Foraging Tour with Wildman Steve Brill in New Canaan

Submitted by Hilary at New Canaan Nature Center

On Saturday, July 31 at 2:00pm naturalist-author “Wildman” Steve Brill will lead a foraging tour at the New Canaan Nature Center. 40 acres of diverse habitats, including wet and dry meadows and woodlands, 2 ponds, dense thickets, an old orchard, and a cattail marsh, plus 2 miles of trails, make this former estate a great place for summer foraging.  Common edible “weeds” such as Asiatic dayflower, mullein, chickweed, wood sorrel, sheep sorrel, Asiatic dayflower, lamb’s-quarters, and purslane will abound, and we’ll look for trees and shrubs such as sassafras, spicebush, and black birch.

The berry season is in full swing, so we’ll be on the lookout for luscious wineberries, tart smooth sumac, piquant wild blueberries and huckleberries, flavorful wild blackberries, and bittersweet black cherries.

With enough rain beforehand, choice edible mushrooms such as gourmet boletes, prized chanterelles, gigantic chicken mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, parasol mushrooms, black trumpets, russulas, and others species should also be around.

The 2-hour walking tour begins at 2 PM, Saturday, July 31, at the New Canaan Nature Center, 144 Oenoke Ridge, in New Canaan, CT.

Call (203) 966-9577 by July 30 at Noon to reserve a place. The fee is $15/adult, $10/child under 12.

For “Wildman’s” 2010 tour calendar and additional info, visit http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com