Mushroom Hunt and Wild Food Walk, Hahamongna, Pasadena

Mushroom hunt, wild edible plant foraging, nature walk, and mushroom meditation led by Native American student of author and expert Christopher Nyerges (schoolofself-reliance.com) in the Arroyo area (near JPL) of the Hahamongna Watershed Park opposite La Canada High School: $30

We’ll venture into the arroyo through weeping willows and derelict waterways to see the greening flora of a sunny California winter. We'll explore the spiritual and medicinal dimension of mushrooms.

We're in search of specimens, wild foods of the Tongva, and the riparian plants of Tongavaar (as the Native Americans called Los Angeles).

During this mushroom hunt and nature walk, we’ll learn about the amazing things that grow and the many uses of what we find -- oaks (acorns), sages, blewits, tree oysters, nettles, mulefat, mugwort, horehound, willow, mallow, and so on.

There are many plants, which we may or may not see, depending on conditions. We are sure to see many wild edibles that sprout at this time of year when it’s wet alongside mushrooms sprouting chaotic from their beds.

Cooking/preparation tips of the edibles we find will be discussed. (Not all beautiful things are edible). There are always lots of surprises.

Dress comfortably. Those who enjoy this walk may be interested in the Ethnobotany Certificate program run by the School of Self-Reliance (schoolofself-reliance.com).

• Previous event: WALKABOUT FOR MUSHROOMS, WILD FOODS, AND RIPARIAN PLANTS (1/14)
• Suggested reading: Guide to Wild Foods and Useful Plants
• Mushrooms Demystified (David Arora)
• Healing with Medicinal Plants of the West: Cultural and Scientific Basis for Their Use (Chumash Medicine Woman Cecilia Garcia and USC Professor Dr. James D. Adams Jr.)