Full permission was gained for the sessions to be conducted with permission coming from Northumberland Estates, Natural England and the Northumberland Wildlife Trust. Foraging has to be done correctly and therefore ethical foraging practises must always be followed and protected sites such as nature reserves and sites of special scientific interest SSIS, should be avoided, unless correct consent can be obtained.
Sticking to the law while keeping safe
Northumberland Wildlife Trust have also emphasised that it is illegal to uproot plants without the consent of the landowner on entering private land without permission. Commercial foraging is prohibited.
However, as long as members of the public abide by these ethical practises and laws. foraging in the UK is legal for personal and non commercial use.
Northumberland Wildlife Trust advisor frontages should follow the four FS rules. Only take in a reasonable amount of fruit, foliage, fungi and flowers for personal use while at the same time leaving plenty for wildlife and future growth.
Most importantly of all, safety is essential. Nobody should eat any plant.
More information on foraging laws can be found here and here.
Early morning dawn call and walk
On Sunday 24 May from 7 am to 9 am bird enthusiasts joined local bird expert Chris Wright for a guided walk around the Hawksley Nature Reserve at Druridge Bay.
This was a real treat for visitors to hear what is described as “nature’s finest soundtrack”, as resident robins, wrens, blackbirds, blue tits, reed warblers, Cetti warblers, song thrushes and reed buntings filled the air with their wonderful early morning chorus.
Last year as many as 157 bird species visited the reserve, creating a fantastic symphony that the trust jokingly suggests even rivals Eurovision!
Hawksley is among the easiest places to spot them, whether they are flitting around the reserve or visiting the feeders behind the car park.
Alex Lister, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Druridge Bay Landscapes Manager commented:
“Can you believe that this time six years ago we were all in lockdown and our 2020 Dawn Chorus even was live streamed from a back garden in Saltburn. We all thought that life would never be the same again, but the one thing that didn’t let us down were the birds that sang no matter what was happening in the rest of the world – this is why wildlife is so amazing.”
This dawn chorus is really special and one of the reasons for that is because it gives one of the very few opportunities each year for members of the public to explore the 26 hectare reserve before its usual opening time and so experience the landscape as the birds emerge from their slumber and as other wildlife wakes up.
Let’s support moths says wildlife charity
Northumberland Wildlife Trust and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) are asking people to support moths this year in a celebration of the 2500 species found in the UK.
Moths are very important as pollinators and an important indicator of environmental health. Sadly, their numbers are going down, having fallen by a third since the 1960s due to climate change, pollution and urbanisation. Between them, the two charities have organised a wild about gardens campaign to equip gardeners with the information they need so that they can better understand moths and create spaces that will help them to thrive; including their very hungry caterpillar!
On Friday 5 June, the campaign will be celebrated when members of the public are invited by Northumberland Wildlife Trust to head to its Hauxley reserve to learn more about night flying moths that visit the site.
Between 9 and 11 am, there will be the opportunity to see the kind of moths people can expect to find in the early summer, before putting their identification skills to the test with Helen Walsh the Druridge Bay estates and engagement officer for Northumberland Wildlife Trust and opening their moth traps!
The event is free and made possible thanks to players of the Postcode Lottery and places do need to bebooked here .
To support moths and their caterpillars in your own garden, Northumberland wildlife trust suggests the following:
“ Let caterpillars feast: Caterpillars have one job: to get plump ready for transformation into a moth, so allow for nibbling on ornamentals and vegetable crops. They need enough energy to complete transformation. Amazingly, some species of adult moths don’t eat at all and rely on what they consume as caterpillars to see them through.
“ Plant caterpillar food plants: Plant native trees and shrubs that host a broad range of caterpillar species such as willow, honeysuckle, foxgloves, verbascum, comfrey, marjoram, bedstraw, and sweet William.
“ Make a night-time nectar bar: To provide for the hundreds of species of nocturnal moths consider plants that come alive at dusk such as sweet rocket, tobacco plant, jasmine, and white campion.
Helen Walsh, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Druridge Bay Estates and Engagement Officer has commented:
“Moths are stunning in name and beautiful by nature. The green, black, and white Merveille du Jour looks as if it’s been exquisitely painted by an artist, and the White Ermine appears to be causally draped in a black-spotted cloak with a warm fur ruff. It’s no wonder the French call moths ‘butterflies of the night.’ Even little brown moths can have wonderful, intricate markings.
“Making a simple moth trap is a wonderful way of enjoying these incredible creatures up close before releasing them back into the wild. Lets all help them in our gardens and enjoy the benefits they bring!”
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