Until his retirement in June of 2015, Russ Cohen’s “day job” was serving as the Rivers Advocate for the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration, where one of his areas of expertise was in riparian vegetation. Now Russ has more time to pursue his passionate avocation, which is connecting to nature via his taste buds, and assisting others in doing the same. In addition to leading over three dozen foraging walks and talks each year at a wide variety of venues throughout the Northeast, Russ has now taken on the role of Johnny Appleseed for edible native species. He has set up a small nursery (in Weston, MA) where he grows/keeps plants that he propagates from seed (some of which he collected himself). He is then partnering with land trusts, cities and towns, schools and colleges, state and federal agencies, tribal groups, organic farms and others to plant plants from his nursery in appropriate places on their properties. Russ has initiated over two dozen such projects in the past six years.

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