Forage with naturalist and wild food enthusiast, Russ Cohen.
Thursday, August 16th, 2018
Time: 10 a.m. to approx. 11:30 a.m.
Location: Meet at the Museum
Fishers 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” for a ramble through a shaggier part of the Island. Russ is currently in his 44th year of teaching courses about wild edibles and will present information on each species encountered including identification tips, edible portion(s), season(s) of availability and preparation methods. Russ will also provide general guidelines for safe and environmentally-responsible foraging.
This “Penni Sharp Nature Walk” is sponsored in memory of Penelope “Penni” Sharp, the HLFM’s president from 2003 to 2014.
RUSS COHEN
Until his retirement in June of 2015, Russ Cohen’s “day job” was serving as the Rivers Advocate for the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration, where one of his areas of expertise was in riparian vegetation. Now Russ has more time to pursue his passionate avocation, which is connecting to nature via his taste buds. In addition to leading over three dozen foraging walks and talks each year at a wide variety of venues throughout the Northeast, Russ has now taken on a role as a “Johnny Appleseed” of sorts for edible native species. He has set up a small nursery (in Weston, MA) where he grows/keeps plants that he propagates from seed (some of which he collected himself), as well as obtain from other sources, such as the New England Wild Flower Society. He then partners with land trusts, cities and towns, schools and colleges, state and federal agencies, and others to plant plants from his nursery in appropriate places on their properties. Russ has initiated nine such projects in the past year.
