Foraging in the Mountains: A Stephenson Center for Appalachia Lecture

Does the price of fresh produce at the grocery stores concern you? Do you worry about pesticides and other chemicals on your food? An alternative exists. 

As part of the Stephenson Center for Appalachia lecture series at Lees-McRae College, Dr. Sean Collins and Dr. Michael Joslin will present a program titled Foraging in the Mountains.

Starting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3 in Evans Auditorium inside the Cannon Student Center, attendees can learn the secrets of foraging for fresh, healthy vegetables and mushrooms in the mountains.

For generations, mountain folks have prowled the forest to harvest a wide variety of vegetation and fungi. For early settlers, this process of gathering food was a necessity, and over the years, many have continued the harvest for a variety of reasons. However, foragers must maintain caution and develop a high level of knowledge for the process to be rewarding and not deadly.

Dr. Sean Collins received a Master of Science in Biological Sciences from Marshall University and a Doctor of Philosophy in Biological Sciences from the University of Cincinnati.

His colleague, Dr. Michael Joslin, has published several books that include information on foraging in Southern Appalachian woods.

“We invite everyone in the community to participate in the lecture and learn how to enjoy their environment in a new way,” Director of the Stephenson Center for Appalachia at Lees-McRae, Dr. Michael Joslin, said. “We welcome questions and personal stories about foraging.”

Stephenson Center Lectures are free and open to the public. For information, contact Michael Joslin at joslin@lmc.edu.