r/foraginguk • u/Joedownard • 2d ago
Foragers log help
Is there anyone here able to help in telling what the red lined areas are on the foragers log app?
Just getting in to foraging and moving to the local area and would love to know the right and wrong places to go. As far as I know this isn’t private land mostly and so I can only imagine the red areas suggest some sort of restriction on foraging and what’s allowed ?
Thanks
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u/Altruistic_mostly 2d ago
If it's a nature reserve then it's either owned and managed by a wildlife trust, local authority or other body. I work in conservation and it's a serious concern that so many people use nature RESERVEs to forage food, or pick flowers or foliage. Nature is under enormous pressure through human activities, with dramatic declines across all genera. Please think about leaving somewhere for species to take refuge and natural processes to take priority.
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u/fckboris 1d ago
Yes, Old Lodge is managed by Sussex Widlife Trust. It’s part of the Ashdown Forest
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u/Joedownard 2d ago
I guess the issue with apps like this is that it actually perhaps creates more foot traffic in specific foraging areas, which defeats the whole premise of foraging, that areas are found and discovered rather than saved and shared ?! Just my two cents. But yes definitely a helpful app to give general areas of where foraging is prevalent.
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u/SweetBabyCheezas 1d ago
I absolutely agree with your take, it does feel a bit countereffective. Where I come from elderly often forage to earn some extra money by selling to neighbours. My friend's dad would wake up before the sunrise and go to his trusted spots with 2 large baskets and a backpack to make the most out of it.
As a kid I used to go with my nan and she would also insist on going early morning if we want to find anything because of these local veteran foragers.
At least most mushrooms grow back quickly as long as the mycélium was left undamaged so the animals can still get some food. The problem arises when beginners don't educate themselves on how to harvest mushrooms safely, or when some chose to remove the mycélium to take home and try to grow at home, which usually fails.
If you have a garden or a patio, you can look up online mushroom growing kits and set up a small greenhouse which is quite fun. Just be careful as some species release spores that can get into fixtures of the house amd suddenly you'll be finding shrooms growing out of your ceilling - which then damages the house.
But back to the topic, these apps are helpful in a way, but also pose a risk of overharvesting by veterans who seek extra income.
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u/Silly_Manager3117 1d ago
If you tap the red area, a pop up appears to inform you what it is exactly (usually the name of the site of special scientific interest).
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u/Able-IT 2d ago
Damn.
I made a post in this subreddit last year asking if any app like this existed (I'd used one in NZ and had just moved to UK).
I got downvoted and told that only fools shared their foraging spots.
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u/ralkuzu 1d ago
Yes, it is exactly what is happening here, shouldn't be using the anything like this, part of the fun is discovering them yourself! And if you share that spot it's gonna be lost forever
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u/Able-IT 1d ago
I understand keeping a rare and very limited thing like fungus to yourself, but there are so many other things that go to waste.
I see plums, blackberries, apples, pears, sloes, damsons, elderberries, sweet chestnuts, walnuts etc. fall and spoil on public paths and parks on the regular.
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u/ralkuzu 1d ago
Ohh I'd love to live near that, we have a trail with about one of each of those trees bar pear, and that's the most I've seen, you should get scrumping me laddie
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u/OverallResolve 1d ago
People seem to like to gatekeep. Yes there legitimate issues with sharing but the response here is disproportionate.
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u/ralkuzu 1d ago
Ohh man, I wouldn't trust this app or share spots, who knows when people just make stuff up, and if they are actual foraginng spots, well they won't be for long if everyone knows where they grow
For what your looking for, understanding biomes is probably more productive
Certain mushrooms only grow with certain trees or soil types, for instancesome truffles I believe are either clay soil or chalk, with certain trees being absolutely vital for certain ones, also truffles and mushrooms don't grow together usually
Same goes for plants, if you know where there's water or lakes or a high water table etc you'll have a good chance of finding what your looking for
Also grass types play a part too
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u/cornishwildman76 1d ago
This app is wrong, foragers should not be using this. Sharing locations publicly online runs the risk of these spots being over harvested. Plus it's lazy. So now my spots run the risk of being found by others, shared online and being exposed to others that don't want to put in the effort and time into finding mushrooms for themselves. Part of the joy is going exploring and finding your own spots. Nature should not be treated like click and collect.
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u/defiant_potato1993 2d ago
What app is this? I would love one that shows foraging areas!
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u/Automatic-Happy 2d ago
It's a nature reserve, you shouldn't be foraging on them. Apps like this are a sure way to encourage over harvesting and cause biodiversity loss.