The Signs of Spring

(Photo by Dori via Wikimedia Commons)

The signs of the coming spring are making themselves known. Read my new article for the signs I have seen. Stay warm and enjoy as winter looses his hold on us!

-kim

Wildflower Video Series

I have started a video series on wildflowers and other plants of the Northeastern woodlands. I will be creating and uploading more videos as time allows so be sure to check the playlist often for new videos. And the first three of the videos of the series were taken on the trails of Ganondagan!

Watch the whole series at my blog:

Our Green Neighbors

-kim

Native Plant - Purple Coneflower

Ever wonder about the botanical names of some plants? Learn more about the botanical name of the North American native plant, purple coneflower in the newest article on my blog:

Our Green Neighbors

Keep dreaming of spring!


-kim

Friend or Foe?

See my new article about those vines you may find along your winter hikes - grape, poison ivy, and virginia creeper. Which one are you seeing and holding onto? Is it a friend or a foe? Should you be getting the camomile lotion out? Find out!

Read the article on my Our Green Neighbors blog.

Enjoy and stay warm!

-kim

May Flowers, Herbs, & Trees

May is always a time of abundant life and plants to me. It is the time when the forests become a verdant green and when wildflowers continue their spring show. It is also a busy time of gardening and planting for the coming season. To celebrate this greening of the world and the start of the new agricultural season, I take May 1st off of work. It is a 20-year old tradition. Often I spend the day in my gardens, but sometimes I take hikes or do other activities to celebrate May Day. 

In that spirit of celebrating the Earth and her greening cloak, it was my pleasure to attend not one but two plant hikes over this past weekend. The first of these hikes was led by Dr. Les Moore on Saturday May 5, 2012. It was held in Phelps, NY along the Ontario Pathways Trail System. This hike focused on identification as well as the medicinal properties of the wild plants found. This hike is also part of a series of classes Dr. Moore teaches on medical herbalism. If you are interested in learning more about these classes, please see the Classical Formulas website. I created the video at the bottom of this article from the photos I took on that hike.

The second hike was at Ganondagan and it was led by Tonia Loran-Galban and Peter Jemison on Sunday May 6, 2012. This hike was along the Earth is Our Mother trail and it focused on the medicinal as well as the ethnobotanical uses of the plants along the trail. It was a beautiful day for a hike - made even more special by the abundance of the migrating red admiral butterflies. You can see the slideshow from this walk on our Plant Hike slideshow webpage.

I hope you enjoy the slideshow and video. I wish for your May to be happy and abundantly green!

-kim

Wild Strawberries in Bloom

Wild Strawberry, Fragaria virginiana

One of the signs of spring has come, the blooms of the wild strawberry. The blooms herald the coming of the very tasty fruit.

If you would like to see more images as well as a video on how to identify wild strawberries, be sure to check out my new blog, Our Green Neighbors. It is dedicated to information on and images of our green friends and neighbors - the plants of our world.  

Of special interest to our readers here, Our Green Neighbors will regularly feature information on medicinal and native plants as well as heirloom vegetables - being that those are some of my favorite interests. It will also feature The Herb of the Week which will be a new article each week on a selected herb.

I'll still be writing for the Friends of Ganondagan blog, but I encourage you to follow me on Our Green Neighbors as well. Enjoy!

-kim

Signs of Spring!

While some look for signs of spring in the plant world such as pussy willows and skunk cabbage blooms, others look to our feathered friends to harken the season.

Many look for the American Robin to return, but I find them to be poor weathermen. Too often I have seen them shivering in snowstorms! There are, however, birds that are much better predictors of the coming season. I personally I have seen Turkey Vultures in the past two weeks. They are migratory birds who return to this area each spring with much better accuracy than the robin.

Another sure harbinger of the impending spring is the Redwing Blackbird. The following picture was  submitted to us. It is of the first person to spot a redwing blackbird at Ganondagan. Very nice!!

If you have seen any signs of spring at Ganondagan that you wish to share, please send your photos to us at friends@frontiernet.net!

-kim

Redwing Blackbird spotted at Ganondagan

Welcome the Return of the Sun

Late Fall Sunrise

The Winter Solstice will visit us in the Northern Hemisphere on December 22 at 12:30 am (EST). The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day and longest night in our planet's yearly trip about the Sun. After the 22nd, our days will again lengthen and stretch. Like so many other people, I welcome and celebrate the return of the light!

On most Solstices, I like to share an article here on the solar cycle and how you might mark the specialness of the day in your own way. While the Equinoxes are just as important of a milestone in the solar cycle, they don't pull me in the same way as the Summer and Winter Solstices do. I suspect it is because the Summer and Winter Solstices are so opposite from each other. Light and dark. Warm and cold. Verdant, alive and brown, barren. 

