"Friluftsliv " and picking culture

[Kari]

Hi everyone,

For a quite some time I have worked as outdoor play advocate and to provide information for parents and kids both grassroots and online with my website ActiveKidsClub is building on the concept of "friluftsliv” It
is a Norwegian word and it means:

"Friluftsliv" means spending time outside and experiencing nature first-hand. People who spend time in our mountains, fjords and forests develop a greater understanding of interactions between species and
the ecological balance, and are offered the possibility of recreation,
rejuvenation and the benefits of increased physical activity and reduced stress
levels through a connection with nature and quality time with friends and loved
ones. Friluftsliv is a way of life upbringing and every-day life; it's what
they seek on their days off, weekends and vacations.

 Examples of typical friluftsliv experiences include:

• Exploring nature on foot or with skis during the winter

• Experiencing nature by biking, boating, canoeing, skating, etc.

• Experiencing additional activities during walks such as fishing, hunting, berry picking, mushroom gathering, photography or observing plants and birds

From here http://www.visitnorway.com/us/Stories/What-to-do/Activities-Sports/...

I have tried to get information about rules about gathering berry and mushroom picking for people living in US and Canada. I think is a very important part of spending time outside with family and friends.

I also have got a lot of response on twitter I'm not the only one wondering about this subject.

I know that different states and provinces in US and Canada have different rules. I was lucky to visit Newfoundland last year, and did find they have a great picking culture in NFL.

Anyone else out there knows about picking culture here in North America, as well in UK and Scotland ?

I would love to hear about your picking culture where you live and rules.

Kari

[Juliet Robertson]

Hi Kari

Here in Scotland we have the Scottish Outdoor Access Code which states "Customary picking of wild fungi and berries for your own consumption is not affected by legislation. Care for the environment by following any agreed guidance for this activity. However being on or crossing land or water for the purpose of taking away, for
commercial purposes or profit, anything in or on the land or water is excluded from access rights."


http://www.woodsmoke.uk.com/documents/files/edible_mushroom_pickers... This is the link to the Wild Mushroom Code of Conduct that should be followed across the UK. There may be a similar guide to foraging for berries.

But I too am interested to know what's happening elsewhere.

Best wishes
Juliet

[John Thielbahr]

I suspect in the U.S. that there is not one set of rules but many. This is a land where private property rights are sacred and in many places defended with guns. Each private property owner sets his/her/their own rules about access. The default rule is no access without permission. If you don't have permission, that is trespassing and is an offense that legal authorities can enforce. For land owned by the public or for the benefit of the public, the access rules will vary from owner to owner (federal, state, local, non-profit, for-profit, land trusts) depending on the land value: forest, agriculture, open space, mineral land, etc. It pays to know who owns the land you are crossing and whose berries and mushrooms you are picking. Great question.

[Kari]

Hi Juliet and John,
Great to know about Scotland and UK.
I forgot to tell you that in Norway and Sweden you can pick where ever you want regardless of property- Allemansretten -The right to roam. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_to_roam

I would be curious about the laws to public land are. After been living in Toronto in Canada for 4 years I have not yet picked anything. Mainly because is not very accessible here.

Kari


Kari






Juliet Robertson said:

Hi Kari

Here in Scotland we have the Scottish Outdoor Access Code which states "Customary picking of wild fungi and berries for your own consumption is not affected by legislation. Care for the environment by following any agreed guidance for this activity. However being on or crossing land or water for the purpose of taking away, for
commercial purposes or profit, anything in or on the land or water is excluded from access rights."


http://www.woodsmoke.uk.com/documents/files/edible_mushroom_pickers... This is the link to the Wild Mushroom Code of Conduct that should be followed across the UK. There may be a similar guide to foraging for berries.

But I too am interested to know what's happening elsewhere.

Best wishes
Juliet

[Suz Lipman]

Hi Kari, I'm so glad you started this discussion. I love the concept of friluftsliv. It sounds very healthy to me - a way of incorporating nature into our daily lives, as opposed to having to go to a special place to experience it. John is certainly right in terms of the private property culture in the U.S. being at least part of the equation. Then there's public land, from which you often aren't supposed to remove things either (national parks, for instance.)

That said, there are plenty of roadside foragers. I think you'd be very interested in a group called "Fallen Fruit". They have a Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/FallenFruit?ref=ts. They actively publicize and map fruit and other edibles that are grown in public places and might typically not get eaten. I believe some of the food picked by them goes to food banks. Plenty of people where I live (Northern Calif.) actively pick roadside berries, which are abundant, and go mushroom hunting. Eating wild fungi makes me extremely nervous, so it's not something I do. I've made jam and other things from our local berries, and do see that as one more terrific way to enjoy nature. I suspect this is something people do more of in more rural areas. (I'm in a suburb of a big city, that has a semi-rural character.)

[Kari]

Hi Suz,
Thanks for link and info. That is great!
Even though we can't do the same as in Europe, we can do similar things

It is good to be nervous about mushroom hunting, I was lucky to grow up with a father who thought me what to pick not to pick. And as old chef noting beat the taste of wild mushrooms you have picked your self.
I know it might be strange for North American ears but in some Nature Kindergarten in Sweden and Norway they will pick mushroom as activity with the kids.

What I like about "friluftsliv" is that it offer something for everyone.

Kari