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Research Focus

Gathering of Nontimber Forest Products (NTFPs)

Many people visit forests in order to gather what are known as nontimber forest products –  edible mushrooms and fruits, plants that can be used as medicines, and items like pine cones or tree boughs that can be used in art or craft projects.  For some people, gathering of nontimber forest products may have economic importance in their lives and may have special cultural meanings connected to their family’s ethnicity or heritage.

We study the gathering of nontimber forest products as a specialized category of outdoor activities that have great meaning in people’s lives and important implications for the management of forests and public lands.

Selected Research

• Culturally and Economically Important Nontimber Forest Products of Northern Maine
• Gathering of Nontimber Forest Products in Scotland
• Morel Mushroom Gathering at Two National Park Sites