From Endangered Ecosystems Alliance:

This is the time of year many eastern Canadians eat fiddleheads, or the young, curled up fronds of the Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris), cooked here with butter and garlic – delicious! . While other species of ferns are also eaten sporadically in other regions of North America, Matteuccia struthiopteris is often considered the most edible, though all ferns contain at least small amounts of toxins and should be eaten in moderation (many can be quite toxic and carcinogenic, and all edible ferns must be well cooked and ideally with a change of water after an initial boiling).

This is another example of a non-timber forest product that requires the standing deciduous and mixed wood forests of Canada and the US, with an estimated economic value of $10 million (Cdn) annually. New Brunswick by far is the epicenter of the industry, where thousands of pickers gather them each spring from the woods and meadows (including many First Nations communities, who first discovered the edibility of the fern), with some good pickers making $300 to $500 per day. Native ecosystems are vital for both our health and wellness, and for the economy!

Please SEND a MESSAGE to the federal decision-makers to protect endangered ecosystems across Canada by reintroducing and strengthening the Nature Accountability Bill, at:https://www.endangeredecosystemsalliance.org/news/natureaccountability2025