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Quote of the Month 
"What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, Man would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man.
All things are connected."
~ Chief Seattle
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The Art of Stewardship
Stewardship is an art form because it is inclusive of many skills and refined talents which are utilized to affect life in an integral way, on all levels. While emphasizing the ABC's of ecology (Abiotic, Biotic and Community aspects) we approach an ecosystem with the intention of healing. We ask how we can help to raise the ecological integrity and potential of the individuals as well as their symbiotic relationship within the system. If an ecosystem is left to heal itself it may take many successions of forest growth to bring it back to homoestasus. This is where we can help out. By speeding up the healing process of a degraded ecosystem we help nature to restore itself. Often times if we simply allow for the flow of energy to remain open so that a diversity of individuals have the opprotunity to affect the system, with the intrinsic strategies that they have always used: eating, pruning, scattering seeds and keeping the flow of life evolving. As they balance out each others' roles and responsibilities, the ecosystem finds its own equlibrium. For the most part we are needed to observe and learn how to be "a part" of the system again, rather than the managers of it.
 "Grandfather was well aware of the fact that the only reason man could survive at all was through nature. man without the raw materials to make tools could not survive at all. It was for man, he thought, a parasitic relationship, where man took but never gave anything back... [Grandfather] was wrapped in a tremendous guilt about taking everything from nature and giving nothing in return. There had to be some justification to man's existence other than to just use nature.... ...... ........ Coyote then began to explain to Grandfather man's purpose on the earth. He said, "Man is the tool of the Creator and creation. Man can help nature do what would otherwise take many years. Man belongs to the earth and the earth belongs to man. It is not just taking from the earth and giving nothing in return...Man has an important part in the survival of creation, for it is though man that nature can grow strong and healthy. Do not the winds and storms trim the trees, do not the animals eat the plants and other animals? Do the plant people not feed on the sunshine, the soils, and the waters of the earth? We all need each other to survive. But there must be a balance and harmony with man and nature. The forest here shows such a balance, it is the prefection of man's purpose."
(Exerpt take from Grandfather, by Tom Brown Jr. ) |
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Stewardship Event: CARETAKING CLASS
Kimbercote Farm has been host to the Headwaters Gathering in the past, and we at Sticks & Stones are pleased to continue our relationship with this wonderful non-profit organization as we commence our long-term caretaking project. We anticipate watching the hills, forests, streams and gardens of the 100 acre Kimbercote property grow and thrive under the hard work of our intentional hands and minds.
The Way of the Caretaker--
workshop will run from Wednesday, October 21 to Friday the 23, 2009. The management planning that we will prepare and implement will set in motion a long term stewardship goal for Kimbercote and Sticks & Stones, bringing together old and new methods for sustainable land managment that will bridge cultural as well as technological gaps. This project will allow participants to see first-hand the exponential benifits of practical, hands-on, land-based management that can be put into action by those willing to listen to Mother Nature.
For more information about this project, click here
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What's Happening in Headwaters
 Thanks to the hard work of our organizers and the enthusiasm of all who attended, the Headwaters Gathering was once again a very enjoyable success. The event was hosted in the beautiful Haliburton hills near Goderham, where we had endless hills and fields and forests-- and even a small waterfall-- to explore. Workshops were informative and participants and instructors alike truly made the most of the experience. Workshop topics included flint-knapping, bow-shooting, tracking, a plant walk, salve- and tincture-making, to name a few. 
The trading
blanket brought forth many beautiful hand-made crafts and preserves, wild honey, osage staves, dandilion wine, hides, tools... even a sail boat and a car changed hands!
If anybody is interested in joining the Headwaters Gathering Committee, please email Darian at darian@wildernessschool.ca. Our next gathering will be in the spring. Keep in touch for details as the date approaches.
In the Headwaters region (near Mono, close to our workshop), the tracking club has been meeting monthly. In September we tracked early fall changes in the forest, and last week's meeting had us stalking through fields and between apple trees, with our eyes and ears open for deer sign. There was sure plenty of it: scrapes, rubs, tracks, beds, browse... even a huge gnarly antler left by one of the old boys of the woods.
