Wild food is everywhere.

Prince Edward Island is famous for potatoes and seafood, but our forests, meadows, marshes, and shores are home to hundreds of species of edible plants and fungi. Of course, edible and palatable are not the same and award-winning biologist and forager Kate MacQuarrie knows the difference! She's chosen 30 of her favourite wild foods, representing all seasons and habitats, and not only tells you how, when, and where to harvest but also shares some of her personal recipes.

Foraging can (and should) be elevated from the basic "can I eat this?" to a tool that helps people see plants, fungi, and the world around us in new ways. For each species in this book, fascinating and little-known information is provided to pique the reader's curiosity. From the luminescent flowers of Evening Primrose to the insect-repelling properties of Pineapple Weed, virtually everyone will learn something new, fun, and interesting.

Most people can recognize more corporate logos than local plants and animals. With this book, you can help reverse that trend by tasting one new-to-you plant or mushroom and learning something new about the species around you.

Kate MacQuarrie is an award-winning botanist and naturalist who has been eating wild foods, tracking wild animals, and interpreting the story this land tells about itself for more than 30 years. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in biology, has conducted research in PEI's upland hardwood forests and coastal sand dunes, found plants not previously known to exist on the Island, and published papers in national and international peer-reviewed journals. Kate owns PEI Untamed — a business dedicated to helping people learn, explore, and reconnect to the natural world. Nearly 1,000 people attend her in-person programs annually and thousands more follow her on social media.

Kate MacQuarrie's profile page