Foraging Wild Foods with Barefoot Joel @ Silverado Canyon

Discover how to identify, harvest and prepare wild foods on a fun and easy educational walk. Taste the unique flavors of prepared items. Join Barefoot Joel for an immersive wild food foraging walk up Silverado Canyon. We’ll explore the plants and fungi growing throughout this beautiful corner of the Santa Ana Mountains—and learn to see a familiar Southern California landscape in an entirely different way. As we move through riparian, chaparral and oak woodland habitats, we’ll stop frequently to identify seasonal plants and fungi and explore their edible, medicinal and material uses. Joel will share identification techniques, traditional and modern uses, interesting plant stories, potential look-alikes, and the ecological relationships connecting these species to the surrounding habitat. We’ll have chances of tasting prepared meal items, including acorn cake, bay nuts, prickly pear jam and toyon tea This is about more than finding something you can eat. You'll learn how to observe plants closely, recognize identifying features, understand where and why different species grow, and approach wild foods responsibly. What we discover will depend on the season and conditions—that's part of foraging. Every walk is different. WHAT TO EXPECT: Easy. Beginner-friendly. Roughly 1-2 miles round trip. Frequent stops for plant identification and discussion. Mix of sun and shade. Uneven natural surfaces and possible creek access. Best suited for teens and adults. This is an educational foraging experience. Never eat or use a wild plant or fungus unless you are certain of its identification and safety. Any foraging, picking or sampling is at your own risk and is also subject to applicable land-use rules, availability and current conditions. No dogs, please, to protect wildlife and maintain the instructional flow of the group. WHAT TO BRING: Bring water, comfortable closed-toe shoes, sun protection and layers for changing temperatures. A field journal and writing tool are great for taking notes, and a phone or camera is useful for documenting plants you want to identify or remember later. Bring your own snack or personal food/beverage if desired. PARKING: Meet Barefoot Joel at the Maple Springs Visitor Center. Parking may vary depending on whether the national forest gate is open or closed. If the gate is open, you can drive through the gate and park for free where directed. If the gate is closed, you may park in one of the marked stalls with a national forest Adventure Pass ($5), which is available for purchase in advance from REI, Turner’s and Big 5. If marked stalls are taken, you may parallel park for free along Silverado Canyon Rd, just downstream of the parking lot. MORE INFO: Please email [email protected] with any questions, comments or concerns. WILDLIFE & NATURE NOTE: We will always do our best to find, observe and identify the plants, fungi and other natural features highlighted during this experience. Nature is seasonal and conditions change, so specific plants, fungi, wild foods or other discoveries can never be guaranteed. SUPPORT SAVE ORANGE HILLS & NATURALIST FOR YOU: Proceeds from this event support Save Orange Hills, a project of Naturalist For You, a U.S. nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 20-824602) under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. DONATE: Donate online with no fees. Cash and checks are also appreciated. MISSION: “Connecting everyone to local wilderness!” Discover • Connect • Protect WEBSITES: www.SaveOrangeHills.org www.Naturalist-For-You.org CANCELATION/REFUND: • No refunds for this event • SOH/NFY will refund the cost of tickets & fees when we cancel the event due to weather or unforeseen circumstances.