Foraging for Edible and medicinal plants in Michigan

"Where The Outdoors Is Our Classroom"

Knowledge is power!!!

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Click to see foraging class photos

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.

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day,
Teach a man to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime."

Our edible and medicinal plant foraging walks offer something for everyone. They are leisurely walks that will suit even the least intrepid souls. Because we will definitely stray a bit from the trail, you should wear boots and comfortable clothing you do not mind getting dirty. Being as we are in Michigan, you might also want to consider bringing a water-proof jacket, and insect repellant. The weather can change without notice, and we have watched in horror as two students were carried off by mosquitoes, never to bee seen again. While they were not actually carried off, they were both a quart low after being vampired by the Michigan state bird.

During a foraging class you will learn about...

Common Edible Plants

Unknown to most people today, there are literally thousands of edible wild plants. Some taste wonderful while others, well maybe not so much, but they are nutritious and filling. There is actually a plant that grows in each of the 50 states which has some part that can be eaten quite literally all year long. It was a staple of the diets of most native Americans, but it is so abundant that it was not necessary that they cultivate it. Unlike many plants, this is one which contains carbohydrates, and can actually be used to maintain or increase body weight.

We will discuss the uses of some easily identified local flora. The plants chosen will depend upon the season, and location of the classes. Just as happens in nature, not all plants grow everywhere, and some are only useful at certain times of year. As foragers, it is important that we learn to adapt to what nature provides at any given time. Like the song says, if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with.

Common Medicinal Plants

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Common Plantain (Plantago major)

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.

Anyone who attends an in person class receives
a free elecronic copy of my 831 page plant book.



The cost for a plant foraging class is $45.00.
Children under 18 attend free of charge with an adult.
Course fees must be paid at time of registration

Payments are processed through PayPal.

Special group pricing is available. I can also set up a private class for your group.
Class availability may change depend upon interest.

Upcoming Foraging Class Dates

Date Location Time Register
MAY 10, 2025 Tobico Marsh, Bay City MI 10:00 am
JUN 07, 2025 Tobico Marsh, Bay City MI 10:00 am
JUL 12, 2025 Tobico Marsh, Bay City MI 10:00 am
SEP 09, 2025 Tobico Marsh, Bay City MI 10:00 am

Gift certificates are available for each of our classes. They make excellent presents, and are a great way to lock in future training at current prices.




Refund Policy:
If you are unable to attend a class, you will receive credit toward any future session of that class. You may also use that credit as cash toward the course fees for any other class we offer. If for some reason, we are forced to cancel a class you are scheduled to attend, you have the option of a full refund or credit toward any future session of that class.