I like your tip about using scissors. I find them easier than a knife in a lot of foraging situations.
That's interesting about berries native to BC being edible. If a person can't identify the plant, I think it would be hard for them to say with confidence that the plant is native or not, really. And I wouldn't want to debate whether poison oak is native, after someone has eaten the berries! Maybe they meant blue-colored berries. Enjoy your native, tasty, and good-to-eat salal berries! :D
My favourite scissors are the ones with microserrations. Never run into any poison oak up here never even seen poison ivy til I went to our desert.
That's some easy foraging and hiking, with no poison oak! Easy living, indeed, lol! ; )
The worst we have is stinging nettle which doesn't even bother me. I even sting my bum knee on purpose (see urtication if you wonder why). Can you show me a picture of poison oak?
I haven't been able to find any on my computer. I'll try to get a photo when I'm out and about this week. Enjoy your stinging nettle's effects -- kind of like the old-time beekeepers and arthritis, lol.
Thank You!