This workshop starts out with a review of how to identify and “key out” certain plants and mushrooms. You’ll see some samples of what we are likely to find, and if and when we should gather some of these living things. After a hike of about an hour or so, we can gather around to talk about and look at the things we found and saw on our walk.
Paul Lagreze will lead this workshop…this is what he says about his experiences in foraging:
I began foraging in the wild more than 30 years ago. After about 10 years of studying and collecting mushrooms and subsequently cultivating Shiitake and Oyster mushrooms, I created my business New England Wild Edibles in 2004.
I became interested in wild edibles when I was apprenticing with a Biodynamic farmer in Stroudsburg, PA, who also happened to be a forager. What I remember most was that she would collect stinging nettle and horsetail plants for use as soil and plant helpers. She knew that if young nettles are collected early in the spring, they can be tasty and tender like spinach. During this period I also went to see Euell Gibbons speak. He talked about being shown how to collect wild spring greens as he was going door to door during the Great Depression, looking for food. A few years after these experiences, I studied outdoor leadership and survival skills in a course taught by Larry Buell at Greenfield Community College, which added another dimension to my keen interest in finding resources in the wild.
WHO: Adults, Families, Teens
WHERE: Anywhere in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts
WHEN: Monthly or bimonthly (for current schedule, visit our Calendar)
HOW MUCH: $35/person/workshop, $50/adult and 1 child/workshop; additional family rates are available
We recommend registering for a series of 3 Workshops.