Food forage tour in Prospect Park, New York

The purpose of this hands-on program is to learn about the environment and get back in touch with nature. By studying foraging and nature, we enjoy our renewable resources and reaffirm our commitment to preserving and rebuilding our ecological riches.

Prospect Park is a great place for foragers to explore at the end of the winter. Like Central Park, this Olmstead-designed landscape features a variety of habitats filled with delicious native and exotic plants.

Wild coffee grows within a few minutes walk of the Grand Army Plaza entrance. Unrelated to commercial coffee, we'll collect the seeds of the little-known Kentucky coffee-tree, the world's best caffeine-free coffee substitute. You can use them to make a beverage, or as a seasoning that's terrific in chocolate recipes.

Cold weather greens abound throughout the park. We'll find garlic-flavored garlic mustard greens and sprouts, which taste like garlic, and their roots, which taste like horseradish. We'll look for chickweed, which tastes like corn, and ground ivy, a mint-flavored herb tea. Both sweet-sharp daylily shoots, and chive-like field garlic will already be producing bumper crops in the cold weather.

East of the boathouse, we'll examine a dense stand of chicory, growing along with the ubiquitous dandelions. Both greens have a savory-bitter flavor, and they're at their best right now, before they flower.

Throughout the park, we'll look for stands goutweed, an herb that tastes like parsley and celery. It does great in the cold weather.

The first tiny leaves of wild parsnips, growing just west of the skating rink, will clue us in to the location of the large, sweet roots. And the abundant, green, fragrant twigs of sassafras saplings, which grow in woods throughout, will let us find roots for making wild root beer.

And we'll be able to observe the first wildflowers of the season on witch hazel, common spicebush, and carnelian cherry bushes. These blossoms are tiny, since there are few insects to attract, but "Wildman’s" jeweler's loupes will make all the details clearly visible.

What to bring:

Plastic bags for vegetables and herbs, paper bags for mushrooms, plastic containers for berries, drinking water, and a pen (to sign in).

It is also recommended you bring:

Lunch, knife, digger, work gloves, note pad, whistle (so you won't get lost), insect repellent, sun hat or warm hat, an extra sweater, rain gear or boots — Always dress appropriately.

The 4-hour walking tour begins at 11:45 AM at Prospect Park's Grand Army Plaza entrance. Bookings must be made at least 24 hours in advance to reserve a place.

"Wildman" Steve Brill is America’s best-known forager. He has an impressive and extensive resumé, covering everything from environmental educator to natural foods cook. Steve is also an author, having written books such as The Wild Vegetarian Cookbook (2002), Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal plants in Wild and Not-So-Wild Places (1994), and Shoots and Greens of Early Spring (1986, revised 2008).

He has been mentioned in numerous newspaper and magazine features and has written his own editorials too. Aside from being famous for running the Wild Food and Ecology tours in New York, Steve has additionally appeared on the radio and on dozens of local, national and international TV programs. Such examples include appearances on Late Night with David Letterman, The Today Show and CBS Evening News with Dan Rather.

But he’s best-known for having been arrested and handcuffed by undercover park rangers for eating a dandelion in Central Park!