Foraging for Teas & Tonics - Mother's Day Tea

Here’s a gift idea for your favorite human for Mother’s Day. Give them, or yourself, an experience with forager Candise Jordan making simple folk herbal preparations from found wild edibles. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll start with a plant walk to learn how to identify many wild edibles. Afterwards, we’ll sample wild teas and make our choice of an herbal tonic or tincture using the plants we foraged. We’ll learn the history, edible uses, and medicinal benefits of each plant. Each participant will go home with their own preparation. After each event, participants will receive a follow-up email with the common name and botanical name of every wild edible encountered, along with supplemental materials to continue learning.

The location for this event is at Forested, a 10-acre food forest in Bowie. Their mission is to advance forest agriculture with a special focus on the eastern United States, where the Forested research garden is located.

Our leader is Candise Jordan, a health & fitness coach, urban farmer, certified permaculture designer, and forager. She became a fitness professional straight out of college but quickly realized that you can’t out-exercise a bad diet. She then began her studies as a nutrition counselor and learned to grow her own food. She started her first garden in 2018 and began volunteering at local farms, earning her Permaculture Design Certification through Forested in Bowie, MD, and completed her Beginner Farmer Training program through Future Harvest. During her studies, permaculture exposed her to foods unknown to her before and had viewed as weeds. After learning about these delicious and nutritious free foods, she began foraging and now teaches others all about the wild edibles growing around us.

• Gift giving? Please register under your name and email address. Email Jayne at JAsh@marylandnature.org with the recipient’s name/email address/phone.
• Our meeting location can be found in your registration confirmation email when payment is completed.
• Watch for additional details in a welcome email sent a few days before the date.
• All participants must be pre-registered. If you are on the waitlist and show up to the event uninvited, you will not be allowed to participate.
• Adults only.
• Dress according to the weather. Layers of clothing work best. Include a hat for sun protection or warmth, depending on the season.
• Wear sturdy closed-toe hiking or athletic shoes with non-slip soles that can safely handle slippery surfaces.
• Bring water, snacks, sunblock, and bug spray, depending on the season.
• Bring binoculars and a hand lens or loupe for birding or looking at details, if you have them.
• Bring a first aid kit for your personal use.
• No pets, please.

All events are held rain or shine. If any event is cancelled due to severe weather, you will receive an email or text. If you do not receive a weather-related email, the trip will proceed as planned.

Payment and Cancellation Policy: Payment is due online at the time of registration. Cancellations made 14 or more days in advance of the event will receive a refund minus a 5% processing fee. Cancellations made within 14 days of the event will not receive a refund. Events and field trips with fees of $25 or less are non-refundable at any time unless canceled by NHSM. NHSM retains the right to update or change these requirements at any time.

For questions, please email Jayne at JAsh@marylandnature.org.