Back by popular demand, the Mt. Lebanon Nature Conservancy will be presenting its free nature program “Spring Foraging for Wild Edible Plants & Mushrooms” in Bird Park this Saturday, June 11 at 1 p.m. The event is led by Adam Haritan, founder of LearnYourLand.com, a community database of naturalists in Pennsylvania.

Haritan grew up in the South Hills and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in nutrition, which he has tied in to his self-taught hobby—foraging. “It is actually the most natural diet for humans. Most of the world’s healthier cultures incorporate wild foods in their diet,” says Haritan. “It’s a good way to reconnect with nature. Some people want to do it, but they don’t know what to do when they get out there. But we all have to eat, and I advocate having some of the food in your life be food from nature.”

Haritan’s original program on May 7, which reached full capacity during registration, covered wild plant and mushroom identification, nutritional benefits of wild foods, harvesting methods, drying and storing methods, medicine making and more. Scroll down to read about some of what Haritan found in Bird Park on May 7, or sign up for this weekend’s program by contacting Chris Phillips at chrisgphillips@verizon.net or 412-341-7307.