Written and Photographed by Dania Novack Katz for edible Hawaiian Islands

It had recently rained when I invited local forager and wild foods expert, Sunny Savage, to take a walk in my neighborhood. I was interested in learning more about the plants growing on my street, and Sunny’s breadth of knowledge surpasses that of anyone I have ever met in Hawai‘i. 

We headed out armed with a camera, a notepad and a pen. I was intent on satisfying my curiosity and expanding my awareness of which local plants were safe to eat and which to stay away from. In the event of a natural disaster, being able to identify wild edible plants could come in very handy!” 

What seemed like irritating weeds, sprung up in the wake of the recent rain, turned out to be a treasure trove of edible plant life. The plants pictured here were all identified within twenty feet of my driveway. Sunny educated me on how to eat them and how to distinguish them from imposters. 

What’s extraordinary about Sunny is not just her knowledge, but the fact that she shares it so freely, advocating for a world in which we all recognize and utilize the diversity of wild foods growing right beneath our noses. We want to support her in this endeavor at every turn. 

Visit www.sunnysavage.com for her new app and social media handles.