Blackberries are perhaps the least popular, but still the tastiest type of blackberry. The thorny pests always seem to shoot out of the ground when you’re not looking, and before you know it, backyards turn into merciless battlefields. Man versus nature in its purest form.
Blue Lake Park is another casualty in the ongoing battle against the pesky shrubbery. The Portland Fruit Tree Project has a simple plan of attack to reclaim Blue Lake: Can’t beat ’em? Then eat ’em!
On August 16 and 17, PFTP volunteers will be picking blackberries from the vines as part of the Can’t Beat ‘Em Eat ‘Em workgroup, carefully avoiding injury from poking. These blackberries will then be used to feed the harvesters, people in food insecurity, or in jam-making workshops. The pruned blackberry vines will then be taken to the Oregon Zoo to feed elephants. Elephants can weaken the thorns on the vines with their saliva and crush the spines with their ever-helpful molars, making them safe to eat. Tools will be available to anyone who registers in advance. As long as they bring safe clothing and a good attitude, anyone is welcome to join the fight against the creeping menace.
“I think it’s just a really fun and different way to think about restoring and dealing with an invasive species, but also seeing what it has to offer beyond the problem it presents,” says Heather Fornes, executive director of PFTP. “In this case, it happens to provide food for humans and animals, and that’s pretty cool.”
Last year was the first time PFTP tried to cull the fast-growing vegetation, but a ill-timed heat wave withered most of the blackberries beyond saving. While the group was only able to spend one day in the park, there are still plenty of blackberries to conquer. Despite these limitations, the few dozen volunteers managed to fill an entire dump truck with blackberry bushes. This time, the weather is right, and Portland’s loyal defenders will spend two days in the field.
PFTP chose Blue Lake Park because the blackberries there have not been sprayed with artificial chemicals, ensuring that the blackberries are safe for human consumption.
The idea for the pick and clear event was sparked by the apparent blackberry invasion in Portland. “Can’t Beat ‘Em Eat ‘Em” came about when I was walking around town and thinking, ‘Oh my God, these blackberries are going to eat the whole city, but at least they taste good,'” Fornes says.
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