Native Plant Identification Class
Yesterday morning we had a visit from a chatty crow-sized Pileated Woodpecker who was sizing up our bird feeder. After two failed attempts to land on it he gave up and went back to picking bugs out of tree bark. Later in the morning my apprentice came over and we went into the rainy woods to perform a ritual for her to reconnect with an animal spirit guide. Then the others met us back at the house afterward and we went much deeper into the woods on the Burnaby mountain trails for a class on native plant identification while hiking. One friend came as a scout as he’s really good at spotting unique plant and fungal life and he knows the names of things I don’t and vice versa. There wasn’t much to munch on this time of year besides endless varieties of mainly poisonous mushrooms, but there were still leaves to identify the trees and shrubs and plenty of seedpods to come back and harvest on a dry day. Because everyone who came was Pagan I also gave the magical uses of all the plants we talked about from both European and Native American ethnobotany. We also discussed the genius loci and how to petition and supplicate plants you wildcraft from.
View of the foggy mountain base
Roadside shrine for a car accident victim – was once covered in flowers and pictures
Jellied Bird’s Nest Fungi – the “eggs” are its spores
Spikey mushrooms I couldn’t identify even with a guide
Crested Coral Fungus on a dead Big Leaf Maple tree
Typical PNW temperate rainforest
Hiking the muddy trails
A colony of Deer Mushrooms
Brain Jelly Drop Cups growing on a stump
Fog crawling down the mountain
Walking home into the sunset
November 9, 2009 at 1:07 am
Let us know when you plan to do another walk? I’d love to do another one with you, and I have a friend who would also love it!
November 9, 2009 at 9:33 am
Will do hun! There might be one more this fall/winter, but much more likely in the Spring when there’s leaves and berries to identify with. There’s always things to wildcraft year round though
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*hugs*
Sarah