BoM, Teaching Wild Edibles with Carrie Vrabel

Once a month Little River Wetlands Project hosts a public forum, Breakfast on the Marsh. The focus is on nature. The forum usually takes place at Indiana Wesleyan University Fort Wayne on the shores of Eagle Marsh. On June 13, 2024, the presenter was Carrie Vrabel.  

Carrie is a true Renaissance woman. She is a writer, a singer, songwriter and past librarian but for the presentation she focused on specialized skills, wild foraging. Ms. Vrabel is famous in northeast Indiana for her knowledge of wild edibles, medicinals and toxins. She has advanced training in plant identification, foraging, and ethnobotany. She is certified in the States of Indiana and Michigan in wild mushroom identification. She has provided foraging hikes to the public at Fox Island County Park, Eagle Marsh, LC Nature Park, Chain O’Lakes State Park and Salomon Farm.   

Carrie teaches about wild foraging in class and on-line. She has written about foraging and is currently writing a book for Indiana University Press, Wild Edible Plants Native to the State of Indiana. She has an active Facebook group Wild Edible Indiana. Her website is also titled Wild Edible Indiana.  

Her presentation focused on identification of plants, safety, the occasional ethnobotanical examples, and a nice nettle tea. The plants she focused on included: Stinging Nettle, Mulberry, Yellow Wood Sorrell, Elderberry, Wild Bergamot, and White Pine.  

Carrie is running a seasonal foraging hike series at Eagle Marsh. The audience had many questions. The presentation was full of facts without being dry and her enthusiasm was clear.   

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