An aid to teaching children about edible native plants

[SouthernCross]

With two young children, I take a keen interest in showing them the edible native plants that are available whenever we go out into the bush.

In addition to "field instruction", I have also put aside a section of the backyard, where I have been cultivating a range of common edible Australia native plants.

Having examples in the backyard has help them enourmously in the identification process. It also benefits them as they are able to identify the time of year the annuals appear and keep track of the changes in the appearences of the perrenials throughout the year.

If you have young kids and an interest in teaching them about edible plants in your local area, IMO an " edible native garden" is a valuable aid in their education :thumbup:


Kind regards
Mick

 

[tonym]

Thanks for the tip Mick!!!

Its great that you are teaching your kids about wild edibles. I have a hard enough time teaching myself, but I do still get my daughter involved when I can.

 

[TheGame]

Good idea about the section in the backyard. I wish I could do that where I live, but just about anything our there gets flooded and dies.

I need to get my nephews into this sort of stuff, as well as learn more myself on wild edibles.

 

[Shotgun]

I took a wild food class in my area and the guy showed us his "weed" garden. Everything he planted was what most people call weeds but I don't think the guy ever went to the store for veggies. He even said the grass was the nusance plant and that he would have gotten rid of it if it wasn't for his landlord.:thumbup:

 

[DOC-CANADA]

With two young children, I take a keen interest in showing them the edible native plants that are available whenever we go out into the bush.

In addition to "field instruction", I have also put aside a section of the backyard, where I have been cultivating a range of common edible Australia native plants.

Having examples in the backyard has help them enourmously in the identification process. It also benefits them as they are able to identify the time of year the annuals appear and keep track of the changes in the appearences of the perrenials throughout the year.

If you have young kids and an interest in teaching them about edible plants in your local area, IMO an " edible native garden" is a valuable aid in their education :thumbup:


Kind regards
Mick

Excellent, Mick, but it's also an great aid for teaching adults about edible native plants. :thumbup:

Doc

 

[SouthernCross]

Thanks guys

It's certainly worth the small amount of effort to set one up :thumbup:

One of the additional benefits in a native garden is attracting native wildlife into the yard.

The golden banksia is a prolific producer of nectar and attracts a variety of nectar feeding native mammals and birds into my yard. It makes a delicious sweet drink by dipping the nectar rich flower into a cup of water.

Kind regards
Mick