Yesterday, I felt the desire for a nature retreat and I thought about going to spend the day at my parents’ house. However, the trip was not in the cards for the day, and so I decided to do what I usually do and look for nature near my home in the city. Continue reading
My aspirations for living life as sustainably as I can probably began when I was a young girl deeply concerned with the well-being of other creatures. Although my interests and understanding of life and nature have spiraled out a great deal since then to encompass many more concerns and observations that I’ve made, I remain fascinated and indebted to the teachings of wild animals.
So when we’re discussing designs for the future, to me, it’s important to incorporate wild animals into (or near) our spaces. Nonhuman animals have many lessons to share with us and are also essential to properly functioning ecosystems. Landscapes designed for wildlife are also beautiful and life affirming.
The peak of summer has crested and now it is time to ride out the remainder of these long days, grateful for the warmth and light as we head closer to Autumn.
As promised during my last post about the hands-on portion of my permaculture class taken through Midwest Permaculture, here’s an overview of what happened during the latter half of the course. Much of the second week was spent working on designs and learning permaculture concepts in the classroom, but we did have quite a few unique experiences…
Last week in California, my partner and I visited The Ojai Foundation and found a great source of inspiration for the type of service we eventually hope to provide. Most notably, the Foundation combines lessons about sustainable living with experiences that foster the development of the human spirit.
There’s been a delay in posting as I was enjoying myself in California last week. I have several posts envisioned, but for today, I will be simple and focus on some of the beautiful wild things I saw that I am not used to seeing in my native land.
Welcome to the longest day of the year!
Everything is blooming, life abounds, green and sun rule the Earth (in the Northern hemisphere, anyway!). Do you feel it in your own life, too?
Earth,
I’m not sure when and where my love affair with you began, but your winds wrapped around me tightly and I was taken forever, always called to feel my body on your mosses and keep alert to your messages.
At this time in your history, as I walk amongst people that no longer hear your voice, feel your spirit, and understand you as a mother, I am filled with sorrow. Earth, I try to live as an example, but I feel I am failing. People are much more interested in glowing screens than flowing streams, and in making money than making life.
My heart aches and my head drops as I see people disrespect you by throwing plastic into your veins, to choke and kill your lifelines and your creatures; as people continually rip off your skin in misguided attempts to feed our species and create our shelters. Every day, I see people carelessly walk upon your body. They ignore your beauty and bounty.
I have come up with countless reasons to argue for you. I’ve tried to explain h
ow protecting you will make us healthier and happier; why it will save us money; how it is essential to our well being and our future. But mostly, I just wish they could see you the way that I do. They would never need another reason to step more lightly upon you for they would see something so inexplicably divine that they would drop to their knees. They would realize that everything we do to the Earth we are doing to ourselves.
Earth, we are killing you and so we are killing ourselves. However, you will find a way to regenerate and go on. I’m not so sure about my kind. We’re a grain of rice in the oceans of your time, and we’ve forgotten how to live with you. Help us to learn before it is too late.
Love,
Me
Outside of this strange world that we call the internet, I don’t know many people who would say that an ideal day is one spent in the woods learning about wild edible foods. But for me, a day spent meandering through the woods is in itself the indication of a day well spent, and to combine that with learning about and connecting with plants comes close to absolute perfection. Maybe other people just haven’t yet tried…
Behold the knowledge
Disclaimer: I have not tried eating all of the plants shown below and I am not suggesting that you do so without adequate preparation! My method generally goes something like this:
1) Find a plant and ID it in my field guide or learn about a plant and aim to find it and identify it.
2) Identify it on at least a few other ocassions.
3) Read about the plant and possible dangerous look-alikes.
4) Try a small amount to make sure it agrees with my body.
5) Eat more.
Let’s begin…
The dried corms (Wikipedia: a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ) of jack-in-the pulpits can be sliced and eaten like potato chips!
Jack in the pulpit
Japanese knotwood can be eaten like asparagus…and I encourage this one due to its invasive nature!
Japanese knotwood
Coltsfoot can be candied and I’m still looking to find a patch big enough so that I can infuse the flowers into honey as a cough remedy!
Coltsfoot
Chopped toothwort root can be substituted for horseradish.
Toothwort
I also hit a ramp jackpot! They were everywhere!
Ramp overload!
Dinner!
Wandering around this way also leads to other beautiful finds like Squirrel corn (I don’t have any idea about its edibility, don’t try!)…
Squirrel corn. Hehe - such a funny name.
And you also might come across extremely cozy patches of moss at the edge of a ravine. This is my version of ultimate renewal and peace. I once read that some Native Americans believe that excess energy accumulates in places like this (i.e., cliffs, edges). I think they are right – it feels so wonderful! Why don’t I do this every day?
I’m happy to provide more information to anyone who’s interested!
Go be in nature! Give in to your animal instincts and go foraging!
These Light Footsteps 