On December 22, the Sun will rise at Ganondagan at 7:40 am (EST). It is an easy time to be up - many are up for work and school already. Look to the east, greet the rising Sun. Give your thanks for the blessing of life that the Sun's rays and warmth bring to you and all life on Earth. (The sunrise time may vary depending upon your location so check local listings.)

May the Sun's rays fill and warm your heart always. 

-kim

ps....as a gift for you to help you celebrate the return of the Sun, I have created an article on our website. It is about winter sowing seeds - seed starting in the cold of winter. The Winter Solstice is a perfect time to start winter sowing!

Many of our most beautiful and rare native plants respond well to this seed-starting technique. May you try it and dream about the wonderful warm days of summer filled with dancing butterflies and flowers!

The Signs of Spring

 
As the grip of Winter passes, we cheer ourselves by looking for signs of Spring. Currently on the trails at Ganondagan...

• Coltsfoot is blooming their somewhat dandelion like flowers.

• The skunk cabbages have moved past their very alien-looking flowers to their rather attractive, yet pungent foliage. 

•  The willows have moved past the fuzzy soft catkins of the "pussy willow" and into the next flowering stage. (See the picture to the right.)

•  Maples are blooming. 

• The earliest  "spring ephemerals," like trillium, are just starting to appear.

• And bird song fills the air!

What signs of Spring are showing at your place?


-kim

Return of the Sun

Winter Sun at Fort Hill (Ganondagan)

It seems as though it was only yesterday that I was writing about the great wheel of the year turning and I was looking forward to the summer solstice. Now the winter solstice is nearly upon us and it is clear, the wheel certainly doesn't stop nor slow for anyone.

The winter solstice is the longest night of the year and it is also the day that marks the return of the sun - a time when our daylight hours will again begin to grow. At first the lengthening of our daylight is imperceptible. But with time it grows and in only 3 short months it is the spring equinox and the earth has begun to warm enough that the first signs of the approaching spring may be seen.

And so I suppose it is only right that this very special time of the year has traditionally been filled with sacred observances and as well as festivals of light in many cultures across the globe and throughout the centuries. I've included a few links to various observances, solstice information, and stories of the sun coming to the world below.

In looking for information to share, I came across a quote from Dante's Paradiso, "la luce divina e penetrante per l’universo secondo ch’e degno.” Translated it means, “the divine light penetrates the universe according to its dignity.” Divine light penetrating the universe - I can think of no better way to describe the return of the sun.

-kim

For more please see,

• Native Story (Haida) - How Raven Brought Light to the World
• Native Story (Zuni) - Coyote Steals the Sun and Moon
• Native Story (Cherokee) - Stealing the Sun
• 5000 year celestial calendar marks the winter solstice Newgrange, Ireland
• Sun Lore of the Ages - Solar Festivals
• Hawaiian Story - How Maui Snared the Sun
• Winter Holidays Celebrating the Solstice
• Information about the solstice as well as a couple dozen worldwide solstice celebrations

Fall Beauty

Perhaps I'm a bit partial, but I think New York State has the best Autumns. The leaf color is amazing. Warm days, crisp evenings. Fall activities are full of unique experiences and fun that are free or for very little cost. Crunchy apples and tangy cider and "sincere pumpkin patches" with pumpkins as far as the eye can see. Be sure to take in some of these wonderful Fall sights, sounds, and flavors.

In planning your Fall experiences, be sure to include Ganondagan. We have miles of trails lined with some of the most specular trees for fall color - oaks, maples, sassafras, dogwood, and more. The late fruit producing trees and shrubs like spicebush, hawthorn, and dogwood add their brilliant berries to the tapestry. Late Fall blooming plants like asters, goldenrod, and witch hazel can be seen.

Animals such as geese that are starting their yearly migrations, can be seen flying overhead. Deer are taking on their more gray winter coats and are in the midst of their yearly courtship rituals. The last of the butterflies as well as other small visitors such as spiders and toads can be seen.

Fungi of unusual shapes, sizes, and colors dot the woodland trails. Some of them are quite beautiful while others look as if they are from another world.

The Ganondagan State Historic closes for the season at the end of October. While the trails are open year-round, the site (giftshop, longhouse, etc.) will close at the end of October. This leaves you a very short window if you had planned to visit this year.

I would suggest making a day of it. Pack a picnic lunch and bring your camera on your visit to Ganondagan. Take in the sights and sounds. Smell the crisp Autumn air with the pleasantly acrid background scent of fallen leaves. See the flaming colors of the maple and sassafras. Walk the trails and revel in the serene fall beauty.

