Edible and Medicinal Plant Foraging Workshop

Edible and Medicinal Plant Foraging Workshop

Sunday May 25, 2014

Our day began in the sunny morning along a trail deep in the Hockley Valley. As our small group arrived we began to introduce ourselves. It seemed everyone came together to share the sunny day, and to learn. New faces began to connect in nature, and everyone was eager to begin the hike into the valley. As we ventured forth, Alexis outlined a very important topic – ethical stewardship and sustainable harvesting techniques. Not only was it important to correctly harvest the plant, but also to offer the land something in return.

We observed our first plant – the American Basswood. The tender early spring leaves are edible only for a short time. We ventured forward, discussing edibles even within a few feet of the trail entrance. We didn’t need to walk far – there are so many edibles all around us! Garlic mustard was first, a highly invasive species but a delicacy as a pesto. My personal favourite of the day – the Spruce tree – appeared next along the trail. The young new growth is chock full of vitamin C and a flavourful punch followed every nibble.

The plants we began to encounter are considered superfoods due to the high content of rich vitamins and minerals and trace elements. The flavours of these plants hit interesting parts of the tongue. We discussed incorporating bitter and sour flavours into our typically salty and sweet diets. The richness of flavours is one to be explored.  It is important to remember to eat a small amount of the foraged edibles before over-consuming. Our bodies are not quite used to the intensity and we may not be aware of possible reactions.

Our next venture took us into a clearing of a nettle patch mixed with wild raspberry. The common nettle and wood nettle were exciting to find, and we were careful to avoid the stinging hairs. We followed the stream off the path and made our way through meadow following a deer trail. We stopped at the foot of a deer bed to examine our first mystery of the day – identifying a poisonous Cypress Spurge plant. Our next edible that we came across was horse tail. The group became more aware of how to utilize weeds as edibles and how the value of plants can change depending on the value we put into it.

The group stopped for lunch under the lovely cedars beside the stream embankment. With the gentle rush of flowing water we were able to rest. It was on to the next flower, the Viola family – the namesake of Alexis’ new baby girl. Our adventure began to pick up pace – we encountered a second Earth Tracks mystery through identifying the Bloodroot plant. The small side trail began to grow tighter and the group found an interesting hoard of walnuts at the base of a cedar. What mystery was this now? We determined that a chipmunk had nibbled through each nut through the side, rather than the top and bottom. This is a sharp tracking skill to determine the animal’s specific behaviour.

A short while after, we came upon the source of the stream (a lovely spring fed pool to dip our feet into). We foraged for wild mint and took a cool-down break in the sandy water. The group splashed about as nearby ravens cawed out protests to lure us away from their nesting site. A warbler sang in the distance as we moved on to our next edible, Wild Leek. Perhaps the most popular of the trip, the Wild Leek forage was a very important plant to sustainably harvest, and transplant to encourage spreading. We spread out one bunch of leeks before and one after harvesting from the centre of a patch.

At a small cedar clearing, we stopped for break. Lucky for us, we were sitting in a patch of our next snack. The Trout Lily was all around us, just on the tail end of its season. The spotted leaves fade away in late spring, early summer but still makes for a tasty treat similar to lettuce greens. As we made our way back to the trail entrance, we collected delicious wild ginger which we had found earlier, but avoided harvesting in a sensitive area. Our last collaboration of the day involved a meditation, or “sit spot” time. Each participant was able to really take in the day, reflect, and rest with purpose. After some final discussion on drying and processing techniques for our bounty, the last stragglers on the trail were able to lure in an Indigo Bunting with a call thus ending our lovely sunny day with some spectacular bird-watching.

Jill Byers Earth Tracks Intern 2014

May 25^th Orangeville course

Herbs:

Dandelion

Garlic mustard

Burdock

Plantain

Nettle

Wood nettle

Goldenrod (sp?)

Viola spp. “violets”

Wild ginger

Bedstraw

Jewelweed

Wild leeks

Blue cohosh

Trout lily

Sarsparilla

Trees:

Basswood

Spruce

White pine

Red pine

Walnut (sp?)

Eastern hemlock

Trembling aspen

Shrubs:

Raspberry

Gooseberry

Currant (sp?)

