Botanical Medicine Certificate Program - Part II

Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Many people this time of the year have New Year's resolutions that focus on improving their health and well-being in the upcoming year. Perhaps the upcoming herbal medicine course taught by our friend Dr. Les Moore will help you to meet your resolutions!

Please contact Classical Formulas for more information or to register!


-kim

Botanical Medicine Certificate Program
Medical Herbalism Part II
January 12 – February 9th, 2012  

This Course is the second in a series of three herbal study programs to be offered at Clifton Springs Hospital through the Integrative Medicine department, The Botanical Medicine Institute, and Classical Formulas. While each series has a similar format, they will contain different information. These classes are appropriate for health care providers, people employed in health related businesses or anyone interested in Herbalism.

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)

Dr. Moore and herbalists from Classical Formulas Herbal Medicinary will instruct these classes.  Dr. Moore has a life-long interest and extensive education in the field of Herbalism, both Western and Eastern.

You may register for the whole series or at the beginning of each class.  Students may begin ANY series at ANY time with no prerequisites of the previous series. Each series is a stand-alone module.  Students completing all three of the series (Parts I, II & III) will receive a certificate upon course completion.  To be certain you have a place in class please register early, as class size is limited.

Holy Basil (Tulsi or Ocimum sanctum)

Tuition is $120 or $25 per class. Contact Classical Formulas for Registration at 315-462-0190 by January 11th.

PLEASE NOTE: All classes are held on Thursdays at Clifton Springs Hospital from 6:30-8:30 pm with the exception of the herb walk on Saturday January 28th, 2012 held at Lamberton Conservatory at 10:00am.


Course Descriptions

Rose - "Alba" (Rosa rugosa)

Class 1 – Botanical Medicine/Single Herbs–January 12th, 2012
Learn about herbs and homeopathy used for stress, immune stimulation and for combating specifically colds and influenza. Will also cover single herbs from traditional Indian medicine, (Ayurvedic Medicine).

Class 2 – Herbal Medicine Making – January 19th, 2012
Learn how herbs are used to create various herbal therapeutics.  Participate in some hands on preparation of herbal formulas.

Class 3 – Herb Pairs/Drug Interaction – January 26th, 2012
This class will focus on paired herbs that are therapeutic for specific conditions.  Information on interactions that can occur between medicines and herbs will also be discussed as well as herbal dosages for children. Will also cover Tibetan herbal medicine.

Osage Orange Maclura pomifera

Class 4 – Plant Identification/Herb Walk – January 28th, 2012
This class will be a 3+ hour walk to identify plants in the Lamberton Conservatory located in Highland Park.  This is essentially a green house so the temperature will be comfortable without a heavy jacket.  There will also be an additional $3 fee per person for admission to the conservatory, $2 for anyone under 18.

Class 5 – Herbal Formulas/Modifications – February 2nd, 2012
This class will focus on herbal formulas and how the herbs in each formulas work on the body and how they can be modified to fit a specific condition or person.  Discussion of how the pulse and tongue can be used to diagnose a condition.  Will also cover Ayurvedic herbal formulas.

Class 6 – Homeopathy and First Aid – February 9th, 2012
Learn how homeopathic remedies are used for first aid, and many other conditions.  Will also cover first aid from Ayurvedic medicine.

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!

Native History Month

In honor of Native History Month, our public television station WXXI-TV is airing an extraordinary range of programming throughout November, featuring the men and women who shaped the Native American experience. We’d like to share these opportunities with you.  For complete details, please visit: http://interactive.wxxi.org/native-american

If you are not in the Greater Rochester, NY television viewing area, please see the listings of your local PBS station for possible air dates of these programs.

