Science Stroll: Foraging in Forests

Join Joey Jaros, botanist and field biologist currently working on their PhD at Ohio State University, and an ALT educator for a guided hike at Barking Slopes Conservation Area. Participants will gain all the basics to start their own foraging journey. We will head out on a ~1.5 mile hike, we will identify common edible invasive plants while learning about their histories, ecologies, and culinary uses. Joey will also cover tips for foraging safely and ethically, while exploring possibilities for better integrating foraging into ongoing conservation work.

Joey Jaros is a botanist and field biologist who likes to get creative in the kitchen. After completing degrees at the University of Pittsburgh and Fordham University in New York, they are currently finishing a PhD at Ohio State where they research how invasive species integrate into existing biotic communities, with a special focus on managing garlic mustard across Pennsylvania. They have been an baker since childhood, learning to make cookies and pies with their grandma, and have been sharing recipes with family and friends ever since. Through their work as a culinary educator at Phipps and Franklin Park Conservatory, Joey has been on a journey to connect their commitment to sustainability with their passion for cooking and is excited to share their experiences in urban foraging with you!

Hike runs rain or shine. NO WALK-INS will be permitted. We will not be actively foraging on this walk. Foraging for mushrooms and plants can be risky and it is never safe to eat an unidentified plant or mushroom.

Please note: As of July 1, 2026 individual program ticket sale transactions under $25 are non-refundable. If you cancel, your purchase will be considered a tax deductible donation to Allegheny Land Trust, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. If you need to cancel, please contact us as many programs sell out with a waitlist. Partial refunds are not available. Substitutions of one individual in another’s place are allowed and do not require prior notification to the ALT. Contact us at julie@alleghenylandtrust.org or 412-741-2750.

If ALT cancels or postpones the event (due to weather or other reasons), you will receive a full refund, unless you choose to donate your ticket.

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