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Edible, Medicinal, Magical & Useful Wild Plants

2022 Fall Plant Walk Schedule

Oct 8 (Saturday) 12pm- 4pm, w/ Lyrra Magda & Calyx Liddick @ Parkville, MD
Oct 23 (Sunday) 12pm- 4pm, w/ Lyrra Magda @ Scottsville, VA
Nov 5 (Saturday) 12pm- 4pm, w/ Lyrra Magda & Calyx Liddick @ Kingsville, MD
Nov 19 (Saturday) 12pm- 4pm, w/ Lyrra Magda @ Charlottesville, VA


*1 work-trade spot is available per plant walk for someone who can take photography

By Date:

Early Autumn Plant Walk

Saturday, Oct 8
12pm- 4pm
@ Parkville, MD

Instructors: Lyrra Magda & Calyx Liddick

Come explore meadow & forest edges right as the season is turning and the late fruits and nuts are starting to sweeten and ripen. October marks the ripening of wild grapes, black haw fruits, hackberries, persimmon, autumn olive, and black walnut. We'll also look at what edible & medicinal roots are becoming tender and ready to dig--like wild parsnip, chicory, and dandelion--and cold season tender greens, like nettles, chickweed, and mustards.

While meeting some of the extraordinary edible, medicinal, & fiber plants of the Mid-Atlantic, we'll practice some basic botany & learn what makes each of these green beings so magnificent and of such deep value to human life. Topics may include harvesting & propagation methods, preparation & cooking, processing fiber & other material plants, plant medicines, & preservation. We'll keep our eyes open for fungi and birds as well.

Each walk is $20 per person. 

To register email Lyrra at StormsofDaylight@gmail.com

Registration is by Paypal. Trail location & parking directions will be emailed to registered participants. 

Bring: We will not be on paved trails. Please wear comfortable outdoor footwear, dress in more layers than you think you may need (October is hot in the sun and cold in the shade), bring plenty of water, & consider sun protection (hat, sunscreen, etc.). You might also consider bringing a snack, & a notebook or camera for taking notes if desired.

Restrooms: there is usually a port-o-pot near the parking lot of this trail, and sometimes an indoor bathroom facility is open. 
 

*Note- Lyrra does not teach invasion biology

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Plant Walks

Autumn Plant Walk

Sunday, Oct 23
12pm- 4pm
@ downtown Scottsville, VA

Instructor: Lyrra Magda 

Explore some of the diverse edges within walking distance from downtown Scottsville during one of the riches and most abundant times of the year. We'll focus on food plants like late season fruits, cool season greens, and roots. Expect to meet trees like American persimmon, callery pear, honey locust, wild black cherry, and black willow; perennial herbaceous plants like oxeye daisy, wild carrot, wood nettle, swamp mallow, & dogbane; & vines like wild grape. 

 

We'll practice some basic botany & learn what makes each of these green beings so magnificent and of such deep value to human life. Topics may include harvesting & propagation methods, preparation & cooking, processing fiber & other material plants, plant medicines, & preservation. We'll keep our eyes open for fungi and birds as well.

Each walk is $20 per person. 

To register email Lyrra at StormsofDaylight@gmail.com

Registration is by Paypal. Trail location & parking directions will be emailed to registered participants. 

Bring:  We will not be on paved trails. Please wear comfortable outdoor footwear, dress in more layers than you think you may need (we will not be building up the heat of hiking), & a water bottleYou might also consider bringing a snack, & a notebook or camera for taking notes if desired.

Restrooms: there are bathroom facilities near the beginning of this walk.

*Note- Lyrra does not teach invasion biology

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Autumn Plant Walk

Saturday, Nov 5
12pm- 4pm
@ Kingsville, MD

Instructors: Lyrra Magda  & Calyx Liddick

In field, meadow, and along forest edge, come meet some of the extraordinary Autumn edible, medicinal, & fiber plants of the Mid-Atlantic Piedmont. We're likely to see late season fruits like rose hips, callery pear, black walnut, wild grape, & linden viburnum, cool weather greens like wild mustards & field garlic, & the remnants of important meadow fiber plants like dogbane and milkweed. 

We'll practice some basic botany & learn what makes each of these green beings so magnificent and of such deep value to human life. Topics may include harvesting & propagation methods, preparation & cooking, processing fiber & other material plants, plant medicines, & preservation. We'll keep our eyes open for fungi and birds as well.

Each walk is $20 per person. 

To register email Lyrra at StormsofDaylight@gmail.com

Registration is by Paypal. Trail location & parking directions will be emailed to registered participants. 

Bring:  We will not be on paved trails. Please wear comfortable outdoor footwear, dress in more layers than you think you may need (we will not be building up the heat of hiking), & a water bottleYou might also consider bringing a snack, & a notebook or camera for taking notes if desired.

Restrooms: there is usually a port-o-pot by the parking lot at the beginning of this trail. 

*Note- Lyrra does not teach invasion biology

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Late Autumn Plant Walk

Saturday, Nov 19
12pm- 4pm
@ Charlottesville (Monticello area), VA

Instructor: Lyrra Magda 

*this plant walk is full. Lyrra may schedule an overflow walk on Nov 27, please get in touch if interested.

Come meet some of the extraordinary edible, medicinal, & fiber plants of the Mid-Atlantic Piedmont in the late Autumn. This is the cusp time of year when plants are beginning to move into deeper dormancy, while an abundance of late season fruits & nuts still hang in the dry air, and edible & medicinal roots are tender for digging. We'll explore a large meadow area of nearly endless plant species, & rich forest edges. 

Expect to meet trees like American persimmon, black walnut, pawpaw, hickory & sassafras; meadow herbs like life everlasting, wild carrot, & milkweed; & vines like hog peanut & wild grape.

We'll practice some basic botany & learn what makes each of these green beings so magnificent and of such deep value to human life. Topics may include harvesting & propagation methods, preparation & cooking, processing fiber & other material plants, plant medicines, & preservation. We'll keep our eyes open for fungi and birds as well.

Each walk is $20 per person. 

To register email Lyrra at StormsofDaylight@gmail.com

Registration is by Paypal. Trail location & parking directions will be emailed to registered participants. 

Bring:  We will not be on paved trails. Please wear comfortable outdoor footwear, dress in more layers than you think you may need (we will not be building up the heat of hiking the whole time), & a water bottleYou might also consider bringing a snack, & a notebook or camera for taking notes if desired. We will be covering more distance than usual in this walk.

Restrooms: there are no restrooms at this trail, but plenty of secluded brush & forest for peeing.

*Note- Lyrra does not teach invasion biology

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Covid Safety During Plant Walks

Plant walks take place entirely outdoors & are limited in size to 12 participants. We encourage participants bring a mask to put on particularly when moving close together to examine the details of a plant, & to socially distance as feels best for your physical, emotional, & mental wellbeing. This being said we acknowledge, and ask those attending plant walks to acknowledge that there is an inherent risk due to the intimacy of this kind of hands-on learning experience. 

While masking & vaccination is not required in order to attend walks, we ask that those seeking to attend arrive with a respect for the needs, boundaries, & wellbeing of each individual in the group. 
If you know that you have been exposed to covid positive individuals, have yourself tested positive, or experience symptoms, we ask that you please stay home from the walk that day.

Plant Walks Info

General Info About Plant Walks

Plant walks are a fun, informal, and hands-on way to learn about the wild plants in your area from someone who knows them well. Whether you are just beginning your learning about the green world, are new to an area or ecosystem, or simply delight to hear more stories and perspectives on plants you already know well, plant walks are a wonderful way to learn and to meet like-minded folks. For those on or beginning a green path, going on plant walks with as many different instructors as you can is one of the best ways to expand perspective & learning. 

Plant walks are typically 3- 4 hours long, and take place entirely outdoors in many kinds of weather. Please dress accordingly, bring water, and a notebook, camera, snacks, or anything else you would like to feel comfortable. 

Lyrra (Victoria) has organized & offered plant walks since 2009. Topics may include wild plant foods; ecology; medicinal plants; harvesting methods & plant life cycles; plants for material needs and crafts; & basic botany & taxonomy. Lyrra does not teach or promote invasion biology.

Private Instruction

Private Instruction

Want more focused instruction? A private plant walk on your land or any other chosen location can be tailored to your unique desires for learning and at your chosen pace. Private walks can range anywhere from 2 hours to 5 hours. 

Or

Would you like a group plant walk tailored to your club, school, or other organization? Private walks can typically accommodate up to 20 people, and can focus on topics related to your group's interests or learning goals.   

Inquire about private instruction for individuals or groups by email. 

 

 

Instructors:

Calyx Liddick

Calyx Liddick is a Vitalist western herbalist, holistic nutritionist, forest-dweller, wildcrafter, writer of poetry and prose, and mother of two, based in South Central Pennsylvania. She teaches educational programs through the Northern Appalachia School of Vitalist Herbalism & Ecology, and works one on one with clients through her practice at the Northern Appalachia Clinic.

visit northernappalachiaschool.com

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Lyrra Magda

Lyrra studied Ethnobotany & Western herbal medicine at the Evergreen State College in Washington state, where she graduated in 2011. After college she pursued study of the plants & landscapes of the Southeastern & Mid-Atlantic regions, whilst living close to the land in a spectrum of urban, rural, and off-grid landscapes. Her focuses include food plants & fiber plants, as well as many material applications of plants such as for tanning, dye, basketry, tattooing, wood carving, and fire. 

She is a gardener, wildcrafter, tanner, & craftsperson. 

The landscapes and ecologies with which Lyrra is most familiar include the Southeastern Appalachians, piedmont, & lowcountry, the Mid-Atlantic, & Florida (which is basically its own country).

Articles & Media:

Alive and Awake, by April Bartel, Fox Haven Farm & Learning Center, 2017 (article)

The Forager's Apprentice, Episode 1617 of The Permaculture Podcast with Scott Mann (audio interview)

Part 2 (of above interview), Episode 1636 of The Permaculture Podcast with Scott Mann (audio interview)

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