HOBBS HAPPENINGS

Edible trees and plants workshop slated

Many of our grandparents and parents used wild plants for food and medicine. 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. The well-known naturalist, Euell Gibbons, told us, “My love affair with nature is so deep that I am not satisfied with being a mere onlooker, or nature tourist. I crave a more real and meaningful relationship. The spicy teas and tasty delicacies I prepare from wild ingredients are the bread and wine in which I have communion and fellowship with nature, and with the Author of that nature.”

Dr. Walkingstick, who will conduct the Wild Edibles Workshop at Hobbs State Park, has recently retired from the University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture, Co-operative Extension Service as an Associate Professor of Extension Forestry. Walkingstick serves on several boards including the Arkansas American Indian Center, Arkansas Women in Agriculture, the National Network of Forest Practitioners, and is a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.

Walkingstick noted, “In this comprehensive fourhour workshop, you will not only learn to identify some edible species of Arkansas native and nonnative vegetation, you will also have the opportunity to sample some tasty dishes. The presentation covers concepts of conservation, history, culture, and plant identification. Thirty pages of wild edible recipes are included as well.” When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. May 5 Cost: $25 per person, Check or cash accepted on day of workshop: Participants must pre-register. For information and to register, call: 479-789-5000.