Nibbling on Native Plants in Your Back Yard and Beyond
April 19 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Did you know that Juneberries (Amelanchier spp.), are equally edible by animals (songbirds, e.g.) and people alike? The taste of the ripe fruit is like a cross between cherries and almonds (they’re all related species in the Rose family).
There’s an increasing interest among homeowners on island to utilize more native species in their landscaping, thanks to books like Doug Tallamy’s book Bringing Nature Home, which extol the virtues of native plants for attracting and sustaining beneficial insects. The fact that many of our native species are edible by people too provides an additional incentive to plant them in our yards beyond the ecological rationale.
Join us for a VIRTUAL illustrated talk with Russ Cohen, author of the book Wild Plants I Have Known…and Eaten, to learn about at least two dozen species of native edible wild plants suitable for adding to your landscape, or nibbling on as you encounter them in other locales. Keys to the identification of each species will be provided, along with edible portions, seasons of availability and preparation methods, as well as guidelines for safe and environmentally responsible foraging. Russ will also include a few details regarding some native edible plants he has grown successfully from seed, and the partnerships he has made with conservation groups and others to add edible native plants to their landscapes.
When: Sunday, April 19, 2026
Time: 4-5 pm
Place: Virtual, via zoom
About Russ
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, and assisting others in doing the same. Russ is playing the role of “Johnny Appleseed” for edible native species. He has set up a small nursery (in Weston + Lincoln, MA) where he grows/keeps hundreds of plants he propagates from seed (some of which he collected himself), as well as obtains from other sources, such as the Native Plant Trust. Over the past decade, Russ has collaborated on over two dozen such projects – partnering with land trusts, cities and towns, schools and colleges, state and federal agencies, organic farms, tribal groups, and others to plant plants from his nursery in appropriate places on their properties (including Fishers Island).
