Foraging Experience

We choose accessible parks, woodlands and hidden gems. All Moonfull Foraging Experiences are within a 10-mile radius of Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.

We'll take you along well-maintained paths and easy terrain, therefore, children and dogs on leads are very welcome.

We strongly discourage any harvesting during our walks and no eating is allowed. For identification purposes, we share a sample among the group, use plant debris where possible and specially designed flash cards. 

After your foraging experience, we suggest practising safe foraging practices.  We encourage anybody who is interested in forming a relationship with wild flavours to plant these in their own garden, allotment or community allotment.

• Always seek permission from the landowner. If in doubt, always check.
• Know what you're picking and beware of poisonous species. Always identify the plant before you pick it. Never consume a wild plant unless you're certain what it is. It could be rare and protected, inedible or even deadly poisonous. Fungi can be tricky to identify, so it's usually best to leave them alone.
• Only collect from plentiful populations. Only collect flowers, leaves, fruits and seeds where they're in abundance.
• Don't touch rare species. Some species are protected by law, so know what not to collect. Ancient woodlands in particular can contain many rare species so take special care.
• Be mindful of pollution and contamination. Avoid foraging near roads, industrial areas, farms or places where pesticides or herbicides may have been used. Wash your plants thoroughly before eating or cooking them, and discard any parts that look damaged or diseased.
• Learn how to prepare and preserve your foraged foods. Some plants may need special treatment, such as boiling, soaking or fermenting, to make them edible or remove toxins. Follow reliable recipes and instructions on how to cook or store your wild foods, and use them within a reasonable time frame.
• Leave plenty behind for others and for wildlife. Wild food is vital for the survival of the UK’s wildlife and it is important to forage sustainably to ensure there is enough left for birds and others, and to allow the plant or fungus itself to produce seeds and spores that grow into the next generation. Only take what you plan to eat – and remember you may not be the only person foraging.

Nothing!

We suggest you wear weather-appropriate clothing and shoes. 

Due to health and safety, we do not eat anything during the experience.

We'll also provide you with a Moonfull Foraging Guide booklet and a pen to keep notes and sketch in. 

If you'd like to bring your own foraging books to share with the group, please do! 

Here are some of the wild edibles we may find during our walk:

January. Acorns, beech nuts, blackberries, chestnuts, crab apples, hawthorn berries, hazelnuts, pine nuts, rosehips, sloe berries, whitebeam berries, oyster mushroom, velvet shank mushrooms.

February. Alexanders (horse parsley), chickweed, dandelion, nettles, sweet violet, velvet shank mushrooms, wild garlic.

March. Chickweed, dandelion, goosegrass, gorse, hawthorn, Japanese knotweed, nettles, wild garlic.

April. Alexanders, bramble leaves, cow parsley, garlic mustard, hairy bittercress, mallow, bistort, morels.

May. Chickweed, hawthorn, lime, mallow, oxeye daisy, red clover, sorrel.

June. Ash, elderflowers, elderberries, ground elder, honeysuckle, lime, rose, pineapple weed.

July. Bilberries, chickweed, chanterelle, fat hen, mallow, meadowsweet, wild strawberries, yarrow.

August. Blackberries, crab apples, elderberries, greater plantain, hazelnuts, rowan berries.

September. Beech nuts, hawthorn berries, rosehips, sloe berries, wild raspberries, wild strawberries.

October. Bullace, beech nuts, hazelnuts, rosehips, sloe berries, sweet chestnuts, walnuts.

November and December. Bullace, hairy bittercress, hops, pine needles, pine seeds, sweet chestnuts.

YES!

Everyone including children and dogs will need a ticket, they're free but please consider leaving us a donation if you're in the position to do so.

This also helps us manage the number of guests per Foraging Experience safely and efficiently. We email you the location by email in the week before the event.

Click on the following link to go to our Eventbrite page to book a Foraging Experience. 

We know you're eager to join us for a Foraging experience, and we're thrilled to have you on board. But before you book your spot, there's something you need to know. 

Tickets for the Foraging Experience are not available until 1 month before the event date. Why? Because we want to make sure that everyone has a fair chance to join us, and that no one cancels at the last minute. 

That's why we have this policy in place. It helps us create a better experience for you and everyone else. It also helps us protect and preserve the nature that we love and share.

So, please be patient and wait until 1 month before the event date to book your ticket. We promise it will be worth it. Follow the instructions on the ticket page to get a reminder from Eventbrite.

As the green leaves unfurl to the warm embrace of spring, we celebrated our third year of curating immersive foraging experiences. What began as a humble venture has blossomed into a community-favorite event, and we're thrilled to share the enhancements that have enriched our green gatherings.

From day one, our commitment to eco-consciousness has been the root of our practice. We've continued to equip our foragers with eco-friendly guides and pens, ensuring our adventures tread lightly on the earth. Our dedication to safe and sustainable foraging is not just a part of the experience—it's a movement we're nurturing, one plant identification at a time.

In the spirit of inclusivity, we've expanded our group size from 12 to 21, weaving more stories and laughter into the tapestry of our walks. With this change, we've welcomed more children into the fold, introducing them to the wonders of nature through a playful game of foraging bingo—a hit at every session! We've chosen exclusively wheelchair-friendly paths close to bus and train networks, so all can join in the fun.

We've extended our sessions by 30 minutes, allowing for deeper dives into the woodland's secrets. Our new flashcards, adorned with clear images and insightful details of plants, complete with their common and Latin names, have become helpful learning tools for our participants.

To sustain and further refine our experiences, (with much encouragement) we've opened the path for donations. The generosity of our participants will be reinvested into making each foraging walk better than the last.

To commemorate the start of 2024's foraging season, we were honored by the presence of Bernice Hayes, the esteemed Mayor of Hebden Royd Town Council for 2023 - 2024. Bernice, a beacon of encouragement since Moonfull's inception, joined us to celebrate the strides we've made. Her support has been a guiding star, urging us to "reach for the moon"—and reach we shall, with our hearts full of gratitude.

Here's to many more years of foraging, learning, and growing together. Join us under the woodland canopy, where every leaf has a story, and every path leads to discovery.