By Derek Cornet

Walk in the Woods focused on edible northern plants

Aug 28, 2018 | 2:00 PM

With a focus on edible northern plants, the 2018 Walk in the Woods conference attracted nearly a dozen attendees from southern Saskatchewan.

The conference began earlier today at Eagle Point Resort and started with introductions from Keewatin Community Development Association CEO Randy Johns and featured chef Jenni Schrenk. Throughout the day, participants will also tour the Boreal Heartland Forest Products facility in Air Ronge, as well as complete a guided tour along the Montreal River with Lac La Ronge Indian Band cultural educator Eleanor Hegland.

“We’re talking about the plants and their various uses,” Johns said. “Eleanor will be talking about Indigenous uses of the plants like how they were used traditionally by people for food and healing.”

Johns noted it’s important people learn about the edible plants in northern Saskatchewan because it demonstrates the non-timber potential growing in the boreal forest. He added most people only know about wild rice, berries and mushrooms, and not much about other plants which can also be harvested sustainably and economically.

In recent years, Johns said there’s been a spike in the number of people interested in the health benefits of natural foods, as well as those who want to be more connected to the land. As many of the people who attended Walk in the Woods are from out of town, he stated attendees usually come with some knowledge of plants but want to know more about northern plant life.

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“Tonight we’re going to have a banquet of northern and organic food all made in Saskatchewan,” Johns said. “We’ve had a meal before with a northern flavour, but this is the first year we’ve actually had a chef as a feature and cooking a meal that’s mostly northern product.”

Langham high school teacher Chris Friesen was among the participants at the event and he’s hoping to bring back what he learns to his students. He said he’ll create some kind of lesson based on the conference, adding he wants to make environmental science more engaging for students.

“There’s a real emphasis on local science like sustainability and ethical harvesting,” Friesen said. “To learn there are all these other uses for plants is interesting.”

derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno