Join Montana author and naturalist Thomas J. Elpel for a weekend of fun and learning about plants! Tom's book, Botany in a Day, has changed the way people learn about plants. Related plants have similar patterns for identification, and they often have similar properties and similar uses. There are tens of thousands of plant species across the northern latitudes, but only about 100 families of plants. Learning family patterns will give you useful information about new plants you encounter, even before you know their names. Tom's book is used all over the world for plant identification.


Plant identification is best learned at a body level. Develop your gut instincts to instantly recognize the majority of plant families around you. Learn to "shoot from the hip" when walking down a city sidewalk or a forest trail: "Mint family," "Rose family," "Mallow family," "Mustard family." We'll take to the streets and trails around Missoula, practicing the family patterns introduced in the card games and learning new families not included in the games.


Being in late October, we'll place a special emphasis on secondary patterns for identification: How do you identify plant families after the leaves and flowers are gone? We'll engage the senses to see, touch, smell, and taste scores of plants. And, as the author of Foraging the Mountain West, Tom will be on the lookout for anything edible we can graze upon or collect and cook. Join us for this weekend of fun and experience Missoula as you've never known it before!