How to Forage for Wild Foods without Dying Journal is a beginner-friendly, accessible, and well written companion volume to the tutorial book of the same name written and curated by Ellen Zachos. Released 26th March 2024 by Hachette on their Storey imprint, it's 192 pages and is available in paperback format.

This book has an interesting format in that it presupposes zero previous knowledge on the reader's part, and also divides the plant entries by areas in which they're commonly found. The bulk of the book is for the user's record of where and when they found foragable items and for taking field notes.

It's divided into seasonal chapters with listings of commonly found species and where/when they can be safely harvested.

The book uses simple, accessible language as well as lots of clear photos to aid in identification. The author expends considerable effort covering sustainability (don't ever overforage), safety & ID, and responsible use of shrinking communal resources. The book has a North American focus, but many (most) of the plants have a much wider range, so the book will be useful to readers from outside North America.

Four stars. Since it's a personal journal and meant to be written in, this would be a good choice for gifting, home use, and for community/allotment gardens, and activity groups (bulk purchase rates available from the publisher) and smallholders/self-sufficiency folks.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

How to Forage for Wild Foods without Dying Journal by Ellen Zachos is a wonderful companion to her similarly-named book. Though the focus is North America, the premise is global and some plants mentioned also grow in Europe, for example.

I am an experienced and passionate forager in two very different zones, 2A with about 90 frost-free days a year and horrendous cold, and 9A.with magnificent subtropical weather and inexhaustible foraging options. The former means a short foraging window...but it's wonderfully intense. I created separate foraging journals (photographic and written) for fungi and plants as it is impossible to rely on my memory from year to year. But this journal gives me ideas, plus it's prettier.

Foraging safety is paramount and key identifiers in this journal are insufficient for absolute identification, especially when it comes to toxic lookalikes. However, I really like the seasonal plant charts and names for research ease. The very idea of foraging journaling is an important habit to implement. Additionally, it forces you to notice details you may otherwise not truly see. Nature is a majestic cornucopia of millions of wondrous miracles all around and learning more about habitats, weather, growing conditions is deeply enriching. Journaling can be transformative in my experience. This is a great starting point. The blank pages encourage pressing leaves or flowers and photographs.

My sincere thank you to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this helpful foraging journal. At the very least it could foster a passion for the outdoors and teach you a lot about the world.

This book is more of a journal to keep track of locations of foods that you find in the wild. It gives information on what plants and mushrooms are available each season as well as what parts of the plants you can use and where you would find them. Although they don't have pictures of the plants, only the names so this would be more useful to someone who is already knowledgeable in wild plants although you could do further research to find out what the plants look like before looking for them.

If you've ever been curious about foraging for food from TV shows, movies, books, etc.
This is the journal for you. Not only is it beautifully photographed and detailed, but Zachos's voice is also clear throughout the descriptions. I'd like more Non-fiction from her.

A good resource, but not as useful as it could be. Considering it is a companion to the book, I think the selection of information that makes it across to the journal is weirdly chosen. I think the title is misleading, as well as misleading from the concept as being a companion journal rather than the way it seems like it gives off being successful alone.

Love this! Definitely an essential item for anyone wanting for forage wild foods safely. This would make a great gift for the budding forager in your life!

What an interesting journal. This is definitely going to be helpful for those who forage. It’s not a guide per se, but it will keep you organized on what and where you are foraging. Pretty cool!

I’m not really sure why this one exists. Apparently it’s a tie-in with the author’s previous work; it doesn’t function as a stand-alone foraging guide, and the title will be misleading if you didn’t know about the previous book, since there’s no advice on how to forage for food safely. It should really be titled something else, with a note on the cover that says ‘by the author of How to Forage for Wild Foods Without Dying’.

The main point of this book is the importance of keeping a foraging journal, and it does make a decent case for why you should do so. It provides suggestions on what to record: what you foraged, the date, the quality and quantity, the weather, and phenology (seasonal phenomena). But beyond these suggestions, there’s essentially no other content or substance. In fact, I’ve now essentially summarised the book for you, so you can save your hard-earned money.

The rest of the book is heavily padded with unnecessary details. For example, did we really need a vocabulary page explaining the meaning of acidic soil, or a page explaining the difference between sun and shade? These are things that better foraging books will include, or are simply common knowledge. If you’re completely new to foraging this isn’t enough information to get you started safely, and if you know anything about foraging then this is redundant.

My fundamental issue is that while this book left me convinced I should keep a foraging journal, it did not convince me of why I should buy this book specifically. Why not invest in a nice notebook and record your foraging experiences there? To be honest, it seems like a bit of a cash grab.

I think this is a wonderful tool to use, especially in the world we live in today. Pairing this with the How to Frage for Wild Foods Without Dying book is a wonderful way to learn how to survive in the wild. I think everyone should read this, even if not prepping, these are skills we all need to know.

This beginner's guide to foraging is straightforward and practical, it accessible for those without a local guide. It covers various entry points for beginners, such as dandelions, stinging nettle, and ramps, while also highlighting common mistakes like the poisonous water hemlock. Although the focus is on North American plants, the information can be applied globally. The standout addition is the final chapter, which provides recipe and process guides for preserving foraged goods. This includes tips on infusing flavors, making wine, and other food options that are often overlooked in similar books. While more photos would be appreciated, especially for plants in different stages, this guide serves as an excellent starting point for anyone interested in foraging.

