Relationships of Sustenance and Care: Foraging from and Stewardship of Urban Public Street Trees in Valledupar, Colombia

Recent research, mostly in the global North, has identified multiple pathways between urban nature and wellbeing, including the practices of foraging and stewardship. Less understood are the relationships between these practices. Here, we examine urban foraging and stewardship of public street trees in the mid-sized city of Valledupar, Colombia, using surveys of residents and stewardship groups. Our results identify trees were used for fruit, fuel, and medicine by residents. Also, residents cared for street trees, through watering, pruning, and fertilizing. Our data show strong linkages between public tree foraging and tree care, highlighting the potential for each activity to strengthen the other. Furthermore, our case study identified an inverse relationship between residential and organizational stewardship, with less likelihood of individual stewardship occurring in neighborhoods with more stewardship groups. These findings contribute to an emerging body of literature highlighting the connections between foraging and care.