Month: August 2012
Summer Harvest: Manzanita and Gooseberry
August 26, 2012
FacebookTwitteremailShare…Manzanita and Gooseberry I’ve been learning from Grayson Coney, cultural director of the Tsi-Akim Maidu, how to most efficiently collect manzanita. It seems that a thin basket slid under the berries while you pick works well to minimize dead leaves and twigs. Timing is everything and the earlier you collect the berries (when the first […]
The Manzanita Report
August 9, 2012
FacebookTwitteremailShare…Manzanita Ecology by Rachel Durben of Sierra Streams Institute, rachel@sierrastreamsinstitute.org. Introduction by Alicia Funk. Manzanita has captured my interest and heart and I’ve used it more consistently over the past several years than any other wild plant. Most people don’t like it and consider it a fire hazard. However, in a healthy forest, it provides an essential […]
Local Superfoods: Elderberry and Chokecherry
FacebookTwitteremailShare…Local Superfoods: Elderberry and Chokecherry : One of my favorite ways to enjoy the summer is by collecting local wild berries that are high in antioxidants. Recent laboratory studies have confirmed the anti-viral effects and demonstrated a high content of Vitamin C in elderberries. Elderberry flowers (Sambucus species): The Diegueño, Coast Miwok, Kashaya, Cahuilla and Yuki Indians used […]
Pearly Everlasting
FacebookTwitteremailShare…Pearly Everlasting is Blooming! If there isn’t an essential oil of this plant, there should be. The smell is of thick, warm summer coming on, with sticky orange-minty maple syrup. When you see this plant, try rubbing its perfume on your neck. It will be with you all day long. This is how I first […]
