What does gathering from the seashore mean to the modern hunter gatherer
KESS PhD student Liz Morris-Webb, after a successful forage for some tasty coastline plants, including glasswort and sea purslane.Liz Morris-Webb, a researcher at 麻豆网鈥檚 School of Ocean Sciences is looking for people who gather from the seashores of Wales to take part in her research. If you forage for food, bait, money, education, medicine, research or something more unusual, you can take part.
There is increasing interest in 鈥榥ature鈥檚 contribution to people鈥� from policy makers and conservationists. Liz is researching the human dimensions of the marine environment and believes they should be considered as well as economic values when considering the Well-Being of Future Generations in Wales. Foraging for wild food is regularly trending in the press. But it is not a new activity, gathering was fundamental to human evolution. Liz believes that the modern personal, familial and cultural values associated with the ancient activity of gathering should not be forgotten and that this is a good time to tell your stories. She is offering all Welsh gatherers the opportunity to document their thoughts and feelings about how gathering affects them by taking part in her 15 minute, anonymous online survey ().
Talking about the research, PhD student Liz recalls the reasons she started her PHD and why she thinks gatherers should get involved with the project:
鈥淚鈥檝e worked with bait collectors, cocklers, seaweed pickers, commercial fishermen and recreational anglers on several previous projects with my PhD partner company Marine Ecological Solutions Ltd. (Marine EcoSol). Every person has had a story to tell of why they love doing what they do, and why they believe it鈥檚 important to them. Some never value their own activities until there is a threat of change from changing stocks, a proposed development or potential management. And what鈥檚 more, nobody has asked them.鈥�
Liz has spent the summer visiting the beaches of Wales talking to people collecting from the shore.
She says: 鈥淥ften the people I talk to don鈥檛 realise the importance of their own activities until they dissect it with my questionnaire. Most go away with a smile on their face and a greater understanding of themselves.鈥� In the words of a cockle gatherer from South Wales 鈥渨orking the sands is not a job, it鈥檚 a way of life.鈥� Gathering seems to connect us with our history, family, surroundings and even our inner self.
The thrill of the find is something shared with participants from 3 to 83. 鈥淚t would be a shame if these historically important species or activities were lost. So I am attempting to understand the meaning of this very traditional activity to the modern seashore gatherer鈥� finishes Liz. If you gather from the seashore have a go at her questionnaire to think more about why you gather in an 鈥楢ge of Consciousness鈥�, when most things you want are only a click of the mouse away.
Take at or contact Liz to arrange a personal interview.
Liz Morris-Webb鈥檚 research scholarship is funded under the (KESS 2) programme, a pan-Wales higher level skills initiative led by 麻豆网 on behalf of the HE sector in Wales. It is part funded by the Welsh Government鈥檚 European Social Fund (ESF) convergence programme for West Wales and the Valley and is part funded by company partner Marine Ecological Solutions Ltd. (Marine EcoSol). www.marine-ecosol.com Both the Research Masters and PhD elements are integrated with a higher-level skills training programme, leading to a Postgraduate Skills Development Award. KESS 11 will run until 2022 and will provide 600+ PhD and Research Masters opportunities across Wales.
Publication date: 5 December 2018