Other:

Horsetail

Chaga

Poisonous:

Cypress spurge

Bloodroot

Poison ivy

Jack in the pulpit

Squirrel corn

Discussed:

Waterleaf

Balsam fir

White elm

Wild marjoram or basil

Oak (Acorns)

Cattail

List Compiled by Alex Thomson - Earth Tracks Intern 2014

Wildlife Tracking Program 2014

Hello Everyone

Well.....It has been a while since we have posted to this Blog!   Time to 'blow of the dust' and get some action on here again.    Sharing some of the many things that are happening here at Earth Tracks.   We are entering our 8th year and are super stoked about the many new and exciting things coming up for us this year.    To start with, we have just begun the Wildlife Tracking Apprenticeship program and have 9 new folks who will be joining us on our journey into the Art and Science of Tracking.   We had a great first weekend and below is a 'Story of the Day' created for each day last weekend by our 2nd year students.  A special thanks goes out to Christina, Lee and Malgosia for putting this together.

Enjoy the Spring everyone.  Many local birds are setting up territories and beginning the nesting season.  Be sure to tune in and perhaps locate a few nests to keep an eye on as we move into this beautiful time of year.

Happy Tracking/Birding

Alexis

Mono Cliffs Provincial Park (May 10, 2014)

SIGNS IN THE FIELD

In the field, we encountered signs of Meadow Voles (runs, scat, chews, castings, and debarking). We spent some time looking closely at each sign, exploring how they were made and how they look different from similar sign. For example, could these grasses have been eaten by mice? How do we know it was voles who ate this bark? We saw three kinds of tunnels made by voles: one half in the soil, one in the soil, and one made over the winter that had melted on top of the grass.

SIGNS IN THE TREES

Our group headed into the trees on the far side of the field, passing by antler rubs and skunk digs. Before long, we spotted a set of marks on a sugar maple and asked, who made these? Was it a squirrel, a raccoon or a porcupine? How could we tell them apart? Why would they be up in this species of tree? There were sets of claw marks on two more trees. We were able compare thicknesses of claws and frequency of use.

Further uphill, we saw the work of a Pileated Woodpecker, a Downy Woodpecker and a porcupine. We saw a young Red-Backed Salamander and a Wood Frog. There were several turkey scrapes in the leaf debris, and when we looked closer, we could see that their beaks had left triangular-shaped nips in the wild leeks. Nearby, deer had also grazed on some leeks, and it was interesting to compare how wide the deer’s grazing was to the turkey’s.

An old fox den on the side of a hill brought more mysteries. Who was using it for a latrine? Was it one species or more than one? Was the den active? In the end, we figured this spot was a hub for several species travelling down to and up from the valley. It would be the perfect place to let your neighbours know that you’re in the area, and find out who else is present.

SIGNS ON THE CLIFF AND IN THE VALLEY

Alexis wanted to show us some cliffs that he often visits when he’s in the area. The group climbed up, then down (there was still snow and ice!) and got to see some rare and special ferns. We passed under a Turkey Vulture’s nest and saw lots of fur and fibre on the ground (to line the nest? Or was it dinner?). We stopped by a pool of rainwater that had collected on the valley floor, and it was teeming with either mosquito larvae or Fairy Shrimp.

One concept we talked about was Owl Eyes – relaxing our eyes and seeing to the edge of our field of vision. We didn’t spend a lot of time on it, but we were encouraged to use it at appropriate times to try to catch those little flickers of movements out of the corners of our eyes.

MYSTERIES:

·         Is Beech Bark Fungus getting better or worse?

·         Do birds (turkeys) ever pee straight liquid?

·         Black lichen on Maple

By Christina Yu

We spent the second day of our first weekend at Lockyer Pits in Orangeville, a large sand pit area surrounded by cedar and hemlock woods and grassy fields.  It was a sunny, clear, warm day following a few days of rain, ideal conditions for finding clear prints. 