• History Detectives. Friday, November 18 at 6 pm on WXXI World (cable 524/DT21.2) In California, a History Detectives viewer owns an American Indian pipe that family legend suggests was given to her ancestor by the famous warrior Chief Red Cloud.
• We Shall Remain: American Experience: After the Mayflower. Friday, November 18 at 7 pm on WXXI World. This groundbreaking mini-series establishes Native history as an essential part of American history. Four 90-minute documentaries spanning 300 years tell the story of pivotal moments in U.S. history from the Native-American perspective. This first episode explores the polar strategies — peaceful diplomacy and warfare — the Wampanoag people employed in their struggle to maintain their identity.
• We Shall Remain: American Experience: Tucumseh’s Vision. Friday, November 18 at 8:30 pm on WXXI World, part two of four features Shawnee warrior Tecumseh, who rose to become one of the greatest American leaders of all time.
• INDEPENDENT LENS: We Are Still Here – Âs Nutayuneân. Sunday, November 20 at 11 pm on WXXI-TV/HD. This tells the remarkable story of the recent cultural and linguistic revival of the Wampanoag tribe of Southeastern Massachusetts. Their ancestors ensured the survival of the Pilgrims — and lived to regret it. Now they are bringing their language home again.
• Before There Were Parks: Yellowstone & Glacier Through Native Eyes. Sunday, November 20 at 11:30 pm on WXXI World. This film explores modern indigenous perspectives on the great wilderness areas now called Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks that go far beyond their recent status as National Parks.
• Columbus Day Legacy. Sunday night, November 20 at 12:30 am on WXXI-TV. Navajo filmmaker Bennie Klain explores the quintessential American issues of free speech and ethnic pride against the backdrop of the ongoing Columbus Day parade controversy in Denver, Colorado. 
• History Detectives. Tuesday, November 22 at 9:00 pm on WXXI World. A mysterious bible laced with Cherokee writing provides insight to the "Trail of Tears" march.
• We Shall Remain: American Experience: Trail of Tears. Friday, November 25 at 7 pm on WXXI World, part three of four. Despite decades of struggle to keep their land, in 1838 thousands of Cherokee were forced from their homes in the southeastern United States and driven to Oklahoma. More than 4,000 died of disease and starvation along the way.
• We Shall Remain: American Experience: Geronimo. Friday, November 25 at 8:30 p.m. on WXXI World, part four of four. An indomitable Chiricahua Apache warrior and medicine man, Geronimo remains one of the most complex historical figures of the American West.
• Smokin' Fish. Saturday, November 26 at 1 pm on WXXI World. Cory Mann, A young Tlingit man makes a pilgrimage to his ancestral home and is forced to confront the dichotomy between his history and the world he lives in.
• Aleut Story. Saturday, November 26 at 10 pm on WXXI World. The incredible, untold story of Aleut Americans' decades-long struggle for human and civil rights, this story was developed, researched, filmed and edited for national television over five years.
• Unconquered Seminoles. Saturday, November 26 at 11:30 pm on WXXI World. This film traces the history and identity of Florida's resilient Seminole tribe, one deeply rooted in a pattern of obstacle and challenge, survival and success.
• Independent Lens: Reel Injun: On the Trail of the Hollywood Indian. Sunday, November 27 at 11:30 pm on WXXI-TV/HD. Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond takes an entertaining, insightful, and often humorous look at the Hollywood Indian, exploring the portrayal of North American Natives through a century of cinema and examining the ways that the myth of “the Injun” has influenced the world’s understanding—and misunderstanding—of Natives.
• The Long Walk: Tears of the Navajo. Tuesday, November 29 at 7 pm on WXXI World.  In a lost chapter of our nation’s history, 8,000 Navajo men, women and children were marched at gunpoint through the scorched desert of the American Southwest to a barren reservation along the Texas border in a 300-mile forced relocation during which hundreds died.
• Choctaw Code Talkers. Tuesday, November 29 at 8 pm on WXXI World. Called by some the "original Code Talkers," this is the story of the important role Choctaw soldiers played in WWI in using their Native language as a powerful tool against the German Forces.
• Contrary Warrior: The Life and Times of Adam Fortunate Eagle. Wednesday, November 30 at 7 pm on WXXI World. The story of Adam Fortunate Eagle, a contemporary activist, artist, author, ceremonial leader.

