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Self sufficiency in the wilderness
Since a young lad I've always thought it would be a good idea to know the flora and flora around us. In the terms of 'survival' knowing the names of them is the hardest bit, then just a quick flick through a good book and you can learn which bits are of best value.
It can be very rewarding, for example if your walking down a footpath and picking the odd snack from the hedge row, if your feeling a bit peckish. It is suprising what is edible (thistles, the leaves of some trees, grasshoppers, and woodlice).

Each species is different and has different benefits to the body. Here are a selection of my favourite's that are good to munch on.

* Raw stinging nettle tops taste like cucumber and is picked and rolled with the fingures to brake the stings and then popped in the mouth.
* Wood sorrel is a woodland floor species and tastes like apple peel. Nice and refreshing on a summer walk.

* Every part of the primrose is edible from the roots to the tips of the leaves. The best bit for me is the flowers where at the base is the nectaries, a nice hint of sugar per flower.
* The wild dog rose grows in lots of places and in autumn they develop rose hips (where school children get itching powder from). Don't eat them whole, but open them up and remove the itchy seeds (which can really irritate your throat if swallowed) and eat the red 'fruit'.

* Everyone knows that rabbits are edible and are very good as well. I believe that if an animal has died by being shot then it should not be wasted and the best way is a free if not a very cheep meal.  If you don't want to kill one yourself you can buy them for about �2.50 gutted and skinned.
* Regarded wildly as a pest species the grey squirrel has lots of potential. Making sure that it hasn't been poisoned by the landowner the squirrel tastes a bit like a mild rabbit. In my opinion better than rabbit though the quantity is much less.
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