We welcome responsible foraging for food and decorations.
Please send us photos via Facebook or Twitter of the things you make with them!
Foraging for firewood or kindling is not permitted.
Please ensure you read our Forest Code.
Food
In season you can pick fruit from the forest including cherries, sloes, elderberries, apples and blackberries as well as the occasional hazel nut (if you can beat the squirrels to them!).
We also have some fungi but as a new woodland the fungi population is quite small and we don’t encourage you to take any.
Key points:
- Make sure you know what it is before you eat it!
- Forage responsibly and only take a small proportion of what you see – leaving the rest for wildlife
- Forage carefully – please only take what you can reach and treat our trees with kindness and care
Other material
Please don’t pick wild flowers or blossom.
Taking small amounts of holly or ivy for your own use is permitted. Please remember that wildlife shelter in these species, particularly ivy, over the winter. Only take very small amounts from individual trees/areas.
Don’t take sticks or twigs from any other trees or plants for decoration or crafting, or any other purpose, without our permission.
You are not permitted to take any material for firewood. All fallen wood remains the property of the landowner and is important for biodiversity, particularly for invertebrates. Anyone found foraging for firewood will be told to return it to the woods to minimise harm to the residents of the twigs and logs!
A key value for our site is to leave no trace – so whilst we are happy for you to share nature’s harvest we ask you to respect the real landowners – the wildlife.
You can book a session for a group to learn about basic foraging.
BOOKING & FURTHER INFORMATION:
Fill in the Environmental Education Project contact form:
Or email us for further information at: rosliston@southderbyshire.gov.uk
Or ring 01283 535039 (Answerphone)