Two of the things I love most about homeschooling are how much I am learning and how the kids seem to internalize the most random information. In September, our Forest School group met up with Jesse and Johanna of Zia Permaculture to learn about local wild mushrooms and herbs. I had never met Jesse or Johanna but all the other moms raved about how great they were with the kids. I was somewhat surprised to see Jesse come walking down the path with his walking stick and no shoes. He was barefoot! (To be honest, he kind of looked like a modern John the Baptist!) I soon realized that Jesse and Johanna are some of the nicest people you are ever likely to meet. They are passionate about their craft and were incredibly kind and patient with their students.
Although the main point of the hike was to forage for mushrooms, J&J were quick to answer questions about the various plants along the trail. At one point, Jesse was discussing the medicinal qualities of rosehips when Bodie pointed out that Jesse’s arm was bleeding. Jesse took a look at his wound and then asked one of the older boys to gather some yarrow for him. A minute later, Jesse was chewing up a few green fern-like leaves and then crudely smushing them into his cut.
He explained that yarrow, a plant that is prolific in this area, has coagulant qualities – it will help your blood clot more effectively. In essence, yarrow is nature’s bandaid.
Because Matt and I have binge-watched several seasons of “Alone,” I can appreciate the study of herbalism and being familiar with medicinal plants. But seeing this knowledge put into action right before our eyes was really powerful. The remainder of the day was spent searching the forest for mushrooms and dandelions and wild strawberries… I was so excited to be “foraging,” I didn’t even take any pictures!
A few weeks later, we had another Forest School event that involved using pocket knives. Our facilitator was talking to the kids about knife safety and asked the question, “What should you do if you get a cut?” Bodie eagerly raised his hand and shouted out, “Put some yarrow on it!” He had gotten the message 🙂
Have you ever tried using yarrow? What are your favorite medicinal herbs? I’d love to see pics of herbal medicine in action!