After you've finished your visit with us, be sure to check out one of the other nearby fall fun locations. Check out our neighbor the Apple Farm for fresh apples, cider, wagon rides, and lots of family fun in the U-pick orchard.  Long Acres Farms in Macedon operates one of the best corn mazes around not to mention they offer a wide range of other family fun activities. Bristol Mountain operates their ski chair lifts to give visitors "Sky Rides" that offer an unrivaled view of the beauty that is the Finger Lakes in fall. And Sonnenberg Gardens is also nearing the end of their season and will also close at the end of October.  Besides touring their gorgeous gardens and estate, they are offering special "Mansion Mystery" events. Because Ganondagan is so conveniently located, all these other fall attraction locations are within a short drive of the site.

Please come and enjoy what a New York fall has to offer!

-kim

Berries, Berries, Berries!

While the season for wild strawberries has passed, more wild berries have come into season - black raspberries (aka "black caps"), juneberries, and mulberries. We're enjoying all three of these berries at my place. The wild black raspberry bushes are a bit sparse this year at my place - some years are just better than others. But the black raspberries we have managed to pick are really wonderful tasting. My grandfather was a dairy farmer and loved the wild berries he would pick with fresh cream. It must be in the blood because if I'm not eating them fresh out-of-hand, I like them with good quality vanilla ice cream.

Juneberries (aka serviceberries, saskatoons) are not known by as many people as black caps but they should be. They are a wonderful treat with their blueberry-like flavor and almond aftertaste. I honestly don't understand why more people don't plant serviceberries in their lawns and gardens. They are a beautiful Spring bloomer, produce copious amounts of tasty fruit, and are an attractively shaped hardy and pest-free, native bush/small tree. Plus if you have the "wrong" soil for blueberries like me, these are a great alternative.

Mulberries are another little known fruit in the US. The North American native mulberry species is the Red Mulberry (Morus rubra) but most "wild" mulberries trees are actually a cross of the introduced White Mulberry (Morus alba) and the Red Mulberry. Either way, these medium-sized trees produce oodles of fruit that are loved at my house by every bird in the area as well as the humans! The mulberry fruit tastes like...well,  a mulberry! But I guess it can be best described as being similar in taste to a raspberry. I've heard people curse these trees in their landscape because the dropped fruit is "messy." I think they are incredibly silly and my suggestion to them is to pick the fruit and eat it or use it for their favorite berry recipe. One of the best tasting pies I have *EVER* made was a mulberry pie made with berries from our trees.

So to get you wanting to do some berry picking of your own, here is a Berry Cobbler recipe. Use your favorite berries and enjoy!

Berry Cobbler

2 cups fresh berries of your choice, cleaned & drained
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups water

Cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar. Mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Beat until smooth. Pour evenly into 2 quart buttered casserole. Spoon berries over batter. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over fruit. Pour water over the top. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 - 50 minutes. During baking, fruit and juice will go to the bottom and a cake-like layer forms on the top. Serve warm with ice cream or whip cream. Serves 6-8.

By the way, if you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to check out our Recipes page. We are always adding more recipes of foods that are indigenous to the Americas.

-kim

The Wheel Keeps Turning

Monday is the Summer Solstice - well, Monday at 7:29am to be exact for our location. It is a special day - it is the longest day and shortest night of the year. After Monday, our days begin to get shorter again and keep doing so until the Winter Solstice in December.

With each solstice, equinox, and some of the other seasonal year markers like May Day and Halloween, I take note of the specialness of the day. It makes me feel different. It makes me feel part of something bigger and I guess I am since I am a passenger on our great Mother Earth as she makes another circle around the Sun.

Depending upon the season I celebrate the day in different ways - for May Day, I visit a park and enjoy the Spring wildflowers and the regreening of the Earth. For the Winter Solstice, I go outside at night and let the quiet stillness of Winter and the icy, twinkling stars fill me. And since the Summer Solstice is all about the Sun, I rise as early as I can to greet the Sun as it sets off to make its journey across the sky.

Our ancestors throughout history and throughout the world have also taken special note of these times as well. Not only did they take note, but they built markers, monuments, and sacred sites to note our yearly path around the sun and other astronomical events. They created giant calenders and celestial observatories made out of stone, wood, and earth - some of these surviving to our modern day.

