Bo Brown

Bo Brown is a self-taught naturalist who has been an outdoor skills/wilderness survival instructor for over 30 years. His initial interest in plants was bolstered by nearly four decades of work as an avian field technician, where habitat vegetation studies required accurate plant identification. One of these studies led to a nine-year position as a naturalist for the Missouri Department of Conservation. Bo currently conducts programs in foraging, stone-age wilderness skills, and nature education through First Earth Wilderness School, originally founded in 1993 with Don Brink. Classes are held mostly at Bo’s property on the Niangua River in southwest Missouri, surrounded by 8000 acres of state forest. He also presents programs for regional public/private schools, museums, and nature centers. He and Don have been cohosting the Bois d’ Arc Ancestral Skills Camp & Knap-In since its founding in 1998, and Bo instructs at Wintercount and other large national gatherings. He is also a professional musician, performing locally and nationally with several area bands. His home base is a log cabin in the woods near Springfield, Missouri.

Bo’s first book, Foraging the Ozarks, was published by Falcon Guides in 2020. His second book, Foraging Central Grasslands, will be released Aug. 1st 2023. Information and signed copies of his books can be found at www.firstearth.org.