tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60233233602719925272024-02-20T19:12:02.624-08:00Wild Plants and Wooly BearsTom Seymour, Maine Naturalist, journalist, writer of books, blogs and articles, shares his encounters with the natural world.Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.comBlogger281125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-6200575245945930852017-01-17T09:09:00.003-08:002017-01-17T09:09:36.139-08:00New Law Would Ban Foraging
Maine lawmakers are considering passage of a new law which would effectively ban foraging. Commercial harvesting of wild mushrooms and ostrich fern fiddleheads has created an atmosphere of chaos.
Commercial harvesters often violate their privilege of harvesting on private land. When this all began, I feared that the actions of a few bad apples might unjustly reflect upon all of us who do no harm.
The sad truth is, most of us don’t cause any harm whatsoever. In addition, ostrich fern fiddleheads are only one in a long list of wild edibles. We who pick stinging nettles, dock, wintercress, fireweed shoots, common cattails and any number of items that few people are even acquainted with are doomed to suffer because of the harmful actions of a few. But when any wild product (the bill is aimed at mushrooms and fiddleheads, but because it is so poorly worded, it by necessity covers all edible wild plants) becomes the target of a commercial industry, problems are sure to follow.
In years past I used to go to the sea and with a long-handled net, harvest sea urchins for my own personal use. Do that now and wind up in jail. Ditto for baby eels. And the list goes on.
But we who are honest should not have to pay for the harm imposed by commercial interests.
I have included, below, the text of the proposed new regulations. They are Draconian to a fault.
Hopefully, we foragers can come together and convince lawmakers to refine the language of their new law so that it only deals with mushrooms and fiddleheads. Again, hardly anyone except for we few foragers care about or are even familiar with the great body of wildlings that we enjoy harvesting and eating.
Here’s hoping that we can act in time to avert this needless disaster.
An Act To Prohibit Foraging on Private Land without Permission
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §8842-A, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2015, c. 55, §1, is further amended to read:
1. Cutting prohibited. A person may not:
A. Cut or harvest Christmas trees or, evergreen boughs or edible wild food on land of another without securing written permission or a bill of sale from the owner or the owner's authorized agents and having a copy of this written permission or bill of sale in immediate possession. Violation of this paragraph is a Class E crime; or
B. Violate paragraph A when:
(1) The value of the trees or, boughs or edible wild food is more than $10,000. Violation of this subparagraph is a Class B crime;
(2) The person is armed with a dangerous weapon at the time of the offense. Violation of this subparagraph is a Class B crime;
(3) The value of the trees or, boughs or edible wild food is more than $2,000 but not more than $10,000. Violation of this subparagraph is a Class C crime;
(4) The value of the trees or, boughs or edible wild food is more than $1,000 but not more than $2,000. Violation of this subparagraph is a Class D crime; or
(5) The person has 2 prior Maine convictions for any combination of the following: theft; any violation of Title 17-A, section 401 in which the crime intended to be committed inside the structure is theft; any violation of Title 17-A, section 651; any violation of Title 17-A, section 702, 703 or 708; or attempts thereat. Title 17-A, section 9-A governs the use of prior convictions when determining a sentence. Violation of this subparagraph is a Class C crime.
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §8842-A, sub-§§2 and 3, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. F, §40 and affected by Pt. X, §2, are amended to read:
2. Transport prohibited. A person may not:
A. Transport Christmas trees or, evergreen boughs or edible wild food without written permission or a bill of sale from the owner of the land where the trees or, evergreen boughs or edible wild food were harvested or that owner's authorized agents. Violation of this paragraph is a Class E crime; or
B. Violate paragraph A when:
(1) The value of the trees or, boughs or edible wild food is more than $10,000. Violation of this subparagraph is a Class B crime;
(2) The person is armed with a dangerous weapon at the time of the offense. Violation of this subparagraph is a Class B crime;
(3) The value of the trees or, boughs or edible wild food is more than $2,000 but not more than $10,000. Violation of this subparagraph is a Class C crime;
(4) The value of the trees or, boughs or edible wild food is more than $1,000 but not more than $2,000. Violation of this subparagraph is a Class D crime; or
(5) The person has 2 prior Maine convictions for any combination of the following: theft; any violation of Title 17-A, section 401 in which the crime intended to be committed inside the structure is theft; any violation of Title 17-A, section 651; any violation of Title 17-A, section 702, 703 or 708; or attempts thereat. Title 17-A, section 9-A governs the use of prior convictions when determining a sentence. Violation of this subparagraph is a Class C crime.
3. Inspections and investigations. An officer authorized to make inspections and investigations under this article may require of any person, firm or corporation engaged in cutting, harvesting or transporting Christmas trees or,evergreen boughs or edible wild food to show:
A. If engaged in cutting or harvesting trees or, boughs or edible wild food belonging to another, a current written permit or bill of sale issued pursuant to subsection 1, paragraph A; and
B. If engaged in transportation, a current written permit, bill of sale, port of entry statement or other written proof of ownership when transporting for commercial purposes trees, loose or in bundles, or boughs, loose or baled, or edible wild food. A driver shall carry this permit on the driver's person or in the vehicle.
Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §8844, as repealed and replaced by PL 1983, c. 507, §2, is amended to read:
§ 8844.Seizure or attachment
Any officer authorized to make inspections, investigations or arrests under this Article may seize and hold Christmas trees or, evergreen boughs or edible wild food until proof of ownership has been established. If no proof of ownership has been established, the officer shall try to determine where those trees or, boughs or edible wild food were cut or harvested and notify the landowner. If the owner does not want the trees or, boughs,or edible wild food or ownership cannot be determined, the State may dispose of them and any money derived from the disposition of the trees and,boughs shallor edible wild food must be paid to the landowner, if histhe landowner's identity can be established and, otherwise, to the Treasurer of State to be credited to the General Fund.
Sec. 4. 12 MRSA §8847, as repealed and replaced by PL 1983, c. 507, §4, is amended to read:
§ 8847.Enforcement agencies
State police, county sheriffs, municipal law enforcement officers, state forest rangers and game wardens are authorized to make inspections, investigations, arrests and disposals of trees and, boughs or edible wild food under thisArticlearticle.
Sec. 5. 22 MRSA §2175, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2013, c. 533, §21, is further amended to read:
3. Refusal to certify; revocation of certification. The Department of Health and Human Services may decline to certify any person adjudged to have violated Title 12, chapter 805, subchapter 3, article 2 with regard to harvesting or transporting wild mushrooms or determined to lack the appropriate training to safely harvest, broker or sell wild mushrooms, in accordance with rules adopted by the Department of Health and Human Services pursuant to this section. The Department of Health and Human Services may revoke, in accordance with the Maine Administrative Procedure Act, the certification of any person in accordance with rules adopted by the Department of Health and Human Services pursuant to this section or any person adjudged to have violated Title 12, chapter 805, subchapter 3, article 2 with regard to harvesting or transporting wild mushrooms.
Sec. 6. Maine Revised Statutes headnote amended; revision clause. In the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, chapter 805, subchapter 3, article 2, in the article headnote, the words "transportation or cutting of christmas trees" are amended to read "transportation, cutting or harvesting of christmas trees, evergreen boughs and edible wild food" and the Revisor of Statutes shall implement this revision when updating, publishing or republishing the statutes.
SUMMARY
This bill requires anyone harvesting edible wild food to have written permission or a bill of sale from the landowner before harvesting or transporting. The permission requirements and enforcement provisions of this bill are the same as currently exist in Maine law for commercial harvesting of Christmas trees and boughs for wreaths. The bill also authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to decline to certify or to revoke the certification under the Maine Wild Mushroom Harvesting Certification Program of any person found in violation of the prohibition.
Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-9804578170228440092016-11-28T08:13:00.002-08:002016-11-28T08:13:51.990-08:00Second Blooms<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Back
about 10 years ago or so I bought a grafted weeping pussy willow at the Bangor
Flower show, when it was still primarily a flower show. The pussy willow was of
the sprawling, “weeping” type, similar to those grafted cherry trees we plant
for their form and foliage. My weeping willow came in a 4-inch pot, so you can
easily see that it was just a little plant. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">After
planting in front of my house it didn’t take long for the pussy willow to grow.
Each year it just got bigger and bigger, making a nice contrast against the
white snow. But one of the reasons for planting any pussy willow is to admire
the silvery-white catkins. My pussy willow, though, never had more than two or
three catkins at most. This was maddening, especially when I would drive around
and view other, similar plants and see that they were aglow with shiny catkins.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">However,
every so often in fall, my pussy willow sets on a few catkins. And it did that
this year. Perhaps the plant thinks it’s spring, I’m not quite sure. One thing
I do know is it isn’t terribly unusual for some flowering plants to host a
limited, second bloom in fall. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Forsythia,
for instance, often sets blossoms in fall. These are never a big, thick blush
of blossoms, but all the same they come on in enough numbers to put on an
attractive display. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Then
we have witch hazel, with its wiry yellow petals. However, witch hazel is a
fall bloomer rather than a springtime bloomer, so that sets it apart from pussy
willows and forsythia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">At
this moment, with temps outside in the mid-40s, it appears that my February
daphne, an early-spring flowering plant may soon have a few open blossoms. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And
though I’ve never seen this, I believe my neighbor when he told me that he
found ostrich fern fiddleheads ready to pick in November. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Were
we to have an old-fashioned fall such as the kind we endured in the 1960s
through the early 1990s, I wouldn’t be talking about late-blooming plants. But
things are different now and warmer falls and winters have become the norm.
That’s not to say that any day now we won’t be plunged into the freezer, but it
hardly seems likely. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">At
the very least, it’s fun to go out and look at flowering plants to see if any
of them have put on a second bloom. Good luck with that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">As
a postscript, I have a confession to make. While I make my living as a writer
and use a computer for that, computers are not my friends…by that, they confuse
me. I began my writing career on a typewriter, so that should give some history
of my relationship with these new-fangled computers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Anyway,
within a few days of posting a new blog I’ll look and see if there were any
comments. And usually there aren’t. But once in a great while I’ll go into the
guts of the program, a dangerous practice for me, and see to my great amazement
that people have responded. In fact I just read a whole string of helpful
comments and questions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So
for my next blog I plan on answering those unanswered comments. And from now
on, I shall get in the program and take a closer look. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I
apologize for not answering some of reader’s excellent questions. From now on
I’ll do my best to get with the program and be more attentive. I’m sorry and I
promise to do better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Tom<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid6uvTDSeBEz0mzJDhClVMWW42lJwPksjtVib6pZ6KTXXheCYulwk0Of6JX1pYpBXcC7APQnpGyfzj22zNpioGc2xiZXiMfeTLq5IIbvNndfjTOSTVDjG0WahGwK8nB6TUXguVDgd3y04/s1600/Late-Blooming+Pussy+Willows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid6uvTDSeBEz0mzJDhClVMWW42lJwPksjtVib6pZ6KTXXheCYulwk0Of6JX1pYpBXcC7APQnpGyfzj22zNpioGc2xiZXiMfeTLq5IIbvNndfjTOSTVDjG0WahGwK8nB6TUXguVDgd3y04/s320/Late-Blooming+Pussy+Willows.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p>Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-27102050096082772252016-10-23T13:03:00.001-07:002016-10-23T13:03:26.686-07:00Dandelions Sweet as Sugar<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">No
matter where in the State of <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maine</st1:place></st1:state>
you live, it’s likely that your area has suffered a killing frost. For those
who cling to their perennial and annual flower beds, that is bad news. But for
dandelion lovers, read on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Springtime
and dandelions, almost synonymous to many people, mark a fairly short-lived
window of opportunity for dandelion addicts. Spring sees us digging fat,
sprawling dandelions. But after true warm weather arrives and dandelions go to
flower, the leaves and even the crowns become bitter. And so we wait for the
following spring for more of our cherished greens. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But
wait. That’s not the end of the story. Did you know that after a killing frost,
dandelions lose all trace of bitterness? Yes, that is so. Who knew?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Well,
until a few years ago I didn’t. But my good friend Marion Hunnicutt did and
Marion enlightened me regarding other uses of dandelions than just spring-dug
plants. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">First,
<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Marion</st1:place></st1:city>
mentioned that dandelion blossoms, in my mind only useful for making dandelion
wine, were ambrosial when fried in a Tempura batter. I tried it this spring and
sure enough, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Marion</st1:place></st1:city>
had struck a home run. The blossoms were a true delicacy when prepared this
way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But
back to fall-dug dandelions. Sure, the plants lack the bulk of spring-dug
plants because in spring, dandelions are putting on mass preparatory to
blooming. And until the blossoms open they are yummy. After blooming, though,
dandelions become bitter to the point of having to pucker when tasting even a
tiny portion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Fall-dug
dandelions don’t have the mass or bulk of the springtime variety. They more
closely resemble those sparse dandelions we dig as soon as snow melts and we
can find a few plants from last year. Well, those early spring dandelions are
the same ones we find now in fall, after a few, good freezes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So
dandelion lovers unite! Go forth, digger in hand and harvest this late-season
bounty. If I’m any kind of judge of horseflesh, you’ll be glad you did. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-49147357519781923162016-10-09T09:55:00.002-07:002016-10-09T09:55:25.477-07:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
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<st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Maine</span></st1:place></st1:state><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> Suffers Severe Drought – No Relief In Sight<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We
all remember dry summers and even a few dry falls. But the current drought has
brought conditions far worse than most of us can recall. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In
my case, things have gone from bad to worse. First, my trout pond began getting
lower by the day. Than a 12-foot-deep pond on a hilltop behind the house has
dropped down to about two feet of water. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">My
well, which sits about halfway between the two ponds has not escaped the
drought and a visual check yesterday revealed about three feet of water in the
12 X 4-foot well. So now I only dare draw water for drinking. No more doing
laundry, no more relaxing showers. From now on it’s the laundromat and sponge
baths, the worst of which for me is the laundromat. I just hate those places. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Today,
like many other Mainers, I’m headed out after church to buy some Jerry jugs for
hauling water. It’s hard to conceive, but this may become a way of life for an
indeterminate period of time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The
reason is the little piddling rains we have had are barely sufficient to wet
the top layer of soil. We need days and days of driving, soaking rain. And
according to the weather forecasters, we aren’t going to get it any time soon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It
was thought, for a little while, that Hurricane Matthew would swing close
enough to <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maine</st1:place></st1:state>
to give us the water we need. But now it looks as if the hurricane will not
move any further north than the <st1:place w:st="on">Carolinas</st1:place>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So
without much-needed rain, wells, streams, rivers, lakes and ponds will continue
to lose water through evaporation. Low levels in streams have already led to a
loss of many native brook trout. The fish need cool, well-oxygenated water to
survive and the few pools of water that remain are neither well-oxygenated nor
cool. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here’s
the worst part of this. People who are on city water or who have reliable,
drilled wells, don’t believe they need to conserve water. But they do. The
water table is low and any water drained from it only suffices to lower it
further. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But
out-of-sight, out-of-mind remains in control. If the governor declares a state
of emergency, then water rationing, at least for those on public water supply,
will ensue. But for those with wells that remain functional, no rationing can
apply. No one can tell anyone else how to use or not use their own water. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Rationing
may help to conserve remaining water supplies. But what we really need is lots
of rain. And until that happens, we will remain locked in what I suggest is the
worst drought of our lifetimes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-13119704467631565732016-07-10T11:20:00.000-07:002016-07-10T11:20:22.754-07:00Upcoming Events<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Wild Plants And Wooly Bears<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Upcoming Seminar in Moosehead Lake Region</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">My
trips to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Holbrook</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place> in Brooksville
were met with great success. Both times we experienced excellent turnout. And
even better, participants were each and every one very keen on learning more
about the useful wild plants that grow all around us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Park Supervisor Charles Cannon says that he might like for me to do another field trip in September. I'll keep readers posted as (and if) this unfolds. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I do have several upcoming field trips, but these are for a private business.
