It isn’t a big leap to say that most people’s diets today are not as healthy as those of our ancestors. Most of us aren’t going to wake up tomorrow ready to become hunter-gatherers, but there are a lot of ways we can incorporate wild foods and medicines into our diets in little ways that can make a big difference in our bodies, in our psyches, and in our sense of connection to the world around us. Learning how to harvest and make use of a few wild foods will help you weather the storms of global crisis with more confidence and a positive step toward building a healthier, more resilient, wilder life. After all: You are what you eat!

In Cherokee wisdom, it is essential to have a relationship with the plant and the land you are harvesting. In this workshop, our discussions will center around common wildcrafted food plants, their local history and lore, and respectful harvest methods to ensure abundance into the future.

Join Amyrose Foll and William Padilla Brown for a foraging walk at Presque Isle State Park and learn how to identify and harvest wild plants and mushrooms. Gain foundational knowledge about wild foods and benefit from the experience of your guides. Discover how foraging can fit into your life with this workshop!

Learn about plant identification; gathering plants; edible and medicinal weeds; ethical considerations; sustainability; and how to harvest, dry, and prepare plants for food and first aid. Your guide is Nicole Telkes, who has gathered from the wild since she was a child, and has taught extensively across North America on the subject. Nicole demonstrates and discusses harvesting considerations when gathering from the wild, and brings you through her harvest of some wild edibles and medicinals so you can see different ways to enjoy your harvests as both food and first aid. She also leaves you with some takeaways to keep moving you forward on your path as a forager, especially when it comes to giving back to the wild. Here is a list of what you will find in the workshop below: A 35-minute video by Nicole Telkes. A PDF download of the original slide presentation to get you started. Download a PDF from this workshop video!

This second part of a three-part series will introduce you to the basics of foraging. Learn about plant identification; gathering plants; edible and medicinal weeds; ethical considerations; sustainability; and how to harvest, dry, and prepare plants for food and first aid. Your guide is Nicole Telkes, who has gathered from the wild since she was a child, and has taught extensively across North America on the subject. In this part, Nicole will bring you on a virtual guided plant walk to look at wild edibles and medicinals. She concentrates on some important medicinal and edible weeds to get started with as a forager, and then discusses sustainability guidelines when it comes to gathering from wild spaces. Here is a list of what you will find in the workshop below: A 42-minute video by Nicole Telkes. A PDF download from Nicole to get you started.   Download a PDF from this workshop video!

Join Bruce and Elaine Ingram, co-authors of Living the Locavore Lifestyle, for this webinar as they share tips on finding summer edibles — especially mushrooms — as well as learning to identify and avoid inedible, or even toxic, look-alikes. Learn More from Bruce & Elaine Bruce and Elaine Ingram are regular contributors to Mother Earth News Magazine, as well as our sister publication Grit Magazine. See more of their favorite foraging strategies and recipes below! Summer Edibles & Toxic Look-Alikes Foraging for Polypores: Mushrooms that Grow on Trees Identifying Chicken of the Woods Fall Hunting & Foraging Learn from Other Experts Podcast: How to Forage for Mushrooms Without Dying Forager's Guide to Wild Foods by Nicole Apelian How to Grow Oyster Mushrooms Video and How to Grow Oyster Mushrooms Article

Join Tyson Sampson of the Eastern Band Cherokee Indians for an immersive exploration into the living traditions of Cherokee ethnobotany. Drawing from years of experience in harvesting and processing regional flora, Tyson offers a unique perspective on the relationship between the ancient homeland and the plants that sustain it. This workshop moves beyond simple foraging, inviting participants into the heart of Traditional Ecological Resiliency. You will explore how the gathering of food and medicine is an act of joy, a connection to ancestry, and a vital practice for cultural preservation.

Many pesky weeds can also be excellent medicine. Common weeds like honeysuckle, Japanese knotweed, and mimosa tree have traditional herbal uses. Unlike woodland medicinals, which are getting rarer, these are abundant and accessible. This class will discuss identifying, harvesting, and using many of the exotic invasives found in southern Appalachia.