ACES Wild Perspectives | Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Roaring Fork Valley

Join ACES and the Collective for the Wild Perspectives Speaker Series! When you step into the world of edible and medicinal plants, you begin to see the bountiful gifts land has to offer—plants can be partners in our existence, not just expendable resources. The landscape of wild edible and medicinal plants in the Roaring Fork Valley is one of incredible depth and diversity. Through an exploration of the plants in our bountiful valley, we’ll reflect on how tending relationships with plants can foster reciprocity, stewardship, and a sense of belonging while deepening connection to land. Penelope Thornton is a former ACES naturalist with a speciality in herbalism and wild edible and medicinal plants. She graduated from Colorado College with a degree in Southwest Studies, focusing on ethnobotany and ecology. For her senior thesis, Penelope compiled her knowledge of edible and medicinal plants into a guidebook on the Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants of Central Colorado, which has grown into her life’s work and passion.