Summer Foraging: A Berry Good Time

Have you ever wanted to cultivate confidence in identifying and gathering wild edible and medicinal plants, while also harvesting tasty treats?

This workshop invites us into the richness of early summer, a season defined by blooming wildflowers, ripening berries, and a deep sense of abundance on the land. Building on foundational plant identification skills and focusing on flowers, we will learn how to recognize major plant families even when encountering unfamiliar species and develop confidence through careful observation. Through guided exploration participants will engage in practical, hands-on, learning by identifying and harvesting plants in the field and creating one or two plant-based preparations to take home and culinary creations to taste in the workshop. Each creation will be guided by what the land provides. We will identify, gather plants, and create dishes together as a community of foragers excited about eating and crafting with wild edibles.

You will leave with

• handcrafted seasonal creations Including herbal teas, seasoning salts, or infused honeys guided by the summer season

• Having tasted a wide variety of plants and culinary creations made in the workshop

• Ideas for delicious and traditional culinary and medicinal uses of summer plants

• A better Understanding of plant families and through flower identification

Meet your instructors:

Renata Atkinson is a clinical herbalist with over 15 years of experience. She is dedicated to making herbal knowledge accessible and, in addition to her clinical practice, leads hands-on workshops in foraging, wildcrafting, and medicine making.

Joe Murray has been mentoring nature connection since 1997. Over the years, he has mentored thousands of children and supported experiential, land-based education initiatives that deepen relationships between people and the natural world.

Take your teaching and mentoring to the next level with coyote mentoring – a proven, nature-based method that creates deeply engaging, transformational learning experiences.

In this immersive training, Living Earth School shares the foundational tools and philosophy behind coyote mentoring, the core methodology that powers our award-winning programs for youth, teens and adults. You’ll learn how to guide learning and growth in a way that sparks curiosity, builds confidence, and fosters a meaningful connection to the natural world. By observing the natural flow of the days and seasons, you’ll come away feeling inspired to plan a meeting, a program, or a lesson plan that works with rather than against our human nature.

In addition to learning this model, you’ll simply have a lot of fun outside engaging with “primary satisfactions” like making fire, nibbling on edible plants, and puzzling over a mysterious animal track.

This course is ideal for teachers, parents, homeschool educators, mentors, outdoor educators, and community leaders who want to create more impactful, relationship-centered learning environments. While rooted in nature connection, these mentoring principles are widely applicable in classrooms, workplaces, and everyday life.

Participants who complete the program will receive a certificate of completion.

2026 Annual Meeting

September 3-4

Skyland Resort

Shenandoah National Park

Please join us for the 2026 Middle James Roundtable Annual Meeting! Our focus will be on the state of outdoor recreation in the watershed. 

​Our event will be over the course of two days, with opportunities for you to enjoy this treasured national park. View the agenda.

The meeting itself is free and open to anyone with interest in protecting and promoting the middle section of the James River.

So that you may make the most of your time in Shenandoah National Park, a block of rooms is reserved for overnight stays. The cost is $187 per room, and reservations must be made by July 30.

​Coffee and snacks will be provided. Meals will be on your own.

REGISTER FOR ANNUAL MEETING

OVERNIGHT ACCOMODATIONS

EnviroLearn: Leadership Edition

Virginia Science leaders, Curriculum Specialists, Science Directors, Sustainability Directors, Assistant Superintendents, Superintendents...anyone who supports or manages Virginia K-12 classroom science teachers, this free opportunity is for you. This is a 3-day, 2-night professional learning experience focused on environmental sciences. You'll meet experts who can support educators in the classroom, and you'll leave with new contacts, equipment and resources. We recognize the challenge to keep science instructional time a priority and will focus on opportunities to integrate science curriculum into other content areas. Expect archery, caving, star programs, macroinvertebrates, campfires, speakers and hands-on learning. This event will take place at Claytor Lake State Park from 1 p.m. Oct. 6 through 1 p.m. Oct. 8. We will provide all meals, materials and lodging. Applications are due no later than Aug. 10, 2026, at 11:30 p.m. 20 accepted applicants will be notified the week of Aug. 17.

ReLeaf Cville is sponsoring the first Charlottesville Tree Week! Taking place November 1st through November 7th, 2026, this will be a citywide celebration of trees and urban forestry. Tree Week will bring together community organizations, residents, educators, and youth through a coordinated series of workshops, hands-on activities, and public events focused on planting trees, caring for existing trees, and helping the community learn more about the value of the urban forest. The initiative supports ReLeaf Cville’s mission by encouraging tree planting, supporting the care and protection of existing trees, and expanding public education about urban forestry.

Charlottesville Tree Week is envisioned as a lasting community tradition that strengthens partnerships while supporting the city’s goal of becoming a biophilic city that nurtures meaningful connections between people and the natural world. By working together, community partners can help grow a celebration that highlights the value of trees and encourages long-term stewardship of Charlottesville’s urban forest.