The ancient Britons built Stonehenge, Newgrange, and others. The Mayans built the pyramid "El Castillo" at Chitzen Itza where shadows on the Fall and Spring equinoxes make the "serpent come down from the sky." And many others throughout the ages and around the world including those created by Native Americans. The picture above is of Medicine Wheel in Big Horn County, Wyoming. It is a precolumbian stone structure known as a "medicine wheel" and it is one of many such structures throughout North America that were built by Native Americans. The Bighorn Medicine Wheel is also one of these ancient stone and earth calendars. It marks the Summer Solstice as well as the rising of the stars Sirius, Aldebaran, and Rigel. And without a doubt, this site will herald in the Summer Solstice this upcoming Monday.

So while you may not have Stonehenge in your backyard or the Bighorn Medicine Wheel around the corner, the Sun will rise above your home just the same as these special places come Monday. Rise early. Greet the Sun and be thankful for the Sun's warming rays. Be thankful for being a passenger on the great yearly trip around the Sun once more. Be thankful for all the blessings that are yours. And if you have a special place in your yard or garden, take 2 sticks. Push one into the ground. And as the Sun breaks the horizon Monday morning, line up the Sun, the first stick and the second stick. Push the second stick into the ground. Later find two special rocks and replace the sticks with those rocks. They will mark not only the Summer Solstice for you all year long but the blessings you have to be thankful for as well.

-kim

The Planting Moon

Hopefully this day finds you in your gardens enjoying the sun and  planting seeds. Today is the "Planting Moon" and those following lunar cycles to plant, find this an auspicious day full of fecundity and vitality for the newly planted seed. 

Perhaps you know it already, but each full moon goes by many different names around the world. Many of these names indicate seasonal activities or traits of the season, such as the "Planting Moon" or the "Harvest Moon." Check out this link for a list of some the full moon names.

And if you haven't yet planted your seeds, this long holiday weekend is a perfect time. Rather than going to the beach or picnics at a park, this is exactly how I usually spend my holiday weekend - in the sun and dirt with seeds in my hands.

And if you are looking to add the littlest of the Three Sisters (beans) to your garden this year, here's a suggestion from my vegetable garden. My vegetable seeds (last year's leftovers and new seeds for the year) used to be kept in a shoebox. Well, I went past them fitting in a large moving box long ago. One of my problems is that I end up with 6 seeds of this or 12 of that leftover - not enough for a row of any thing but I save them anyways. I think there is something criminal about throwing out seeds so I never do it. But seeds don't last forever. Although outside some notable exceptions, most seeds retain decent viability for 2-3 years.

So unless you get exactly the same varieties of a vegetable each year, you'll have leftovers like me. Take those tiny handfuls of seeds from previous seasons mix them and plant a row. The most enjoyable rows of beans I ever grew were the rows of pole beans I grew the last two years where I did just this. The rows were highly productive over a long period since all the varieties mature at slightly different rates. And the mixed bean harvest had a variety of color and taste on the dinner plate.

And on that subject....if you are not already a fan of pole beans, I urge you to try some this year. Most gardeners have more desire for plants than garden space. Pole beans are an excellent producer for the small footprint they take up in the garden. They grow up, not out. You sow them rather thickly and let them climb. You don't need anything fancy or complicated for them to climb on. Long sticks and poles work just fine and hey, those do grow on trees!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend and join me (at least in spirit) in the sun and rich earth of the garden!

-kim

Birdwatching at Ganondagan

My eyes are usually down while trail walking. I'm a self-proclaimed "plant nerd" and looking down is the way to spot all the interesting plants along the way. But I must admit that last week while trail walking at Ganondagan that my eyes were often brought up. Spring is a wonderful time not only to see and enjoy wildflowers, it is also a great time to do some birdwatching.

While I can identify hundreds of plants and trees, I am no birder. The birds I can identify by sight and song are rather limited but even I could recognize the wonderful collection of birds that I could see or hear along my hike. I knew it would be a good day for seeing our feathered friends when a male bluebird warbled at me from his perch atop the bark longhouse.

In my travels I saw or heard many birds but I can only identify a few. Those few included: bluebirds, ring-necked pheasant (I was close enough to hear him drum his wings after his call), chickadees, crows, blue-jays, flickers, woodpeckers (heard, not seen!), canada goose, tree swallows, and robins. There were others, but not ones I knew.

I included a link to my favorite bird field guide, Peterson Field Guides Eastern Birds. It's a great guide to take on trail walks that covers all the birds you would most likely see at Ganondagan. It has color pictures and brief descriptions for each bird with a format that is friendly to the beginner as well as more experienced bird watchers.

