Foraging for Edible and medicinal plants in Michigan

"Where The Outdoors Is Our Classroom"

Knowledge is power!!!

Learning to forage for edible and medicinal plants is excellent insurance against everything happening in the world today. Knowing which plants you can safely eat can mean the difference between being well fed and going hungry. Knowing which plants you can use to make highly effective medicine can beak the hold the pharmaceutical companies have over your health.

In my foraging classes you will learn to locate, identify, and make use of the cornucopia of native and invasive plants that grow in the beautiful state of Michigan. Because the plants will vary depending upon the time of year, and location of the walk, it is a good idea to attend a couple of walks. We will learn about the world around us from the best teachers available, the plants themselves. I will impart some of the knowledge I have learned over the 40+ years I have made use of plants. Even though I have spent my life studying the natural world, I am lucky enough to still be able to learn something new just about every day. Please come and learn with me.

I have spent a lifetime learning the knowledge that allowed our ancestors to thrive on this planet. Much of what they knew has been lost, but there is a recent understanding of the importance of learning the old ways and keeping them alive. I find it appalling that up to 1 in 4 children in this country go to bed hungry each night. I have made it my mission to try to help in any way I can. I have decided that I can think of no better way to help than to teach people about the food growing right outside their doors.

Common Medicinal Plants

Plantain is a plant which grows virtually everywhere, and is an excellent Adaptogen, meaning that it supports continued good health. It also can be used to counter the venom of many snakes, and insects. Learning to identify and use this unassuming 'weed' can help save your tissue if you are bitten by a venemous snake or insect. It will even remove the itch from mosquito bites. This same plant is also a natural cell proliferant; meaning that it helps your body heal itself. If you have a cut or abrasion, this plant will speed healing. It also functions very well to help your body fight off internal infections. There are many such plants which probably grow right in your own yard.

Many edible plants also have wonderful medicinal qualities. You can enjoy their medical benefits by simply adding them to your diet. Imagine eating a plant that tastes fantastic, and will maintain proper blood iron levels, or increase them once again to where they should be. By attending our plant walks, you can learn about many of the plants which surround you on a daily basis.