The Great Pumpkin Sacrifice

Over the weekend we made our "sacrifice" to the pumpkin gods and carved up our pumpkins for Halloween. What would Halloween be with out the carved jack-o-lantern? Not the same to be sure, but the pumpkin is a New World addition to the Halloween traditions that originated in Europe. Before the pumpkin, turnips or rutabagas were carved into the vegetable lanterns.

The pumpkin is a New World vegetable that has been cultivated by the Native peoples of the Americas since ancient times. While the exact origins of the pumpkin are not known, pumpkin-like seeds have been found in Mexico dating back to 7000 and 5500 BCE. With what the pumpkin has to offer why wouldn't it be grown for thousands of years? It is a very easy to grow plant that provides copious amounts of nutritious, long-keeping food (both the flesh of the pumpkin and its seeds.) And as with many food plants, there are medicinal uses and healthful qualities beyond the simple nutrition it provides.

Back to our carving of the pumpkins, not all of our parings went into the compost bin. We saved the seeds for toasting and the pieces carved out for roasting. Some like the pumpkin flesh roasted with salt and olive oil. In my opinion that would work well with a pie pumpkin but not so with the bland flesh of pumpkin grown for carving. (What's the difference?) A little salt, black pepper, butter, and brown sugar is the way to go - you have to give it some flavor and my favorite way to cook a variety of winter squashes fits the bill.

And if you have never toasted the seeds, what are you waiting for? These are truly divine! Here's a recipe for toasting your Halloween pumpkin's seeds:

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

• 2 c. Raw, whole pumpkin seeds
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• Salt to taste

Wash the pumpkin seeds and drain well. Toss seeds with butter and salt. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes in an oven preheated to 300 degrees. Be sure to stir occasionally and toast until golden brown.

I hope you enjoyed this look at the pumpkin and perhaps you may now consider it to be more than just something for decoration and pies. I wish you a happy Halloween and a wonderful Samhain!

-kim

Faceless Cork Husk Dolls

Corn husk dolls made by Ronnie Reitter

For a Ganondagan Brand Development workshop at the Rochester Ad Council recently, we were asked to "bring a physical object [we] feel represents Ganondagan and be prepared to tell the group why". I reflected quite a bit on my assignment and kept coming back to my faceless corn husk doll. It captures so much for me about Ganondagan. The story is often told at Ganondagan events. I first heard Ronnie Reitter tell it- about the girl who was so vain she repeatedly got distracted from the Creator's message to watch over the children because she was gazing at her own reflected image. She ignored the Creator's repeated warnings. Finally, the Creator took her face away so she wouldn't be self-absorbed and distracted from her community role anymore. That is why corn husk dolls are made faceless to this day, as a reminder of our community responsibility to care for others and that "we are all equal".

Good toys teach, and this one teaches a powerful lesson of our responsibility to the community and to the next generation. Corn is one of the Three Sisters' food staples; and every part of what is taken from the natural world is put to good use-including corn husks. Dolls are just one thing that can be made from corn husks. This children's toy is made without money from materials readily available in the natural world. It is a sustainable toy and easily returns to Mother Earth. It reminds me, too, of Ganondagan's efforts to bring back good, healthy traditional corn through the White Corn project.  And the dolls can be made at Ganondagan and sold in our Gift Shop to help support Ganondagan while educating others.

Anyone can learn to make this toy, including me- who has no talent for crafts. Ronnie Reitter taught me to make mine as part of Ganondagan staff's commitment to sharing their knowledge of traditional values and crafts. The relationship with Ronnie as teacher makes mine special for me. But mine is unfinished- she is not yet "dressed", marking the time when trade came, and scrapes of trade goods started being used to put traditional "outfits" on the dolls. For me, this awareness is connected to my wish to learn more. There is so much I don't know or understand. I am hoping for a workshop on corn husk doll dressing and its meanings.    

