May 30, 2008 – Plant Lore

After bird-banding with Tom, I managed to get to Camp Allegany just in time to be late for a “Plant Lore” walk with Kim Alexander-Thomson.  I missed the introduction, so I don’t know much about Kim’s background.  I googled her and found she leads nature programs in the Buffalo area…  That’s all I know.

The walk was very pleasant, informative, and delicious.  We learned about several common plants, their food and medicinal uses, and folklore about them.  Unfortunately, because I attended many programs after this one, I can remember very few of the stories…  if any…

I jumped out of the car so fast that I didn’t even think about grabbing my camera.  I wish I had.  I wish I could show you a picture of the little one who kept asking Mom if he could please eat more of those Sheep Sorrel leaves.  He scraped up the side of his finger, or broke a blister or something…  He asked his mom if she had a bandaid in her wallet.  She said she didn’t, but she had just learned from Kim about nature’s bandaids.  She pulled up a leaf of Plaintain, squashed it a bit and wrapped it around his finger.  He was slightly disturbed that it didn’t stick like a real bandaid… But soon he was distracted by something else… and so it goes.

I think the best part of the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage is watching the kids learn and relate to Nature.