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Summer Plant and Mushroom Foray
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Ariel Bonkoski and Maria Wesserle lead this full day of foraging at the Hartley Nature Center. The workshop begins with two indoor slideshow presentations: one covering introductory information about wild mushroom foraging, and the other about wild edible plants that might be present in the area. The presentations will be followed by a break for lunch; participants should bring a bag lunch. Afterward the instructors will guide students along the trails and help them apply their newfound knowledge to the surrounding landscape.
Mushrooms and plants the group may encounter include nettle, meadowsweet, bunchberries, wild cherries, chicken of the woods, chanterelles, porcini, oysters, and more. Students should bring their own bags or baskets to collect edible mushrooms or fruit. Please note that picking of plant parts like greens, flowers and roots is not allowed.
Expect to walk about 2 miles across maintained trails as well as off-trail into forests and fields. The terrain may require bushwhacking, walking over uneven ground, logs and other obstacles. This foray portion of the class will take around 2.5 to 3 hours.
No children under the age of 16 please. Those under 18 should be accompanied by an adult.
About the Instructors
Maria Wesserle is a forager and certified wildlife tracker. Her business, Four Season Foraging, is devoted to creating a space where people can learn to interact with urban and rural wild places.
Ariel Bonkoski is a wild mushroom identification and foraging expert. Ariel’s Mushroom Company is dedicated to introducing folks to the wonderful world of mushrooms.
Registration
Space is limited to better encourage participatory learning. Register online at arielsmushroomco.com before Aug. 24, 9:30 a.m. and watch for an email sent 5 days before class with additional information.
The cost is $120. Refunds are available until 72 hours before the event begins (Thursday, Aug. 22, 9:30 a.m.). A 10% charge will be deducted from the refund, in order to cover the payment processing fee and the extra time spent filling the empty spot.
This event will take place rain or shine, so please arrive prepared for the weather. In the event of extreme weather the indoor classroom portion will still take place. Registrants may choose a partial refund or a credit toward a future workshop in place of the hike portion of the class.
