Saturday was a jam-packed day of misty forest exploration, shelter building to escape the rain, nettle hunting and harvesting, and collaborative cooking with licorice root, nettle, and veggies. We started our day in an intimate opening circle under a low-hanging cedar that served as our fort for the morning. After a check-in and the usual snacking, we jumped right into our Earth Skill for the day; edible plants!
Some highlights of the day and topics we explored included:
• We wrapped our minds around the incredible fact that almost everything in our lives comes from plants (ask your daughter to explain how her raincoat is made out of plants!) and discussed the many uses we have for the plants native to Washington.
• Since our focus this day was how we use plants for food, we put on our "Owl Eyes" and worked to spot plants that might be usable for food in this season. We saw the early growth of indian plumb and the leaves of huckleberry. We paused to consider poisonous plants: we learned that edible and useful plants far outweigh poisonous ones in this ecosystem, but that it is very important to learn what isn't safe for our bodies. We'll continue to point out and discuss poisonous plants on future outings, but the girls learned to always "Be Sure You Meet Before You Eat!" and never put anything in their mouth unless one can be certain of the plant and its safety.
• We harvested the leaves of nettle, and learned just a few of its more than 100 uses. Many girls chose to Stretch Their Edge and take the Nettle Challenge, bravely allowing the plant to touch their bare skin as a way of practicing Challenge By Choice.
• We made nettle and licorice root tea and cooked up a big pot of nettle soup with potatoes, carrots, and noodles. We called it our frog soup and pretended that we were stirring in frog eyes and snake tongue- It was delicious!!!
• We went exploring in search of more nettles and edible plants and found many gifts of nature along the way. We saw a salamander hiding under a log and learned about putting it back in its home. We also discovered some cool looking eggs on a decomposing log and wondered what might be growing in them.
• We built fairy houses and played in the puddles as the sun began to shine through the trees, just in time for a nice Peaceful Place.
• Finally, after cleaning up the frog soup and packing up our tarp shelter, we set off back down the trail and emerged out of the woods into a beautiful sunny day! We ended with gratitude for the forest, nettle, shelter, friends, sunshine, and the many plants that keep us alive. It was an incredible day filled with learning, connection, food, and fantastic collaboration between the Salish Seals as they shared the work of harvesting, cooking, and celebrating our wild edibles!
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