July Foraging Walk

8210 Murphy Road,Fulton MD 20759

10 July, 2022

Description

Wild edible and medicinal plants of early summer in our region include wineberries, blackberries, Monardas, St. John's Wort, shiso, yarrow, passiflora, mugwort, and more. We'll meet these species and many more, including some to keep an eye out for in your travels so you'll be ready when they come into season, including Paw Paw and Black Walnut. In this class we'll visit many plant species that grow commonly in a variety of ecological niches in our region, learning what growing conditions each prefers, what portion of the plant to harvest throughout the season, and how to align your foraging choices with responsible and interdependent ecological stewardship, reclaiming our place as full and worthy participants in - not alienated from - the dance of nature. Note: The woods onsite were closed to the public this spring, but are now open and can be included in our walk this month! Please bring your own harvest basket or bag, hand-pruners or shears if you have them, and note-taking materials if you'll want them. This is NOT primarily a collecting excursion but an educational one, but it doesn't hurt to have your materials in case, or for stopping to collect on your way home! Five scholarship tickets are available for BIPOC. Email [email protected] to claim one! Potted seedlings and divisions are available for donation at all our public events, as well as seeds, and printed or recorded music & art publications from Jim & Peggy Duke. We need help harvesting (and digging out) Houttuynia cordata and getting it fresh into the hands of community members who will honor and use it for food or medicine - if you're someone, or know someone, from a culture in which this plant plays a role (including Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and others in Southeast Asia), please come get some. Point your friends in our direction, let your local Asian markets know about this availability in case they'd like to stock some, and come harvest for yourself to diversify your diet or add to your medicinal plant arsenal.