However, I just firmed up a two-day event in <st1:city w:st="on">Greenville</st1:city>
for <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Northern</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Resource</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Education</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place>. Friday, September
16<sup>th</sup> I’ll present a Digital presentation on edible wild plants and a
short presentation on some common mushrooms. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Then
on Saturday, September 17, I’ll lead the group on a field trip around the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Greenville</st1:place></st1:city> area. The
exact details are still in the making, but interested persons may contact
Mildred Kennedy-Stirling at <a href="mailto:mooseheadlake@me.com">mooseheadlake@me.com</a>
for more information. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So
if you live in that region or simply would like to experience the Moosehead
Region, here’s a chance to see it up-close and personal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I’ve
had loads of fun lately with people sending me plant photos so that I can
identify the plant for them. This is kind of a botanical version of Click ‘N
Clack’s “Stump the Chump.” Thus far, I’ve been successful. Most of that,
however, stems from the excellent photographs people sent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">If
you have a mystery plant to identify, feel free to send me a digital image.
Remember, though, these images need to be crisp and clear, with good detail. It
also helps to send several images shot at different angles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So
try your hand at “stump the plant chump” and I’ll do my best to ID the plant. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Until
next time…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Tom<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-91025549492951137002016-06-20T10:12:00.003-07:002016-06-20T10:12:48.568-07:00 Field Trip to Holbrook Island Wildlife Sanctuary/State Park<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Wild Plants And Wooly Bears<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I’ll
lead two wild plant walks at Holbrook Island Wildlife Sanctuary and State Park
in Brooksville on Sunday, July 3. The first of two walks will begin at 1 p.m. and
the second starts at 3 p.m. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Holbrook
is a mostly undeveloped state park with inland sections, including a small
mountain and a considerable amount of seashore. Hiking trails abound. Park
roads, while unpaved, are immaculately maintained. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The
walk will begin at the Backshore Trail trailhead on the sanctuary’s main road, <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Indian Bar Road</st1:address></st1:street>. From
there we walk down a gentle, wooded slope and end at an old hayfield. Then we’ll
walk back to the trailhead and drive the short distance to the parking lot at
park headquarters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">From
there, we’ll walk a short path down to a secluded beach where we’ll find all
sorts of seaside goodies. Most every one of my favorite seaside plants live
here. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Folks
who have never visited Holbrook will find it a relaxed, scenic spot, an
undiscovered jewel of wild land on <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maine</st1:place></st1:state>’s
rocky coast. Even the drive to Holbrook has its charms, the winding roads
offering spectacular views of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Penobscot</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype></st1:place>, its mountains and
islands. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">To
see Holbrook Island Sanctuary on a map, look at Map 15, B-2 of the <i>DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I
hope to see a few readers there. There is no fee for the plant walk and no
sign-up list either. Just come, learn some new plants and enjoy this special
piece of <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maine</st1:place></st1:state>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-22825082546090397382016-04-10T11:29:00.001-07:002016-04-10T11:29:24.546-07:00Spring is Here<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The
calendar said it was spring back in late March. Than came April and with it,
renewed cold. But still, lots of things in nature tell us that despite cold and
even late snow, spring is here. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Turkey
vultures soar overhead, peering down at the ground to try to sight a meal of
some dead carcass. And shoots of daylilies grow a slight amount with each
passing day. And crocus brighten our days as they unfold their blooms in the
warm, April sun. But one special event must occur before I can feel easy about
spring having arrived in earnest. And that event is the arrival of the local
phoebe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Phoebes
love it around my place and I love having them. These little olive-drab birds
are flycatchers and as such, have great success in picking flying insects from
out of the air. And for every insect that a phoebe catches, that’s just one
more insect that won’t bite or annoy me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I
keep a journal of nature events and one thing I always make note of is the day
the phoebe arrives. Phoebes typically arrive at my place any time between April
10 and April 18. Never has one arrived earlier or later, which I find very
interesting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">While
for me, the phoebe is the true harbinger of spring, there are two more events
that help to welcome spring. First, a mourning cloak butterfly skipped and
fluttered over my dirt driveway a few days ago. These are one of the earliest
butterflies to emerge in spring. The other early one is angel wing butterflies.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The
second true sign of spring happened yesterday, April 9. Wood frogs are loudly
calling from a wetland along my driveway. These are the earliest frogs to begin
their courting rituals. Spring peepers, a better-known and more popular spring
frog needs a bit warmer weather and at least here in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Waldo</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Maine</st1:state></st1:place>,
we probably won’t hear any peepers for another week or more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But
again, the phoebe has returned. Spring is here. Glory be!</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p>Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-68694393608797505132016-03-21T10:03:00.002-07:002016-03-21T10:08:04.411-07:00St. Paddy's Day Trout<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"> The news came out the night before St.
Patrick’s Day. It hit me like a ton of bricks. The commissioner of the Maine
Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife had opened the fishing season two
weeks early because of an early ice-out, coupled with low-water conditions on
streams and brooks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I
was at my publisher’s house in Topsham and would not be able to take advantage
of this unexpected season opener until later the next day. And somehow I knew
it wouldn’t be the same as what I had hoped for. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"> April 1, the traditional opening of trout
season, was always something of an unofficial holiday for me and so it was this
year. I had made plans with fishing buddy Tony Wieman to spend the day fishing
small brooks and streams around <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Waldo</st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on">County</st1:placename></st1:place>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">This
is something we both look forward to each year with great anticipation. We meet
just after daybreak, fish our favorite and often most productive pool and then
go out to Just Barb’s Restaurant in Stockton Springs. From there, fortified
with heavy, greasy breakfast fare, we head out to any number of streams. By
day’s end we are usually tuckered out from pushing through near-impenetrable
stands of alders and climbing banks so steep and slippery that we have to grab
roots and saplings to keep from slipping backwards. We usually have at least a
few trout to show for out efforts, too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">But
this year was different. Had we known of the early opening, we would have
altered our plans. As it stood, I was free but Tony had to work. So after getting
home on St. Pat’s Day, changing clothes and grabbing my gear, I headed out to
the favorite opening day pool. But the road where I live is so bumpy with
countless, cavernous potholes that as a practical matter, speeds cannot exceed
10 miles per hour. That cost me precious minutes and I arrived at the pool just
in time to see someone else, rod in hand, walking down to the water. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">It
is rude to horn in on someone else’s fishing, so I was compelled to skip the
preferred place and go on to the next stream. Some people don’t think anything
of walking up to someone already fishing and then fishing right next to them.
