HOBBS STATE PARK EVENTS

Edible Trees, Plants Workshop — May 5

We all know about sassafras tea and the glorious taste of wild blackberries, but we have perhaps forgotten how extensively wild plants can be used as food sources. In the early 1970s, information on native wild foods and medicinal uses of wild plants became very popular.

Tamara Walkingstick, the conductor of the Wild Edibles Workshop, has worked for the University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service as an associate professor of extension forestry since 1996. Walkingstick noted, “In this comprehensive four-hour workshop, you will not only learn to identify some edible species of Arkansas native and non-native vegetation, you will also have the opportunity to sample tasty dishes, including crepes with persimmon ice cream, acorn scones, and roasted Jerusalem Artichoke soup. The presentation covers concepts of conservation, history, culture, and plant identification. Even weeds can have value, but know your plants before you try any edible. Thirty pages of wild edible recipes are included as well.”

This workshop takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 5, at a cost of $15 per person. All participants must pre-register. For more information and to register, call 479-789-5000.

Hipbillies and Guerilla Presses May 6

Local historian and PhD, Jared Phillips, who hails from Prairie Grove, describes his upcoming program at Hobbs State Park. “This presentation discusses the varied forms of communication utilized by the back-to-the-land community of the Arkansas and Missouri Ozarks during the 1970s. Hipbillies were central to national policy shifts regarding pesticide use, cultural preservation, and more. Utilizing publications like the Ozark Access Catalog, Living in the Ozarks Newsletter, Mother Earth News, letters, and memoirs, this presentation shows how hipbillies, while living remotely, were not isolated in the hills. Indeed, they forged regular connections across the Ozarks in Arkansas and Missouri (and beyond) through these publications, all the while discussing high profile issues.”

The program begins at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 6, at the Hobbs State Park visitor center. There is no cost for the presentation and all are welcome to attend.