Foraging Fortnight 2020

A professional ice hockey player turned mountaineer and photographer – Tristan Cameron-Harper’s love of the outdoors is bringing him north for Foraging Fortnight. He’ll be travelling over the Cairngorms, past the broch of Carn Luath, by the harbour and river of Dunbeath and on to Orkney, and sending stories and images along the way. He describes in conversation the call of the outdoors.

Walk through Binscarth Woods and over the hill to the Loch of Wasdale, on a section of the St Magnus Way. Orkney wildlife guide Megan Taylor looks out for wild plants while ethnobotanical researcher Anna Canning discusses their traditional uses for sustenance and health with foraging experts from Scotland and Poland. After the film there’s an opportunity for live questions to them both on aspects of wildlife and foraging.

North Ronaldsay’s native sheep forage seaweed. It’s now been discovered that seaweed in the diet can reduce greenhouse gas emission which helping weight gain. Siân Tarrant, warden of the 13-mile-long stone dyke confining the island sheep to the shore, introduces researchers. Dr Katerina Theodoridou of Queen’s University Belfast shows how dietary seaweed can cut methane and ammonia pollution and reduce soya usage. Dr Jessica Adams of Aberystwyth University describes how micro-organisms from the gut of North Ronaldsay sheep may assist macroalgae degradation for biofuel production. The enzymes involved may have potential for novel technologies and enzymatic cocktails, says Dr Luisa Ciano of Nottingham University.

Off Norway’s coast, right on the Arctic Circle, the cold clean waters around the little island of Træna produce fine seaweed, which the Northern Company harvests and sells. The company’s founder, Zoe Christiansen, describes its sea and laboratory work, in a small fishing community of less than 500 people, amidst spectacular scenery and northern light.

An opportunity to learn the basic elements of the art, as artist Lin Chau leads you through the process of mould and deckle making, preparing plant pulp fibre, pulling a sheet and couching it, then pressing the paper. All age groups are welcome, with no prior experience required, but numbers are limited, so booking is essential. The booking fee of £15 includes a starter pack (UK delivery only) with a simple meshed frame, 4 different kinds of plant fibre, a packet of Orkney native wild flower seeds, some pressed flowers, and 4 pieces of J-cloths. You will need some home items as well.

There’s an opportunity to explore the island in 360-degree photospheres, and learn about its natural history and cultural heritage. Hidden within the photospheres you'll discover multimedia gems of all kinds for you to enjoy from home. Sail from Stromness with Katy Firth of Stromness Museum and enjoy the view of the harbour. On the island you will see Sandside Bay and the lighthouse, and views across Hoy Sound, and hear more of Graemsay's story.

Turning a waste product into something beautiful and usable is one of the skills practiced by wilderness instructor Zeki Basan at his home in a remote part of the Cairngorms. He shows a short film about the process and provides an outline of what to do. He also show scenes of the landscape around him, and some of the plants that he forages.

An opportunity to unwind amongst trees and woodland, with a look at some of the plants and the stories behind them, with Rox Madeira. She is the creator of the Little Alchemists’ Club and wants to encourage families to enjoy slow, local, seasonal, healthy eating, connected to a sense of place.

The fruit you can sometimes forage today in parts of the Clyde Valley is the remnant of a once-great industry, whose produce was grown and processed and transported to markets across the country. The area has a history of orchards, going back hundreds of years. Today some continue in cultivation while others lie abandoned, a home for wildlife. The Lanarkshire Songwriters have gathered memories from growers and pickers of the great days of Lanarkshire apples and plums, strawberries and tomatoes, and turned them into songs with schools and members of the community, on a CD called Fruits of Their Labours. Billy Stewart, Ian Walker, Martin Coffield and John Young join us to describe the land and its traditions in words and music.