But that kind of boorish behavior is not in my repertoire. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Fishing
was made difficult by all the bent-down alders, victims of a heavy, wet snowstorm
back in November, 2014. Some pools were so cluttered with brush that they were
impossible to fish. But here and there, an opening afforded me the opportunity
to drop my hook in and hopefully, tempt a trout. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I
caught many trout that day, most of them of a sub-legal size. But I managed to
take four that were a bit above the minimum length limit. At day’s end, I was a
bit tired, but pleased with my meager catch. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">And
it being St. Patrick’s Day, I got out my Uilleann (Irish) bagpipes and played
some jigs and reels. It was then that I decided to capture the moment and
arranged a photo, with the pipes spread out on the ground, with the trout next
to them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">And
as far as my opening-day trip with fishing buddy Tony, we have decided to go
for it anyway, just as if the season hadn’t opened early. After all, it will
still be April 1, trout season or not. Some things are too special, even
carved-in-stone to mess with. And opening day of trout season is one of them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-52806286315144637202016-03-12T08:11:00.001-08:002016-03-12T08:11:11.976-08:00Wild Edible Plant Seminar at Eagle Hill Institute<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Up
until last year I had never heard of Eagle Hill Institute, this despite being
familiar with much of the local area. This small, natural history school sits
in an out-of-the-way location surrounded by a typical Downeast forest of fir
and spruce, moss and lichen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Then
last spring I got an email from Eagle Hill asking if I would like to put on a
wild plant weekend and being free from other obligations at the time, I agreed.
It was a good decision. The institute has everything needed to put on classes
and my digital presentations in the morning, followed by an afternoon field
trip, worked out well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Even
better, the people who participated in the class were keen on learning and that
is what every instructor hopes for. The class went well and I even managed to
keep in touch with some of the participants well after the class was over. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Eagle
Institute has a great chef, too, and suppers are a special event. Also, people
who cannot eat certain foods or have any kind of food allergies, can arrange in
advance to have their meals prepared according to what they can and cannot eat.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Anyway,
I’m on Eagle Hill’s list of instructors again this year. My weekend class will
run from June 10 through June 12. People interested in attending this year’s
session can contact Eagle Hill Institute at Eagle Hill Institute, <st1:address w:st="on"><st1:street w:st="on">59 Eagle Hill Road, P.O. Box 9</st1:street>, <st1:city w:st="on">Stuben</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">ME</st1:state> <st1:postalcode w:st="on">04680</st1:postalcode></st1:address>. The phone number is
207-546-2821. On the net, go to <a href="http://eaglehill.us/">http://eaglehill.us</a>
or office@eaglehill,us. For more on class descriptions and author bios, visit <a href="http://eaglehill.us/seminars">http://eaglehill.us/seminars</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-75240691695728817802016-02-24T12:26:00.000-08:002016-02-24T12:26:06.618-08:00Wildflowers in February a Sure Sign of Early Spring<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here
it is only February and wildflowers are blooming. And yes, I’m talking about
here in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Maine</st1:state></st1:place>,
not some tropical paradise. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I’m
always fascinated by any early-blooming or even early-showing plants. For
instance, I revel in my chive bed, because this season’s chives are already
trying to grow through snow and ice. Very soon, I’ll nibble on the first garden
vegetable of the year, a single stalk of chive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Daylilies,
too, send up the tips of little green leaves. These are usually well up by
mid-March and this year should see them coming around even earlier. By the way,
these daylily leaf tips make a good green vegetable when boiled or steamed.
They represent one of the first wild (or semi-wild) foods of the season. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But
today I’m wound up about seeing flowers blooming on a stark, roadside bank. The
flowers, I’m sure some of you have guessed, are Coltsfoot and they are the
earliest wildflower to bloom, at least to my knowledge. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The
roadside bank is so steep that grass can’t be planted there. But coltsfoot
seeds, like dandelion seeds, get transported by a little, feathery “parachute.”
And when these little parachutes land on anything, they stick to it. When the
seeds become wet, they stick even harder and this allows them to germinate on a
nearly vertical surface. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">What’s
more, the embankment is only feet away from the salt water, which means
slightly warmer overall temperatures as opposed to inland conditions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Finally,
the bank is south-facing and even now, in February, the soil warms up nicely on
a sunny, late-winter day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So
be of good cheer. Spring is surely coming and it looks like it is coming early. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-25519794039673647512016-02-16T11:22:00.002-08:002016-02-16T11:41:58.034-08:00Spring<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Was
it my imagination or do the branches and twigs on the weeping willow along my
driveway have a little more color? Sometimes in late winter trees give us
low-key clues that spring is on the way. Maples show red at twig tips and
willows, such as the one along my driveway, show a brighter shade of yellow. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Astronomical
spring arrives on March 20. But as much as one month prior to that, nature
shows us signs of the changing seasons. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">For
instances, those who spend time in the woods and those who feed wild songbirds,
probably have noticed that along about now black-capped chickadees change their
song. It becomes just a little more raspy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">And
by looking closely at little pools of water formed by melting snow, we might
notice a coating of some kind of dust on the water’s surface. More than likely
it isn’t dust at all. Snow fleas, a.k.a. springtails, thousands of them, jump
around on the snow around the base of trees. In fact, rivulets of snowmelt can
channel umpteen snow fleas to a larger pool and likely millions of the tiny
creatures can entirely cover the surface. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Then
we have the less tangible signs of spring such as the way the earth smells
where snow has melted and sunlight thaws the top layer. This is evident in
towns, too. On a warm day in late winter, all the smells, scents and odors that
were there last summer and fall are suddenly unlocked. Some of these scents are
quite attractive and in our minds we can imagine that they are of distant flowers, or
perhaps of someone baking bread. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">In
a little over one month we’ll have the real deal to embrace. But for now, these
silent, often-unnoticed signs of spring are sufficient to buoy hope in
winter-weary mortals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-70178189498644132162016-02-08T09:04:00.006-08:002016-02-08T09:06:06.780-08:00<br />
<br />
Spring Slated for Mid-March Arrival<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">A
forecaster from National Weather Service has come out with word that by
mid-March, the northeast will see a warming trend. The last few years have seen
late-arriving springs, partly due to lingering arctic air. But this year, there
will be no arctic air and a strengthening March sun will work wonders toward
warming us up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">For
me, this comes as the best possible news. Wild edible plants will become
available earlier and trout fishing in streams and rivers will crank up into
high gear by early April. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Today
is February 8 and until just a few days ago, I was able to go out back on the
hillside by my house and pick fresh wintergreen leaves to chew on. That’s
because what little snow we had melted, leaving wide swaths of bare ground on
south-facing hillsides. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Before
that, though, three resident deer had pawed through the snow to get at the
wintergreen. This surprised me. I didn’t know that deer liked wintergreen. I
knew that partridge liked it, because many lf the birds that fell to my shotgun
in fall had crops filled with wintergreen leaves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Today,
though, temperatures are in the low teens and a major snowstorm is on the way.
But it’s only early February and we must expect such things. So let it freeze,
let it snow and do whatever it wants. With news of a big warmup in March, we
can handle about anything that nature gives us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-58672849788420608322016-01-02T09:48:00.003-08:002016-01-02T09:48:44.757-08:00<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Wild Medicines of Winter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-size: large;"> I regularly
put up medicinal herbs for the winter. This is an annual ritual, since most of
the plants lose their potency within one year or less. Besides plants that we
harvest just before cold weather sets in, there are a number of plant medicines
available year-round. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> For
instance, willows contain salicylic acid. If that sounds familiar it’s because
aspirin is manmade acetylsalicylic acid. <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Willow</st1:place></st1:city>
is a natural form and it is a powerful medicine. I sometimes use the fresh bark,
perhaps a half teaspoonful of chopped, inner bark, steeped in a tea. The only
drawback is that the wild product is not buffered and can cause stomach upsets.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maine</st1:place></st1:state> has numbers of
different kinds of willows, and these tend to hybridize, making exact identification
difficult. But since all willows, <i>Salix</i> species, contain some amount of
salicylic acid, foragers needn’t worry about which willow is which.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Balsam
fir, <i>Abies </i>balsamea, another tree with medicinal properties, is common
throughout <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maine</st1:place></st1:state>.
