School of Self-Reliance

FORAGING BY THE SEASON: WINTER
2026-12-19 10:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Saturday, December 19, 10 a.m.
FORAGING BY THE SEASON: WINTER

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WINTER FORAGING in the West: What are the seasonal greens, nuts, seeds, berries, roots, etc. that are available now?
This series of Seasonal Foraging occurs once per season, where you can learn to see nature through the seasons, from a forager’s perspective. The essence of this class is to develop seasonal knowledge and observational skills: How to look, where to look, what to look for. Plus, we will also focus on responsible and sustainable gathering methods, including collection of seeds and cuttings so you can grow plants in your own backyard. See web site for details.
The essence of this class is to develop seasonal knowledge and observational skills: How to look, where to look, what to look for. Plus, we will also focus on responsible and sustainable gathering methods, including collection of seeds and cuttings so you can grow plants in your own backyard.

You’ll learn how to identify and collect foods, medicines, soaps, fire-materials, and other useful parts of plants. You’ll learn to think like foragers of the past, who had to have an intimate knowledge of the seasons, and foresight for the future. (For example, sometimes you do NO foraging in an area if the plant or seed is not abundant.)
Join us each quarter for an insightful walk into a wild area, with a focus on interpreting what’s available that season. Each session will include demonstrations, hands-on practice, and sampling of the seasonal foods, such as salad, soup, biscuit, or tea. Each session includes a list of what is normally available in that season.

WINTER
This is the time when we begin to get our rains, and we can begin to see the hillsides and valleys greening-up. Learn to identify young seedlings and sprouts, and which are already edible. Learn to identify those locations where you can come back to later. Some fruits that occur in early spring, and we’ll discover those. This would also be the time to collect cuttings for sprouting, so you can grow these plants at your own home. Mushrooms are beginning now.
LOCATION: We will explore a foothill canyon in the Angeles National Forest. Details sent upon registration.
