More and more people say they are finding ways to eat healthier right in their own backyard.

There are more people foraging for food than you might think. It's been a growing trend since the COVID-19 pandemic, and people say it’s a good alternative to the grocery store in these tough economic times.

Vitaly Zyhadlo from Stratford comes to Roosevelt Forest to walk his dog and to forage.

"You can find chicken of the woods. Soon we're going to see the wine berries coming out. There are also nuts," says Zyhadlo.

The Connecticut Foraging Club, which Amy Demers started in 2021, says you can find edible mushrooms and plants - such as wild oyster mushrooms or dandelion - in the woods or your own backyard. But you have to make sure that you are 100% sure that what you're harvesting is not poisonous.

There are checklists you can find online that will tell you what you have and if it is OK to eat. The Connecticut Foraging Club is one of the first clubs in New England dedicated to learning about foraging.

"I think that people are more interested in where their food is coming from, and it does seem like the general population is more interested in health now. Foraged plants that have a lot of medicinal value and a lot of medicinal properties that people have found have helped with whatever it is," says Demers.

The Connecticut Foraging Club offers free foraging walks around the state.

The club is doing a forage-to-table experience at Palmieri Farm in Easton Saturday.

If you'd like to find out more about the club: https://eattheplanet.org/connecticut-foraging-club/