Presenters
Rose Barlow (presenter 2007) was an herbalist for over 20 years, practicing in the Wise Woman tradition and director of Coulee Region Herbal Institute in Southwestern Wisconsin. Rose passed on in June 2009. Her wealth of knowledge lives on in her website Prodigalgardens.info.
Alma Christensen (presenter 2006) a “Lady of the Woods” is a self-taught botanist who used her knowledge of harvesting wild foods to help her family survive the Great Depression.
Steve Dahlberg (presenter 2009-2006) has fond memories of foraging as a kid, which he now passed on to his triplet 8-year-old boys and two teenage daughters. He is the director of Extension and the science chair at the White Earth Tribal and Community College (WETCC). He incorporates wild edible plants and tracking into his classes. He also handcrafts knives and knows a lot about trees.
Rebecca Dallinger (presenter 2009) lives in Ogema, MN and is a wild food enthusiast and herbalist. She is committed to learning and teaching families about wild foods and plants, often found in our yards, that lead to health.
John Kallas (presenter 2006) has a PhD in Nutrition and a Masters in Education from Oregon. He’s a trained botanist, nature photographer, writer, researcher and teacher. John has led expeditions on wild foods for over 25 years and runs Wild Food Adventures (http://www.wildfoodadventures.com) — an institute foraging and studying edible wild plants. He publishes the Wild Food Adventure quarterly newsletter and the Wild Food Primer.
Mike Krebill (presenter 2009) recently retired from 35 years of teaching seventh grade science in Iowa and Michigan, much to the chagrin of parents who were hoping their son or daughter would have him for a teacher. He was famous for getting kids outdoors, and for teaching science research skills by experimenting with wild foods. Honors include Michigan Science Teacher of the Year, Michigan Environmental Educator of the Year, Keokuk (Iowa) Teacher of the Year, and being inducted into the National Wild Foods Association Hall of Fame. Mike knows a whole lot about mushrooms and loves going to wild food events, such as ours, to be with wild food hobbyists who share a curiosity & passion for trying something new.
JoAnn Larson (Summit assistant organizer and presenter 2008-2009) is a biophiliac! She happily puts her MS Counseling degree and Master Gardener training to work empowering youth, families, and elders with self reliance and a love for all creation.
Matt Mattson (presenter 2009-2007) is a biologist and archeologist who incorporates the ages and ways of archeological finds to better understand the ways in which people lived.
Francois Medion (presenter 2009-2007) is currently a student at the University of Wisconsin -Superior and is a fabulous cook.
Laura Reeves (presenter 2009) is a botanist from Winnipeg, Canada.
Sunny Savage (presenter 2009-2006) is a woods woman at heart and loves eating wild things with her son Saelyn. She has a masters in nutrition and is a creator of Wildfoodplants.com, She has since moved on from White Earth Tribal and Community College to Hawaii, where the plants are very different but still very good. To see clips of Sunny’s television series ‘Hot on the Trail with Sunny Savage’ wildfoodplants.com.
Sam Thayer (presenter 2008 – 2006) has been teaching for 10 plus years and recently published The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting and Preparing Edible Wild Plants. He was editor for The Forager, a wild food periodical with subscribers across the US and Canada. He lives in Ogema, Wisconsin near National Forest Land. http://www.foragersharvest.com.
Michael Wassegijig Price (presenter 2006) is a Wikwemoikong First Nations of Manitoulin Island band member. He works to keep Ojibwe plant names and culture alive and enjoys sitting by the campfire with his son Che’.
Kathleen Westcott (presenter 2009 and 2007) is Turtle clan and a White Earth Tribal Member. Kathleen tells stories of human beings’ relationships with the plant nation. The stories and the relationships teach, heal, and inspire us to listen and to grow in relationship with the plants for the benefit of everyone. Kathleen raises her grandson in Brimson, MN.
Stephanie Williams: (summit organizer and presenter 2009-2006) Stephanie is a White Earth band member whose first job is grandmother and her second job is Extension Coordinator at White Earth Tribal and Community College. She is also the teacher of popular classes on medicinal plants, wild foods and making cremes and salves from natural ingredients.
