Wild herb walk & food

You are interested in learning about edible wild plants, i.e. wild herbs, and possibly using them as a variety and flavoring for your everyday food. You want to be able to taste dishes seasoned with wild herbs at the ready table.

This wild herb walk is the right moment for you and a trip to get help in your start as a home kitchen wild herb chef. We walk leisurely under the guidance of an herbalist, talking about the wild herbs of Finnish nature and looking for them on the way, along the edges of the path and forests of the Saari Folk Park.

We learn to identify the plants we find, their uses and possibilities. We taste and smell. We reiterate every man's rights and think about where plants could be collected safely. We will focus on a few familiar plants, the versatility of which may surprise the participant. It is not possible to tell the plants to be learned in advance, because the wishes, interest, questions and activity of the group determine our route and the wild herbs to be learned. There are plenty of things to explore and opportunities in the area.

After an hour and a half walk, we will go to Lounais-Hämeen Pirtti to eat dishes seasoned with the familiar wild herbs. During the meal, the discussion about wild herbs continues in a free form. The take home will hopefully be the enthusiasm to try Finnish nature's super food at home.

“A green shirt flashes through the willow branches. I can hear the sounds of silent splashing and scuffle. I press myself lower in the underbrush, behind the willow tree. I move my foot; it slips down into an underwater dent and I suddenly have water up to my knee. A muskrat hole. The hem of my skirt gets soaked. Grandma thinks girls should wear skirts but this is why one shouldn’t wear shoes. One pair of wellies has already been lost in the muskrat’s clutches. The sedges and mud under bare feet feel cold. Suddenly someone smacks into me from behind. I fall face first into the water. I hear the taunts and ‘neener’ from behind me as I spit peat out of my mouth. Dammit. Next time I must be careful and move more quietly. My clothes are soaked but it doesn’t matter. We climb on top of the boulders on the shore which are spotted with seagull droppings to sit and dry our clothes. Chatting and planning the next make-believe games. The large spruce trees in the shoreline forests seem tempting. We decide to climb as high up as we can. Lets go! Bare toes are the best for climbing; the resin is easier to wash off from your heels than your shirt. The rough bark crunches nicely and feels warm after the cool lake water. The birds escape from the trees; a squirrel scuttles further away from us. Grandma treads the yard down below.

The branches create a green, leafy haven. A secret hideout. Here we are safe from everything; friends together. Blue sky glints beyond the foliage. Birds soar through the wide blue expanse; it calls to us too. We climb higher and not a single thought is spared for how we’re to climb back down. It’s not important. There’s always a way down; that much we’ve learned. Only the way up is what matters. The goal. The dream.”

This is probably where it all started, the summers spent at grandma’s, who knows? Studies, as well as common sense, tell us that the nature relationship one has as a child has positive effects also later in life. Nature gives a sense of importance, strength and wellbeing. Nature amazes, time after time, with its incredible diversity. I became a wilderness guide and nature teacher. I love this experience guide job. I love to show others what nature can be and what it means to me and all of us.

Open-minded and open to learning new things. shoes suitable for walking in the terrain and clothing suitable for the weather.