Story of the Day - Woodland Ways

April 12th, 2025

What a beautiful day!
We began by listening to the land. It was humming! Ground bees were emerging from holes in the ground, warmed by the sun. A couple of us put on “fox feet” and carefully and calmly approached a pair of robins – and got quite close before the robins took wing.

We listened to birds, expressed gratitude, and then headed out on a springtime adventure! We heard the Tale of Uncle Wiggle Bottom, whose name as a child was Usnea, and discovered his beard (usnea) everywhere! We met and tasted several plants. Our first new green friend was one with pairs of leaves, a bitter flavor, but also “soft” in the mouth as you chewed. This little plant is not only fine in salads, but is great for putting on wounds of all kinds (which one child did!). Did your child meet, taste Prunella vulgaris, also known called Heal-all or Self-Heal? Here is where you can find out a lot about this little plant, including (very important!) how to identify it (scroll to the bottom of the page). Always be 100% sure you know what plant you have before eating it.

Other fun: setting down an unknown trail and discovering several red-flowering currants in bloom. At Camp Sealth there are very few of this shrub – and on this trail we found at least five in all their bright pink glory!

Our journey back, some of us picked up long sticks and rode back on “birds,” a “pegasus,” a “dragon,” and more. And then almost everyone did handstands in Hartman Meadow!

Such a sweet and glorious day!