
YOUR JOURNEY BACK TO THE WILD STARTS HERE
Catch N Cook California is a premier outdoor education experience rooted in the ancient art of foraging - defined holistically as the practice of harvesting wild ingredients rather than cultivating them, and the foundation of all human subsistence for tens of thousands of years.
Led by California native and PhD archeologist Kevin Smith, our classes are more than adventures - they are immersive journeys into foraging autonomy, outdoor proficiency, and sustainable living. With a lifetime of foraging experience and deep research in the lifeways of California’s Indigenous hunter-gatherers, Kevin brings rare cultural insight to every tidepool, forest, and shoreline. Whether you’re learning to identify edible mushrooms, fish the rugged coast, freedive for sea urchin, or gather wild plants, each hands-on experience is designed to reconnect you to the land and sea. You'll gain practical skills in harvesting, processing, and in many cases, preparing your catch - always with respect for seasonality, safety, and ecological stewardship.
We offer group workshops, private bookings, and seasonal courses from Southern to Northern California, always in small group settings to ensure personalized instruction and minimal environmental impact. All experiences follow Leave No Trace ethics and sustainable harvesting practices.
Keep the Old Ways Alive - one wild meal at a time.
BUILD YOUR OUTDOOR SKILLSET
Take one of our classes with our outdoor expert, Kevin, as seen on Catch N Cook California from Youtube.
READ THE LATEST NEWS
Read up on the latest posts covering sustainable foraging practices, tips and tricks, recent adventures, and more!
MAKE CONNECTIONS
Join our community of like-minded outdoor enthusiasts and post your own catch and cook adventures!
- Coastal Foraging (Low Tide Rocky Intertidal), MendocinoSat, Aug 09Fort Bragg
- Intro Freedive-Spearfishing & Urchin Dive: MendocinoSat, Aug 09Mendocino
- Coastal Foraging (Low Tide Rocky Intertidal), MendocinoSun, Aug 10Fort Bragg
- Intro Freedive-Spearfishing & Urchin Dive: MendocinoSun, Aug 10Mendocino
- Shore Fishing: (Perch and Rockfish), San Mateo CoastFri, Aug 15San Mateo County
- Introductory Freedive-Spearfishing MontereySat, Aug 16Monterey
- Beginner-Intermediate Freedive-Spearfishing, MontereySat, Aug 16Monterey
- Introductory Freedive-Spearfishing MontereySun, Aug 17Monterey
- Introductory Freedive-Spearfishing MontereySun, Aug 17Monterey
- Private Freedive-Spearfishing MontereyFri, Aug 29Monterey
- Beginner-Intermediate Freedive-Spearfishing, MontereyFri, Aug 29Monterey
- Introductory Freedive-Spearfishing MontereySun, Aug 31Monterey
- Introductory Freedive-Spearfishing MontereySun, Aug 31Monterey