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I know I had posted a Navigation article last week, and I had planned to carry on with that, but I have something much more important to go over...
During the pandemic many people with nothing else to do rushed into the outdoors without any knowledge or respect for the land. Many of them started ridiculous trends for social media likes, and these trends gained traction through copycat behavior. Trends such as rock stacking, rock painting and now foraging. These trends, when copied by many are detrimental to our natural spaces, and these practices must stop before the damage is irreparable. Today, we are going to focus on the latest trend of foraging with an article from Ontario's Provincial Parks Managers.
We know a lot of our visitors are interested in exploring our parks, and maybe taking a piece of it home with them.
We’ve noticed an increase in popularity of foraging, but remember: foraging for any plant or fungal species is prohibited in provincial parks.
Edible Species in Parks
Parks are home to many plants and mushrooms that can be safely consumed by humans. These include fiddleheads, wild leeks, wild grapes, morels, Chicken of the Woods, and more.
Although they may be tasty, each one of these species is an important part of park ecosystems. Unsustainable foraging is harmful to the species who call our parks home.
What Happens When You Forage Unsustainably?
Foraging, when not done responsibly, can have a damaging impact on plant species.
Plants take a lot of time and energy to grow. Understory plants have a small yearly window of full sunshine before overstory trees flush their leaves. It can take Small White Leeks (also known as wild leeks) 10 to 15 years before they reach maturity.
If a population isn’t given the time it needs to recover from harvesting, it will eventually wink out of existence in that area. As this happens over and over across the province, a species can become threatened, endangered, extirpated, or even extinct.
That is what happened to American Ginseng. As much of its habitat was lost to farmland, logging, and development, the few remaining populations were also targeted by illegal harvesting. American Ginseng is considered to be at imminent risk of extinction in Ontario, and it is now classified as an endangered species.
Foraging on fungi has a different kind of impact. The mushrooms we’re familiar with are just a small part of a fungus’ “body.” For most species, much of the fungus is tiny threads that are woven through the soil, connecting one plant to another and shuttling nutrients and sugars through the ecosystem.
The mushroom is simply the fruiting body of the fungus, and while harvesting will not severely damage the organism itself, it deprives other visitors of the wonder of discovering these incredible organisms.
Similarly, ecosystems are interconnected spaces. If you pick a fiddlehead, a fern frond will not grow in that spot this year. Fewer sugars will be collected to flow into the fungal network, and the moth that specializes on that particular fern species will have fewer places to eat and live.
And don’t forget: removing any natural object from a provincial park is prohibited, and you could face a fine.
Protecting Ecological Integrity
Foraging can be a wonderful thing if it is done responsibly and legally. The priority for Ontario Parks is to ensure that our parks’ native species and ecosystems are protected, which is why foraging is not permitted.
Healthy ecosystems sustain healthy people and a healthy economy. Our work to maintain and improve the ecological integrity of our parks supports Ontario’s biodiversity, clean air, productive soils, nutritious foods, and fresh water.
Respecting Aboriginal and Treaty Rights
Ontario Parks is committed to respecting access for the exercise of Aboriginal and treaty rights, as recognized and affirmed under the Constitution Act, 1982. Constitutional rights to harvest for food, ceremonial or social purposes can be exercised within a provincial park or conservation reserve at any time, provided safety and conservation considerations are satisfied.
Posted to Ontario's Park Blog on April 28, 2023N.A.C. NEWS
(Sunday, March 17, 2024)
Good Morning,
I am writing this week's Adventure Weekly a day early. Normally I complete this Friday night before I head to bed, but this coming Friday is my birthday and I will be spending time with family, so I am getting this and all my chores done ahead of schedule.
We have a lot of upcoming events! Hikes, paddle trips, expeditions and more! This coming Friday we will visit the Devil's Punchbowl for an amazing hike and to enjoy the beauty of a few of Ontario's incredible waterfalls. Join us on Easter Weekend at Climber's Rock for another Rock On Climbing event. A week and a bit after that, pack a cooler full of refreshments and snacks and join us at the park to witness a full solar eclipse, the first of it's kind in this area since 1979! It will not happen again until 2144, so you really don't want to miss it this time around! For a week in April, we will be down in Pennsylvania trekking along the Appalachian Trail. Unfortunately, registration for this event has already closed. In July we will pack up our kayaks and spend 3 days paddling around one of Canada's least known National Parks, Beausoleil Island. Three days of paddling the Georgian Bay and two nights of primitive camping on the Island will be a great way to enjoy the summer month of July! And lastly, the big one, backpacking in the very remote backcountry of Gros Morne National Park! This backpacking expedition is on many bucket lists and Niagara Adventure Club managed to obtain a permit for up to 12 participants. If you ever wanted to experience the backcountry like it was meant to be experienced, then this is the trip for you!
I hope you all had an amazing March Break, now get back to work!
That's all the news for this week. As always, stay safe, and happy adventuring!
Lenny Burch