Our Abundant Ecology a series of classes to embody the biome of the Southern Appalachian Foothills
Summer
Wildcrafting & Medicine Making on July 10
This class will introduce participants to the concepts of ethical wildcrafting and medicine making, with a focus on tinctures. Times to best harvest specific plant parts will also be covered. Tincture making will be discussed in detail, and the class will make a tincture as a group.
Summer Foraging on July 17
With the heat of Summer creeping in, the landscape is quickly changing from what it was at the start of Spring. Warm weather greens such as lambsquarters and amaranth are getting taller, wild berries are ripe, and the creeping ad succulent purslane is making a very welcome appearance. As a group we will move through the landscape, identifying and foraging food for a small meal to be eaten together (somewhere in the shade).
Edible & Medicinal Mushrooms on July 31
Summer marks the beginning of an abundant mushroom season here in the Piedmont, which carries over well into fall. Walking through the forest we will look for easily identified mushrooms that can be used as food, medicine, and more (such as chanterelle, reishi, turkey tail, puffballs). We will also cover easily identified mushrooms that you can keep an eye out for as summer ends and fall moves in (such as chicken of the woods, lion's mane, maitake). Identification characteristics, mushroom groups, and taking spore prints for identification will also be covered.
Cordage & Fish Net Weaving on August 7 with Becky Beyer of Blood and Spicebush
In this interactive class, Becky Beyer of Blood and Spicebush will instruct those attending on how to weave a traditional fishing net. The first part of the class will consist of a lesson on making cordage, while the second part of the class will consist of each person weaving a traditional fishing net.
Ecosystem Integration on August 28
Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, humans are deeply woven into nature. We are also a very powerful force of nature. This class is intended for those that acknowledge these aspects of humanness and choose to maximize positive influence on ecosystems which they live in, while providing for human needs.
A tour and discussion of Feralwood at Ardea will make up the bulk of the class. Here a forest edge habitat (and adjoining field) is coming to life with native perennial foods (fruits, nuts, tubers), medicines, and more. Some topics discussed will be: land management practices inspired by indigenous peoples, plant guilds, soil water retention and water catchment, native plant-based fertilizers, native perennial vegetables, holistic thinking, nutrition and nutrient density, the importance of observation, and more. We will also spend some time in the forest looking at forest succession, the importance of forest habitat for ecosystem health, and aspects of forest ecology pertinent to the class.
This class will introduce participants to the concepts of ethical wildcrafting and medicine making, with a focus on tinctures. Times to best harvest specific plant parts will also be covered. Tincture making will be discussed in detail, and the class will make a tincture as a group.
Summer Foraging on July 17
With the heat of Summer creeping in, the landscape is quickly changing from what it was at the start of Spring. Warm weather greens such as lambsquarters and amaranth are getting taller, wild berries are ripe, and the creeping ad succulent purslane is making a very welcome appearance. As a group we will move through the landscape, identifying and foraging food for a small meal to be eaten together (somewhere in the shade).
Edible & Medicinal Mushrooms on July 31
Summer marks the beginning of an abundant mushroom season here in the Piedmont, which carries over well into fall. Walking through the forest we will look for easily identified mushrooms that can be used as food, medicine, and more (such as chanterelle, reishi, turkey tail, puffballs). We will also cover easily identified mushrooms that you can keep an eye out for as summer ends and fall moves in (such as chicken of the woods, lion's mane, maitake). Identification characteristics, mushroom groups, and taking spore prints for identification will also be covered.
Cordage & Fish Net Weaving on August 7 with Becky Beyer of Blood and Spicebush
In this interactive class, Becky Beyer of Blood and Spicebush will instruct those attending on how to weave a traditional fishing net. The first part of the class will consist of a lesson on making cordage, while the second part of the class will consist of each person weaving a traditional fishing net.
Ecosystem Integration on August 28
Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, humans are deeply woven into nature. We are also a very powerful force of nature. This class is intended for those that acknowledge these aspects of humanness and choose to maximize positive influence on ecosystems which they live in, while providing for human needs.
A tour and discussion of Feralwood at Ardea will make up the bulk of the class. Here a forest edge habitat (and adjoining field) is coming to life with native perennial foods (fruits, nuts, tubers), medicines, and more. Some topics discussed will be: land management practices inspired by indigenous peoples, plant guilds, soil water retention and water catchment, native plant-based fertilizers, native perennial vegetables, holistic thinking, nutrition and nutrient density, the importance of observation, and more. We will also spend some time in the forest looking at forest succession, the importance of forest habitat for ecosystem health, and aspects of forest ecology pertinent to the class.