Discover Classes. Earn Rewards.

Alley Pond Park (Teens/Adults)

Unlock the hidden flavors of nature in this immersive foraging experience. Discover the wild edible treasures of a large wetland park, from garlic-scented greens to savory roots and even gourmet mushrooms. Join us on this unique adventure and experience the bounty of nature firsthand.

  • All levels
  • 13 and older
  • $20
  • Alley Pond Park, Queens, NY
  • 4 hours
Book Now

No Booking Fees. Lowest Price Guaranteed. Earn Rewards.

Give as a Gift Save to WishList

25 people wishlisted

Start Dates (1)

  • $20
  • Alley Pond Park @ Alley Pond Park, Queens, NY 11361
  • 4 hours
  • Springfield and Northern Blvds.
32 seats left
Book
Showing 11 of 1

Class Description

Description

What you'll learn in this nature tours class:

This large wetland park offers vast foraging opportunities, even as winter approaches. We begin with a small, young woodland. It contains large quantities of field garlic, with leaves like chives and bulbs like onions or garlic. There's also garlic mustard, a garlic-flavored mustard green with a taproot that tastes like horseradish. Nearby grows sassafras, with a root you can use for tea, as a sweet seasoning, or for making root beer.

Then we circumnavigate Oakland Lake, checking out stands of sour-flavored curly (yellow) dock, bitter-savory dandelion greens, corn-flavored chickweed, and wintergreen-flavored black birch trees. Not much later, we'll find savory watercress, escaped from cultivation, in a small stream, and cabbage-flavored winter cress, never captured for culitvation — both members of the mustard family. Other spicy relatives, such as hairy bittercress and poor man's pepper, may turn up as well.

After lunch, we proceed to the marsh proper, where a stand of burdock root, normally very tenacious, yields with minimum effort because it grows in wet, composted soil. There are also sweet wild parsnips (outstanding in soups) nearby, growing hidden in the bushes. Then we'll find crab apple trees with the most remarkably sour fruit. Farther on, we'll find more roots in quantity: white-colored wild carrots, sweet wild parsnips, and immense, peppery-sweet common evening primrose. And with lots of rain beforehand and a little luck, the group may even find gourmet oyster mushrooms, fried chicken mushrooms, brick tops, and enoki mushrooms, emerging from trees, stumps, or wood chips.

The 4-hour foraging tour of Alley Pond Park begins at 11:45 AM, at the Southeast corner of Springfield and Northern Blvds. in Douglaston, Queens.

Notes:
  • Participants should be dressed for the weather, and be aware of very bad subway service. Trains are often canceled due to track work.
  • No sandals (there are mosquitoes, thorns and poison ivy). Everyone should have plastic bags for veggies and herbs, paper bags for mushrooms, which spoil in plastic, containers for berries from late spring through fall, water and lunch, and extra layers when it's cold.
  • Digging implements and pocket knives are optional.
  • Dogs are permitted. Children are encouraged to attend.
  • There's no smoking whatsoever at any time.
School Notes:
If you can't attend the class you signed up for, please call or email "Wildman" Steve Brill a day before the start of the class. No-call/no-show creates an inconvenience to all participants since we can’t tell if absentees are having transportation issues, and this delays the start of the tour/class.

Kindly note that price posted is our suggested donation only.

Refund Policy

  • Participants can cancel 2 business days before an event and get a refund less a 5% nonrefundable registration fee.
  • If the participant failed to show up in the tour or failed to notify about their absence 2 business days before the class, they will be required to pay a $25 penalty per person before being allowed on another tour.
  • In any event where a customer wants to cancel their enrollment and is eligible for a full refund, a 5% processing fee will be deducted from the refund amount.

Reviews of Classes at "Wildman" Steve Brill (176)

(4.4-star rating across 176 reviews)
  • Alley Pond Park (Teens/Adults)

    Reviewed by Carla H. on 11/27/2021
  • Alley Pond Park (Teens/Adults)

    Reviewed by helen w. on 12/3/2020
See reviews for other classes at "Wildman" Steve Brill
loading...
Hide Reviews

Benefits of Booking Through CourseHorse

  • Booking is safe. When you book with us your details are protected by a secure connection.
  • Lowest price guaranteed. Classes on CourseHorse are never marked up.
  • This class will earn you 200 points. Points give you money off your next class!

Questions & Answers (0)

Get quick answers from CourseHorse and past students.

Similar Classes

"Wildman" Steve Brill

Foraging expert Steve Brill has shared his foraging wisdom at schools, museums, parks departments, environmental organizations, and with scout troops since 1982. He’s written three books and an app, stars in a DVD and maintains a website.

His History with Foraging

As part of his exercise regime, he...

Read more about "Wildman" Steve Brill

CourseHorse Approved

This school has been carefully vetted by CourseHorse and is a verified NYC educator.

"Wildman" Steve Brill

All classes at this location

At the Southeast corner of Springfield and Northern Blvds., in Douglaston, Queens.

Google Map

Give This Course as a Gift Card

  • Thousands of classes
  • No expiration
  • Unique and memorable gifts for any occasion
  • Personalized
  • Explore a passion, gain a new skill, discover a new hobby, engage in a memorable experience
  • Instant delivery
  • Lock in a price with the Inflation Buster Gift Card Price Adjuster™

Buy a Gift Card

Book this Class as a Group Event

Booking this class for a group? Find great private group events

CourseHorse Gift Cards

  • Creative & unique gift for any occasion
  • Thousands of classes & experiences
  • No expiration date
  • Instant e-delivery (or choose a date)
  • Add a personalized message
  • Lock in a price with the Inflation Buster Gift Card Price Adjuster™
Buy a Gift Card
gift card with the CourseHorse logo gift card with the CourseHorse logo
Loading...