Mattie Schmitt
Ganondagan Board Member

Medical Herbalism Part I

Our good friend, Dr. Les Moore, is offering another portion of his Botanical Medicine Certificate Program courses. They are excellent if you wish to learn more about medicinal applications of plants. Special treat - the fall herb walk is at Ganondagan on some of my very favorite trails to walk! Please contact Classical Formulas for details and registration.

Be sure to check these classes out!

-kim
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Botanical Medicine Certificate Program

Medical Herbalism Part I
September 22nd – October 20th  2011

This Course is the first in a series of three herbal study programs to be offered at Clifton Springs Hospital through the Integrative Medicine department, The Botanical Medicine Institute, and Classical Formulas. While each series has a similar format, they will contain different information.  These classes are appropriate for health care providers, people employed in health related businesses or anyone interested in Herbalism.

Dr. Moore along with herbalists from the Classical Formulas Herbal Medicinary will instruct these classes.  Dr. Moore has a life-long interest and extensive education in the field of Herbalism, both Western and Eastern.

Register for the whole course or for class sessions separately, if you wish.  Each class meeting can be taken independently, with no prerequisite.  Students completing all three of the series (Parts I, II & III) will receive a certificate of course completion.  To be certain you have a place in class, please register early.


Location:   See individual class descriptions
Tuition:     $120 or $20/class
Contact Classical Formulas for Registration:  315-462-0190


Class 1 – Basic Herbal Therapeutics and Materia Medica
Learn about the historical uses of plant and their extensive studies reflected in “Materia Medica”, a standard reference.  Topics of discussion will include origins, methods of preparation, the chemical construction and constituents, general physical characteristics, preparations, dosage and general influence on the body.
Thursday, September 22nd 2011 at 6:30-8:30 p.m., Clifton Springs Hospital

Class 2 – Plant Identification and Herb Walk
Take a 3+ hour walk in the woods to identify plants in your surroundings.  Learn about their habitat, history and uses.  Meet Ganondagan in Victor.  Bring water and snack, dress for the weather and wear appropriate walking footwear.
Saturday, September 24, 2011 at 9 a.m., Ganondagan, Victor, NY

Class 3 – Herb Pairs and Drug-Herb Interaction
This class will focus on paired herbs that are therapeutic for specific conditions.  Information on interactions that can occur between medicines and herbs will also be discussed.
Thursday, September 29th 2011 6:30-8:30 p.m., Clifton Springs Hospital

Class 4 – Herbal Medicine Making
Hands on instruction will include herbal  infusion, decoctions and fomentations.  
Thursday, October 6th 2011 6:30-8:30 p.m., Clifton Springs Hospital

Class 5 – Herbal Formulas and Modifications
Herbs used in herbal formulas can act synergistically and can be tailored for each unique individual, even as a person or environment changes.  This class will consider how formulas can be used and altered to address specific changes.
Thursday, October 13th 2010 6:30-8:30 p.m., Clifton Springs Hospital

Class 6 – Herbal Therapeutics and First aid
Learn how herbs are used for first aid care, immune system building and gastrointestinal disorders.
Thursday, October 20th  2011 6:30-8:30 p.m., Clifton Springs Hospital

Summer Fun Ideas

Trilobite Tail

I recently had the opportunity to go to take my kids on some day-trips in Western NY State.

We took a day-trip to the Penn Dixie Paleontological and Outdoor Education Center. It located in Hamburg, NY and it is a place where the public can come and dig for fossils. Trilobites, corals, brachiopods, and more. I was looking for trilobites and I wasn't disappointed. While I didn't find a complete one, I did find plenty of trilobite heads and tails - they molted in segments so these are common finds. We found a plethora of various corals and other fossils. It's a fun place to take all those budding young scientists at heart. (See two of my finds, a trilobite tail and head to the right.)

Trilobite Head

We also took a day-trip to Ithaca. While in Ithaca we visited the Museum of the Earth, Cornell Plantations, and Robert H. Treman State Park. A wander through the Mueum of the Earth teaches you about the wondrously fantastical myriad lifeforms, such as the trilobite, that once were teeming in the ancient world before the dawn of man and how over the successive periods of the world it changed. In some cases, that life evolved and its descendants may even still live on Earth. But in so many others, they ceased to be anyplace except in our fossil records. Makes you more deeply appreciate the history of our Earth.

