About
Fork in the Path is a collective of educators dedicated to cultivating a deeper relationship with nature, learning to forage and eat seasonal wild foods, and discovering new perspectives on life.
Our vision is guided by principles of reciprocity, sustainability, embodiment, community building, deeper connection to nature and seasonal cycles, and the joy of eating wild, nutrient-dense, foraged foods, all woven into the timeless practice of foraging.
We hope that through our classes, you'll discover a "fork in your path" that enriches your life in meaningful ways, big or small.
This organization emerged from a literal fork in the path for founder Carrie Staller, who had a background in sustainability and a passion for mushrooms. There wasn’t an ambition to create a foraging school, but when Carrie unexpectedly got Long Covid, her life had to move at a slower pace. She ran an experiment organizing a handful of mushroom classes, which proved incredibly positive and impactful for everyone involved.
Inspired by the overwhelming enthusiasm of participants and the joining of knowledgeable teachers and thought leaders with expertise from the ocean to the forest, Carrie became deeply committed to continuing Fork in the Path, providing students with a place to connect and learn, and instructors with a platform to share their passion and expertise. The unexpected plot twist of Fork in the Path becoming a path forward became a silver lining. Carrie hopes her story inspires you to find the silver lining in your own life’s challenges.
Our 8 Guiding Principles
In all of our classes, we strive to include these principles as much as possible.
Sustainability
Sustainable foraging starts with understanding the unique strategy for how each species acquires nutrition and reproduces. We teach multiple perspectives and specific techniques to sustainably harvest wild seasonal foods, such as plants, animals, seaweed, or mushrooms, so that they can continue to grow, while minimizing our impact on their habitat.
2. Reciprocity
We appreciate the bounty of the seasonal gifts that are given to us and the First People who tended these lands for tens of thousands of years. As a gesture of reciprocity, we donate a portion of all class registration fees to Indigenous-led organizations. Additionally, we teach participants to cultivate a mindset of gratitude and reciprocity while foraging, encouraging active stewardship or contributing to citizen science.
3. Well-being
We often hear from participants that the experiences they have in our classes introduce them to lifestyle shifts that help them have greater physical and emotional well-being. Some people integrate new foods into their diets that support a holistic diet and improved gut health. Whether it’s one lovely day learning in nature or a lifelong perspective shift, our classes support greater access to wellbeing.
4. Science-Based Education
Our teaching team is committed to offering high-quality ecological education. Our goal is to provide exceptional, cutting-edge learning experiences that are science-based, informative, and inspiring, using best practices for adult learning. (Children are always welcome, but our classes are typically mostly adults.)
5. Embodiment
Foraging is an embodied activity. It requires presence, attunement, observation, and agility. The excitement of foraging can lead to heightened states, so we integrate movement and mindfulness into most of our classes to help you stay grounded while deepening your relationship with both your own body and the natural world.
6. Forage-To-Table Learning
Learning where and when to look and then finding wild food is only the first step in your journey. We also teach you how to care for, process, and preserve your foraged finds so you can enjoy them year-round.
7. Community Building
One of the things participants love most about our classes is the wonderful people they meet with shared interests. We do our best to design our classes so that participants can forage and learn in community, and leave with new connections.
8. Accessibility/Inclusion
We care very much about accessibility and inclusion. This is something we are actively working on, while it is also the most challenging value for us to live into for 2 reasons:
#1: The terrain of our field classes is not accessible to everyone. Taking people into places where foraging is possible is often off-trail, or in the ocean, and these habitats are not easy to navigate with mobility challenges or disabilities.
#2: We offer sliding scale class fees, occasional free classes, and, when we are able, we offer free scholarship tickets. However, we are aware that even our lowest-tier pricing is still prohibitive for some participants, and we are working on building a scholarship fund with the hope of giving away more programming in the future.