Balsam gum has healing properties and can be used on cuts and other wounds.
It’s easy to gather the gum (oleoresin) by cutting or simply popping the
blisters, or bubbles on the bark. The leaves (needles) make a tea that is taken
for coughs and colds. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> I’ve
said many times before that I prefer taking my medicine in the form of food. To
that end, I favor watercress. Yes, you can buy watercress in the market but it
grows wild, too. A stream behind my house has lots of watercress, and it grows
year-round. It’s kind of cold work, reaching in the frigid water to pick
watercress. But it’s worth it. Watercress is a powerhouse of vitamins and
minerals, among which are Vitamins A, B, C, B2, copper, iron, calcium and
magnesium. Its iron content is higher that that found in spinach. Watercress is
low in carbohydrates. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> I
offer these as an example of what we can gather from the wild, even in
mid-winter. There are plenty other plant medicines out there. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-30128843807863556642015-06-23T08:01:00.000-07:002015-06-23T08:06:06.212-07:00Seminar Schedule and June Report<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It’s
been a busy and exciting foraging season for me thus far. I’ve visited many
different parts of <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maine</st1:place></st1:state>
and have met many interesting and friendly people. As of now, my only remaining
previously-planned seminars are a plant walk for Islesboro Land Trust at
Islesboro on July 11, a medicinal plant weekend course at Eagle Hill Institute
in Stuben from September 11 through 13 and finally, a DVD presentation followed
by a plant walk at Waldoboro School for SAD 40 from 10 – 2:30 on September 25. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Persons
wishing to participate in any of these may contact me and I can forward sign-up
info. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Also,
I am open to events and private sessions at any time. Just call me at (207)
338-9746 or email me at <a href="mailto:tomgseymour@gmail.com">tomgseymour@gmail.com</a>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Participants in my seminars have shared some fun, new thoughts regarding
wild plants. First, I learned that the inner pith from the base of new growth
(twigs) of staghorn sumac makes a tasty trail nibble. To use, just break off
the end of the twig from the larger branch and peel the bark from the end
nearest the break. This exposes a white core which, when removed, can be eaten
raw. These have a somewhat unique flavor which is difficult to describe. All I
can say is that it is a pleasant taste. This product is best in spring and very
early summer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Next,
while discussing bunchberries, a lady asked why flowering plants exhibited 6
leaves, while non-flowering plants had only 4 leaves. I’d never noticed this
distinction before, which goes to show how any of us can be in near-constant
contact with a plant (it grows profusely close to my house) and not notice
small, distinguishing features. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">As
per my own personal foraging, one of my all-time favorite wild greens, lamb’s
quarters, is ready for the picking on a pile of “composted” cow manure I got
from a nearby dairy. The stuff looked so good when first delivered, and the
farmer told me that he had taken pains to make sure it was fully composted.
Well it wasn’t and now it is thick with lamb’s quarters. This couldn't have pleased me more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I
planted my winter squash on this pile and the lamb’s quarters are at the stage
now where they need harvesting because they are crowding out and overshadowing
the young squash plants. As soon as it stops raining and things dry out, I plan
to tackle this job. There is sufficient lamb’s quarters to allow for lots of
fresh eating as well as freezing a quantity for winter. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Next,
regarding the perennial wild spinach, Good King Henry that I used in a trial
last season, it didn’t produce enough to justify it taking up garden space. So
last fall I transplanted the plants to a bed inside my small greenhouse. This
was usually reserved for lettuce, but lettuce never did well there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Anyway,
this spring it appeared that the Good King Henry plants had perished over the
winter. Somehow, though, I thought it prudent to forbear to pull them out right away, so
they remained in place until sometime in mid-April. And then I was surprised to
see that the crowns had survived and were sending up new growth. I’ve had
numerous meals of this delightful wild green and by the looks, there is more to
come. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now
a question. Is this abundant and quick growth because the plants were
transplanted and like their new home, or might it simply be because the plants
are now a year older and thus stronger and more productive? I don’t know, but
it doesn’t matter much. Good King Henry has earned a permanent home at my
place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Because
of the lingering cold, wet spring, many plants are far behind where they should
be for this time of year. Cattails ought to be putting out those sausage-shaped
seedheads (the actual “cattail” part), but in my part of Midcoast Maine, that
has yet to happen. Whenever the seed heads do develop and ripen, I'm ready to go out and harvest a bunch. When trimmed of stems and boiled, they can be eaten like corn-on-the-cob. While they don't taste like corn, they do have a pleasant, nutty flavor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Many
other plants are late. Even cultivated plants in my garden are far smaller than
they ought to be for late June. The predicted extra-hot summer has not yet
become reality and the long-term Accu Weather forecast indicates only moderate
heat for July. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This
next topic aggravates me. I’m really tired of hearing people say we need more
rain. <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maine</st1:place></st1:state>
was not and is not in a drought. In early spring, the ground dried to a point
that forest fire danger was high, but that didn’t mean that the water table was
low, because it wasn’t. Springs, natural ponds, the kind not regulated by dams
and streams are all up to very reasonable levels. Wetlands and swamps are full
and in fact, some places that ought to have dried out by now are still very
wet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Sure,
certain areas of the country are experiencing drought conditions, but <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maine</st1:place></st1:state> isn’t one of them.
We have more water than we know what to do with. And that's a good thing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-66946150921142108522015-05-09T08:19:00.002-07:002015-05-09T08:19:45.494-07:00Springtime Edibles On Sale Now<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Okay,
the wild edible plants </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">aren't</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> really on sale. But now that I have your
attention, let me announce that all of the early spring wild edibles are ready
now in most of </span></span><st1:place style="font-family: Verdana; line-height: 150%;" w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Maine</st1:state></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lingering
cold throughout April, followed by unusually-warm conditions in early May have
served to make emerging plants grow like rockets. Also, the timetable for many
plants has gone askew. For instance, all plants follow an emergence pattern, as
in one comes out, followed by another and so on, in a regular sequence. But not
this year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">For
the first time that I can remember, everything has come around at once.
Coltsfoot, dandelions, purple trillium, ostrich fern fiddleheads, stinging
nettles, blunt-leaved dock and false Solomon’s seal are all up and ready now.
And while I haven’t looked for it, I’m certain that wintercress is up as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">What
does this all mean? Well, it’s good that we get to take our pick of favorite
wild plants, but it’s kind of too bad that emergence dates are not spread out.
It’s akin to giving children their Christmas presents two weeks early.
Anticipation, the great magnet that draws us afield, is nowhere to be seen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">However,
there are ample wild edibles that haven’t come out yet, plants that are likely
to follow their predictable emergence tables. So all is not lost. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">For
those who put up wild plants by canning of freezing, the next week or two will
certainly be a busy time. And if the task seems a bit overwhelming, just harken
back to those bleak days of winter, when a package of fiddleheads or a canning
jar of dandelions helped to dispel winter blues. So yes, it’s all worth it.
Persevere, I say. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here’s
something positive, at least for those living in the Midcoast area. While I
have spent much time in the woods and fields this spring, much of it in prime
whitetail deer habitat, I haven’t noticed one deer tick. Usually by May, I have
found at least two or three ticks crawling or already attached to me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This
is no excuse to forgo nightly tick inspections. Sure, it’s a nuisance to
inspect every inch of skin before going to bed. Sometimes I’ll forget and have
to get up and go in the bathroom and do my check with sleepy eyes. But I do it.
