Wednesday April 17, 2024 from 6 to 7:30 pm. Audubon Society of Rhode Island Nature Center, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI 02809

While we look for practical opportunities for promoting ecological restoration through the successful removal of invasives and replacement with natives, what should we do with all these non-native weeds and invasives? The answer for many of them could be: eat them. Many weeds and invasives are more nutritious and/or flavorful than their cultivated counterparts.

Join local wild edibles enthusiast Russ Cohen, author of the book Wild Plants I Have Known…and Eaten, for a 60-minute slide presentation covering over two dozen of the tastiest non-native plant species lurking in plain sight in the Ocean State. These range from species everyone knows well, like Daisies and Dandelions, to species they may never have even heard of, like Salsify and Asiatic Dayflower.

Keys to the identification of each species will be provided, along with edible portion(s), season(s) of availability and preparation method(s), as well as guidelines for safe and environmentally responsible foraging. Russ will also describe the distinction between species categorized as mere weeds, many of which grow among our garden vegetables, versus those deemed to be invasive due to their adverse ecological impacts.  Last but not least, Russ will bring several goodies made with locally-foraged weeds and invasive ingredients for folks to sample.

Fee:  $10.00 for members of RIWPS and $15.00 for non-members.

Registration required. Complete the registration form below.