Wild Foods Course - BSY Group

Course overview

Many families are getting involved and benefiting from being more in touch with nature and conservation and developing an interest in our ancestors’ gatherer lifestyle. Foraging is environmentally friendly and it provides us with a free source of organic foods that are in season and rich in vital nutrients. This course will give you information on safe and lawful gathering, including plant identification, harvesting, storage, preparation and recipes.

Syllabus

Lesson One
- Introduction
  - Why Forage?
- Safety
  - Wild Foods and Survival
- The Law and Wild Food Gathering
- Getting Started
  - Equipment
  - Mapping and Recording Finds
  - Rules for Picking
  - Wild Food Groups
  - Storage
Lesson Two
- Commonly Found Wild Foods
  - Dandelion
  - Nettle
  - Oak
  - Good King Henry
  - Common Poppy
  - Heather
  - Reedmace
  - Fat Hen
  - Blackcurrant
- Two Plants to Avoid
  - Bracken
  - Comfrey
Lesson Three
- Commonly Found Wild Foods (Continued)
  - Hawthorn
  - Hazel
  - Goosegrass or Cleavers
  - Ground Elder
  - Sweet Cicely
  - Yarrow
  - Chickweed
  - Sweet Chestnut
  - Burdock
  - Bilberry
  - Pig Nut
  - Rosebay Willowherb
  - Walnut
Lesson Four
- Commonly Found Wild Foods (Continued)
  - Wild Strawberry
  - Rowan
  - Fennel
  - Black Mustard
  - Turnip
  - Wild Cherry
  - Wild Service Tree
  - Ramsons
  - Wild Foods in the Arctic
- Foraging on the Seashore
  - Shellfish
  - Seaweed
  - Plant Life

Practical training

No practical training is required to complete this course.

Prerequisites

You do not need to have any additional qualifications before studying this course.

Level

On successful completion of this course you will have studied new skills and gained knowledge purely for your own enjoyment and development. This may also act as a ‘taster’ for the student who wishes to go on to more advanced courses.

Certification

On successful completion students will receive the following award: The BSY Certificate of Competence in Wild Foods.

How the course works

Upon enrolment you receive your first course lessons.

You can study in your own time, at your own pace and from the comfort of your own home. If you have any questions, or would like feedback or encouragement about your course or your studies then you can contact our friendly tutors by phone, email or post.

At the end of each lesson are a set of questions. Completing these can aid your learning and help you master each step before moving on to the next. Your next lesson will then arrive for you to continue when it suits you.

Having progressed through each lesson you can take your final examination at home, and at a date and time that suits you. Then, on successful completion you will be awarded your BSY certificate.

Additional benefits

Health and Harmony Magazine
Enrol on this course and you will receive a complimentary issue of Health & Harmony, our inspirational full colour magazine. Giving complementary and natural health updates and news, it also includes student profiles, lists the most recent award winners, and provides interesting articles and short stories.

Enrol on this course from £50

There are two ways you can enrol on this course. You can:

Pay with a deposit of £50, followed by 5 monthly instalments of £25
or
Pay the total course fee of £175 in one sum and receive a voucher towards the cost of your next course