Learn how settlers in the Florida, Mo. area foraged for and used the plants they could find for food and medicinal purposes in an all-day walk and herbal workshop event. Sponsored by Missouri State Parks, the event will take place on Oct. 3 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and will begin at the Buzzards Roost Picnic Area in Mark Twain State Park.
The event will be led by renowned herbal educator, Dr. Deborah Lee, of Quincy, Illinois, who has been featured on the PBS show "Illinois Stories" and offers classes year-round on medicinal, culinary, and wild edible plants. Participants will start the day with a fall hike on one of Mark Twain State Park’s many trails, learning about and experiencing the wild herbs found along the way.
Returning to the historic CCC Shelter House at Buzzards Roost, participants will enjoy a cup of herbal tea made from foraged herbs. Participants will then put together an "herbal" lunch of soup, salad and bread. Information will be provided on how settlers used wild plants for medicine, from infusions to decoctions to tinctures and salves.
This event is free and open to the public, but registration is recommended. To register for the event or for more information about the event, call the Mark Twain State Park and State Historic Site at 573-565-3449.
The Buzzards Roost Picnic Area in Mark Twain State Park is located one mile north of Highway 154 on Highway 107, or nine miles south of Highway 24 on Highway 107. For information about state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.