Foraging Courses: Foods Medicinals and Utilities

Survival 3: Advanced Earth Living

Each plant holds a story. Guided by one of the Northeast’s most seasoned foragers, this course teaches safe, ethical wildcrafting across the seasons. From stinging nettle in spring to acorns in fall, you'll build fluency in plant ID, harvesting, remedy-making, and wild food preparation. With access to the school’s Apothecary and a rich diversity of plant life, this course helps you live closer to the land—and more in rhythm with yourself.

Hands-on. Seasonally guided. Rooted in tradition.

Each session includes field walks, harvesting, cooking, and medicine-making, with access to the school’s wild-crafted Apothecary. The course builds each day in depth, with more advanced techniques and deeper plant relationships explored across the weekend and 5-day formats.

Core Skills You Will Learn

• Safe and accurate plant identification

• Foraging ethics, land stewardship, and safety

• How to locate, harvest, and process seasonal wild plants

• Creating basic remedies: teas, tinctures, poultices, and salves

• Cooking with wild ingredients and preparing a shared meal

• Working with Maine’s diverse habitats and microclimates

• Hands-on preparation techniques and preservation methods

• Creating and using herbal remedies from the Apothecary

• Building a daily foraging routine to integrate into your life

$150 - 1-Day Course Highlights:

• Introduction to ethical foraging and plant ID

• Seasonal walk focused on plant of the month

• Harvesting techniques and basic prep

• Shared group discussions and field learning
  Cooking demonstration or hands-on preparation

$300 - 2-Day Course Add-ons:

• Expanded identification across multiple species

• Introduction to herbal remedy creation

• Deeper dives into plant energetics and ecosystems

• Wild food cooking and preservation techniques
  Visit to the Apothecary for remedy making

$750 - 5-Day Immersion Includes:

• Full seasonal foraging cycles

• In-depth habitat tracking and microclimate awareness

• Daily remedy workshops (salves, tinctures, tonics)

• Foraging projects and final plant presentations

• Shared wild meals, skill-building, and reflection circles

• Integrating foraging into your home life and community

Optional Camping
Free camping is available on-site for those who wish to stay during the course.

Seasonal Plant Focus by Month

Each course emphasizes a seasonal “plant teacher,” offering immersive learning based on timing and location:

• April: Stinging Nettles – nutrition, culinary, and healing uses

• May: Evening Primrose – edible parts and medicinal properties

• June: Shadbush (Serviceberry) and Day Lily – harvesting, medicine, and flower cookery

• July: Cattail and Blueberry – roots, shoots, pollen, and summer berries

• September: Wild Rice – harvesting, drying, and preparation

• October: Acorns – leaching, grinding, and acorn flour baking