F Is For Foraging, Fiddleheads And Fun Outside

Kids like funny, disgusting things. What could be funnier than a fiddlehead fern. Sure, it got its name from looking like the end of a fiddle. But after they are cooked, they could double as green worms. Forget the fact they taste somewhat between asparagus, broccoli, and that  dreaded other green, spinach. They look disgusting! Besides the joy of eating disgusting things, collecting anything is one of kids' happiest pastimes. How many stones, shells, sticks and have you stuffed into your pockets on an "expedition," as my granddaughter calls a walk on the beach or through the woods?
Connecting kids and nature with foraging is certainly not a unique idea, but one that some consider too risky. The only edible fiddlehead is the ostrich fern. Gathering information with your child before you forage is just as important as enjoying the end dish. Link to this You Tube video to find out more about the ostrich fern.

Connect With Nature Every Day

August 30,2008

Curious About Nature is a blog about Nature's curiosities that make this earth such an exciting place to save. Participation in this private or public quest knows no age or physical boundaries. A toddler collecting a twig,  a marine biologist saving a whale,  a passerby nudging the lazy turtle across a busy road, a child's awe at the blinking firefly, an old man feeding the pigeons, neighbors creating a garden between sidewalks...our experience with nature is limitless. Sharing each one with someone-whether its a devastating hurricane or a rainbow after a rain storm-strengthen our fortitude and love for our planet.

Share a picture, a thought, or experience about nature with someone today.