And so should you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">In
the end, it’s far better to conduct nightly tick searches and find no tick,
than to not do the searches and find a tick already </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">embedded</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> and fully
engorged. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Happy
foraging season, my friends. It’s going to be a busy one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-83975096494846711372015-03-26T07:00:00.000-07:002015-03-26T07:12:22.430-07:00Next 2015 Presentation - Old Bristol Garden Club<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WULavCoRbPJ1O7Zyn8OcJlsxFjnuFNLWmZliWnk1TcFgjn7KCANtswzUIeE7oajWK0WMW4gxoYbHy6N3AMVd6XLMIDJle6w5oLiiwBZfN_H5sgUvI-By-a3LI5b3md9po6vhjFp1M2U/s1600/Tom+looks+at+cattails+photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WULavCoRbPJ1O7Zyn8OcJlsxFjnuFNLWmZliWnk1TcFgjn7KCANtswzUIeE7oajWK0WMW4gxoYbHy6N3AMVd6XLMIDJle6w5oLiiwBZfN_H5sgUvI-By-a3LI5b3md9po6vhjFp1M2U/s1600/Tom+looks+at+cattails+photo.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Tom looks at cattails.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Come enjoy a presentation of spring edibles for the <span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Old
Bristol Garden Club on April 9. Meetings are held at the 2nd Congregational Church at 51 Main Street in Newcastle.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The meeting begins at 1:30PM and the presentation runs from 1:50PM to 2:30PM. The public is invited to all meetings and there is no fee.</span><br />
Pick up your own copy of <em>Wild Plants of Maine</em> after the presentation.</span>Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-3556454136726624642015-03-04T07:46:00.003-08:002015-03-26T06:48:40.246-07:00Tom's 2015 Seminar Schedule<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">With
bi-weekly snowstorms and nighttime temperatures hovering around zero, it’s
difficult to imagine that the foraging season is nearly upon us. But people who
organize season schedules for organizations already have most of their slots
filled. Accordingly, I am slated to give presentations at several different
locations around the state. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here,
below, is my schedule of events as it stands now, March 4, 2015. I do have a
few other events scheduled, but these are mostly for private groups and
participant lists are already filled. What you see here are all open to the
public and if you would like to attend, just contact the organizations listed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ll
update and revise the list as the season progresses. Here, then, is my 2015
schedule thus far:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Presentation for Old Bristol Garden Club at the 2nd
Congregational Church in Newcastle on April 9. Meeting begins at 1:30PM and the
presentation runs from 1:50PM to 2:30PM. The public is invited to all meetings
and there is no fee.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><st1:placename w:st="on">Merryspring</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Nature</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype>, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Camden</st1:city></st1:place>,
lecture and walk, April 16, 10 – 12 a.m. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MSAD 20 Adult Ed class held at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Union</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Elementary School</st1:placetype></st1:place>, May 9, 10 a.m. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span>Eagle
Hill Institute, <st1:address w:st="on"><st1:street w:st="on">59 Eagle Hill
Road, P.O. Box 9</st1:street>, <st1:city w:st="on">Stuben</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">ME</st1:state> <st1:postalcode w:st="on">04680</st1:postalcode></st1:address>.
(207) 546-2821, <a href="mailto:office@eaglehill.us">office@eaglehill.us</a>.
Participants welcome. Visit website or call. My seminar is for Saturday and
Sunday, May 30 and 31, with a get-acquainted time on Friday night. This is a
stay-over session. Eagle Hill has lodging, food, etc. The topic is springtime
foraging for wild edibles. <o:p></o:p></div>
</span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Deer
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Isle</st1:placetype> <st1:placename w:st="on">Hostel</st1:placename></st1:place>, begin 9:30 a.m., June 20. More
info to follow. Indoor presentation followed by field trip. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Islesboro</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Land</st1:placetype></span></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> Trust Plant Walk, July 11. More info to follow. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Eagle
Hill Institute, same contact info as above. September 12 and 13, course title:
Making Medicine from Wild Plants. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-22062666073773496242014-11-23T08:42:00.000-08:002014-11-23T08:42:12.602-08:00Harbor Pollock Centerpiece of Foraged Meals in Winter<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Wild Plants And Wooly Bears<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6KoLvD4gkmEE21CHQUoBhXe56k5WYUrMlt_L-qRise13PsTlTFBY5CVPRgV5vQlUIUKBLsxlZwu9KJDS6QalLiXGBJqyTwXvz-y2peMQqbaaJcsBycXP2EemVN6XBlXcCm2pzmxvOQw/s1600/Limit+of+harbor+pollock,+November+2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6KoLvD4gkmEE21CHQUoBhXe56k5WYUrMlt_L-qRise13PsTlTFBY5CVPRgV5vQlUIUKBLsxlZwu9KJDS6QalLiXGBJqyTwXvz-y2peMQqbaaJcsBycXP2EemVN6XBlXcCm2pzmxvOQw/s1600/Limit+of+harbor+pollock,+November+2014.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Cold,
windy and snowy. That’s the way things look from now on. And yet, foraging
continues, in a way. While foraging for wild plants is pretty much out, I have
contented myself with catching and eating harbor pollock and when the
opportunity presents itself, brook trout and brown trout. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">While
trout fishing opportunities are limited now, given that only a few streams are
open this time of year, pollock fishing is permitted anytime, anywhere. There
is one rule, though, and that’s a daily bag limit of 12 fish. And truthfully, I
wouldn’t want to clean more than 12 pollock. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">These
plentiful fish are available around piers, floats and breakwaters for most of
the fall and into winter. Really, the only thing that stops me from catching
them in midwinter is the extreme cold. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It
aggravates me to have to buy fish when there are so many underutilized species
out there that few people bother with. Which explains my fascination for
pollock and other less-than-glamorous species. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I
like to skin and fillet my pollock. These fish have been running about 12
inches and weighing close to one pound, so each fish gives two, hefty fillets. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Sometimes
I’ll use my fresh pollock fillets in conjunction with preserved, wild edible
plants to make a wholly-foraged meal. Home-canned goosetongue and frozen
dandelions go well with ocean fish. Other times I’ll mix and match homegrown
vegetables such as carrots and squash to make not a foraged meal, but a
combination of foraged and homegrown.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So
even during the gray, cold days of early winter, we can still enjoy our foraged
foods. It just takes a bit more work. But it’s worth it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-17953086973438680522014-11-01T10:49:00.003-07:002014-11-01T10:49:37.562-07:00Tom Digs Dandelions Ahead of Season's First Nor'easter<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It’s
November 1, opening day of firearms season on deer and I’m sitting inside by
the woodstove. But a stiff north wind blows, carrying a cold rain, and my
tolerance for such adverse conditions declines with each passing year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Besides
that, I have plenty food even without a deer. With the summer bounty of
homegrown and foraged foods, my pantry bulges at the seams. Even so, it was
hard to resist the young dandelions growing in my garden beds and so I went out
this morning and dug a mess. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We’ve
had several hard frosts here in Waldo and dandelions lose their bitterness
after undergoing several good freezes. So if readers have an interest in some
late-season foraging, now is the time to go out and do it. Snow is predicted
for this weekend and even after it melts, which it must, more snow will
certainly follow in the not-too-distant future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In
addition to dandelions, I still have kale, good-king-Henry and even eggplant
growing in my unheated greenhouse. The eggplant can’t last much longer, but as
long as it continues to grow, I’ll continue to water and nurture it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Sitting
here writing and watching the smoke from my chimney sweeping down toward the
ground as a result of the low-pressure system moving in, I think back to years
past and how the season’s first </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">Nor'easter</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> always seems a bittersweet event. Bitter, because it signals an unofficial start to winter. Sweet, because it
feels so cozy and comfortable to sit in a warm house and watch the fir trees
sweep around, buffeted by the wind. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">There’s
nothing we can do about bad weather, so we may as well sit back and enjoy it to
whatever extent we can. It’s all part of nature, after all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-87571107128969676782014-09-28T09:56:00.000-07:002014-09-28T09:56:00.237-07:00Foraging Season Draws To An End<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">After
two heavy frosts, most of the plants that we foragers seek have withered and
died. The season, sadly, draws to an end. But a few plants continue to offer
their bounty, particularly those plants near or right on the coast. <i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">One
plant, an old familiar one that grows nearly everywhere is the dandelion, <i>Taraxacum officinalis</i>. But aren’t
