Despite the extreme heat, all families turned up for our summer family friendly foraging course – first time ever run at Melton Mowbray Country park.

We had 11 adults and 9 children joining us.

We have started in the shade of the carpark with safety briefing and then went onto learning about fantastic gifts from Rowan tree. Enjoyed a syrup from this year’s flowers and jam from last year’s berries.

Just before entering the garden, we have learnt that a pesky garden weed is actually tasty pineapple weed.

Entering the garden we have nibbled on honeysuckle flowers and berries from mahonia alias oregon grape. We tried mahonia jelly.

To keep the sweet and healthy tone, we stopped by wild cherry tree. Its fruit, while small, still makes lovely jam or juice.

With nettles we have explored the vital importance between male and female plant and we nibbled the female seeds which were just getting ripe.

Short look at the garlic mustard which is just getting its seeds ready.

Treat of blackberry cordial and then into the shade of woody area.

Here we have paused at the elder tree, seemingly nothing on it but after closer examination, we discovered dried out jelly ears. Time for a little “grow your own mushroom” experiment and taste of elderberry cordial.

Just outside the wood we spotted a tall plant..hogweed – dipite its size, it was just a lovely edible common hogweed – hairy not shiny. We stopped to learn about its many culinary uses including the seeds as a secret incredient in Charnwood Foraging signature chocolate which everyone (I think?) loved.

Passing by dog rose, we have learnt about robin’s pin cushion and its use for cold sores and use of red clover for herbal tea and white variety as famine food.

Time to assess our knowledge and learn a little about mushrooms. From the jelly ear, hoof fungus to chicken of the wood.

Then we started learning about fungi/musrooms. Using photographs and dried speciment to touch and feel and see, we have learnt key features to look at when identifying mushrooms. Kids and adults alike were surprised how quickly our jelly ear grew.

On the way back, we looked at the seeds from cleaver – not so useful for making coffee due to its small size and tasted acorn with the tanin removed.

Final stop at a well known tree – silver birch and learnt about its many benefits (and silver birch polypore fungus thats grows on it) and enjoyed a very precious sap.

With a group photo we have said our final good bye for the day.

I would like to extend a very special thanks to all of you who kindly donated to LRWT charity. I have been taken back by the amount. In the next 2 days our Q2 ends and we will be sending these straight to the charity. What we collected today, nearly doubles the pot so far. Extremely generous. Thank you so much. The funds will be well invested into nature which gives us its delicious gifts. THANK YOU.