Science Stroll: Foraging in Forests
September 29 @ 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Join an ALT educator and Joey Jaros, botanist and field biologist currently working on their PhD at Ohio State University, for a guided hike of Barking Slopes. Participants will gain all the basics to start their own foraging journey. Over a ~1.5 mile hike, we will identify common edible invasive plants while learning about their histories, ecologies, and culinary uses. Joey will also cover tips for foraging safely and ethically, while exploring possibilities for better integrating foraging into ongoing conservation work.
Hike runs rain or shine. NO WALK-INS will be permitted. We will not be actively foraging on this walk. Foraging for mushrooms and plants can be risky and it is never safe to eat an unidentified plant or mushroom.
Joey Jaros is a botanist and field biologist who likes to get creative in the kitchen. After completing degrees at the University of Pittsburgh and Fordham University in New York, they are currently finishing a PhD at Ohio State, where they research how invasive species integrate into existing biotic communities, with a special focus on managing garlic mustard across Pennsylvania. They have been an baker since childhood, learning to make cookies and pies with their grandma, and have been sharing recipes with family and friends ever since. Through their work as a culinary educator at Phipps and Franklin Park Conservatory, Joey has been on a journey to connect their commitment to sustainability with their passion for cooking, and they are excited to share their experiences in urban foraging with you!