Foraging Education
Learning to forage safely and ethically
We are all the descendants of foragers. Gathering and preparing wild food was one of the staple human diets before agriculture was invented. Even today, cultures around the world continue to forage for food. Foraging is a basic human activity as well as a means of connecting deeply to the earth. While foraging creates links back to our most ancient ancestors, it also grounds us in the present day as we discover wild food that’s growing just under our feet. By foraging safely and ethically, we learn to respect the plants and fungi–and the planet–that nourishes and feeds us.
“I appreciate the way that Natalie structures her class, picnicking on foraged foods, sharing resources, and walking around to meet the plants. Her focus on plants that are accessible made it easy to apply what you learn afterwards. I cannot recommend her classes enough if you want a safe and positive environment to learn about foraging ethically in community!”
- Mo
Natalie hosts foraging-related events for the public throughout the year. Check out the events calendar for upcoming edible plant walks, immersive camps, and other foraging events.
Wild Edible Picnic & Plant Walk
Wild Edible Picnic & Plant Walk
Wednesday, June 11th
6-8pm
Humboldt Park Field House
1440 N Humboldt Blvd
Chicago, IL 60647
$50 per person*
Wild Food Exploration for Kids and Families
Get to know the local plants around us! Family focused wild food workshop for kids 2-10.
Join forager Natalie Evans for this family friendly workshop to learn about the wild foods growing all around us. The workshop will begin with a quick talk on how to harvest wild food safely and ethically, then families can explore different wild food stations:
The taste station will have some handmade wild snacks and beverages to try.
The puzzle station will have plant id information to see if you can find wild food based on some clues.
The plant station will have some seasonal wild foods like violets and dandelions for families to touch and smell.
The art station will have coloring pages about wild food.
The chill out station will have books on wild food that you can sit and look at.
$20 per family, please reach out for sliding scale options.
Register Here (registration required)
***Please note there will be no foraging at this event. Careless foraging can lead to certain plants becoming endangered and it is illegal to forage in the forest preserves.. However, Natalie will provide handouts with lots of great resources that can be used if you decide to harvest plants in acceptable locations in the future.
Wild Dinner for Wonderland!
Wonderland Community Project is hosting a wild dinner in Chicago at the home of a Wonderland family for our Patreon members both new and old. This is a great opportunity to socialize, eat some delicious food, learn more about our community project, and see our backyard tree nursery!
All current members with a $5 dollar or more membership are welcome to the dinner and anyone who joins at the $5 membership or higher is welcome too. Click here to explore our membership options.
If you can’t commit to becoming a Wonderland Patron we have an option to get a ticket at $50 for the dinner in our Patreon shop.
Wild Dinner Menu (all wild food will be harvested at Wonderland):
Wild Violet Gin Fizz
Cleavers and Mint Tea
Nodding onion crackers
Nettle hummus
Salad with crabapple vinaigrette
Wood sorrel soup
Wild pesto pasta
Spiced Dandelion Cake
Space is limited to 20 people, so sign up now!
Yard Consultations: Eat Your Weeds!
Did you know that the weeds people try to banish from their yards are often nutrient-dense wild foods? Yard consultations include a walk-through of your property to identify edible plants that may already be growing in your yard. Natalie brings a variety of materials to reference and learn about the plants you discover. Following the walk, Natalie will email a report including the edible plants we found, which part(s) can be harvested, and suggestions on how to prepare them for eating.
Yard consultations are available for $75 and take approximately one hour.
Group Events
Does your company, organization, or group want to learn more about identifying and preparing wild edible woods? Group presentations, private foraging walks, wild edibles classes, and other services are available.
Reach out to discuss what will best fit your group’s needs and budget!
Wonderland Community Project
Natalie is a member of Wonderland Community Project, a collectively-owned agroforestry land community in McHenry County, Illinois. Wonderland is a place for creating reciprocal relationships rooted in mutual aid and solidarity while working to restore ecosystems lost to land development and neglect. The collective focuses on adaptation and mitigation of climate change, meeting at the intersection of social justice and climate resiliency. The project’s ethical priorities are to take care of the land, each other, and society as a whole, while giving back to the Indigenous communities on whose occupied lands we live.
Visit Wonderland’s website to learn more and watch for upcoming foraging education opportunities taking place at Wonderland on Natalie’s events calendar.