Events @ Listening Tree

Eat, grow, and be merry with wild edibles

with Russ Cohen

Northern Rhode Island is home to over 70 species of edible wild plants, some of which are more nutritious and/or flavorful than their cultivated counterparts. Join Russ Cohen, expert forager and author of Wild Plants I Have Known…and Eaten, on a 3-hour ramble to learn about at least two dozen edible plant species.

As each species is encountered, Russ will present information on identification tips, edible portion(s), season(s) of availability and preparation methods. Russ will also provide general guidelines for safe and environmentally-responsible foraging. Last but not least, Russ will also share details about propagating native edible species from seed, and how to identify appropriate places in the landscape to plant them.

If you loved the deliciousness of our workshops with wild edibles chef, Brett Mayette, take the next step into the wild, wild world of the original superfoods. if you liked last years edible workshops… you will love this class! Instead of cooking our wild edibles, this workshop we'll learn to cultivate the native plants in our own gardens.

Russ Cohen is a naturalist and wild foods enthusiast, who grew up in Weston, Mass., where he spent much of his free time in the woods, thereby cultivating a strong spiritual connection to nature. He received his bachelor's degree in land use planning from Vassar College in 1978, and received a masters in Natural Resources and a law degree from The Ohio State University in 1982. Until retiring from state service, Russ was employed by the Riverways Program (now part of the Division of Ecological Restoration) of the Mass. Department of Fish and Game since 1988, and served as its Rivers Advocate from 1992 until June of 2015. Since retiring, set up a nursery where he is growing more than a third of the more than 170 edible species native to New England ecoregions. Many of these plants were propagated from seed Russ gathered himself. Russ is forming partnerships with land trusts, municipalities, state and federal agencies, schools and colleges, tribal groups and others, to plant plants from his nursery on appropriate places on their properties.

$20 per person.