Spring Wild Food Forage Walk

Join Old Town native Mandy Wheaton, owner of Maine Homestead Magazine, for a one-hour guided exploration of the seasonal bounty at Hirundo Wildlife Refuge. In this hands-on walk, we will scout the woods and fields to identify the wild mushrooms and native plants that emerge as the Maine frost thaws.

From the simple joy of spotting spring violets to the science of creating spore prints, you will learn the essential "rules of the trail" for safe, respectful foraging.

• All Ages & Skill Levels Welcome
• For safety attendees ages 17 and under and must be accompanied and actively supervised by a guardian.
• All attendees must sign a waiver of liability prior to participating. Parents or guardians must also sign on behalf of any minor attendees
• ***PLEASE NOTE: Foraging is not allowed at Hirundo except during guided programs such as this one. Members of the wabanaki community are welcome to forage at hirundo with prior approval

More on Mandy Wheaton:

Mandy Wheaton doesn’t just know the local flora and fauna of Hirundo Wildlife Refuge—she grew up with it. Raised just miles from the refuge, Mandy’s childhood was a masterclass in the Maine landscape. While her father helped maintain the refuge buildings, Mandy was busy nibbling on violets on the lawn and creating mushroom spore prints for fun. Later she attended the University of Maine for Ecology & Environmental Sciences, and is the owner of Maine Homestead Magazine. Whether she is identifying a choice wild mushroom or a tasty native plant, Mandy’s approach is rooted in the same wonder she felt as a kid: a deep, playful, and protective connection to the seasonal bounty.

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Additional Event information:

Location:

1107 West Old Town Road, Old Town Maine - Hirundo Gate 1 (MAP BELOW)

***How to prepare:

Please wear comfortable, close toed, sturdy shoes (it’s mud season!). It is not required but it is encouraged that you bring a pocket knife, pencil, notebook, and magnifying lens to enhance your experience!

Distance & Trail Conditions:

We will hike about 2.5 - 3 miles total at a fairly slow pace. The trails are uneven, rocky, and rooted. There is very little elevation change, with 90% of all possible trail routes being mostly flat. The trails may be slippery due to weather conditions.

Bathrooms:

There is an outhouse available year round. It is ADA accessible, with a long low grade ramp. There is no running water. (Images below). ***This bathroom is about a 5-10 min walk from the gate entrance.

QUESTIONS: [email protected]

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Policies:

Weather Policy

Hirundo will cancel a program when weather presents an unsafe condition for participants. In most cases, decisions for afternoon or evening programs will be made 4 hours prior to the event. For morning programs, the decision will be made by 6pm the evening prior. Due to the unpredictability of the weather, Hirundo reserves the right to cancel programs at any point when it is deemed unsafe. Participants will be notified of cancellations via the contact info provided at registration.

Refund Policy

If Hirundo cancels a program/event a full refund will be issued to every registrant. The refund will be issued via Eventbrite and may take several days to complete. Cancellations and notice of refunds will be sent to the email provided on eventbrite at time of registration.

At this time we are unable to offer full refunds if you are unable to attend the program. Ticket transfers to other Hirundo programs will be available upon requests made more than 5 days in advance of the program. Tickets can be transfered to other programs/events of equal or about equal value (within $5 of orginal price ticket).

Rain Date Policy

Hirundo may choose to offer an alternative rain date for some events. This date will be posted at the time of event advertising and the ticket holder commits to being available for either date. No refunds will be given to ticket holders who cannot attend the rain-date unless they request a refund more than 5 days prior to the rescheduled date. There is no current rain date for this event.

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Host or Publisher Hirundo Wildlife Refuge