dandelions too bitter now for eating? Well, they became bitter immediately upon
flowering and remained so until right now. But after a heavy frost, dandelions
lose their bitterness. And in Waldo where I live, dandelions have since become
palatable once again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So
if you yearn for some wild foods before they go by for the year, and you live
in a region that has had a frost or two, try digging some dandelions. It’s a
fall bonus that all dandelion lovers ought to take advantage of. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Another
tenacious wild plant, curled dock, <i>Rumex
crispus</i>, has the determination of a Timex watch; it keeps ticking when the
others begin quitting. Specifically, curled dock pretty much dies back in
mid-to late summer, but then in the cool of fall, starts putting out new
growth. This it does until constant freezing temperatures put an end to new
vegetative growth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Tree
nuts are a perennial fall favorite, but nut-bearing trees are widely scattered
and therefore, not a dependable food source, at least here in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maine</st1:place></st1:state>. If you have access to shagbark
hickory, American chestnut or butternut trees, be thankful for your good
fortune. Beechnuts, a common mast crop in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Maine</st1:state></st1:place> and liked by animals as well as
people, are notoriously coquettish and for the last several years, I have not
found any beechnuts to harvest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">A
number of wild plants remain, plants that, like curled dock, experience a second
shot of growth. What you find and where you find it depends upon serendipity
and a bit of luck. But since we have so little time left before a hard freeze
and even snow puts a finality to our foraging days afield, I suggest you get
out now and have a season’s-end fling. It’s a long winter and the shorter you
can make it the better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-18990668894815863152014-08-29T13:10:00.003-07:002014-08-29T13:10:31.768-07:00Farewell To Summer<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">My
summer of teaching foraging throughout the State of <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maine</st1:place></st1:state> draws to a close. This brings at once
a sense of melancholy as well as an invitation to a quieter, easier time to
come. As per my personal foraging, mushrooms make up the bulk of it, as well as
such seasonal delicacies as <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:city>
artichokes and late-lingering garden “weeds” such as lamb’s quarters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Garden
produce takes up a big part of my time now. Canning, drying herbs and to a much
lesser extent, freezing, have become regular activities. But all this has its
own rewards past the enjoyment of knowing that I’m providing for my future. I
know I’m taking part in an age-old practice, something that inexorably ties me
to my ancestors. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here’s
an observation for you to consider. Writing this in late August, I’m thinking
that society rushes the season. Advertisements for fall clothes, firewood and
all sorts of fall and winter-related items bombard the airwaves. But it’s still
summer and will be until September 23. So why is everyone in such a rush to bid
farewell to the warm season? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Well,
much to my chagrin, something happens just around the last few days of August.
Changes in nature become noticeable. Colors, scents, sensations, no longer have
that “summer” feel. Skies lose their summertime milkiness, water in lakes,
ponds and streams takes on a marked clarity and the air, while still warm and
congenial, acquires a different feel. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But
this should come as no surprise. As I frequently point out, we in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maine</st1:place></st1:state> have a short
growing season. Plants change their physical appearance from week-to-week and
even the stars and deep-space objects in the heavens reflect the ever-revolving
wheel of time. In other words, every week brings change…sometimes subtle, or as
in right now, quite pronounced. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So
relish those fresh, green things. Soon, they’ll be gone and we’ll have to wait
for next year to enjoy them again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The
year, botanically-speaking, draws to a close. And with it, we have a chance to
ponder and reflect upon those things that we can’t buy with money, but are
worth more than diamonds and gold. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Enjoy
the late summer and embrace autumn. We’re all on a merry-go-round ride on the
great wheel of changing seasons. Enjoy that ride. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-10658941451777863782014-08-16T07:41:00.002-07:002014-08-16T07:41:54.343-07:00Last Workshops Coming Up - A Bit About Invasive Plants<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Summer
goes by so fast and now it’s more than half over. But some summer events remain
and one <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPGalKo7zkwndGsplJwfoq3sdYcD1D2x102LvI5vuLFXFMPoLRCjBcn5BFu7TtvzskGB7irqpTObEZX-j6HDB8DmvLM7qRZNK8F3zL5_xso4diE1ZOo-8EA2IU4G2hVK-u8agt_bTbD8/s1600/Garlic+mustard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPGalKo7zkwndGsplJwfoq3sdYcD1D2x102LvI5vuLFXFMPoLRCjBcn5BFu7TtvzskGB7irqpTObEZX-j6HDB8DmvLM7qRZNK8F3zL5_xso4diE1ZOo-8EA2IU4G2hVK-u8agt_bTbD8/s1600/Garlic+mustard.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garlic Mustard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
of them is the free wild plant workshops I put on at Spruce Point Inn
in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Boothbay</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Harbor</st1:placetype></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">My
last two workshops take place on Tuesday, August 19 and Tuesday, August 26. All
a visitor need do is register at the front desk. Workshops run from 1:30 to
3:00 in the afternoon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">As
an interesting note, this marks the third consecutive season I have taught at
the inn and only this year, did I find garlic mustard growing there. How it
arrived at the edge of the sea on a steep overlook remains a mystery. But it’s
there and has already dropped seed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The
State of <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maine</st1:place></st1:state>
lists garlic mustard as an invasive plant and suggests ways to combat it. The
state list of locales having garlic mustard is now incomplete, since I have
found it in a number of non-listed places and it’s for sure that it has spread
farther than anyone might imagine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The
good news is that garlic mustard is a culinary plant of some value. It has a
heady, garlic flavor, making it useful in all kinds of dishes. I can envision
using the leaves in various ferments. Brined green beans, with garlic mustard,
should make a nice combination. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We
have more and more invasive species each year showing up around <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maine</st1:place></st1:state>. Many of them have
culinary uses, so it only makes sense to use them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Some
time I plan on doing a special presentation on invasive plants. I may work on
it this winter. But my presentation will differ from other invasive plant
presentations because I will also include native invasives. To most people, a
plant must be an alien in order to be considered invasive. Not so. For
instance, groundnuts are a highly-invasive plant that once established are
impossible to get rid of. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Groundnuts
are edible tubers that send up long, weak-stemmed vines. These look much like
pea vines and have twinned, opposite leaves. The vines depend upon other plants
for support and in twining around the support plant, often end up strangling
the plant to death. I have see groundnut vines kill Japanese knotweed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Groundnuts,
along with other wild edibles, are carving out a niche for themselves and as
such, were offered last year by the Waldo County Soil & Water Conservation
District in their annual plant sale. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But
no one has mentioned anything about the plant’s invasive habits. That’s because
groundnuts are a native plant. Cattails are another invasive native plant, but
that’s another story for another time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So
much for invasives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Back
to plant workshops, perhaps I’ll see some of you at my workshops in Boothbay at
Spruce Point Inn. It’ll be fall before you know it and then our wild plants
will have been killed by frost, not to return until next growing season. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Happy foraging.</span>Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-12982374589939288252014-07-04T13:09:00.002-07:002014-07-04T13:09:56.708-07:00Goosetongue<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Wild Plants And Wooly Bears<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Goosetongue <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I’m
just now finishing up the last of the goosetongue, <i>Plantago juncoides</i>, that I picked almost two weeks ago. I got so
much of it that I home-canned 13 jars, gave a copious amount to a neighbor and
had enough left for daily eating for several weeks. Goosetongue keeps well in
the refrigerator for a long time. To use, just rinse in cold water to freshen
the leaves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Hitting
goosetongue just right is key to easy cleaning. By that I mean harvesting the
leaves just before the seedstalks appear. After that, separating the leaves
from seedstalks becomes quite tedious. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But
today, on July 4<sup>th</sup>, I see that other plants are coming along nicely.
