Stalking The Wild Goldenseal

Greetings!

On Thursday, May 24th, I’ll be leading an evening foraging walk in Apollo, Pennsylvania (about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh). We’ll be exploring a beautiful area known as Roaring Run along the Kiskiminetas River in search of wild edible plants and mushrooms. If you’re interested in attending this walk, click here for more info!

Moving forward, let’s talk about Goldenseal.

Perhaps you’re familiar with this plant in supplement form. Several immune-boosting formulas contain Goldenseal as the primary ingredient, and it’s one of the top-selling herbs in the world today.

Goldenseal is not an exotic plant. This understory species is native to North America and can be found in rich, deciduous woodlands… usually in association with tulip poplar, American beech, white ash, and sugar maple trees.

For centuries, various Native American cultures utilized Goldenseal as a medicinal plant. Early European settlers also took a liking to this plant and quickly reduced wild populations to perilous numbers.

Today, Goldenseal is listed as endangered, threatened, or vulnerable in at least 10 states. In some areas, however, it can still be quite abundant.

I recently explored the woods in search of Goldenseal and documented the experience on film. If you’re interested in learning more about this incredibly special plant, as well as how to receive the benefits of Goldenseal without harvesting Goldenseal (there’s a great alternative!), check out the new video!

Some fungi eat plants, and some fungi eat animals. Some fungi eat both plants and animals! The edible Oyster mushroom is just one among the many species of omnivorous fungi that consume non-segmented roundworms called nematodes. Check out this Instagram post to learn more!

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Thanks for reading and watching, and as always, thank you for your support!

-Adam Haritan

Wild Edible Plant & Mushroom Outing with Sam Thayer & Adam Haritan

Greetings!

I am extremely excited to announce that I will be co-hosting the upcoming Wild Edible Plant & Mushroom Outing with Sam Thayer on Saturday, June 2nd. Sam is a nationally recognized foraging instructor and the author of three popular foraging books, including The Forager’s Harvest, Nature’s Garden, and Incredible Wild Edibles.

He will be traveling from his home in Wisconsin to spend the day with us in Western Pennsylvania for the Wild Edible Plant & Mushroom Outing. This event is an all-day outdoor excursion designed to improve your identification skills by introducing you to a variety of edible species that grow in the early weeks of summer.

During the first part of the event, we will explore Pennsylvania’s beautiful Moraine State Park by hiking a 1.5-mile trail alongside the park’s main feature, Lake Arthur. While walking, we’ll discuss the plants and mushrooms that inhabit the grassy meadows, lakeside ecosystems, and wooded habitats.

In the afternoon, we’ll head to nearby McConnells Mill State Park to explore 2.5 miles of the North Country Trail and its notable hemlock-lined ravines, sugar maple slopes, and sandstone cliffs… all while discussing the area’s unique plants and mushrooms.

Interested? Here are more details:

What: Wild Edible Plant & Mushroom Outing with Sam Thayer & Adam Haritan
When: Saturday, June 2nd, 2018
Where: Moraine & McConnells Mill State Parks, Western Pennsylvania
Time: 9:00 AM — 6:00 PM

Please note that in order to maximize your learning experience, space for this event is limited to approximately 25 participants. Registration with payment in advance is required.

To purchase your ticket, and to learn more about the outing, please visit this link: Wild Edible Plant & Mushroom Outing

We’d love to see you there!

-Adam Haritan

The Common Backyard Plant That Treats Breast Cancer & Repairs Wounds

Greetings!

On Sunday, April 22nd, I’ll be leading the Wild Medicinal Mushroom Workshop at Una Biologicals in Pittsburgh. This is a 2-hour class that will focus on the medicinal properties and health benefits associated with various local wild fungi. Participants will learn the steps involved in making mushroom decoctions and tinctures, and everyone will receive starting materials to create a personalized medicinal mushroom extraction!

Space for this class is limited, and if you’re interested in attending, you can pre-register by following this link: Wild Medicinal Mushroom Workshop

Moving forward, let’s talk about Stinging Nettle.

Some people love it, and some people dislike it, though there’s no denying Stinging Nettle’s potential role in treating serious illnesses.

Last year, I filmed a video in which I discussed this plant’s ability to treat type 2 diabetes, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and allergies.

Since then, many more scientific studies have been published on Stinging Nettle’s therapeutic qualities.

For example, in the past two years, three studies have documented Stinging Nettle’s ability to treat breast cancer. Another recent study discovered that Stinging Nettle can significantly enhance the wound-healing process. And one more recent study evaluated the best way to make an infusion (i.e. “tea”) from Stinging Nettle in order to extract the maximum amount of vitamin C (which itself is associated with numerous health benefits).

After personally digging into the research on Stinging Nettle, I felt the need to share the latest information with you. If you’re interested in optimizing your personal health utilizing locally sourced, wild edible plants… check out this brand new video!