Hi Folks,

For most of us reading this note Spring is fast upon us.  Of course during this time of the year many small plants are beginning to emerge, pushing their way through the soils, forest litter, and along roadsides and disturbed ground.  This time of year brings us a great opportunity to study our local wild edible and medicinal plants from the earliest part of their birth to fruition.  Often times, even the most experienced of herbalists have a difficult time identifying the first green sprouts and baby leaves of plants subsequently this time of year offers us a way to fully identify plants in all stages of their growth.  When you are out exploring and you come across a newly emerged plant that you can’t identify, mark it with a stick placed in the ground near it, or better yet a popsicle stick that you have written the date and identification number on.  Take a picture of this unknown sprout and then throughout the next several weeks go and visit that plant or plants and take note and pictures of its growth.  In a short time the plant will grow to a form that you will easily recognize and identify in the years to come.  The same technique can be used with tree bark identification.  Here you would select and mark an unknown tree and then when the leaves fully emerge you can identify the tree by its bark from then on.  Rick and I always made scrap books and plant presses to help us with identification but today the camera quickly replaces that form of collecting.  

On another note, all of you who have signed up for Spontaneous Teaching live on line class in June, please start formulating and writing up your questions so that you have them when the class begins.  I may begin to collect these questions from you a few weeks before the class begins so that it gives me an idea of what you are asking and directions the class may take.  By getting your questions early I may also be able to record some “in field” video to use to illustrate an answer to your question.  I am so looking forward to that class because it is my favorite way of teaching.  

Walk Strong my Brothers and Sisters,

Stay very aware,

Tom