Upcoming Programs

Foraging the Gulf South: a workshop on wild foods and materials - 5/6, 9am - 3pm

$30.00 - $120.00

Saturday, May 6th, 2023

9am - 3pm @ Lumberton, MS


Come learn the foundational skills for integrating wild foods and materials into daily life throughout the seasons. We will:

  • Gather and learn a multitude of useful plants, mushrooms, and more in the wild
  • Process and prepare a foraged meal
  • Practice techniques that replenish wild foods through propagation, ethical harvesting, and ecological “gardening”.
  • Understand how geography and ecology drive the availability of resources in natural communities.
  • Take home cuttings for your native plant garden



Suitable for ages 13+. For large groups, ask about custom tours for scouts, families, staff retreats and more. Events are rain or shine. Full refund available up to a week before class begins. No pets allowed. Camping/rentals available on-site before or after program for additional fee. Work-trade and sliding scale payment options available, contact for details. Suggested packing list, precise location, itinerary, pre-reading, etc provided in welcome packet upon registration. Please reach to coastalplainsoutdoorschool@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns.
Register

Reading the Winter Landscape : Old Growth Forests, Febraury 18 ONLY

$30.00 - $120.00

Location: Chicot State Park. Details upon registration.

Cost: $60, includes instruction, hand outs and meal. Work-trade and sliding scale options available.


The forests that early inhabitants of the South knew were vastly different from today’s dense and disorganized patchwork. But relics of antiquity can still be found if we have the trained eyes to see them. Join botanist John Michael Kelley and naturalist Matthew Herron on a treasure hunt to discover the remnants of our rich natural heritage as we hike one of Louisiana’s greatest hidden gems. Learn to read the land for signs of the forest’s history, estimate age of trees and stands, and determine the ecological health of a mixed hardwood forest. This class does not go into tree identification as a skill set but rather focuses on recognizing pattern recognition in forest development. SPECIAL NOTES: the class includes up to 1 miles of hiking, a portion of which is on steep terrain and off-trail. Participants should be in good health and prepared for an adventure.

 

The course is designed with adults in mind but could also work for mature, self-motivated youth. If your thinking of bringing family along, gives us a call to make sure it’s a good fit. This course is well-suited for naturalist, land owners/managers, local history buffs and those who love a good story.

 

SPECIAL NOTES: the class includes up to 1 mile of hiking, a portion of which is on steep terrain and off-trail. Participants should be in good health and prepared for an adventure.


 

Itinerary:


Saturday- Old Growth Forests

9:00 AM              Old Growth Forest Program

Big trees: measuring, aging, understanding architecture

Forest development stages

Indicators of old growth and human impact

12PM                   LUNCH

1:00 PM              Old Growth cont.

More indicators

Stand investigation

3:00 PM              End of Old Growth / SAFE TRAVELS!
Register

Foraging the Gulf South: a workshop on wild foods and materials. March 25, 2023

$30.00 - $120.00

Come learn the foundational skills for integrating wild foods and materials into daily life throughout the seasons. We will:

•Gather and learn a multitude of useful plants, mushrooms, and more in the wild

•Process and prepare a foraged meal

•Practice techniques that replenish wild foods through propagation, ethical harvesting, and ecological “gardening”.

•Understand how geography and ecology drive the availability of resources in natural communities.

•Take home cuttings for your native plant garden


Cost: $60 day class includes instruction, materials and hand outs; lunch provided at additional cost. If you are not able to afford the full cost, we now offer a sliding scale payment.


Location: Brooklyn, MS. Details upon registration
Register
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ACCESSIBILITY:
At CPOS, we value diversity and want to make these programs available to all. If you would love to participate yet can’t pay for a workshop or program, please send us an email at register@coastalplainsoutdoors.org. We offer work-trade options for most classes and scholarships too. Write us and describe your needs and goals, what you can contribute, and how you might answer the call to "foster deeper relationships between land and people." ALSO, if you would like to donate money to provide scholarships to others, please let us know at the email above!

Past Programs