Dulse Seaweed - Photo by Russ Cohen
NOTE: Due to the pandemic, most of the "in person" programs listed below, taking place from March 15 through (at least) the end of June, have been postponed or cancelled. Please check the links or contact numbers for the respective sponsors for each event to learn of its status. THAT SAID: Note the online program taking place on July 8, and an "in-person" walk on July 13 , as well as a video of a virtual wild edible walk, along the Housatonic River in Great Barrington, MA, which was filmed at the end of May.
Leader/Instructor: Russ Cohen
Please contact Russ at eatwild@rcn.com or (781) 646-7489 (h) for more information.
Click Here for information on Russ's foraging book:
"Wild Plants I Have Known...and Eaten". Copies of the book will be available at all the events below.
FYI, an excerpt of Russ' book can be read on-line
in the Jan/Feb 2005 edition of
Spirit of Change Magazine.
Click here to see and listen to Russ' October 2013 appearance on NPR affiliate WGBH, including video clips and an interview on Boston Public Radio, about fall foraging opportunities in eastern Massachusetts. Click here to read "Outdoor Dining: Foraging with Russ Cohen", a profile appearing in the September/October 2014 edition of the Appalachian Mountain Club's AMC Outdoors magazine.
| Date | Time | Sponsor(s) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Jan. 18 | 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM | Mt. Cuba Center* (slide show) | Hockessin, DL |
| Thurs. Jan. 30 | 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM | Boxford Trails Association/Boxford Open Land Trust (slide show) | Boxford, MA |
| Thurs. March 5 | 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM and 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM | Ecological Landscape Alliance* (slide show and hands-on workshop) | Amherst, MA |
| Wed. March 18 | 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM | The Trustees of Reservations' Stevens-Coolidge Place* (slide show) | North Andover, MA |
| Tues. March 31 | 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Society for the Protection of NH Forests (slide show) | Hillsboro, NH |
| Tues., April 21 | 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM | Southborough Public Library (slide show) | Southborough, MA |
| Fri., April 24 | 5:30 PM - 6:45 PM | NOFA/MASS (free webinar) | online |
| Wed., April 29 | :6:30 PM - 8:00 PM | Derry Public Library (slide show) | Derry, NH |
| Wed. May 6 | 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM | Newbury Court (slide show) | Concord, MA |
| Wed. May 13 | 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Native Plant Trust* (walk) | Acton, MA |
| Wed., May 13 | 7:00 PM - 8:45 PM | Portsmouth Public Library (webinar) | online |
| Thurs. May 14 | 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM | Boston Food Forest Coalition (webinar) | online |
| Mon. May 18 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Bolton Conservation Commission (walk) | Bolton, MA |
| Wed. May 20 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Arnold Arboretum* (walk) | Jamaica Plain, MA |
| Sun., May 24 | T.B.A. | Hildene - The Lincoln Family Home*§ (slide show and walk) | Manchester, VT |
| Wed., May 27 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Wachusett Greenways (walk) | T.B.A., MA |
| Thurs. May 28 | 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM | Mass. Association of Conservation Commissions* (webinar) | online |
| Sat., May 30 | 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM | Mass. Rivers Alliance* (online video) | Filmed in Great Barrington, MA |
| Thurs. June 4 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Waltham Fields Community Farm*/Historic New England* (virtual walk) | online |
| Mon., June 8 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Citizens for Lexington Conservation (walk) | Lexington, MA |
| Thurs. June 11 | 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM | Paul Pratt Public Library (aka Cohasset Public Library) (slide show) | online |
| Wed., June 17 | 7:00 - 8:30 PM | Brewster Conservation Trust (slide show) | online |
| Wed., July 1 | 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM | Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust (slide show) | online |
| Wed., July 8 | 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM | Wild Seed Project (slide show) | online |
| Mon., July 13 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM | The Trustees of Reservations* (walk) | North Andover, MA |
| TBD | TBD | North County Land Trust (walk and/or online) | Sterling, MA |
| TBD | TBD | Tower Hill Botanic Garden* (slide show and/or walk) | Boylston, MA |
| Tues., July 21 | TBA | Essex County Greenbelt Association* (virtual walk) | online |
| Thurs. July 23 | 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM | Rodgers (Hudson, NH Public) Library* (slide show) | online |
| Sat., July 25 | 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM | Audubon Society of Rhode Island* (walk) | Bristol, RI |
| Sun. July 26 | 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Northeast Regional Permaculture Convergence (webinar) | online |
| Sat., Sept. 12 | 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Ware River Nature Club (walk) | Hubbardston, MA |
Additional walks, talks and online events will be posted here once details are worked out with program sponsors.
TBD = to be determined
§ = includes a wild foods tasting, cooking demonstration and/or dinner;
[Note: For those of you who haven't as yet attended one of the outdoor walks/courses,
we usually encounter 25-40 different species of edible
wild plants (and, in season, pending favorable weather conditions, mushrooms). Keys to the identification of each species
are provided, as well as information about its edible portion(s), season(s)of availability,
flavor and nutritive value, and some tips on preparation if
necessary. Guidelines for safe and environmentally responsible foraging are also provided.
Participants often find a jackknife and several
bags for collecting samples useful as well as a notebook and pen. Those who have
already been on one or more of these walks often find a refresher course
of great value. In addition, there is a constantly changing variety of edible
wild plants throughout the year, even at the same location, so that
different plants are typically encountered on each visit. If you are especially interested
in mushrooms (edible and otherwise), you might also want to check out
the Boston Mycological Club. ]
Last update: 7/9/20
# = class is already full
* = It is necessary to pre-register directly with the Sponsor for these events. Click on the link(s) provided for each respective event for more info, or contact the sponsor via the following telephone numbers or emails:
Mt. Cuba Center: Duncan Himmelman, (302) 239-8803; Ecological Landscape Alliance (Penny Lewis, ela.info@comcast.net);
Stevens-Coolidge Place (Kate Bibeau, (978) 356-4351 x3202), kbibeau@thetrustees.org); Native Plant Trust (Lindsey Schreier, (508) 877-7630 x3303);
Hildene (Stephanie Moffett-Hynds, (802) 367-7960, stephanie@hildene.org; Mass. Rivers Alliance (Julia Blatt, (617) 714-4272, juliablatt@massriversalliance.org;
Arnold Arboretum (Pam Thompson, (617) 384-5277); Allandale Farm (Emily Voiss, (617) 524-1531);
Audubon Society of Rhode Island (401)245-7500 ext. 3112); Waltham Fields Community Farm (Jessica Herwick, (781) 899-2403); Mass. Assoc. of Conservation Commissions: (617) 489-3930; Tower Hill Botanic Garden (Emma Kerr, (508) 869-6111 x120); Essex Heritage (978)-740-0444); Mass. Audubon Drumlin Farm (Maricela Escobar, 781-259-2245); Mass. Audubon Ipswich River (978) 887-9264;
Essex County Greenbelt Association (Jane Rumrill, (978) 768-7241); Wild Seed Project:info@wildseedproject.net.