“I got this app awhile ago where it identifies plants using my phone camera and as someone who suffers from chronic illnesses and clinical depression it gave me a reason to get out of bed and go outside, even if it’s small and insignificant to people who don’t know what it’s like to be bedridden most of the time. It sparked again my love and interest for photography and being out on the land so I submitted whatever native and non-invasive introduced species I’d find in my backyard, the empty lot near my house up the road, and the public walkway at the couqaleetza reservation.

I want to garden with native plants one day but the reason I love ethnobotany and foraging so much is it opens up new opportunities for me both physically and with my diet, I’ve been harvesting fireweed recently to make concentrate candles salves and ivan chai and I’ve liked adding elderflower concentrate to my soft drinks which is really yummy with sprite especially!”

Jenna Brotzel