Housatonic River Walk Wild Edibles

For Teachers & Students

Upcoming Events

Jan
23
Sat
10:00 am Pittsfield, MA–Mass Audubon – Tr... @ Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, Pittsfield
Pittsfield, MA–Mass Audubon – Tr... @ Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, Pittsfield
Jan 23 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Instructor: Dale Abrams Member fee: $15       Non Member fee: $20 Search for tracks, scat, and other signs of our elusive wild cats and dogs that roam the fields and forests at Canoe Meadows.[...]
10:00 am West Stockbridge, MA–Mass Audubo... @ TurnPark Art Space, West Stockbridge, MA
West Stockbridge, MA–Mass Audubo... @ TurnPark Art Space, West Stockbridge, MA
Jan 23 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Instructor: Zach Adams TurnPark Art Space and Mass Audubon collaborate for an evening of birds and their lovely evening chorus. A Mass Audubon Guide will take you through the art space learning about the many[...]
Jan
26
Tue
6:00 pm West Stockbridge, MA–Mass Audubo... @ TurnPark Art Space, West Stockbridge, MA
West Stockbridge, MA–Mass Audubo... @ TurnPark Art Space, West Stockbridge, MA
Jan 26 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Instructor: Dale Abrams Enjoy a moonlit stroll at TurnPark with a Mass Audubon naturalist. On a short walk through the outdoor sculpture park, we’ll listen and watch with the lens of wildlife tracking, searching for[...]
Jan
30
Sat
10:00 am Lenox, MA–Mass Audubon – Winter ... @ Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox, MA
Lenox, MA–Mass Audubon – Winter ... @ Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox, MA
Jan 30 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Instructor: Dale Abrams Member fee: $15        Non-members: $20 Are all snowflakes truly unique? What happens to snow throughout the winter? How does snow transform and change from the moment it falls to[...]
Feb
6
Sat
9:00 am Lenox, MA–Mass Audubon – Birding... @ Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox, MA
Lenox, MA–Mass Audubon – Birding... @ Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox, MA
Feb 6 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Instructor: Zach Adams Member fee: $22      Non-members: $28 Winter is a perfect time to start birdwatching. Birds often come close to our feeders and hardy winter birds can become familiar friends. We’ll explore[...]
Feb
9
Tue
6:30 pm Lenox, MA–Mass Audubon – Full Mo... @ Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox, MA
Lenox, MA–Mass Audubon – Full Mo... @ Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox, MA
Feb 9 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Instructor: Zach Adams Member fee: $10     Non-members: $12 Enjoy a moonlit evening, walking and listening to the sounds of the night. We will take a gentle walk learning about what goes on in the[...]
Feb
12
Fri
6:30 pm Sheffield, MA–Mass Audubon – Sta... @ Lime Kiln Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, Sheffield, MA
Sheffield, MA–Mass Audubon – Sta... @ Lime Kiln Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, Sheffield, MA
Feb 12 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Instructor: Dale Abrams, Zach Adams Member fee: $10      Nonmembers: $12 Enjoy a starlit evening listening and watching for owls and other nocturnal wildlife. We’ll explore fields, forests, and wetlands, learning about animal adaptations[...]
Feb
20
Sat
4:00 pm Sheffield, MA–Mass Audubon – Bir... @ Lime Kiln Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, Sheffield, MA
Sheffield, MA–Mass Audubon – Bir... @ Lime Kiln Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, Sheffield, MA
Feb 20 @ 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Instructor: Zach Adams Member fee: $22      Non-members: $28 Dive into the world of avian predators and how they spend the winter. From the daytime hawks perched on tree tops to the secretive evening[...]
National Park Service Arrowhead Logo

In partnership with the
National Park Service

5 Virtual Wild Edible Tours

On The Housatonic River Walk in Great Barrington, MA

Housatonic River Walk video project on wild edibles

Enjoy these virtual tours of Housatonic River Walk with Russ Cohen, author of Wild Plants I Have Known…and Eaten. Russ focuses on native plants with ecological value to birds and pollinators that people can nibble on too.

The River Walk is a National Recreation Trail that is located adjacent to Great Barrington, MA’s Main Street, and offers a rare nature experience of river and wildlife views.

Part 1 Hazelnut, Linden Tree (Basswood) and Common Elderberry

Part 2 Spice Bush, Flowering Raspberry & Ostrich Fern

Part 3 Staghorn Sumac, Black Birch, Chokecherry & Hawthorn trees

Part 4 Knotweed & Dame’s Rocket – Invasive Plants That People Can Nibble On

Part 5 Hackberry, Wild Mint, Black Walnut, Butternut & Pineapple Weed

Housatonic Heritage has worked with the River Walk’s stewards to interpret several important stories along the Walk, including the William Stanley Overlook (first commercial AC electricty) and W.E.B. Du Bois River Park (world-renowned civil rights leader).  The partners continue to promote the river’s significance to industrial and civil rights leaders of national and international importance.

The trail is cared for by Greenagers, a local youth organization dedicated to good stewardship, that is also supported in-part by Housatonic Heritage.

River Walk offers riverfront access in a densely populated setting, permitting pristine riparian areas to remain forever wild. Since 1988, 2900 community volunteers have contributed clean up, construction and maintenance, removing over 400 tons of debris, building the trail and planting thousands of native plants. Approximately 12,000 residents and tourists visit this popular downtown site yearly and experience simple methods of natural resource protection-native plant vegetative buffers, invasive-exotic plant control, bio-engineered riparian stabilization, local non-toxic trail materials, and non-point source pollution controls with raingardens, drop inlets, and permeable trail surfaces.

Hosted by Housatonic River Walk, a project of Great Barrington Land Conservancy

Sponsored by: Wild and Scenic Westfield River, Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, Great Barrington Land Conservancy

Proudly supported by and funded through Housatonic Heritage

 

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