Tuesday Talks: Russ Cohen: Nibbling on the Wild Landscape of Cape Cod

Join us for our November ‘Tuesday Talks’ lecture on Tuesday, 11/18, at 5pm with Russ Cohen. The Cape is home to over 100 species of edible wild plants, many of which are more nutritious and/or flavorful than their cultivated counterparts. These include native species, like Fox Grape and Beach Plum; non-native weeds, like Chicory and Burdock; and invasive species, like Autumn Olive and Japanese Knotweed. Join Russ Cohen, author of the book Wild Plants I Have Known…and Eaten, to learn about at least two dozen of the tastiest wild plant species the Cape has to offer. These include species everyone knows well, like Daisies and Dandelions, to species people may have never even heard of, like Wild Raisin and Carrion Flower. Keys to the identification of each species will be provided, along with info on edible portion(s), season(s) of availability and preparation methods, as well as guidelines for safe, ethical and environmentally-responsible foraging. Russ’s talk will include handouts and samples to nibble on.
About 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, and assisting others in doing the same.  In addition to leading over three dozen wild edibles-themed walks and talks each year at a wide variety of venues throughout the Northeast, Russ has now taken on a role of Johnny Appleseed for edible native species. He has set up a small nursery (in Weston) where he grows/keeps plants that he propagates from seed (some of which he collected himself). He is then collaborating with land trusts, cities and towns, schools and colleges, state and federal agencies, Tribal members and groups, organic farms and others to plant plants from his nursery in appropriate places on their properties.