Wild Harvest: An Introduction to Spring Foraging

Join an engaging introduction to spring foraging with Vince Aiello of Fire and Foraging. As forests and fields wake up for the season, spring offers a brief but abundant window to discover tender greens, emerging mushrooms, and medicinal plants that have supported human cultures for generations. Learn how to see the landscape differently as Vince breaks down how to properly identify edible, medicinal plants, trees, and fungi, with a strong emphasis on safety, ethics, and respect for the ecosystems you explore. This presentation will cover foundational foraging skills including botanical terminology, scientific names, ethical harvesting practices, which parts of plants are used, optimal harvest timing, and the ancestral and modern uses of wild foods. You’ll also gain insight into the health benefits of foraged plants and how seasonal cycles shape what can be found in different ecosystems. About our speaker: Vince Aiello is the founder of Fire and Foraging and an experienced educator specializing in edible, medicinal plants and fungi. Through hands-on teaching and storytelling, Vince helps people build practical skills while fostering a deeper, more respectful relationship with the natural world.