We didn’t need to go very far to find a wealth of tracks. Across a field from the road where we parked our cars was a sandy trail leading slightly uphill to the north, criss-crossed with bird and mammal tracks.  We spend a few minutes marking tracks with popsicle sticks and then set to work examining, measuring, discussing, listening, consulting field guides and writing notes.  We examined a set of clear turkey tracks, then had a long discussion over a set of canine tracks: were they coyote or fox or domestic dog?  Our measurements and some of the defining features of the tracks established that we were mostly likely looking at a red fox moving in a side trot.  Two very different sets of bird tracks highlighted some characteristics of robins and of the corvid family (crows, ravens, jays).  And a set of mammal tracks in a bounding pattern taught us about the distinctive J shape in the hind tracks of lagomorphs (ie. rabbits and hares).

So much intense focus!  Someone pointed out it was almost noon, we all stretched, drank water, re-applied sunscreen, talked about the birds whose songs we were hearing, nibbled on snacks, and pulled ourselves away from the tracks on the path.  We headed uphill, aiming for the shady cedars and a place to eat lunch.  On the way, we came across the remains of a blue jay, with a bird pellet beside it.  Was the pellet owl or hawk?  Why was it out in the open and not near a tree?  Was its story connected in some way to that of the jay?

After lunch in the cool shade of the cedars, we walked out into the sand pit.  The heavy rain earlier in the week had left one large pool of water, and another recently dried depression that drew us to all the tracks at its bottom. We explored the pit in all direction. Some of our group went up the dune to see the view from the top. Bank swallows swooped all around. Occasionally a dirt bike roared past. We spend some time debating a series of what looked like distinctly patterned scratches in the bottom of the dried pool. Eventually, we came to the conclusion that they were the tracks of a frog or toad, possible even tracks of an amphibian swimming in a shallow pool with feet hitting the bottom. 

Other highlights: a long string of toad eggs covered with silt in one of the pools, a large Green Frog swimming nearby, clear toad tracks under water, and lots more bird tracks to study and compare. In the sand we found canine tracks that again highlighted the differences between fox and coyote – it was coyote this time!  And nearby, something that looked very much like coyote again.  But wait: there was the J pattern we’d seen earlier on hare tracks.  Hare tracks, but at high speed, stretched out into a long line, at first glance so easy to mistake for something else. 

Most of the afternoon had passed; we again needed a break from the intense sun.  We set off into the cool cedars and hemlocks once again, had a water break, and talked about some of the species we had seen and heard or whose tracks and sign we’d found.  Our day was almost over, we started to head back, but on the way out we stumbled on one last big discovery: a wild turkey carcass, female, with parts eaten away and feathers strewn in two areas.  What was the story here?  A mystery to end the day.  Also a chance to learn from the turkey, to study its feet and compare them to tracks we’d seen, to examine its beautiful feathers. 

We ended the day with gratitude to the animals and to the place, to the sun and shade, to Alexis and to each other.  It was a day characterized by bright sun, intense focus over a small area, and lots of detailed learning.

By Malgosia Halliop

Wildlife Tracking Apprenticeship - March Weekend

Here is a link to some photos from our most recent Wildlife Tracking Apprenticeship Weekend. It was the weekend that changed winter into Spring. The first day was -10 C or so and the next day was +10C, warm and sunny. Some great tracking and a great group of people to be with in the forest. There are always lessons to learn from nature. I'm thankful to have this opportunity to experience life in this time and place.

Happy Tracking

Alexis

http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthtracks/sets/72157628032743965/

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150537106007738.465995.9304677737&type=1

Get Those Roots in the Ground Where they Belong!

The taste of money proved tastier than that of potatoes during the last few markets of the season. I ended up selling more than I should have of these delicious tubers as well as onions, beets and the like.

Now I'm faced with the task of making these precious few bushels of potatoes, onions and beets last as long as they can.

Standing shovel in hand, looking at a landscape of rocky outcrops and whitepines I plunge the spade into the sweetfern and wintergreen covered duff layer. To my surprise it's easy digging. Fluffy and sandy this ancient riverbank proves to be.

I dig a hole 4 feet long, 2 feet wide and 5 feet deep in under 2 hours. The

next day I utilize odd bits of 1x2's and plywood to build a simple wooden box complete with hinges and a pull handle made of cord.

