Location: Deception Pass State Park. Overnight camp

Instructors: Elisha Klco, Jeanette Wickell, Theo Hoss

During our second weekend together, we will be covering:

• Introduction to west-side lowland plants:

The Salish Sea basin on the western side of the Cascades Mountains is home to an enormous variety of plant types, many of them with edible and medicinal applications. Deception Pass State Park is an excellent spot to meet these species since it has a mix of forest, cliffside meadow, and coastal ecosystems. Over the course of several short hikes, we will learn to identify the species present in the area and discuss their medicinal, edible, and utilitarian uses.

• Coastal ecology:

The ocean has a profound impact on nearby land-based plant communities. Over the course of several plant walks, we will explore the adaptations plants have found to live in salty marshes, sand dunes, and coastal forests.

• Seaweed:

This location is also an excellent spot to learn to identify the various types of edible seaweed present in the Salish Sea.

·   Connections to plants and place:

In order to continue building relationships with the various plants and plant communities of Washington State, we will spend some time practicing techniques for observation and reflection. This will include the practice of “sit-spots”.

• Culturally important foods:

With a long human history of habitation in the coastal regions of the state, it is no surprise that many of the plant communities around the Salish Sea include a multitude of edible species. We will discuss the various edible portions of plants, including roots and tubers, and their continued use.