Wild edibles walk in Missoula vicinity?

I would like to go on a wild edibles walk.  Something where somebody who knows about wild edibles or wildcrafting has a walk and talks about all the stuff you can eat.

Anybody know of that sort of thing going on around here?

I don't know of anyone who does, but it is something that I would love to do.  I'll check around and see if I can figure something out.

Also, Morel Mushroom picking any one.  I know its not the right time, but I would love to go picking with someone when it is the right time.

Elaine from Meadowsweet Herbs usually does one or more of these - her son just had brain surgery yesterday in Denver so I don't want to bug her with that question - but there a couple of walks - maybe through the Natural History Center, Meadowsweet and....

I would love to go on this kind of a walk.
I hope we can find someone to  host one someday  D

If somebody was gonna do one of these, how would they go about telling the world that they were about to do it?

Hi Paul,
Here are some ideas:

Make a pre-event youtube video, send a press release to the local NPR station, submit the event to local community calendars, place free ads on the internet in places like local online news papers, perhaps get a local Herb or Outdoors store to sponsor you, contact the natural history center & see if they could host you, and then of coures there is facebook and free listing sites for events like Missoula Area Events & Eventful.

D 

We should try & find a guide for this, lets brainstorm!

I know of an expert in Boise but do we even have the same plants here?

The plants here are mostly the same.  But it would be much better to find somebody local.

Surely there are a few hundred local folks that are excellent for this sort of thing.

Perhaps I can get "Stephan Small Salmon" to do this??

He is the best local expert I can think of.

I know he is very busy but I could check into it.

I have a mushroom guidebook I would be willing to lend. 

Hi, Diane. Who is Stephen Small Salmon? Were you able to get in touch with him?

This is sort of like the other thread about going on a walk. Maybe we could make a list of the foods everyone wants to gather.

I am really interested in finding out which of the local native plants are edible and particularly those with medicinal properties. I have a friend whose very knowledgeable and pointed out a few of the basics, mugwort for example.
I would love to learn about mushrooms too!
What about the rest of you?

I am more into food than medicine, but I would love to confirm what's available from a reliable source. Over the years I've spotted quite a few potentially edible plants, yet I try to remain skeptical until I know for sure. For example, I don't know if the juniper bushes that grow in such abundance here are the right species. (A few species are actually poisonous.) Same goes for flax and those tall weeds with tiny yellow flowers. Apparently you can eat the seeds from the yellow flowered plant once it dries out (kind of tastes like sesame seeds to me), but for all I know there is a curing process or a limit on how much you should eat. And the list goes on.

Plantain grows pretty abundantly by the way. Not for eating, but it helps injuries and cuts heal faster when applied directly. There is also some slippery elm down by the river that is a good local anisthetic. It made the tip of my tongue numb just by pressing a torn leaf to it for a second. Who is your friend, Emma? Would he/she be willing to go on a walk?

Destini,  I think you might have met him. His name is Doug, but he does archeological surveys and is gone until the 27th. I'll ask when he returns, but I'm sure he'd be happy to lead us.

I would also refer you all to the classes being offered by Meadowsweet Herbs this fall. 

I know they have one on wildcrafting Medicines, that is 4 weeks long, and includes field trips to go identify and harvest local medicinal herbs!

You could probably slip in a few questions on edibles while you were at it

This isn't quite a wild edibles walk, but it's close...

Lori  has grown her own fresh herbs & she is ready to share them with you

Saturday September 11, 2010 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monthly on the second Saturday, until September 11, 2010
posted by: Dianne Volunteer Admin.
Urban Herbs11735 Mallard Ct.Missoula, MT 59808  (map)


Join Lori For U-Pick Days!  Sept 11th & 12.

Harvest your own fresh herbs! Bring your gloves and shears and Lori will provide the rest! & teach you what's what, what it's good for,

and how to harvest it. Choose from over 100 tea herbs and 45 culinary herbs.

The cost is $7 for a big gallon freezer bag of fresh herbs.



Sept 11th & 12.

Start Time:9:00 AM

End Time:5:00 PM

Urban Herbs11735 Mallard Ct.Missoula, MT 59808

The only Doug I know is my brother and he's definitely not the person to lead a nature walk. Unless he's leading a double life.

I hope the 27th isn't too late in the season... ?

As we head into winter, I wonder about the wild edibles that are available around here this time of year.

sand cherries, rose hips, mountain ash if you find them palatable, mint, old man's beard moss... there are probably lots because it's been so warm.

Maybe someone from here could help ?

http://montana.plant-life.org/

Another good one ?

http://plantsciences.montana.edu/facultyorstaff/faculty/klein/klein.html

Since the ground has yet to freeze here in Missoula, many yum yums can still be dug. Yesterday I found some wild onions and yampah. the yampah was a little hard but still edible, and the wild onions were absolutely deeelish. They're both very easy to identify this time of year, because their distinctive tops stand out better now that the grasses are mostly dead.