Classes & Appearances 2024
Welcome foragers! Below are the current classes, and I will continue to add more. If you would like an alert when new classes are added, please join one or both email lists. I also offer private classes in Colorado–in Fairplay or on your private property. Please use the contact form for inquiries. Kids are always welcome at any class that says “hosted by WFG,” but please purchase a ticket for each child (except infants). It is better not to bring dogs, thanks so much.
Colorado classes
APRIL 2024:
Dandelion Coffee, Dandelion Dessert – Saturday, April 06, 2024 (10:00am–12:00pm), Breckenridge, Colorado – Colorado’s high country is blessed with some of the best dandelions in the country! Join us in making two dandelion treats—dandelion coffee, a traditional, non-caffeinated coffee substitute that some people think tastes better than the real thing; and a healthy frozen dessert flavored with the roasted roots. Hosted by Breckenridge Creative Arts. ($75 nonmembers/$57 members.) Register here.
MAY 2024:
Wild Foods in Arvada – Sat, May 4, 2024 (9:00-11:30 am) – What wild foods grow in the back yard in spring? Come learn some local spring edibles in Arvada, Colorado. We won’t be walking far, but there are plenty of plants to learn in this backyard setting. In this hands-on class, we will take a plant walk, practice foraging a few of them, discuss safety and sustainability practices, and then prepare something wild to taste. I will have signs with the plant names if you would like to use your camera to take notes. Hosted by WFG. ($60) – SOLD OUT
Wild Foods in Fairplay – Sat, May 18, 2024 (9:00-11:30 am) – What wild food grows around a high country town? Come learn some local wild edibles in the town of Fairplay, Colorado. In this hands-on class, we’ll tour wild food growing in the town setting, discuss safety and sustainability, practice foraging a couple of them, and then prepare something wild to taste. I will have signs with the plant names if you would like to use your camera to take notes. Hosted by WFG. ($60)
Plant Walk & Field Tasting in Loveland – Fri, May 24, 2024 (2:00-4:00 pm) – In this 2-hour walk on a beautiful ranch under towering stone buttresses we will learn edible plants that grow in disturbed settings (weeds!) as well as native plants common to high prairies. There will an opportunity for field tasting, and a discussion of safety and sustainability practices. I will have signs with the plant names if you would like to use your camera to take notes. Hosted by WFG. ($50)
Foraging Loveland – ALL DAY Sat, May 25, 2024 (9:00 am -3:00 pm) This 6-hour class includes multiple plant walks as well as hands-on foraging, food preparation, and tasting. We’ll learn edible plants that grown in disturbed settings (weeds!) as well as native plants common to high prairies, like prairie onions and biscuitroots. There is always the possibility of a few morels and oyster mushrooms, as we have found them here before, but no promises. It will be a great day no matter what! Hosted by WFG. ($130)
Plant Walk & Field Tasting in Loveland – Sun, May 26, 2024 (9:00-11:00 am) – In this 2-hour walk on a beautiful ranch under towering stone buttresses we will learn edible plants that grow in disturbed settings (weeds!) as well as native plants common to high prairies. There will an opportunity for field tasting, and a discussion of safety and sustainability practices. I will have signs with the plant names if you would like to use your camera to take notes. Hosted by WFG. ($50)
JUNE 2024:
Plant Walk & Field Tasting in Fairplay – June 15, 2024 (1:00-3:00 pm) This 2-hour walk takes place in a town setting, where we will learn edible plants that grow in disturbed areas (weeds!) as well as native plants common to aspen groves and meadows. There will an opportunity for field tasting, and a discussion of safety, legality, and sustainability practices. I will have signs with the plant names if you would like to use your camera to take notes. We will not be walking far. Hosted by WFG. ($50)
JULY 2024:
Plant Walk & Field Tasting in Fairplay – July 20, 2024 (9:00-11:00 am) This 2-hour walk takes place in a town setting, where we will learn edible plants that grow in disturbed areas (weeds!) as well as native plants common to aspen groves and meadows. There will an opportunity for field tasting, and a discussion of safety, legality, and sustainability practices. I will have signs with the plant names if you would like to use your camera to take notes. We will not be walking far. Hosted by WFG. ($50)
Online Classes – NEW!
REPLAYS NOW AVAILABLE:
Intro to Edible Weeds (replay) – So many “weeds” are edible and nutritious! Find them in your yard or garden, and you will have free organic greens for a lifetime. This class introduces 6 edible weeds in the U.S. and much of the world: lamb’s quarters (Chenopodium species), purslane (Portulaca oleracea), salsify (Tragopogon species), dock (Rumex species), mallow (Malva species), and dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). We discuss related species, when to pick, and what to do with them. $20/household. Use the link to purchase access to the replay.
Edible Weeds II (replay) – So many “weeds” are edible and nutritious! This class is the second in the series. In it we learn amaranth (Amaranthus spp.), horseweed (Conyza canadensis), quickweed (Galinsoga spp.), chickweed (Stellaria spp.), sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella), oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare), and pineappleweed (Matricaria discoidea). We discuss what and when to pick, and what to make with these plants. Stock up for winter! $20/household.
Intro to Colorado Mushrooms (replay) – This online class covers 5 major edible wild mushrooms of Colorado and the Rocky Mountains: porcini or king bolete (Boletus rubriceps), puffballs (various species), oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus species), wood ears (Auricularia americana), and hawk’s wings (Sarcodon imbricatus). We discuss safety topics including similar-looking mushrooms to avoid, and where and when to pick. Length: 1 hour. $20/household. Use the link to purchase access to the replay.
Colorado Mushrooms II (replay) – This is a sequel to Intro to Colorado Mushrooms. In it, we focus on 5 more edible mushrooms of Colorado and the Rocky Mountains: chanterelles (Cantharellus species), hedgehogs (Hydnum repandum), morels (Morchella species), Albatrellus species, and other boletes (Boletus, Leccinium, Suillus species). We will discuss related species, similar-looking mushrooms to avoid, and where and when to pick. Length: 1-1.5 hours. $20/household. Use the link to purchase access to the replay.
Wild Berries (replay) – Are you wondering what berries are on your hike? This class is the first in a series on berries of Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Region. In it we will learn “huckleberries” (Vaccinium species), serviceberries (Amelanchier alnifolia), currants and gooseberries (Ribes spp.), strawberries (Fragaria species), raspberries, Boulder raspberries, and thimbleberries (Rubus spp.), and a few poisonous ones. $20/household. Use the link to purchase access to the replay.
Wild Berries II (replay) – Are you wondering what berries are on your hike? This class is the 2nd in a series on berries in the Rocky Mountain region and beyond. It includes chokecherries (Prunus virginiana); smooth, staghorn, and three-leaf sumac (Rhus species); Oregon grape and relatives (Mahonia species); river grapes (Vitis riparia); and junipers (Juniperus species). We discuss how to identify and distinguish these from common lookalikes, as well as how to process and use the berries. $20/household. Use the link to purchase access to the replay.
Piñon / Pine Nuts (replay) – Piñon pines produce delicious pine nuts similar to those we purchase in the grocery store. The various species cover 60-100 million acres of the Western U.S., and yet we import most of our pine nuts. In this class we will learn all things piñon, pinyon, and pine nuts—including what trees make them, both here and abroad; the history, lore, and commerce of pine nuts; concerns like “pine mouth” and hantavirus; when, where, and how to harvest; and what to make with them. $20/household.
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