I lower it into the hole as one might a casket, slowly and methodically.

The space between the box and the perimeter of the hole I stuff straw, top with soil and then layer the bottom of the inside of the box with sawdust- 1 inch thick.

Besides potatoes and onions I pack a cardboard box with tomato sauce, salsa, pickles, canned salmon and various other canned goods that I don't want to freeze. I figure if this is supposed to keep the potatoes from freezing then it should keep everything from freezing, right?

I top it all with more straw (about 6 inches) , stuff straw around the goods inside and close the lid. I pile more straw on top (about 1.5 feet), cover that with a tarp, weighed down on all sides.

Now all I can do is wait. Wait and hope that this is going to be enough to keep the frost from piercing my precious spuds. Until next time!

Next time is December 27th. We hauled less food in knowing that buried beneath the ground was a treasure chest full of gold, yukon gold that is.

I unearth the box once my craving for salsa gets the best of me.

I feel very satisfied and a little wonderstruck as I pluck potatoes, onions and salsa from the box in the same condition as when I put them in. Hip hip, salsa and chips!

(significant warming occurred overnight)

Earth Tacks 2012 Schedule

Wildlife Tracking Workshop - January 14-15th - Beaver Valley near Kimberly

Algonquin Winter Tracking Trip - February 19^th-24^th -- Algonquin Park

Track and Sign Evaluation - February 26-27th - Dwight

Wild Plants Apprenticeship Program - April 7-8^th – Near Orangeville (10 month program 1 weekend a month)

Minesing Swamp Overnight Canoe Trip – April 14-15^th – Angus area

Traditional Hide Tanning Class - April 25th - 29th - Beaver Valley near Kimberly

Headwaters Primitive Skills Gathering – May 10-13th^th – Kimbercote Farm, Beaver Valley

Wildlife Tracking Workshop - May 19th - 20th - Wasaga Beach area

Edible Foraging Workshop - May 27th - Creemore - 100 Mile Market

Urban Edible and Medicinal Plants – June 8th - 10^th – PINE Project, Toronto

Edible and Medicinal Plants Class – June 14th - 17^th – Wolf Den Hostel, Dwight

Advanced Survival - Bridge Class - July 11-15th - Beaver Valley near Kimberly

The Way of the Naturalist Canoe Trip – July 17^th -22nd – Algonquin Park

PINE Project Youth Summer Camps – July 2nd – August 10^th – Toronto

PINE Project Youth Summer Camps – July 16-2oth & 23rd – 27^th – Huntsville Area

PINE Project Youth Over-Night Camps – July 29th - August 4th & August 5-11^th – Huntsville Area

The Spirit of Plants – August 4^th – 5th – Location TBA

The Art of Mentoring – August 2oth – 25^th – Norval Outdoor School, near Georgetown

The Algonquin Experience Canoe Trip – August 27th – September 3rd – Algonquin Park

Utilitarian Uses of Plants - Cordage, Baskets, etc.... - September 8-9th Dufferin County

The Art of Survival - September 13 - 16th - Parry Sound Area

Autumn Glory Canoe Trip – September 20th - 23rd – Algonquin Park

Traditional Hide Tanning Class – October 31st - November 4th – Beaver Valley near Kimberly

Herbal Medicine Making Class – November 16^th – 18^th – PINE Project, Toronto

Wildlife Tracking Apprenticeship Program 2013 - Begins in November 2012 - One weekend a month for 10 months

www.earthtracks.ca

That's it. A couple new additions will be added in the near future. If you have any questions or would like more information please contact us through email: earthtracks@gmail.com or phone 519 217 4921.

Tracking Apprenticeship

Just finished our second weekend with the Wildlife Tracking Apprentices. A great couple days focusing on Sign Tracking. Looking forward to Trailing, aging and an intro to gaits next month. Here's a link to the photos on our Flickr Site:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthtracks/sets/72157628032743965/with/6530870539/

December Newsletter

Follow this link to view our most recent newsletter.

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/News-from-Earth-Tracks.html?soid=1103715983133&aid=HXqUJtDHWIg

We have some great Wildlife Tracking Programs planned throughout 2012.

We hope you can join us on one of these tracking adventures!