Since a very young age, I have been interested in the plantlife growing around me. Raised in a mostly rural setting,
my interest in plants seemed a natural part of who I was. I soon began collecting bits of information from elders and
books on what plants were edible, and which were medicinal.
I remember my grandmother teaching me how to make a "soda" from the leaves of oxalis, mixed with water, sugar, baking
soda and just a little bit of vinegar for fizz.
My mother taught me how to collect and prepare a number of wild herbs for food, including pokeweed and lambsquarter.
She knew to be cautious with the pokeweed and when to harvest it, how to cook it to eliminate its toxic properties.
When I was in gradeschool, I read a book titled "My Side of the Mountain," by Jean Craighead George. The story was about
a young boy who ran away to live in the Catskill mountains, and used the survival skills he had taught himself by reading
books at the library. The book contained detailed information on many topics, including "How to Boil Water in a
Leaf," and "How to Make a Fishhook with a stick." I memorized the text and drawings, and spent many summer
days playacting that I was using my survival skills out in the wilderness.
I began to collect books on herbs, wild foods, how to build shelters, purify water, etc.
As an adult, I obtained a bachelor's degree in biology, especially fascinated by the botany portion of my studies.
After graduation, I attended a course on Herbology at another university. My main interest is still in those plants
that are naturally growing around me. Since I live on the edge of the tallgrass prairie, I have access to an rich abundance
of plants, all growing literally at my feet, as I walk through the meadows and woods on the little piece of land I call home.
To identify and classify what I've found, and learn both the edible and medicinal properties of these plants continues
to be one of my life's fascinations.
To read more about wild plants, and wildcrafting herbs, see these links:
