ok. Since there is a skill that relates to knowing plants and such, here is an idea:
People could have an menue with skills (Hide, forage, build...)
So when they pressed forage (finding plants and such) a dice would be thrown (in the programs mind)
Using the classical Dice, but with 20 sides. Then (according to ones skill) one could find certain plants. But one had to move atleast a few meters before one could do it agian. Also diffrent plants could grow at diffrent places.
What cha think?