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Basket of freshly harvested wild edible plants with scissors and a knife in the foreground, while two people forage in a mountain meadow in Colorado with evergreen trees and distant peaks behind them.

EDIBLE WILD PLANTS: IDENTIFY, HARVEST & PREPARE WITH WILD FOOD GIRL

$175.00

Learn to identify, harvest, and use edible wild plants in this hands-on course suitable for both beginning and experienced foragers. The class includes identification of a wide variety of native and non-native edible species, with attention to poisonous plants and “lookalikes” if applicable. We’ll cover sustainable foraging practices, when and where to harvest, and how to process wild plants into palatable foods. The class includes plant walks, hands-on foraging when edible plants are sufficiently abundant, food preparation, and sampling. I’ll come prepared with a food-making activity, so regardless of what we find on the landscape, we’ll prepare something together to taste. Additional topics may include basic botanical terms, medicinal plant uses, survival-relevant plant foods, or a learning activity pulled from my pack, depending on conditions and group interest.

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Description

EDIBLE WILD PLANTS: IDENTIFY, HARVEST & PREPARE WITH WILD FOOD GIRL

Edible plants are everywhere. Most people just walk past them.

In this hands-on field class, you will learn how to identify, harvest, and prepare wild edible plants safely and responsibly. This course is designed for both beginners and experienced foragers who want practical, in-the-field experience rather than just book knowledge.

We will cover a wide range of native and non-native edible species, with clear instruction on poisonous plants and common lookalikes. You will learn how to read the landscape, recognize harvest potential, and make smart decisions about what to eat and what to leave alone.

This is not a lecture-heavy class. There will be talking-teaching walks but we will do as much hands-on as we can, plants permitting. We will spend time walking the land, identifying plants in real habitat, and harvesting when abundance allows. You will learn when and how to harvest for best flavor and nutrition, and how to process plants into foods you will actually want to eat.

Even if conditions limit what we gather from the field, we will prepare something together so that everyone leaves having tasted and worked with wild plant foods. Additional topics may include basic botanical terms, medicinal uses of certain plants, survival-relevant plant foods, and other practical learning activities depending on conditions and group interest.

This class is about building confidence. When you leave, you will be able to approach a landscape and start organizing it into recognizable plant groups rather than seeing a blur of green.

What You Will Learn

• A wide variety of edible plants, from common favorites to lesser-known species
• How to read a landscape for harvest potential
• When and how to pick plants for best results
• How to process and prepare plants into palatable foods
• How to make safe decisions about whether to eat something
• Poisonous plants and common lookalikes
• How to safely test new plant foods on your body
• How to forage responsibly and allow for regrowth
• How to organize the landscape into recognizable plant groups

Course Overview

  • Course: EDIBLE WILD PLANTS: IDENTIFY, HARVEST & PREPARE WITH WILD FOOD GIRL
  • Duration: 1 day
  • Location: Mountain Camp near Cripple Creek, Colorado at 9,700 feet elevation. Class may travel to additional locations during the day depending on plant conditions. Possible visit to Chapman Ranch at 7,500 feet.
  • Class starts: 9:30 AM.
  • Class ends: approximately 3:30 PM.
  • Required arrival for check-in: 8:30 AM, one hour before class starts.
  • Format: Field-based, hands-on instruction
  • Skill level: Beginner to Experienced

Instructor

Guest Instructor: Erica Davis, Wild Food Girl

Course Requirements and Inclusions

Includes:
• Guided plant walks
• Real-time identification in natural habitat
• Hands-on foraging when abundance allows
• Food preparation and tasting activity
• Instruction on poisonous plants and lookalikes
• Sustainable harvesting practices

Before You Arrive

Arrival and Directions

Colorado campus driving directions

Arrive by 8:30 AM for check-in. Class begins at 9:30 AM. Plan your drive so you are at the meeting location one hour before instruction begins.

Address:
71 Monarch Dr
Cripple Creek, CO 80813

Travel Time:
2 to 2.5 hours from Denver depending on traffic
Approximately 1 hour from Colorado Springs
Approximately 40 minutes from Woodland Park

Know:
Mountain Camp is remote. GPS can be unreliable and cell service is limited. Save or print directions before leaving home. The property is behind a locked gate that will be open for student arrivals.

Course Arrangements

Students enrolled in this one-day class may remain on the training property the evening before or the night after class in connection with their attendance. Students provide their own tents, tarps, hammocks, or primitive field shelters and personal sleeping equipment. Instruction is limited to the scheduled class day. Use of the training property overnight is limited to enrolled students and authorized program participants. Campsites are not independently rented or offered to the general public.

Students who prefer to stay off site can choose from multiple hotels and Airbnb rentals in the surrounding area. Cripple Creek is approximately a 15-minute drive from our location, and Woodland Park is approximately 30 minutes away. Students are responsible for arranging their own lodging and making reservations directly with their chosen provider. Please call or email us before the course if you have questions about overnight arrangements.

Facilities

Onsite Amenities:
Potable water available for refills
Portable toilet onsite
Groceries and restaurants are available in nearby towns.

What to Bring

Bring:
Lunch, snacks, water
Plate, mug, silverware
Backpack
Scissors
Trowel or digging knife
Sturdy gloves
Foraging bags
Notepad and pen
Camera or phone
Camp chair optional
Overnight gear if camping

Clothing and Weather

Wear:
Hiking boots or closed-toe shoes
Warm and cool layers suitable for mountain weather
Rain gear
Sun hat and sunglasses

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