Steven Kruger

Steve Kruger is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech. He is using surveys and qualitative interviews to study the Appalachian non-timber forest products, particularly the trade in native medicinal plants. Before coming to Virginia Tech, Steve worked as a public folklorist in North Carolina. He helped produce the Blue Ridge Music Trails Project and documented cultural traditions in the western mountains and along the southeastern coast. His interests include ethnobotany, human ecology, wildcrafting, forest farming, and Appalachian history and culture. In his off-time he enjoys exploring the forests around his home in Giles County, Virginia, hunting, gardening, and playing fiddle and banjo.

Root Report provides research and extension services for people who work with nontimber forest products (NTFPs), including medicinal, edible and decorative plants and fungi.