Check out a nature studies blog where Ms. Jung takes the first grade class onto a Nature Studies trek through the forest.

First graders have been very interested in foraging edible plants. We have learned how to find some common ones in the woods, and have talked about how you can eat them. We learned about a list of plants that tells you if you can pick an edible plant or not.

I told the children some plants are on the green list (unthreatened in every way), some are on the yellow list (you can pick a few, but leave most), and some are on the red list (never pick any). Examples the kids should know are garlic mustard (green/invasive), spice bush (green), wine berries (green/invasive), wild garlic (green), wood sorrel (yellow).

They all know never to pick anything without asking a grown-up, and we never eat anything if it hasn’t been washed.

They all know you can make tea from spice bush leaves, and twigs, and that you can eat garlic mustard, wild garlic, and wood sorrel in a salad.

They all know you can only ever pick all plants of a species if you know it is invasive.

We've had an exciting year of nature studies with this class and we can't wait to see what kinds of lessons our beautiful planet will bring to these children next year.

Maren Jung is the Forest Explorers Director and our Nature Studies Teacher. Learn more about WSB's sustainability initiatives.