Foraging facts boost wellbeing

 

A nature reserve has offered a feast of foraging knowledge in support of mental and physical wellbeing.

Denbighshire County Council’s Countryside Service is working together with Nature for Health to help people enjoy the outdoors for physical and mental wellbeing and offer more physical activities.

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 £703,854 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

A group supported by Nature for Health and Countryside rangers recently took part in a foraging spring walk at Rhuddlan Nature Reserve.

Led by Leah Apostolou from the organisation Living Wild the group discovered the knowledge needed to forage by examining the many plant species at the reserve while also topping up their physical wellbeing walking around the site.

Talks on some of the plants included the stinging nettle which has leaves that are tasty and nutritious similar to spinach and has been also used for herbal remedies and a dark green dye for camouflage during the Second World War.

Rose Hip which is rich in vitamin C was looked at and the group discovered it was used on mass as a nutritional syrup also during the Second World War.

And Yarrow was shown around the group to demonstrate how its leaves when bruised or chewed can be put on a wound to stop the bleeding.

Denbighshire Countryside Ranger Sasha Taylor who accompanied the group said: “It was amazing to see how much alive Rhuddlan Nature Reserve is with all sorts of plants and flowers that have a rich history behind them in how they have been used in the past.

“I know the group with us were really interested in the information given about all the different plants we came across and that will be really good for them going forward when they visit other nature areas as they will have this knowledge now that is great for their wellbeing.

Cllr 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.”