Behavior & Ecology

I studied foraging to improve and celebrate the experience. Our assignment was to choose a task we don’t typically do and make it part of our daily lives. The goal was to create tools that may not make foraging easier, but make foraging better.  The end result was tools for foraging made by foraging. Foraging's value is in connection and transformation - the best tools for foraging aren't commercially sold, but a manifestation of those values.

Thanks for the help Robin Rise Bennett, Jason Neuman, Jamie Iliff

 
 

▾   OBJECTS

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

▾   EXPERIENCE

 
 

I made foraging part of my life. A couple of times every week I would go foraging. I learned to cook and eat wild foods. I talked to several people whose life and job is based in foraging.

 
 
 
 
 

▾   CLAY

 
 
 
 

A friend told me about a good clay deposit in the Little Miami River. With advice from a potter who uses local clay, I sieved and dried the clay into a usable material.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

▾   LEATHER & RAWHIDE

 
 
 
 

 I picked up a cow hide from a local meat market. I then went through a two month process of cleaning, dehairing, tanning and drying the hide into usable leather. Afterwards the leather was dyed with coffee.

Gross but rewarding.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

▾   WOOD

 
 
 

I used some firewood I had cut down earlier so it was nice and dry by the time I needed it for the project. I pulled out a couple pieces that were split and could be cut into blanks for turning.

 
 
 
 
 
 

▾   ALUMINUM

 
 
 
 

I searched around my neighborhood until I could find a good piece of metal. I eventually found a discarded street sign and after some research figured out it was aluminum. Once I stripped the decal off the front and sandblasted off any dirt and residue it was restored to a clean piece of sheet metal.