This park is one of the best places for early spring foraging, with a wide selection of wild herbs, greens, roots, and even some cold-weather mushrooms. Habitats include miles of mature forest, as well as the trail edges, and the disturbed, overgrown, and cultivated habitats that provide homes for all sorts of diverse species. Burdock, a root vegetable prized in East Asia and served in Japanese restaurants, grows in view near the meeting spot. Cultivated as gobo in Japan, it provides a savory root vegetable, good for a wide range of recipes, from soups to Vegan Beef Jerky. Further into the park you'll find sweet cicely, which tastes like black licorice. Herbs and greens you'll be looking for include honewort or wild chervil, which tastes like parsley, celery, and carrots; sassafras, the original source of root beer; black birch, which tastes like wintergreen, garlic mustard, with garlicky leaves and horseradish-flavored roots; corn-flavored chickweed, and onion/garlic-flavored field garlic leaves and bulbs. The tour will last for about 4 hours. Please wear a mask and observe social distancing.
Queens, New York, NY