Beginner Foraging Walk – November 14, 2026
Saturday, November 14, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Cost: $40.00 per person | Limited to 10 students
Instructor: Donna Putney
⚠️ Student Safety & Allergy Guidelines
To ensure a safe, supportive learning environment for everyone, please carefully review and follow these workshop protocols:
- Fragrance-Free Environment: Do not wear perfumes, colognes, or scented body lotions. Strong synthetic scents trigger severe respiratory and histamine sensitivities in others and actively attract stinging insects outdoors.
- Smoke-Free Facility: Smoking or vaping is strictly prohibited anywhere on the class grounds.
- Supervised Harvesting: Never pick, taste, or harvest any wild plant during our foraging walks without the instructor’s direct confirmation and supervision. Positive, multi-point botanical identification is mandatory before handling.
- Proper Attire: Wear sturdy, closed-toe walking shoes and long pants to protect against uneven terrain, briars, ticks, and stinging insects. No insect sprays, please.
- Sensitivities Quiz: Complete the brief wellness questionnaire provided at the start of class to flag any personal botanical or food allergies before we handle raw plant material.
Discover the abundance of edible and medicinal plants growing all around us in this hands-on Beginner Foraging Walk at Hagood Mill Historic Site, taught by herbalist and forager Donna Putney. Whether you’re new to foraging or simply curious about the nutritional treasures hidden in your own backyard, this class is a practical introduction to identifying wild plants commonly found throughout the Upstate of South Carolina.
We’ll begin with a brief classroom session covering the fundamentals of safe and responsible foraging, including basic identification techniques, ethical harvesting practices, and plants that should be avoided. Then we’ll head out onto the Hagood Mill grounds for a guided foraging walk, where you’ll learn to recognize edible and medicinal species that are in season this fall.
Along the way, we’ll talk about how wild foods can be part of everyday meals and explore their remarkable nutritional benefits. You’ll also learn about edible landscaping plants and how a gardenscape can complement a healthy, self-sufficient lifestyle.
Class Agenda:
- Brief classroom session
- Guided foraging walk around Hagood Mill
- Introduction to edible gardenscape plants
- Discussion on nutrition and the benefits of wild foods
Good to Know:
- Class is held rain or shine. Dress for the weather.
- Donna will have plants and herbal supplements available for purchase after class.
- Online ticket sales close at 6:00 PM the evening before class.
Looking for more? Join Donna for the Woodland Foraging Walk on Saturday, December 5 or Saturday, December 12.