Amaranth in the Herb Garden

Cornell Plantations features acres of gardens, an arboretum, and multiple natural areas. The gardens and other areas are beautiful.  I feel much can be learned about plants by seeing them living and growing. If you are interested in learning more about plants, visit some place like the Plantations. Many plants are labeled as to what they are. With some gardens like the Robison York State Herb Garden also at the Plantations, you also get information about how the plants were used. Take yourself on an herb class for the minor price of parking at the Plantations. (See the picture of amaranth to the right. Did you know that amaranth was a native grain valued in Central & South America? You would if you visited this garden and read the signs!)

Finally, we ended up at Robert H. Treman State Park to play and to swim in a stream-fed pool beneath a waterfall. Very unique experiences - all of them.

Did I pay much for these days of memories, learning, and fun? No, not at all! Outside of gasoline, our Penn Dixie trip cost us less than $20. Our Ithaca trip, less than $30.  We packed our own lunches, snacks, and drinks to take with us - a huge savings if you are looking for lower cost trips. And even gasoline wasn't all that much to figure on since my car gets at least 35 mpg on trips like these.

All this got me to thinking....Our own area has many attractions that make for a very inexpensive and fun day trip. How about a wonderful day mixing and matching some of these family fun attractions within a few minutes of Ganondagan? Any costs of visiting noted. Some places have memberships that offer free admission or may have specific events that vary in cost. Check the sites by clicking on their name for more details.

Inside the Longhouse

Ganondagan

• Tour the longhouse, hike the trails, see the Visitors Center, see our medicinal and vegetable gardens, picnic, take pictures, and shop at the gift shop. 
• Longhouse tours are $3 adults and $2 children. 
• Access to the trails, Visitors Center, gift shop and grounds are free.

Ontario County Historical Society

• Learn about the history of the area. Of note, a copy of the Pickering or Canandaigua Treaty is kept at the Ontario County Historical Society. 
• Admission - Free.

In the Schoolhouse

 Granger Homestead

• Tour the house, grounds, buildings, and carriage museum. 
• Adults $6 and children $2. 
• Carriage rides available for an extra fee.

Victor Historical Society (Valentown Museum)

• Valentown Museum contains thousands of artifacts, objects & heirlooms that represent the local 19th century history of the Victor area. Located across from Eastview Mall. 
• Adults $5, students $3.

Sonnenberg Mansion & Gardens

Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park

• Beautiful as well as historic gardens and mansion. Tour them all including the Japanese Garden with its very uncommon tea house. (See about the tea house restoration project here.) 
• Adults $10, Students $5, and children 12 and under free.

Victor Hiking Trails

• Oodles of well-maintained trails to hike. Some connect to the trails at Ganondagan. 
• All free access.

Canandaigua City Pier

Kershaw Park

• Stroll along the shore of Canandaigua Lake or take a dip in the lake to cool off. While here, walk over to the City Pier for fishing and to get a view of Squaw Island.  
• Access to the swimming beach is Adults $3 and children $2. 
• Access to the rest of the Park and City Pier is free.

Wizard of Clay

• See master potters in their workshop create handmade pieces. Shop the retail store and visit the nature trails. 
• Free except for your purchases.

Apples at the Apple Farm

The Apple Farm

• Almost in sight of Ganondagan, this is a family run farm where you can pick apples, buy baked goods, drink cider, and when in season, enjoy tractor rides and more. 
• Free except for your purchases.

Powder Mills Park & Fish Hatchery

• Trails and fish hatchery access is free. 
• Suggest a couple of bucks in quarters for lots of squeals and giggles as the hatchery fish gobble up the fish food you can get from quarter-fed vending machines. 

I hope you visit us and some of our other local attractions soon!

-kim