About Meadows and More

Wild plants represent our PAST heritage of food as well as our FUTURE food security *(UN FAO)

Wild foods are markedly more healthy (higher in vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids and lower in sugar and starch) than man-made cultivated crops.** (Eating on the Wild Side: Jo Robinson)

Our practices are founded on a profound connection to and stewardship of the land. We cull invasive and nonnative adventive plants, aka weeds, and restore native plants and biodiversity, in collaboration with private landowners, organic farmers and conservation groups.

Wild Landscapes

Tama Matsuoka Wong is a forager, weed eater, meadow doctor , lawyer and mother of three. She is the author of the backyard field guide and cookbook Foraged Flavor (Clarkson Potter June 2012) nominated for a James Beard award in 2013.

After graduating from Harvard Law School and serving more than 25 years as a financial services lawyer in Tokyo, New York and Hong Kong, she returned with her family to Hunterdon County New Jersey and rediscovered her passion for the natural world. In 2007 she was named Steward of the Year by the New Jersey Forest Service. For media coverage about her work see Media page.

Our Team

Jade Greene, brings to us her multiple talents in environmental data analysis, invasive plants strike force, brew-maker and knowing how to drive a truck...

Mayfield Williams enjoys the zen time of a couple of hours in an "outdoor office" while her young children are at school.

Larry Rossi, retired native plant landscaper associated with Larry Weaner designs, chuckles when he thinks of the good use of what he used to think were junky weeds.

We also thank Christopher Wang-Iverson, Shweta Paltro, Lorena Valente, Magdalena for their enthusiasm and skill building!

Advisors

Karl Anderson – Distinguished Field Botanist., co-author of Plant Communities of New Jersey; a Study in Landscape Diversity. Karl is the moderator of the “What is this plant” forum on this site.

Eddy Leroux – Chef de cuisine at Restaurant Daniel in New York City, the Michelin starred flagship restaurant of celebrity chef Daniel Boulud, and recognized as one of the top ten restaurants in the world. He is continually inspired by the great flavors of foraged ingredients, and their closeness to wild landscapes. He treats these wild plants with the greatest respect, for their natural beauty, their fragrance and for their complexity of taste and texture.

John Parke – Stewardship Project Director for NJ Audubon, Certified by the Society of Wetland Scientists as Professional Wetland Scientist as well as a Certified Ecologist by The Ecological Society of America.

Michael Van Clef, Ph.D. – Ecological Solutions, New Jersey and Stewardship Director, Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space (FOHVOS) Michael brings more than 15 years experience in the area of stewardship of natural resources, ecological resources and policy to our team.

Ian Caton– Wood Thrush Nursery

Gerould Wilhelm, Ph.D. – Chicago, Distinguished Field Botanist and Ecologist and Principal botanist at Conservation Design Forum. Gerould is co-author of Plants of the Chicago Region. Gerould is closely associated with the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois, and has developed the Floristic Quality Assessment methodology in conjunction with colleague, Floyd Swink. Gerould serves as adviser to the Plant Stewardship Index program.