Foraging

You know how sometimes during a short period of time in your life the same idea keeps popping up and it almost makes you wonder if there if there is a force out there in the Universe deciding on a theme for your present life. I must write this down, and all future serendipitous theme emergences, because I know I will grow old and forget and, in the future, I want to be able to read it to myself and any kids or grand kids who will listen.

So, it all started a few weeks ago when a colleague of mine told all of us science teachers that he is organizing a Food Day at our school and he welcomes our participation. Since I am a botanist at heart, I immediately start to think of ways I can incorporate plants and my eye wanders over to a shelf in my classroom and my eyes rest on my old copy of "Wild Edible Plants." This book was my parting gift at the end of the first summer I taught outdoor environmental education at nature preserve in Ohio when I was eighteen, a long time ago, ahem...

So, I decide that I am going to teach my students to forage and we will prepare and eat wild plants for Food Day. Then, as I leaf through my book I find that many invasive plants, like Japanese Knotweed and Garlic Mustard which grow "like weeds" all over the forest near my high school, can be eaten. So, at this point, I am feeling like I have come up with a novel solution to a pretty big, bad and expensive environmental nightmare (removing invasive exotic plants) and as a side bonus, found a local food source that is free, which could, I don't know, alleviate hunger. It is a great idea, but it turns out that I am not the first person to suggest eating invasive species as a way getting rid of them. In fact, there is a NY Times article in this week's Science Times all about it. Last week, in an environmental course my teacher shares an article with us and on the opposite page is a small blurb about the latest trend in the locavore movement, "invasivores." So, I guess my wild edible plant workshop for my students might have to have some trendy title like "invasivores for a day."

So now that this idea is taking shape I am foraging with Jove and Miranda in the yard. I must say that I really wish crab grass was edible since it is the primary weed in my garden. The biggest hit so far with the kids is purslane. It grows pretty much everywhere as a weed and it is yummy. We like it so much we have left a spot for it in the garden. Today, Miranda told me that she went out to get some when she was hungry for a snack. We have also harvested some dandelion greens and plantain leaves and added them to soup. They are a little on the bitter side to eat right out of the lawn.




I have a couple of month to prepare and I will have to be creative since a lot of plants you can eat in summer won't be so tender in October. I am keeping my eyes open every time I am outside and reading as much as I can. I may even take a foraging class with the legendary Wildman Steve Brill who is local and makes his living teaching people to eat wild plants.

Summer of Foraging here we go!

Jove's super science lab 7th birthday party

We have a family tradition of having big birthday parties for the kids which they end up talking about weeks before and after the party takes place. This year Jove said that he wanted a science party with experiments and explosions and Jupiter enlisted some of the other science teachers at his school to help. Jove has watched quite a few experiments and launched rockets with us and he loves to hang out with his dad and do science.

We had hand-on science activities and a rock and mineral touch table set up by my brother. Jupiter and his colleagues did a science show and then all of the kids got to launch water bottle rockets that they made. It was a blast! There were a few loud explosions which is why a lot of people have their ears covered. Some young kids were a little freaked out and went inside until they were done with the bazooka.

Just a few days before the party, Jove brought home a non-fiction book he wrote and published at school and it was all about science experiments and how he wants to be a chemistry teacher like his dad. So cute!

in the weeds

When I realized I hadn't posted anything since Miranda's birthday, I decided that despite the long list of everything that is pending, I should take a moment to share our life right now. My brother moved into the lower level of our house in April and my parents came for a week to clean up, paint and refurbish his room and living room. Having my brother here with us is wonderful: he loves hanging out with kids, he helps around the house and yard and I love that we have an even bigger family. Miranda calls him Mr. Petrified Wood and Jove is learning quite a bit about minerals from him. He is looking for a job as a chemist and he is already hooked up with the mineral collecting community out here.

As the weather has warmed up the yard work frenzy has begun. The previous owners of this house were elderly and had not done much outside or inside for that matter. We are planting a small garden inside a fenced area around the pool and next year will create a larger fenced garden. We have seen deer in our yard many times and we are also figuring out what we can plant that they will not eat. The shed on the property was filled with years of junk and mouse infestation and it took us quite a few days to clean it out and haul all of the junk to the dump. We don't have garbage pick up here and I must say that I quite enjoy going to the dump, which is really a transfer station. Recycling does get picked up weekly and we really only make enough garbage to have to take it every couple of weeks. That was probably more information than anyone wanted to know about garbage I'm sure.

There are a lot of invasive vines, poison ivy and accumulated brush everywhere and it will probably be the end of the summer before it is all cleared up and hauled away to be composted. Our roof deck collapsed under snow back in February and we demolished some shoddy cabinets in the room that will be Miranda's and we have been taking all of that wood to the dump as well. We took a break from re-doing the two upstairs bedrooms to work in the yard but the bedrooms really need to get finished.

The arrival of Spring also brought activities for the kids. Miranda has ballet and tap class which she loves. The class is called Fairytale Ballet and it involves costumes and a story every week. My little girl who loves to dress up and pretend is thrilled.

Jove is busy right now and he loves all of his activities, but Jupiter and I are wiped out from taking him all over after work. Jove took a few horseback riding lessons at a local stable, he is playing soccer in the Stamford league, he takes a Ropes Course class at the JCC and he started Brazilian Ju Jit Su. All of the activities, except for Ju Jit Su, will wind down soon. The Ju Jit Su is making Jove really strong; Jove and I have always enjoyed wrestling but I can't really do it anymore because he's too tough. Jove has a lot of energy and he loves to be physical so it is a great match and its structured so he's not just wrestling with his friends.

Summer vacation will be here soon and we need it so badly. We are looking forward to spending our days here, exploring the nearby natural areas, getting the house fixed up and traveling a bit. If anyone wants to come visit this summer, we 'll be here.