Preserving The Edible Wild
with MARTHA WEBBER
I recently had the privilege of being shown the Kanata Forest by Martha Webber, a master teacher about the Edible Wild. At 85 she stills move through the forest as agilely as someone forty year younger and with the fascination and absorption of a delighted child.
Everywhere there were edible plants to be discovered.
Martha Webber showing a Wild Leek
Martha has been teaching since the 1970’s. In fact, Jason, attended one of her day camps when he was around 7 and next year we may attend her course on Edible Wild cuisine.
“Yesterday I did a workshop on wild edibles at Camp Woolsey, the girl guide camp. Spring is the best time for that, so many of the plants are now mature and somewhat tough. We prepared milkweed, nettles, lamb’s quarters, amaranth, most of which are now mature and had to be cooked a bit, but the rest were in a tossed salad with garlic mustard, chickweed, wild grape tendrils, topped, of course, with yellow and orange daylily flowers, The staff were were great, tried everything. After that we walked through an old forest down to the river and found more “wild edibles”. Oh, I gave then basswood flower tea and wintergreen tea along with the nettle brew. I have met so many very interesting people over the years on these “wild”, or not so wild, edibles field trips, which began in the 1970’s. Hope to still be around to run another course next spring. (www.dandelionjam.com). Would be delighted to have you join us.”
Part of Martha Webber’s work is helping to protect the forest. The Kanata Forest, the biggest remaining old growth forest in Ottawa is privately owned and slated for major development.
Martha Weber does not mince her words when she speaks of what is happening:
“The small part to be saved is not a central core. That is where the new road has been cut. It does not offer any hope that endangered species of plants or animals can survive if not slaughtered on the 4 lane route already clear cut, rocks blasted to ground level, it crosses wetland and a portion of the Carp River flood plain. All of this is so very very wrong and final.
Wild animals can only forage for food around the new houses (over 3000: planned along the route) clear cutting is to begin in mid July unless we can get a halt on it, which does not seem likely. The developers may not push that date, the housing market is not as strong now as formerly. But there is no hope for animals that invade developed areas, guns, traps, poison, will welcome them, but where else can they go?
We believe that the damage done by the 4 lane swathe would eventually heal, not in my lifetime, but would endangered species and even butternuts with genetic diversity survive? So many environmental regulations have been bypassed. Whistle blowers like us are ignored or crushed. This seems to be the era when developers are in charge.”
Click Here to watch a video about the importance of the Kanata Forest in Ottawa.
So our forest tour was also to help raise my awareness about protecting this forest. Time may unfortunately be running out, unless the court agrees to delay construction of a road scheduled to begin this summer.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/Meeting+come+late+save+Kanata+forest/3189058/story.html
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/07/16/ottawa-kanata-developer.html
This portion of the Kanata Forest has a rich diversity of life, many healthy and older Butternuts and may also hold an archaeological site dating back thousands of years.
Looking up into Butternut in the Kanata Forest. These are rare examples of healthy old Butternut, which are now an endangered tree.
As far as I am concerned, this debate shouldn’t happen, everywhere in North America there are fights over remaining remnants of mature forests and ecosystems. The importance of preserving these natural areas ought to be self-evident.
But let’s end on a truly delicious note, I invite you to treat yourself to a visit to Dandelion Jam and read more about the Edible Wild.
Daniel Tigner
DANDELION JAM
Martha Webber (613) 839-5217
http://www.dandelionjam.com
