Field Guide Suggestions

[kylecorry31]

Please post suggestions for built-in pages of the field guide. Your suggestion should include the name of the page (ex. species name), a link to wikipedia, and a brief reason for why it should be included as a built-in page.

Upvote suggestions that you believe should be included.

If I choose to add a page for the suggestion, I will create all of the artwork and content for the page and if the ideas are in within the next few months, I will include them in the physical copy of the Trail Sense Wilderness Survival Guide.

Criteria

• Must be commonly encountered throughout at least one continent
• Must have a use in a survival situation OR be exceptionally dangerous
• Must be easy to harvest if harvestable with minimal skill or tools (ex. no large game)
• Must be legal to harvest in the majority of its range assuming proper permits/licenses (ex. no endangered species)
• Shouldn't be too specific (ex. mouse instead of Eastern Deer Mouse), but not too generic (ex. rodent instead of mouse)

Pages are more likely to be allocated to the categories at the top of this list:

• Invertibrate / Plant
• Weather
• Fish / Fungus
• Mammal
• Reptile / Bird / Rock
• Amphibian / Other

Additional pages I'm already planning on adding can be found here: #2847

[0n4t3]

Hi, I've got a collection of plants that I've foraged for in the past.

Dandelion (Taraxacum)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taraxacum
It’s pretty widespread across the northern hemisphere. Flowers, leaves, and roots can all be eaten, and although the leaves are bitter if not eaten in the spring it be found year round. Dried roots can be made into a coffee like drink, Dandelion + Burdock roots can be made into bush mead, and the flowers can be used for Dandelion wine.

Burdok (Arctium lappa)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctium_lappa
Also pretty widespread across the northern hemisphere. Stalks and roots can be eaten, and according to the wikipedia page it’s also used in traditional Chinese medicine. Stalks get real chewy if not harvested in the spring, but it’s can be found and eaten year round.

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliaria_petiolata
It’s an invasive species here in North America, and native to the North Eastern Hemisphere. It’s usually found during the spring, and makes a nice mild seasoning as well as a leafy vegetable.

Wild Lettuce (Lactuca subspecies)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactuca
It’s related to cultivated Lettuce, but some species have more concentrated alkalines that can be used as pain killer. Not a lawyer, but not aware of it being illegal in any jurisdictions. Pretty sure you can find some variation of wild lettuce on any continent.

Wild Onions (in the Genus Allium)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_onion
Some variation can be found on most if not all continents. Both the stalks (think green onions) and the bulbs (think mini onion bulbs) are edible.

Mustard Greens (Brassica_juncea)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brassica_juncea
Taste best when picked in the spring, but you can find them from the moment snow starts melting to the moment it starts piling up again. Some variation can be found on most continents.

Leeks (in the Genus Allium)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leek
In North America they usually pop up for a few weeks in springtime in large patches. They’re not around for too long, but if you find a big patch you could probably feed a small village with them. Some variation of leeks are found in North America, Europe, and the Middle East.

Lamb’s Quarters (Chenopodium_berlandieri)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chenopodium_berlandieri
A small leafy plant that’s sorta like lettuce or spinach. Native to North and South America.

Knotweed/Japanese Bamboo (Reynoutria_japonica)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynoutria_japonica
It’s native to Aisa, but an invasive plant that’s spread to most continents. The shoots and new branches can be eaten, tasting similar to Rhubarb, though if not harvested in the spring it’ll be like trying to eat wood.

Clover (Trifolium)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clover
Clover was already native to several continents, but is cultivated so you can probably find it growing wild just about everywhere. The leaves and roots are edible as a vegetable, the flowers can be used to make tea or flavor mead, and the seeds can be used to make bread.

[michaelblyons]

Maple Samara (a.k.a. whirlybirds)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple
Northern hemisphere spring. Peel before eating.