Dear Editor:
North Vancouver is a wonderful place. I was born here, and continue living here because it's a lush green paradise that provides everything I need to live well.
The foods we find in the stores are riddled with chemicals, and are very expensive, so I live primarily off of wild foods that I find growing around my neighborhood. They grow everywhere; on the side of roads, pathways, riversides, in the forest, you name it.
Wild foods are higher in nutrition than anything that can be bought in stores, but not many people are aware that this is a possibility. The knowledge of wild foods and medicine has all but disappeared.
The other day, I went to this patch of nettles I commonly harvest from on the side of Lillooet Road. When I got there, I saw that the government employees cut it all down in a routine mowing; it was all gone and my heart sank. I needed that nettle to use as medicine for my grandpa's shoulder. Cutting it down is a big waste of taxpayers dollars, and takes away valuable resources from the citizens who know a thing or two about wild plants.
Not only is nettle a potent food and medicine, but the patches look beautiful and attract beneficial pollinators. There is no good reason why the government landscapers should take it down.
I know I'm not alone when I say that North Vancouver, or all of Vancouver for that matter, needs to start paying special attention to how we treat our land. We need to adopt a better maintenance strategy that keeps it looking good, yet still leaves beneficial plants for the citizens to utilize.
Much like the Adopt a Highway program, I propose we have an Adopt a Patch program. If there is a patch of wild edibles or medicine, a little picket should go into the ground that says what it is, and please take what you need. It shouldn't be taken away out of ignorance.
We need to educate ourselves on what is useful so we can all stay healthy and happy.
Richard Kuehnel North Vancouver
