The berries in St. Albert are ripe for the picking. With an abundance of wild fruit and berries this year, a quick walk through the city’s green spaces can leave walkers with a full belly.
A mild winter and a dry summer have been bad for many crops, leaving them dry and thirsty, but not the berries.
“I think it’s been a good year for berries even though it’s been fairly dry,” Jim Hole of The Enjoy Centre said. “It seems like the warm weather has accelerated the growth. The winter was mild so I think they came through the winter. It’s probably more than normal from what I’m hearing. “
There are three main kinds of edible berries that grow naturally in the St. Albert area: pin cherries, chokecherries and saskatoon berries.
Hole says the berries are safe to eat, but if you are not able to accurately identify them on the bush, then it is best to pass on the snack until you can get more information. Part of the fun of the wild berry hunt is learning to correctly identify the plants found in nature. The BLESS nature centre in Red Willow Park has information to help correctly identify the plants and fruits growing around the St. Albert area. Hole also says not to be deterred by little critters crawling through a handful of berry snacks.
“I think the great thing about it is that you’ve got this source of food and it’s out there and it’s highly nutritious and it connects you with nature,” Hole said.
And while out picking it’s important to be courteous and considerate to nature and fellow berry pickers. It is important to be wise about harvesting and impact nature as little as possible.
“Ensure you respect the plants there,” Hole said. “Keep in mind, if you are lucky enough to be able to harvest for different fruits, be sure that you aren’t damaging the trees and fruits you are harvesting from. Make sure that everybody gets a little bit and everybody can enjoy the fresh fruit.”
The berries can be found growing wild on the Red Willow trails and undeveloped green spaces in St. Albert.
