The Native Plants and Foods Institute is powered by Tahoma Peak Solutions.
We are so grateful for seven years of GRuB hosting our work. Learn more about their impactful community programs at goodgrub.org.
The Native Plants and Foods Institute connects people with plants, native foods, local ecosystems, and cultural traditions. Our educational resources are rooted in the Pacific Northwest region and include Native knowledge, stories, and traditions. They are adaptable to various ages, cultures, abilities, and learning environments, including behavioral health programs, community health and wellness facilities, early childhood education, K-12 schools, and outdoor education programs. Our work includes:
Developing Educational Resources
We partner with Native educators, Elders, cultural experts, and plant specialists in developing educational tools that are place-based, promote respect for the land, and increase understanding of tribal history, traditions, and food sovereignty. Examples of our team’s work include the Tend, Gather and Grow Teaching Toolkit, the Plant Teachings for Growing Social-Emotional Skills Toolkit, Native Infusion: Rethink Your Drink Curriculum, The Cedar Box Experience, and the Live with the Seasons podcast.
Hosting Teacher Trainings, Internships, Conferences, and Workshops
We offer seasonal teacher trainings to give educators hands-on support in adopting and adapting the resources to their teaching environment. We also facilitate year-long tribal community internships where 15–25 educators gather regularly for full-day workshops. Our previous Tend internships focused on serving Washington tribes.
Providing technical assistance to tribes, schools, organizations, and others
We are available to provide technical assistance to school districts or organizations that need support and/or customized workshops for their staff in adopting our resources. To learn more visit our Adapting Educational Resources page.
Consultation on enhancing outdoor landscapes to include ecosystem gardens
We support schools and organizations in enhancing outdoor landscapes to include ecosystem gardens. We also develop plant signage, identification cards, games, and other outdoor educational tools.