Expert urges people to eat plants wreaking havoc in Hawaiʻi: 'We'll always be on the lookout'

One urban foraging tour guide in Honolulu is doing his part in containing invasive species. 

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A post shared by Laura Dornbush (@ldornbush)

Honolulu Magazine shared a first-person narrative from Laura Dornbush about her experience going on an urban foraging tour with Dr. Nat Bletter. Bletter, with 30 years of experience and education in botany, offers tours in Honolulu that take people through jungles, coastlines, and forests while sharing his knowledge of the edible plants in the area. 

However, he specifically focuses on finding edible invasive plant species, saying: "Let's eat the invasives out of existence!"

It's an excellent way to help control the population of invasive plant species. Invasives can quickly overtake their surroundings when they move into an area, smothering other plants, damaging the ecosystem, and destroying the region's biodiversity.

This destruction can lead to the loss of native wildlife in the area, as they move to other places to find their preferred habitats. 

However, efforts to control invasive plant species can help bring back ecological balance, making Bletter's focus on these plants helpful for areas in Honolulu dealing with them. 

As evidenced by Dornbush's account of her tour, urban foraging based on edible invasive plants makes for a tantalizing meal. While on her tour, the group ate from a haole koa tree and tried some maile pilau as well as flowers from a sour grass plant. The group also learned about medicinal plants they came across, such as the Chinese violet that helps with asthma. 

So, not only does foraging for invasive plant species help rebalance the ecosystem, but it also provides people with free meals and may even offer some additional health benefits (beyond the health benefits typically associated with consuming plants). 

Of course, if you want to try urban foraging, you should find a tour guide of your own. Bletter pointed out during his tour that many plants look like their edible counterparts but are wholly unsafe for human consumption.

If you do try out the urban foraging experience, you may find yourself in a similar state as Dornbush, who wrote in her article: "The experience has forever changed how we will hike, explore our backyards, and order at restaurants. Now, we'll always be on the lookout for an invasive species snack."

What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Not enough time ⏳ Not enough space 🤏 It seems too hard 😬 I have a garden already 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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