Urban foraging behavior in public green spaces: a case study of Nanjing’s central urban area

Urban foraging, the practice of collecting wild plants and fungi in cities, is a widely practiced method of urban food acquisition worldwide. Some studies have shown that enhancing interaction between urban residents and nature benefits human health and well-being. However, research on urban foraging in China remains limited. This study seeks to fill that gap by investigating the social and cultural backgrounds, primary foraging locations, motivations, and species consumed by urban foragers in Nanjing, China. It reveals that urban foraging is characterized by a significant enthusiasm among residents in Nanjing, linking personal childhood experiences to their foraging motivations while also highlighting environmental pollution as a critical barrier to these activities. Access to healthy and safe food sources is a common need for both foragers and non-foragers. The establishment of edible landscapes and community gardens has supported the popularization of urban foraging activities to some extent. In the future, citizen science data generated by urban foragers may provide ecologists with critical insights into observed plant species, thereby promoting responsible foraging practices that enhance the connection between individuals and nature and contribute to the conservation of urban biodiversity.