This was an interesting book. I love the journaling aspect of it and the lists of what to harvest at what time and the condition. I think what would really have added to it was more pictures of the plants to know what to look for( I'm very visual when it comes to plants) overall a very well written book that would be great asset to a library.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this journal, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a great companion to How to Forage for Wild Foods without Dying and I think it would be especially helpful to foragers just starting out. Not only it is well arranged into seasons (spring, summer, etc), but each season is broken down into early, mid, and late. It give foragers an idea of where to find the items, but also gives some pictures to help them correctly identify them, but make sure to bring along something a bit more definitive, because this isn't meant for that. However, what it could be incredibly useful for is recording where you find all of your goodies so that you can hit them up the following years. It has a lovely little space for illustrations and rubbings and such for each season as well!

This is a really helpful journal with brief information and plenty of space to record finds. It will be lovely to keep a record of what I've found in my local area at different times of the year.

Thank you to the author, Storey Publishing and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a companion journal to the actual "How to Forage for Wild Foods without Dying" book, and is ordered seasonally with extensive lists of plants (and which parts of the plant) can be foraged in each season. Most of the book is dedicated to pages for actual notes of what/when/where was foraged.

I found the title a bit misleading, because it gives no guidance in terms of "without dying" - there are no pictures, sketches or identifying information to help you pick the right things, and avoid the deadly ones. Yes, it's a companion volume to the book, but I would think many will buy this one thinking it will be sufficient to be getting on with, and it's not, IMO. It is, however, perfect for those foragers who know what they're doing, to keep notes of their adventures.

You might think that a foraging "journal" is little more than a glorified notebook, or that this is likely just a pared-down version of the book of the same name. It's neither. The How to Forage for Wild Foods Without Dying Journal is a valuable resource in its own right, complementing -- but not duplicating -- the original How to Forage for Wild Foods Without Dying.

It, too, contains beautiful full-color photographs, 'though primarily just as introductions to the sections (so there are fewer of them). At the beginning of the book, there's an introductory section that provides helpful context, talking about weather, reading seasonal cues, and how to identify plant habitats.

The remainder of the book -- the journal portion -- is divided by season, and each seasonal section begins by providing a list of plants to forage early, mid-, and late in that season, as well as information on which plant parts are best harvested during that season. These lists of plants are far more extensive than the forty plants profiled in How to Forage for Wild Foods Without Dying. There are thirty-five listed under "early spring" alone. These plant lists are provided as quick-reference charts listing the plant's name (both common name and Latin binomial), the part(s) to harvest, and where to find it.

A lovely idea which doesn't quite work for me. It is in the form of a list of plants available at a certain idea and note pages to jot down what you've found. However, the list of plants to forage is very US centric and I am not convinced that the format would actually stop you picking the wrong plants.

This journal is a great companion to How to Forage for Wild Foods without Dying. I like that the author listed materials that could be harvested in each season. The descriptors also help denote the environment and conditions plants can be found in. The journal prompts are clearly defined, which helps with recording information for future foraging adventures. I would recommend this book for the serious forager.

I have several foraging books by this author and I enjoy what she writes. I’m reading the book this is a companion to and it’s pretty well done. I kind of hate the title of both books, as it plays into the wrong notion that foraging is a dangerous thing to do. Most people have deadlier plants in their gardens than what they’ll find in the wild. That said, Zachos is a knowledgeable forager and she gives good information.

This is a color journal with basic advice about foraging and then journal pages divided by season. Each season is further divided by early, middle and late season. Then there is a list of plants to forage in that part of that season, a photo of a characteristic plant, and about 25 pages of journal pages that have three entry sections for the plant, where it was found, and notes.

One of my issues with this journal is that despite the name, it does not tell you how to forage these plants without dying. There are no sketches or identifying information so you know if you are gathering Queen Anne’s lace or poison hemlock. There are no warnings about only foraging pokeweed early in the season and processing it right. It tells you to look for elderberries but not to cook them before eating. I understand the title is only for being a supplement to the other book, but I imagine plenty of people will just buy the journal.

My biggest issue is that I have a foraging journal and the authors cannot possibly account for what each of us want and need in one. I may need way more than three entries for my favorite plants. Some we forage daily for a month at a time from all over the place, like wild asparagus and elderberries. Some seasons we forage way more than 25 plants. We forage lots of plants that aren’t on the seasonal lists. It is just such a personalized thing it would be nearly impossible to meet the needs of many.

That said, this is still a great resource. I’d happily fill it up, doctor it, scribble additions and still enjoy using it. I would definitely recommend using the main book with it if you are not an experienced forager, but it’s an affordable journal that many could make use of.

I viewed a temporary digital version of this book for review.

This is a companion journal to How to Forage for Wild Foods Without Dying. It has some text with pictures showing where to find edible plants and which parts to eat, but certainly shouldn't be used without the original book. Because it's a journal made up mostly of pages the reader can write on, it's not suitable for a library, but I think it would be useful for knowledgeable foragers as a place to keep notes.