History
We are a passionate group of wild food foragers who hunt, fish, and search for wild foods. In 2023, we came together to collaborate on a day-long event to celebrate and educate wild foods. We will share our knowledge and curate presentations, experiences, and vendors to provide a broad base of knowledge that both green and grizzled foragers will enjoy. Many of us are experienced at bringing people together to learn, and we hope to create an educational and fun experience that becomes an annual celebration of regional wild foods.
Mission
Our mission is to inspire a love of wild food and provide the education and skills to enjoy wild food safely and sustainably.
About the Park
Punderson State Park is only 45 minutes from Cleveland, and less than an hour from Akron and Youngstown!
We chose Punderson State Park as a location because it has a diverse landscape and is centrally located to NE Ohio. The 741-acres public recreation area features a 150-acre lake and a lodge that enjoys a reputation for being haunted. The state park provides many areas to explore and learn about wild food. According to their website, the landscape at the park was shaped by the last glacier in Ohio. Punderson Lake is a kettle lake, made by the glacier as it scraped across the area. Punderson State Park provides an excellent destination for enjoying wild food adventures.
Lodging
- Punderson State Park Campground – Click the link to reserve a campsite or call (866) 644-6727. Camp sites on May 18 are very limited due to renovations, so reserve your space now. And consider reserving your campsite for the main event ahead of time.
- Punderson Lodge and Cabins
- West Branch State Park Campground
- Ten Hotels nearby by TripAdvisor
Accessibility
From a big picture perspective, increasing access to wild food means providing education about procuring wild foods, improving access to resources for people of different backgrounds, and creating and supporting marketplaces to serve diverse populations.
On the ground, it means being prepared for the outdoors, which will include uneven terrain. The guided hikes will occur on hiking trails, in fields, and in other areas that may be muddy and/or have small hills to navigate.