Paul Tappenden – Suburban Forager

Paul at Cropsey

Paul Tappenden is an environmental educator, specializing in wild edible and medicinal plants.  Since moving to New York in 1979 he has made a study of the wild plants that abound in the Hudson Valley, taking an impressive collection of photographic studies of local flora and fauna, which he shares through his emails and magazine articles.

As a forager, Tappenden spends much of his time gathering “weeds”, which he turns into tasty dishes or medicinal remedies.  Beginning in Early March he searches woodland, fields and hedgerows for seasonal harvests which makes up a good part of his family’s diet.

As an educator, he runs regular workshops on identifying, harvesting and preparing wild foods and medicinal herbs. He also gives entertaining multimedia presentations about his experiences.

Since 2010, Paul has worked with the Cornell University Cooperative Extension to set up and run workshops for schools and summer camps in Rockland County.  He has also created programs for many local organizations including NYNJ Trails Conference, The Nature Place, Hudson Valley Ramble, Meals on Wheels and Americorps, as well as the Boy Scouts and Hiking Clubs.  Paul has also run nature projects for local libraries, Rockland County Master Gardeners, Garnerville Arts and Industrial Center and Keep Rockland Beautiful.

To read more, visit my web site and blog at  www.RocklandForager.com

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