Are you a good host?

Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) Caterpillar

This tuesday, June 21st at 1:16pm EDT, is the Summer Solstice. Solstices and equinoxes are special times. Just as four cardinal direction points tell us where we are physically heading across the land, the solstices and equinoxes mark the season and help us to know the direction we are taking in our yearly trip around the sun.  (See last year's summer solstice article for more on that yearly trip.)

While the sun itself and the bounty of fresh produce always evokes the picture of summer time in my mind, there is another thing that speaks equally of summer to me. It is the butterfly. Oh to be sure if you read mythology and symbolism references, they will speak of the butterfly symbolizing the soul and rebirth. I live in a land where freezing temperatures (or near enough to!) are pretty common for half the year. The butterfly seen mostly in the warm and sunny days of summer is a symbol of summer in my book.

While in the vegetable garden last night, I happened to have the opportunity to take the picture above. It is of the Black Swallowtail caterpillar. He was happily munching through my parsley patch. Do I begrudge him some parsley? Not at all! The swallowtail butterflies (I get both the black and yellow ones at my house) are far too special to see. The price of some parsley to see the adults or even the painted caterpillars is more than worth it. Besides munching parsley, these caterpillars also love other members of the carrot family. I'm sure the bounty of wild carrot here also brings them in. This butterfly, like all the others you know, have specific host plants. Host plants are the plants that are used as a site for the butterfly to lay eggs and also as a food source for the emerging caterpillar. So key to having these beautiful summer visitors is having the right host plants at your place.

So be a good host and invite the right plants to share your space with you this summer season. Butterflies are sure to follow. You can learn more about the Black Swallowtail here or about North America's butterflies (including regional checklists and host plant information for each species) here.

Happy Solstice,

-kim

People come from far and wide to visit Ganondagan

A couple of yesterday's visitors came all the way from Montana!  So nice talking with you, Jim and Carol.

~Tonia

Come Join Us in the Gardens!

Invitation from our Gardening Committee chair, Tonia Loran-Galban:

Garden planting date has tentatively been set for Tuesday May 31st at 1:30pm meet at the garden with hoe in hand. Planting should take about 30-45 minutes, roughly. Come on over and introduce yourself. Note - Rain Date is June 1st.

If you cannot make the planting date but are interested in weeding (it is surprisingly low maintenance) please email me gardens@ganondagan.org and I will email you a map of the garden. Or if I'm on site, I will show you where to weed.

~Tonia

Update on May 31:
Dear Garden Friends- With temperatures going up to 90 to day, we thought it would be better to do the planting tomorrow morning at 7:30am.  We know this is a late change, so let us know if you can make it tomorrow! ~Tonia and Ronnie



About Gardening at Ganondagan:
It's a terrific way to get out and enjoy the sunshine, fresh air, and the feel of the rich, dark earth in your fingers. It doesn't matter if you are an experienced gardener or not, everyone is welcome to join in! Come and learn traditional Haudenosaunee ways of gardening - perhaps you will learn something for your own gardens!

Keep your eye on this blog for any changes to the planting date due to weather. Nya:weh! And see you in the gardens!

-kim

2011 Three Sisters Garden:

Botanical Medicine Certificate Program - Medical Herbalism III

Blue Vervain

Our good friend Dr. Les Moore is teaching the next series of Medical Herbalism classes starting
on May 5. These are wonderful classes if you are interested in learning more about using plants for their medicinal qualities. They are also terrific for people wanting to know more about the plants growing in their lawns, gardens, and wild places around them. I've successfully completed the entire series of classes and an apprenticeship with Dr. Moore and I can't say enough good things about the experience!

I've also included a couple of excellent field guide links at the end of this article. Dr. Moore often uses them on his plant walks. You don't have to own them for the walks. But if you are interested in learning more on your own, you may wish to own one or more of these excellent references.

-kim




Botanical Medicine Certificate Program
Medical Herbalism
May 5, 2011 through June 2, 2011

The Medical Herbalism classes are part of a series in the Botanical Medicine Certificate program offered by Dr. Moore, ND, LAc. These classes are offered at Clifton Springs Hospital through the Integrative Medicine department, The Botanical Medicine Institute, and Classical Formulas. Each series of classes have a similar format however, they will contain different and new information. These classes are appropriate for health care providers, herbalists, and anyone interested in herbal medicine.

Club Moss

Dr. Moore teaches and oversees material that is taught by Master Herbalists. Dr. Moore has an extensive background and education in the field of botany and herbalism, both eastern and western. Dr. Moore received a Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine and a Master of Science in Oriental Medicine from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine.

