Picking Walks

Blackberry Picking Walk

Sat 1 August 2020
11am-3pm Staggered Time Slots

Eastbrookend Discovery Centre [Formerly the Millenium Centre]
The Chase,
Dagenham,
RM7 0SS

Things are a little different this year, but we're still going picking in good company [at safe distance]. Join us for the annual Blackberry Foraging walk, where we pick delicious locally grown berries together while talking about what else is growing in one of our favourite local green spaces.

*UPDATED MONDAY 3rd AUGUST* A Picking Update From Shaun


TOP blackberry pickers [and TOP social distance keepers!] at Eastbrookend Country Park.

.

The weather was perfect for picking blackberries as the sun brings out the sugar making them sweeter. We gathered at the discovery centre and split off into groups for our socially distance pick.

.
As soon as we started our fingers were already turning red with the juice, looking like we had pricked our fingers on the thorns. The tubs started to fill, and so did our tummies, having a cheeky taste of the sweeter berries to push us on throughout the day and The children having adventures of their own in the tall grass and trees nearby.
.
Between our groups we collected over 10kg of blackberries, and everyone left with a pot of berries, a drink and a smile, some with a few scratches that we helped heal with the local herbs.
.
Around 20 people came throughout the day and we even recruited a few people having a picnic within the park, thank you to everyone that turned up and please share with us your blackberry recipes
.

.

.

.

.

The blackberries are almost perfect for picking, so we’re going to head out for our annual blackberry foraging walk in Eastbrookend Country Park. Things are a little different this year, but we’re still going foraging in good company [at safe distance].

Join us this Saturday 1st August for the annual Blackberry Foraging walk, where we’ll be picking delicious locally grown berries together, while talking about what else is growing in one of our favourite local green spaces.
.
We will be restricting group sizes to approx 6 individuals or 2 households, in order to pick safely + follow government guidelines on social distancing and gatherings. Please contact us if you’d like to join Shaun and Alice ++ let us know which time slot you’d prefer:

.

  • Foraging walk 1: 11-1pm

  • Foraging walk 2: 1-3pm

.

.

 

.
We will be sharing picking tips and recipes via our social media, so if you are still isolating and can’t join us, keep an eye on our Picking and Making page and social media @goingpicking. Check our website event page for all the details and contact us on contact@companydrinks.info if you have any questions about the day.

.

.

All our foraging walks are carried out in partnership with the LBBD Park Rangers. We are always talking to our council to learn if pesticides are in use in our local parks or to make sure we’re not picking in locations which are in need of reduced human impact – strongly recomend you follow the LBBD Park Rangers in order to ensure you do the same for your own foraging. On our walk we will be covering plant identification, local biodiversity and talking about safe foraging methods, including how to enjoy the benefits of locally grown, delicious plants, without negatively impacting the environment or taking away from the birds, trees and bees. If you’d like to learn more about any of this, or have some experience of foraging in Barking and Dagenham, we’d love to hear from you on contact@companydrinks.info.