Autumn Foraging in New York City
Foraging has made its mark on social media’s holistic and outdoorsy folks.
With an uptick in interest in herbalism, mushroom health, and beyond-city-limits exercise, foraging has emerged as a fantastic hobby and activity for both solo adventurers and family crowds. It might seem impossible for those of us in the New York City area to step outside and find some natural sustenance among the car exhaust and litter. Luckily for you, there are plenty of foraging opportunities and groups located throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, and beyond! New York’s green areas hold more food than you may think! From prospect to Central, native seeds have taken root ages ago and flourished in the groves’ lesser-walked parts. An important note before we begin! Foraging in NYC parks is TECHNICALLY illegal: You can risk getting fined against certain regulations. This, however, is not the main reason you should be wary of foraging around New York City specifically.
The polluted soil and use of pesticides in most of the major parks can increase one’s risk of getting sick if precautions are not taken to clean forged food correctly. Be careful where you tread, never pick right off a main path, and always triple-check any mushrooms and berries to ensure you’re not picking any poisonous relatives. This is an excellent spot for foraging beginners. It is the only food haven in the city where foraging and picking are not only 100% legal but 100% safe, too! No pesticides are sprayed, and the location allows the soil to avoid the contamination you might find in parks juxtaposed by heavy traffic and litter. Some known plants in the area are echinacea, nut trees like the chestnut, an assortment of native berries, and a planted section where you can find all the kitchen staple herbs and vegetables (depending on the harvest season!) Who knew you could find so many useful plants in the biggest park on the island! Popularized by Wildman Steve Brill’s foraging hikes, Central Park has become a hub for those looking into spice greens, dandelions, native berries, wild onions, and root vegetables. Plenty of foraging groups go through Central Park to collect their morsels throughout the seasons, but never take more than you need! If you’re interested in going on a Central Park Foraging Walk, check out Steve Brill’s guided tours! Stay connected on special events, classes, and savings. 15% OFF YOUR FIRST PURCHASE Like Central Park, Prospect has become huge for foragers inspired by Steve Brills and Journei Bimwala (We’ve worked with her before!).
The rolling hills are rich with wild garlic, goutweed, sassafras, garlic mustard, and more leafy greens to help enrich soups, stews, and salads! This is a little higher level than the Foodway, and perhaps even tougher to find groups to attend with than Central Park. Always double-check your foraged goods to ensure you’re not picking up those nasty lookalikes! Keep an eye on our Eventbrite schedule to see if you can catch a foraging walk with Journei Bimwala. Take the Hudson Line up north to find New York state’s rich foliage and greenery that you have to see to believe its majesty. Here are three options for those looking to get out of the city for a spell– two up in the Hudson River Valley and one more easily accessible via the Staten Island Ferry! The Catskills are a mountain belt in the southeast of New York State, right in the center of the Hudson River Vallet. Most might know it for its expansive ski lodges and extraordinary natural beauty. That same natural beauty brings foragers in droves up to the mountains’ hiking trails to find anything from wild sumac to Lions Mane mushrooms (if they’re so lucky!). Our friends over at Catskill Fungi have mastered the craft of sustainable foraging and farming mushrooms and other popular herbs, like Elderberry. Inspire a connection with the mycelium community and head upstate for unique foraging chances! Those looking for more of a challenge should head up to the Adirondacks. At the top of the Hudson River Valley lies this expansive mountain range, known as the birthplace of the Adirondack-style chair (you know the kinds, those comfy wooden loungers!) and home to the Adirondack High Peaks. Mountaineers and hikers flock to the trails, hoping for a bit of a challenge in exploring. Foragers, too, know that it takes some skill to skirt around these peaks looking for edible plants. If you want to challenge your foraging skills, try heading up to the Adirondacks with a group to see what you can find. Bunchberry, wild strawberry, and black cherry are some native edible plants that can be found around the mountains! Much closer to home for most New Yorkers, Belmont Lake State Park in North Babylon, NY, offers excellent forest walks and lakeside views for eager adventurers. Foragers have found this park to be rich in renewable herbs and greenery, as well as lake plants that can be used in salads or as quick snacks. This is a much easier trek than the mountainous suggestions above– and could be a wonderful day trip for families looking to get out in nature. Autumn is the perfect time to get out and find those delicious mushrooms and herbs you may not be able to score at the grocery store. Those of us in the tri-state area have ample opportunity to head out and find something among the dense foliage we all will come to love and appreciate in time. Check out our Mushroom Health collection to see what foraged goods can make. Have a happy and healthy autumn! Frankie Kavakich is a published prose and poetry writer and a practicing witch whose love for the occult and horror permeates their everyday life. For eight years, they have studied a variety of practices including kitchen witchery, chaos magick, divination, manifestation, and brujería. Within their writing, Frankie features numerous topics ranging from ghosts and spirits to the importance of community and reliance on nature's bounty.
Their great grandmother Nilda was a healer from the rain forests of Puerto Rico, and Frankie is endlessly inspired by the gentle hands and kind hearts of their ancestors.
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