Marais des Cygnes NWR Wild Food Harvest

Picking of berries, mushrooms, and nuts is another popular outdoor activity on the Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge. There are some refuge regulations which guide public use.

Wild strawberries and blackberries (early summer) and persimmons (late fall) are abundant on many portions of the refuge. Morel (spring) and Oyster Mushrooms (summer) as well as many other kinds of mushrooms are found throughout the refuge. Pecan and black walnut trees are very common on the refuge, especially in the floodplains of the Marais des Cygnes River and other streams, and at abandoned farmsites. Some years (mast years) will produce “bumper” crops of nuts while on other years only a few trees will produce well. Nuts are generally harvested in late fall.