Forty-one years of the popular Nature Wonder Weekend will be celebrated with the theme “Fifty States of Wild Food” September 19-21 at North Bend State Park near Cairo, West Virginia.

“Our theme will be woven around the wild foods you can easily recognize in each of the 50 states,” said event coordinator Emily Fleming, Assistant to the Director of the Division of Natural Resources. “Suggested wild foods that can be found nearly anywhere include sumac, mulberries, red bud blossoms, red clover, Lamb’s Quarters, cattails, milkweeds and dandelions.

“Also, to take advantage of a unique happening, the 250th anniversary of the French and Indian War that led to the American Revolution, we will offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience with our guest of honor, Doug Wood.”

Wood will conduct a program Saturday evening in which he portrays Ostenaco, the leader of the Cherokee tribe who was instrumental in the outcome of the French and Indian War. Wood, of Nitro, W.Va., is a survival wildfoods specialist who works for the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. His portrayal of Ostenanco is part of the History Alive! Program of the West Virginia Humanities Council.

This weekend event is sponsored by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, North Bend State Park and the National Wild Foods Association. The popular annual weekend event began more than four decades ago and was called one of the most unusual and enjoyable weekends in outdoor West Virginia. This is still true today, and it provides an opportunity to share wild plant lore within the setting of two nights at North Bend State Park cabins and campground, with five conventional meals and wildfoods social hours and parties.

Popular activities include a wildfood cooking contest (with three $50 prizes), best wild cake and wild drink contests, wildfood hikes, and workshops related to the identification and cooking of wildfoods.  Although wildfoods are featured throughout the weekend, five conventional meals will be provided by North Bend Lodge Restaurant.

Leaders during the weekend include Edelene Wood of the National Wild Foods Association, Emily Fleming of the West Virginia DNR, Supt. Steve Jones and Asst. Supt. Kathy Metz of North Bend State Park, Little Beaver State Park Supt. Erik Evans, and last year’s featured guest Diane Anestis, who will lead nature hikes and speak Friday evening.
 
 Reservations for cabins and campgrounds are available. For registration and reservation information, call the DNR Director’s Office at 304-558-2754 or Edelene Wood at 304-428-9590. Registration deadline is September 8.