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 attendance verification and program completion. Class size is limited.

Tuition is $120 for the series or $25 per class. Contact Classical Formulas for registration at 315-462-0190 by Friday, April 29, 2011.

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 May 14, 2011, which will be held at the Ontario Pathways Trail, Phelps, NY at 9:00am.

Medical Herbalism Part III
May 5th through June 2, 2011

Course Descriptions

Class 1 – Botanical Medicine/Single Herbs – May 5, 2011
Learn about herbs to soothe gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, digestion, allergies and detoxification.

Class 2 – Herb Pairs/Drug Interaction and Gemmo Therapy – May 12, 2011
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.

Marsh Marigold

Class 3 – Plant Identification/Herb Walk – May 14, 2011
This class will be a 3+ hour walk to identify plants in the surroundings area. You will learn about their habitat, history and uses. This class will meet at the Ontario County Pathways trail, Route 96, Phelps, NY. Bring water and snack, dress for the weather and wear appropriate footwear.

Class 4 – Herbal Medicine Making – May 19, 2011
Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food. Healthy eating, herbal teas as well as discussing wildcrafting and tips on drying and storing herbs.

Class 5 – Herbal Formulas & Modifications – May 26, 2011
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.

Class 6 – Herbal Therapeutics – June 2, 2011
This class will focus on spring detoxification and Pancha Karma. Pancha Karma is detoxification and bio-purification from traditional Indian Medicine.

Field Guides & Other Resources

Click on any of the images to view & purchase the book. If the images are not visible, you can click any of the links below.

            

Cherokee Plants: Their Uses-- A 400 Year History

A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs: Of Eastern and Central North America (Peterson Field Guide) 

Newcomb's Wildflower Guide

Wildflowers of New York in Color

The Herb Book: The Complete and Authoritative Guide to More Than 500 Herbs

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

Arvel Bird's Animal Totem & Music Circle Workshops

For those who already are fans of award-winning Native American musician Arvel Bird or if you're curious to learn about Native American animal totems and music circles, check out two opportunities we're offering to participate hands-on with Arvel in a drumming and/or flute circle. You're encouraged to bring a percussion instrument or flute for the themed workshop, and if you don't have an instrument, or don't know how to play, no problem! Wear comfortable clothing, bring a mat or blanket and come anyway.

The first half of each workshop will focus on how indigenous tribes used animal “medicine” or “wisdom,” and how—through Arvel’s guided meditation—individuals can learn to find and connect with their power animal. He promises the music circles to be a "fun and healing time to connect to the Creator with movement and rhythm."

As there's a lot of local interest in Arvel, we're encouraging pre-registration by April 1 for the following Friends of Ganondagan-sponsored events:

• Saturday, April 9 from 1-3 pm, “Animal Totems and Drumming Circle Workshop”
• Thursday, April 14 from 7-9 pm, “Animal Totems and Flute Circle Workshop”
  

Both workshops will take place at the Quaker Meetinghouse (workshops not affiliated with the Quakers), at 84 Scio Street, corner of Scio and Charlotte.

To register, or for more information, visit www.ganondagan.org/programs/ArvelBird.html or call
585-742-1690.

And, as an extra incentive, our Friends of Ganondagan (FoG) members receive a $2 discount off the ticket price for Arvel ’s April 17 violin and flute concert with the Rochester Chamber Orchestra (David Fetler conducting) at 3:00 pm at the Hochstein Performance Hall. To receive this discount, FoG members should call Julie Doescher at the RCO Box Office, 585-442-9778. Arvel will premiere The Path Made of Rainbow, a work he wrote for the RCO and the Bach Children’s Chorus, which describes the Paiute story of how the Grand Canyon came to be.

Friends of Ganondagan is making some of Arvel's recordings available for purchase. Click here.

Hope to see you!

A sweet treat

With it being the mid-February holiday of St. Valentine's Day, we thought we would share a sweet treat with you. We've added a recipe for Strawberry Pan Cake to our recipe page. If you don't already have a gift for the one close to your heart,  this homemade dessert may show them how much you care.

Of note, the recipe we are sharing came from the book Enduring Harvests by E. Barrie Kavasch. This is a terrific book filled with Native American recipes. The book is organized by seasons and festivals. The recipes are from many different Nations and feature a variety of indigenous foods. Various anecdotes and history accompany each recipe. What a great way to learn the culture, history, and tastes of Turtle Island! Purchase your copy of this book by clicking the link included...

Of note, Winter has been bitter as of late. But the signs of Spring have already started to show. Warm weather birds have been seen and heard. May we hope for an early and gentle Spring!

-kim