Allyn Cox Reservation
82 Eastern Ave.
Essex, MA
Go Nuts! With Russ Cohen
While, for many, the months of September and October evoke thoughts of apple picking, those months are also prime time for gathering wild nuts. Join Russ Cohen, wild edibles enthusiast and author of the Greenbelt-published book Wild Plants I Have Known…and Eaten, for a 3-hour, “hands-on” program focusing on Hazelnuts, Black Walnuts, and Shagbark Hickory nuts (Russ’ #1 favorite wild edible), all of which grow at the Cox Reservation.
Russ will share his time-tested tips and techniques for:
- identifying and locating nut trees
- when and how to gather the nuts
- how to separate the sound nuts from the ‘duds’
- how to store the nuts, for eating or for propagating new trees from
- how to get the nuts open and separate the nut meats from the shells
- what to do with those nutmeat once you have them
Russ will bring along helpful handouts, as well as samples of tasty treats made from these nut species.
All class participants will get the opportunity to test their skills at opening the nuts, and will also be able to take home some nuts for eating and/or planting.
What to Bring & Wear:
Gear: Bring a notebook for notes, a smartphone to capture plant identification photos, bug spray, water and a lightweight folding stool or chair if standing for long periods is difficult.
Russ's book Wild Plants I Have Known And Eaten will be available for purchase at the event.
Biography:
Until his retirement in June of 2015, Russ Cohen served for over two decades as the Rivers Advocate for Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game's Division of Ecological Restoration. He now has more time to devote to his passionate avocation: connecting to nature via nibbling on it, and assisting others in doing the same. Russ is into his fifth decade of leading wild edibles walks and talks at a wide variety of venues in eastern Massachusetts and Elsewhere. In addition, since his retirement, Russ is acting as a “Johnny Appleseed” of sorts for native edible species. He has set up a nursery containing hundreds of edible plants native to this region, many of which he propagated from seed he collected himself. You can read more about Russ and his work at eatwild-ne.org.