Join ACES naturalist, Penelope Thornton, for an immersive four-part series in ethnobotany, exploring the edible and medicinal plants of the Aspen area. From June to September, we will follow the phenology of our local flora through monthly guided walks. Each session is timed to follow the plant’s life cycle, moving from the emergence of buds and shoots in the spring to the vibrant flowering plants of mid-summer, concluding with the harvest of seed and roots in the autumn. Participants will learn to read landscapes to engage with our local wild food plants and medicines throughout the flowering season. Whether you are a lover of the Roaring Fork Valley, a budding herbalist, or a culinary explorer, this series offers a new way to feel at home in the wild.

August 6 Fruits and Flowers – Explore the culinary and medicinal bounty of the mountains as plants transition from flower to fruit. From wild raspberries to alpine medicines, August in the Rockies brings fruits to the forests and high-altitude flowers to the alpine. We will practice reading the landscape to find reliable foraging patches and discuss the ethics of gathering food from the wild.