In addition to springtime harvests, the series also highlights and encourages traditional craft, including beadwork, corn bead harvesting and use and ribbon skirt making.

Upcoming programs include a discussion on the history of Cherokee beadwork at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 5; a virtual tag-along with a Cherokee forager hunting for ramps at 5 p.m. Friday, April 14; the step-by-step process of planting, growing and harvesting corn beads at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 19; and a search for the delectable wild springtime green sochan at 5 p.m. Friday, April 28.

“This season’s lecture series has a focus on foraging and the preparation of foraged foods, as well as the environmental impact and sustainability of foraging correctly,” said Jennifer Wilson, Aniyvwiyahi Community Program Coordinator at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. “The gathering of food and gathering together to share and take in this knowledge is important for our Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians community, but also for the surrounding communities to maintain the longevity of some of these endangered plants.”

Programs are offered virtually and available on MCI’s  YouTube channel . The Spring Lecture Series is made possible through support from the North Carolina Arts Council. For more information, visit mci.org.