I'm offering this free recording of my live spring webinar so you can dip your toe into foraging, online education, and my teaching style, all without spending any of your hard earned cash.

I hope you'll find the idea of foraging SO exciting and intriguing that you'll want to learn more. And if you do, I'll be here, ready to help.

FYI, signing up for this free video also puts you on my mailing list. I send out a monthly newsletter, as well as occasional announcements, and I promise never to sell or share your contact information. If you're already on my list, don't worry, you won't get double emails from me. And if you'd rather not receive the newsletter, please email me, and I'll remove you from the list asap.

Congratulations on taking this first step on your delicious wild foods journey. I can't wait to see where it takes you. Happy foraging!



What students say about this free intro course

Swetha Kumar

5 star rating

“I really enjoyed the course and all the anecdotes and recipes shared by the presenter...very easy to follow and not a minute felt wasted or boring :) Thank you.”

“I really enjoyed the course and all the anecdotes and recipes shared by the presenter...very easy to follow and not a minute felt wasted or boring :) Thank you.”

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Lis Soderberg

5 star rating

“Loved this! Very excited to forage & taste these plants, since at least 3 of them already grow in our yard, and I’ll take a closer look at what else is there (besides those oh-so-generous dandelions). Last year I tried plantain & lambs q...”

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“Loved this! Very excited to forage & taste these plants, since at least 3 of them already grow in our yard, and I’ll take a closer look at what else is there (besides those oh-so-generous dandelions). Last year I tried plantain & lambs quarters, delicious!”

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Claudette Steeves

5 star rating

“I thought this lesson was fantastic! You are a wonderful teacher with a teacher's heart. Thank you for the introduction. I am in southeastern New Brunswick Canada near the New England states. I have dandelions, hostas, stinging nettles. I am not s...”

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“I thought this lesson was fantastic! You are a wonderful teacher with a teacher's heart. Thank you for the introduction. I am in southeastern New Brunswick Canada near the New England states. I have dandelions, hostas, stinging nettles. I am not sure though about dock. Haha the fifth plant eludes me. Thank you. I was very impressed and look forward to more of your classes”

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Gabrielle Ientile

5 star rating

“I thoroughly enjoyed this course - Ellen is a great teacher, and brings so much energy and expertise to the topic of foraging. And - the Greek dishes look divine. I highly recommend this to anyone who's been looking to get more involved in foragin...”

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“I thoroughly enjoyed this course - Ellen is a great teacher, and brings so much energy and expertise to the topic of foraging. And - the Greek dishes look divine. I highly recommend this to anyone who's been looking to get more involved in foraging, and I actually can't wait to go outside and take a look at what's around.. maybe cook up some greens!”

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Su Yi

5 star rating

“Enthusiastic instructor with clear pointers on identification as well as great ideas on preparation of the foraged plants. ”

“Enthusiastic instructor with clear pointers on identification as well as great ideas on preparation of the foraged plants. ”

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Anne Birch

5 star rating

“Ellen's enthusiasm and clarity have me excited for spring. I can do this!”

“Ellen's enthusiasm and clarity have me excited for spring. I can do this!”

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Preston Phillips

5 star rating

“easily found plants in my yard. Good, informative, description of plants and how to use. Looking forward to trying them. ”

“easily found plants in my yard. Good, informative, description of plants and how to use. Looking forward to trying them. ”

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Jane Hallstrom

5 star rating

“An easy, informative introduction into foraging--I liked that there was a reference to a normal garden plant as well as wild plants. And recipes! ”

“An easy, informative introduction into foraging--I liked that there was a reference to a normal garden plant as well as wild plants. And recipes! ”

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Cassie Lebauer

5 star rating

“We will totally be doing another class and the speaker's energy is AMAZING. 10/10.”

“We will totally be doing another class and the speaker's energy is AMAZING. 10/10.”

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Ianka Mitchell-Conway

5 star rating

“Non threatening and easy to ID plants that are good for building up a passion for foraging. Would recommend to people scared of getting started. ”

“Non threatening and easy to ID plants that are good for building up a passion for foraging. Would recommend to people scared of getting started. ”

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John Keane

5 star rating

“An outstanding Introduction. Clear and easy to follow.”

“An outstanding Introduction. Clear and easy to follow.”

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De Laviolette

5 star rating

“Thank you for the great intro course to foraging. Well done.”

“Thank you for the great intro course to foraging. Well done.”

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What's Included

here's what you get

  • Identification Reference Chart: a handy chart with a photo of each wild edible

  • Video Lesson: Five Early Spring Greens

Yes, really. It's free. You have absolutely nothing to lose.

Sign Up Now

Ellen Zachos

Instructor Bio:

I moved to NYC sometime in the last century to be an actor. I know, I know, it’s an age old story, small town girl moves to NYC, lands a role on Broadway, decides she’d rather be a horticulturist, and starts her own garden design, installation, and maintenance business. You’ve heard it many times before.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
But seriously, after leaving the cast of Les Miz on Broadway, I went back to school at the New York Botanical Garden and earned certificates in both ornamental horticulture and ethnobotany. For many years I taught at the NYBG on a wide range of subjects (basic gardening techniques, perennials, annuals, orchids, container gardening, house plants) and ran my roof top gardening business.

PLANTS FEED BODY AND SOUL
As I learned more about plants I noticed that many traditional ornamental plants had edible and medicinal histories. I wondered why we didn’t eat hostas any more, and why people planted hopniss for its flowers rather than its delicious, potato-like tubers. Gradually, my interest shifted from plants that were merely ornamental to plants that fed both body and soul, the eyes and the stomach.

I started out foraging in the garden, because I knew the plants there were safe from potentially dangerous insecticides and herbicides. Soon I ventured out into the wilds of Central Park, the woods of Pennsylvania, the deserts of New Mexico, the islands of Scotland, and the gorges of Greece. In other words, I’m always looking for delicious, free food!

CREDENTIALS
I’m a Harvard graduate and the author of eight books including Backyard Foraging: 65 Familiar Plants You Didn’t Know You Could Eat, The Wildcrafted Cocktail, and The Forager's Pantry. I work with RemyUSA, teaching foraging mixology workshops across the US, and I lecture at botanic gardens, flower shows, and for garden clubs around the world.

Ellen Zachos

The Backyard Forager

Wild edible plants are all around you! Learn how to enjoy their delicious flavors, safely and with confidence .

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