OKOBOJI, Iowa - An ethnobotany-themed Thanksgiving hike will begin at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Dickinson County Nature Center.
“As we walk through, we can talk about why we’re thankful for different plants in the prairie, wetland and woodland,” said environmental education Bryanna Kuhlman.
She will discuss how flour can be made from ground acorns that have been processed to take out the bitter tannins, and medicinal uses of a variety of plants will also be addressed.
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“Ethnobotany is a cool way to see how people have utilized plants in the past and present,” Kuhlman said. “They were utilized to help people and were a big a part of people’s diets.”
The Thanksgiving hike will take the place of the usual Tuesday Hike the Wild in November and is open to people of all ages, but may be best for those ages 10 and older. The hike will last approximately 45 minutes and will go through the Kenue Park prairie, around the wetland and through the oak savanna.
The hike will end with treats inside the Dickinson County Nature Center, including an opportunity to try fresh, homemade cookies made with acorn flour.
