Foraging: An Unlikely Stormwater Pollution Solution

Written By Felicia Hokenstad

This story was featured in the Faribault Daily News, Lonsdale News Review, and Hometown Source.

Stormwater pollution is a critical environmental challenge that doesn’t get enough visibility. When storms pass through the area, the rainwater runoff flows across urban landscapes and agricultural fields, picking up pollutants such as oil, fertilizers, and trash and transporting them into local waterways. This type of pollution endangers aquatic ecosystems and poses significant health risks to humans and wildlife. There are many things an individual can do to address this issue, and one of the more practical and innovative solutions is foraging for invasive plants in your own backyard.

Foraging may initially seem unconventional, especially when focusing on invasive plants. However, these plants cause profound environmental damage to our native ecosystems, and removing them can directly counteract stormwater issues. Invasive plants like garlic mustard, dandelion, and purslane not only displace native flora, which undermines biodiversity, but they also worsen stormwater runoff by promoting soil degradation and erosion.

By foraging and actively removing invasive plants, we can significantly reduce their populations. This effort helps restore balance to the ecosystem, allowing native plants to thrive and enhancing the overall health of our local environment. It is a better alternative to managing them through herbicides. With fewer invasive plants in our yards and green spaces, we can reduce runoff and limit the pollutants that enter our waterways during rain events. In this way, our gardening and foraging efforts become proactive steps toward alleviating stormwater pollution.

Beyond the ecological benefits, foraging these invasive plants can enhance our diets with nutritious alternatives. For instance, garlic mustard, a plant found in woodlands and along roadsides, has a distinct garlic scent when crushed and can be used in a host of recipes such as soups, salads, and more. The common dandelion, with its bright yellow flowers that turn into fluffy seed heads, is a plant we’re all familiar with, and it can be used in teas, wine, and more. And purslane, a low-growing succulent plant found in sunny spots along gardens and sidewalks, can be used in stews and salads. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can use all three to make this wild greens pesto recipe from The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen by Sean Sherman with Beth Dooley. 

Engaging in foraging also nurtures a deeper connection with nature, promotes sustainability, and raises awareness about our local ecosystem. As we learn to identify and collect these invasive plants, we become informed stewards of our land. Each foraging expedition can contribute to cleaner waterways and healthier ecosystems, ultimately benefiting everyone in the community.

It's crucial to approach foraging carefully, ensuring that plants are properly identified before consumption and that foraging is carried out sustainably and legally. By making foraging a part of our lives, we can take meaningful action against stormwater pollution while enjoying the tangible benefits of improved health and enhanced biodiversity.

Foraging for invasive plants presents a unique opportunity to address stormwater pollution while fostering community health and ecological balance. By changing our perspective on these invasive plants, we can see them not just as a problem but as a valuable resource. Let’s embrace foraging as a proactive solution that will contribute to healthier ecosystems and cleaner waterways while bringing delicious and nutritious food to our tables.

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Felicia Hokenstad
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