“I’m trying really hard to use plants that grow in cracks on kerbways, for example, so if you don’t have access to forest space, you can still utilise the flora around you,” Angela says. “The guides I have aren’t for expert foragers wanting to look into it more,” she adds. “They’re for novices and people wanting to dip their toe in. They’re a fun family activity. The whole point is getting people out in nature and seeing what’s around them.
Angela’s background is in childcare and educational settings, after graduating with a degree in education in 2011. She’s also been inspired by her own childhood growing up on a farm. Angela is also fascinated by entomology - the study of insects - and has spent many a happy day out with her family and friends on bug hunts. “I began to notice the botanical life around me and if I knew what the plants were I had a better ability of finding interesting creatures in their natural habitats,” Angela explains.
Berries, apples, rosehip, nettle seeds, dandelions and mushrooms are among the items that Angela has foraged. “When you forage things, you tend to batch cook, you dry, you put them in jars, you pickle,” she says. “I go out about once or twice a week, gather an abundance of things, preserve them and add them to things I make.