I've also included a link to an audio CD, Birding by Ear: Eastern and Central North America. Sometimes you never see the bird, but you certainly can hear them. And unless it is a mockingbird (who I can hear right now singing outside my window), the bird songs are pretty distinctive for each species. My mockingbird friend does the bird world's "Greatest Hits" for me - he serenades me with bluebird and other distinctive bird calls that are not his own!

Whether it is Ganondagan's trails or your own backyard, I hope you can get out and enjoy the beauty and song of our avian friends!


-kim

Spring Ephemerals at Ganondagan

Spring Ephemeral is the term used to describe a whole group of early spring blooming wildflowers that vanish nearly as quickly as they appear.

Today while hiking at Ganondagan, I managed to snap some lovely shots of one my my favorite Spring Ephemerals, Bloodroot. I had to share one of the images - I hope you enjoy it!

Be sure to make a little time to do some trail walking in early spring to catch these and other early blooming wildflowers!

-kim

Spring - do you see the signs?

Again rejoicing Nature sees
Her robe assume its vernal hues:
Her leafy locks wave in the breeze,
All freshly steep’d in morning dews.

- Robert Burns

Do you see the signs of Spring in the air? Besides the sugaring of the maples, Spring has been telling me it is nearly here in other ways too.

This morning I was serenaded by the "Songbird Top-40" master himself, the mockingbird. Some think Spring is nearly here when they see the first robin. Not me. Robins show up usually just in time to get a whole lot of snow dumped on them. I look for my mockingbirds to show up. They are a much better judge of Spring.

I also look to the pussy-willow. Like the mockingbird, it is rarely wrong in heralding Spring. Once the pussy-willow catkins get all fuzzy and fun to touch, spring is nearly here. My pussy-willow tree says it is time. See a close-up of its grey and pink catkins to the right. This afternoon I cut a big pussy-willow bouquet to bring in and dream of the warming days.

-kim

Ganondagan Winter Hike Slideshow

We have just put up a new slideshow for you. It showcases the beauty and serenity that can be found in winter hikes. The slideshow is of a hike that ranges from the Ganondagan Fort Hill trails to Dryer Road Park and back. We hope you enjoy!

http://www.ganondagan.org/slideshow/WinterFortHill.html

By the way, if you haven't taken a few minutes to write your representatives yet in support of Ganondagan, please do so. It was clear in the hike that many use the Fort Hill Trails for snowshoeing, cross country skiing, hiking, and more. If you enjoy these things, I urge you to write and make sure that they don't vanish! See our Save Ganondagan! page for more information. Many thanks in advance!

-kim

Winter Games & Seneca Snow Shoe Run

While I dearly love the quiet stillness that the winter season brings, we all have to get out of the house, move around, and enjoy the crisp winter air. A perfect way to get some winter fun is to visit our Native American Winter Games and Sports event on February 6, 2010, 10am - 4pm.

The event is FREE to the public and features:

• Dog Sledding
• Story Telling
• Food
• Snowshoeing
• Snow Snake
• "Seneca Winter Camp" Demonstrations

See all the Native American Winter Games and Sports event details at our Winter Games web page.

New this year to the Winter Games event, we are adding a Seneca Snow Shoe Run Competition. This three part competition includes a snow shoe run on a course laid out at Ganondagan, an archery shoot, and the snow snake throw. The competition has two levels: The Pro Snow Shoe Run and the Fun Snow Shoe Run.

Please see our Seneca Snow Shoe Run web page for more details and registration information.

I hope to see you there!!

-kim

Fall Color at Ganondagan

The trees are putting on an impressive show this fall and this week is probably our peak color at the Ganondagan State Historic Site.

The maples, oaks, sassafras, staghorn sumacs, and more are in full color. Every leaf color is visible somewhere, in the tree canopy or underfoot.

While a walk on any of the three trails on site would be beautiful this time of year, I would suggest the Fort Hill Trail. It not only offers views of beautiful foliage and serene walks through wooded trails, it also offers a spectacular view of the neighboring vicinity from the top of the Fort Hill mesa. The sight of the patchwork of trees with Autumn colors and green pastures is breath-taking and is more than worth the short hike. And most certainly, bring your camera for the "Kodak moments" you are sure to have.

Why not make a fun Fall day of it? Pack a picnic lunch - there are tables and benches at the top of Fort Hill. Do some trail walking, "leaf peeping," and have a picnic lunch. And afterwards why not stop down to our neighbor The Apple Farm for apples and cider. It's a fun place to take the kids or just yourself to pick some apples at their U-pick orchard. They've had a very good harvest this year and the trees are still very full of apples.

All too soon Fall will pass and snow will fly. Take some time soon to enjoy the beauty and the fun that this season has to offer you.

-kim