*Tours will not be running for the 2021 season.
Wondering what to do in Stowe Vermont? Here at the Stowe Forager we got you covered. Well, at least for a couple of hours. We run guided foraging tours here in the Green Mountains of VT from May till November. So if you are looking for something fun AND educational to do in Stowe, give us a try!
What is a Foraging Tour?
A Foraging tour, in short, is a guided walk through the wilderness here in beautiful Stowe Vermont. Your guide is knowledgeable about the plants and fungi that are edible in the Green Mountains, and will teach you about how to forage properly and sustainabley in Vermont. The tours start at a predetermined spot in Stowe (shifting with the time of year and weather), and last for 2 hours.
What Can I expect During My Foraging Tour?
- The tour will start with a casual meet up at one of the slightly less popular hiking areas in Stowe. You will be greeted by your experienced guide who will make you feel at home and get you excited to go foraging!
- The group will then depart at 15 minutes past the hour (so don’t be late), and walk down the trail.
- During the initial walk into the woods, your guide will begin to describe what you can expect to see during this particular month in Stowe, and also show you identification tools and pictures of some of the most common wild edibles.
- After a 20 minute walk and discussion, the group will begin its forage! Questions on identification and edibility of all things are welcome, and the guide will be continually pointing out what is edible (and what is not!).
- After the group forage winds down, the group will head back to the parking area while discussing their findings as well as recipes for cooking up the newly found treasures.
What Should I Expect to Find During my Foraging Tour?
This is a great question, but it really depends on the season, and even the month or week of the year! All of the wild edibles have certain times where they are more prevalent, and times when they are less. If something is out of season, we make due, and learn about other foragables in the Green Mountains of Vermont.
More often than not, foraging tours will discover a few species of edible mushrooms, and a few species of edible plants. At the very worst, you will definitely find a bunch of flowers and plants that can be used to make delicious and medicinal teas. You will also have found out what to do in Stowe Vermont that is both fun and educational!
Here is a very general breakdown of what you may find on your foraging tour in Stowe – though it is not broken down by season.
Wild Edibles Found in Stowe Vermont
- Chicory leaves and roots
- Chanterelles
- Japanese knotweed shoots
- Field garlic
- Nettles
- Morels
- Hedgehog mushrooms
- Plantain leaves
- Honey mushroom
- Puffballs
- Wild carrot roots and leaves
- Fiddleheads
- Ramps
- Cattail shoots
- Chaga
- Dandelion
- Red clover blossoms
- Sheep Sorrel
- Wood Sorrel
- Bolets
- Oyster mushrooms
- Goldenrod
- Chicken of the woods
- Hen of the woods
- Lobster mushrooms
- Orange milk cap
- Black trumpet
- Trout lily
- Violet leaves
- Sumac
Why Foraging Tours are Fun!
If you are looking for something to do or some entertainment in Stowe, VT, then a foraging tour could be exactly what you want. Foraging is fun for a whole number of reasons. I actually wrote a blog post about why I like to forage here.
That post gets pretty in-depth and philosophical about why foraging is fun for me, but here are a couple of short and sweet reasons why you may enjoy a foraging tour:
- It’s educational – you will learn about our natural world and the wild edibles in Stowe Vermont
- The social aspect- you will be with a social guide and other social people
- It’s rewarding – discovering useful things is always fun
- Wild edibles are delicious – if you are lucky, you will be bringing home some delicious wild edibles
- It’s a life long hobby – once someone discovers the joy of foraging, it more often than not becomes a passion that they will continue to develop throughout their lives.
