Prof Jones' Edible Plants Field Trip a Wild Experience

On Tuesday, 8 April 2008, students from the Outdoor Skills and Orienteering class traveled to Central Park to observe, identify, collect, and prepare for consumption edible wild plants.

From 10am until 2pm,"Wildman" Steve Brill, outdoor educator and expert on the identification of edible wild plants, instructed the students in how to properly identify edible wild plants. As we hiked along the upper portion of the park, he pointed out sassafras, Japanese knotweed, dandelions, wild plantain, burdock, poor man pepper, and field garlic. Mr. Brill punctuated his lecture with narratives of past tour experiences and comical episodes with the Department of Parks and Recreation.

When we returned to the school, students prepared a delicious vegetable salad and a hot beverage made from sassafras.

As a result of the trip, students' field of concern was greatly expanded to include the vegetation that appears at the sides of the pavement and in the parks. Students also learned that consuming edible wild plants can be part of a healthy vegetarian lifestyle, which Mr. Brill extolled.