Weeding my garden now always means lots of meals of great, fresh green vegetables.
Lamb’s quarters, amaranth and quickweed, or Galinsoga, are all of a size to be
useful now. And they all taste more or less like spinach. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I
must add that I have a new “wild” plant that I started from seed last winter.
Hundreds of years ago, the English cultivated a wild member of the goosefoot
tribe called Good King Henry. The botanical name, <i>Chenopodium bonus-henricus</i>, says it all. It’s a Chenopodium, just
like lamb’s quarters. And it tastes something like it. This has been an
important experiment for me, since GKH is a perennial. And as such, it can be
relied upon to provide food year after year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But
having never tasted the plant, it was a gamble devoting garden space to it. Now
I see that it was a good bet indeed. Next year I plan on adding another row of
GKH. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The
season progresses quickly and it’s hard to grasp that we are in midsummer now.
And with that, my time at Spruce Point Inn in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Boothbay</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Harbor</st1:placetype></st1:place>
begins anew. I’m there teaching wild plants every Tuesday from 1:30 p.m. to
3:00 p.m. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Although
these sessions are aimed at clients of the inn, the public is invited, at no
charge. So if you would like to partake of a casual, and hopefully informative
discussion and plant walk, feel free to show up at the inn by 1:30 every
Tuesday from now until the end of August. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">For
now, enjoy your summer and don’t forget the insect repellent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-40640136417215491072014-05-22T06:23:00.000-07:002014-05-22T06:23:01.512-07:00Cold, Wet Spring No Problem For Foragers<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">For
most of this spring, I have had to continually remind myself that the sun is
still there; we just can’t see it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">To
make matters worse, I’m drawn to flipping through my personal copy of Tom
Seymour’s Forager’s Notebook. Entries there indicate that in 2012, I had
planted all of my garden beds by now. This year, the soil in my raised beds is
wet and cold and not even ready for tilling. That would only compact it and
make it harder to deal with later. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Also
on this date in 2012, dame’s rocket was in full bloom, hummingbirds had
returned nearly one week prior and jewelweed was ripe for picking. Today, only
one of these annual events has occurred. A hummingbird came buzzing around the
greenhouse looking for its sugar feeder. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And
on Saturday, May 26, 2012, the first June bugs (May beetles) had come buzzing
and crashing into my porch light. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Will
everything come out alright in the end? Well, sure. Wild plants will do just
fine. They’re programmed to endure tough and changeable conditions. It’s the
cultivated stuff that has me worried. Everything depends upon the first frost
date. If, for instance, tomatoes haven’t ripened by that time, they will need
to be picked and taken inside to ripen. And house-ripened tomatoes are never as
good as the vine-ripened variety. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So
everything depends upon getting our crops in the ground and growing so that
they can germinate and mature before the first frost. There’s still time, but
it’s growing shorter and shorter. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This
is a good lesson for those who would compare a totally agrarian society to that
of hunter-gatherers. The agrarian types raise all their own food and eschew
wild things. But weather, climate, disease and a host of other factors often
disrupt the system, plunging this entire class into chaos. That ultimately
leads to famine and possibly death from starvation, which in turn dictates
population migration. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">On
the other hand, the hunter-gatherers just put on an extra jacket and hunker
down by the campfire. The wild plants, fish and animals they seek remain
unchanged. “Ho-hum. It’s cold. Better throw another log on the fire.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Of
course we here in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>
are no longer hunter-gatherers. But we are an agrarian society, or at least our
food comes by that means. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">However,
remainders of the hunter-gatherer society still exist in the form of modern-day
foragers. These individuals glean what is best from every source. This gives
foragers a leg up on those who totally depend upon supermarkets for their
sustenance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In
2009, the weather was so wet and cold that all my crops failed. I managed to
get a few pallid stalks of Swiss chard from inside my greenhouse. But
everything else died from standing in water and lack of sunlight. However, I
harvested enough wild food so that I could home-can and freeze enough to last
me through the winter. This was in addition to eating fresh, albeit wild,
vegetables all summer, too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So
if this year turns out to be another one like 2009, it’s not the end of the
world…at least not for foragers. It won’t be fun, but it won’t be a disaster
either.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023323360271992527.post-56837660093463023572014-04-25T14:17:00.003-07:002014-04-25T14:24:53.474-07:00You Can Go Home Again<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Brook
trout and dandelion greens, quintessential components of late April in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maine</st1:place></st1:state>, are finally
available. I dug the first mess of dandelions last week and at the same time,
caught several brook trout. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">My
meal that night was completely foraged and home-grown. The one non-foraged item
was some of my home-grown and home-canned corn, a real treat that I save for
special occasions. In partaking of this, I knew that the winter had officially
passed and spring was here in truth and deed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I
have a little anecdote to share today. This warmed my heart and I hope it
touches readers in the same way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This
morning saw me upstream on a local brook, by a little waterfall, happily
catching and releasing 8- to 10-inch brook trout. I kept two for dinner. On my
way back, nearly to where my car was parked, I saw two youngsters fishing.
These boys were probably 10 years old, give or take a year. They had caught
nothing and neither would they, since the place they were fishing held no
trout. I knew that because I had tried it earlier. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I
greeted them in passing and one of the boys politely asked, “Mister, do you
know where we can catch some trout?” This was the kind of question I wait for
people to ask, especially youngsters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Pulling
the bigger of my two trout from my creel, I held it up and said, “I sure do.”
The boy’s eyes grew as big as saucers. They were that excited over the prospect
of catching a few brook trout. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I
told them exactly where to go and how to go about it. With all the ambition,
hopes and dreams that 10-year old boys have for trout fishing, the two began
running to the appointed location. There, I’m certain, they made lasting
memories, catching handsomely-appointed brook trout. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But
there’s more to this than just my satisfaction of directing two youngsters to a
productive trout hole. The boy who asked me if I could tell him where to catch
some fish somehow reminded me of myself when I was about his age. Many years
ago, when I was 10 or 12, I had a trout fishing buddy and we two would walk for
miles in search of trout. Distance and time meant nothing to us. We only cared
for the sound, smell and ambiance of the stream, and the trout that it held. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">There
was the essence of magic for us in the quest for trout. Along the way, of
course, we learned many things, not just regarding trout. We saw nature because
we encountered it firsthand. It’s amazing what a person can see by walking,
rather than driving. Our trout fishing times were part of our early education. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The
boys today had no way of knowing how they had helped something in me to come
full circle. But they fulfilled an important task. They allowed me to see
myself…myself and my buddy Dan, as we were so very long ago. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Who
says you can’t go home again? <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here's a note to Don from Enfield. I answered your comment. Just go to the April 15 blog post to see it. Sorry I missed it earlier. Tom. </span></div>
Tom G. Seymourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862429721823843074noreply@blogger.com0