Our next meeting will be in early-mid November. Date TBD. |
H1N1 -- What Can We Do?
As some of you may know, the H1N1 or Swine Flu virus is expected to strike for a second round this fall. There has been a lot of talk and nervous buzz hovering around the subject on the radio and the news, in the papers, and in other media sources. Several issues are up for debate, specifically the following: what can I do to keep myself and my loved ones healthy? Should I get the vaccine when it finally becomes available?
The H1N1 vaccine will be ready to inject into the eager arms of frightened Canadians some time in November-- later than in the United States and most of Europe, because our government has ordered the "super strength" version, complete with extra immune boosters. Many of you might be wary of the vaccine, especially in light of recent unpublished Canadian research whose results show that people who received the seasonal flu vaccine last year are twice as likely to contract H1N1 this year.
I emboldened "extra immune boosters" above because it tweaked my recollection of a radio interview I listed to recently on Herb Mentor ( www.herbmentor.com-- a wonderfully complete online herbalism resource site which I hightly recommend) with their well-known and well-respected Village Herbalist, Heather Nic an Fhleisdeir. Heather pointed out that symptoms of some viruses (H1N1 included) are exacerbated by over-active immune systems, and that we shouldn't be acting to boost our immune systems by taking herbs such as echinacea. Rather, we should be focusing our attentions on remedies that fight the viruses themselves; for instance, antiviral and body temperature-raising herbs and foods.
I'm not trying to tell you to avoid the H1N1 vaccine if it is your intention to receive it; everybody is entitled to make his or her own choice on the matter, and no one expert or school of thought is equipped with all of the answers to the epidemic. What I will pass along are a few suggestions from Heather as to how you can help to protect yourself herbally this flu season, as well as a couple of simple recipes Skeet and I are using at home. I am just learning about the healing world of herbs myself, and am not an expert on the subject, so please don't let this article be the extent of your exploration.
A few tips from Heather:
Prevention:
Mix one or several of the following antiviral essensial oils into your regular handsoap: peppermint, rosemary, orange, pine, sage, thyme, lavender, lemonbalm, marjoram and wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water. These oils are antiviral and viruses don't like.
Incorporate foods like ginger and horseradish into your diet-- these act to raise your body temperature and will help to effectively kill off the active virus. Elderberry flowers also have this effect, and can be made into a syrup or tincture. Adding licorice to the tincture will also help.
Calendula, licorice and marshmallow prevent viral replication as well as viral penetration into cells. These can be made into teas or tinctures.
From the Round House:
One simple tea that Skeet and I are making at home:
3-4 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 tbsp dried yarrow flowers
1 tbsp honey
dash of cajan
3 cups hot water
Steep for 15 minutes then enjoy. The ginger and cajan aid in raising body temperatures, and the cajan also helps to expand capillaries to get the blood circulating well. The honey is antibacterial, and so is the yarrow. Yarrow is also antiviral, and discourages foreign bodies in building up on tissue walls.
Another delicious way to fight the flu is to make a strong "tea" of rosemary, thyme, sage and garlic (nice thanksgiving herbs!!), then add it to a bunch of veggies including onions and some greens for a tasty soup. Throw in some organic chicken and potatos and you're all set for a wholesome meal. Stews and soups are not only a tasty vector for nutrients and herbs, but they also provide us with electrolytes and much-needed fluids.
Garlic is something I swear by for its quick-healing powers. If I feel a cold or flu coming on, I simply grate 2 cloves of fresh raw garlic into 1 cup of water and chug it, twice a day. I may not smell like roses for a few days, but I don't get sick either!
Remember, prevention is key, so wash your hands and stay home if you're already sick! As Heather pointed out "You may be at the grocery store pushing your cart with germ-filled hands, and the next one to grab that handle is a baby." Touchée... that sweet, blameless baby may not be as well equipped as you to weather the flu storm. Plus, that hypothetical baby is most certainly very cute with big round eyes.
Also, staying warm is important, especially if you are already feeling flu symptoms-- viruses don't like heat! Fevers are for a reason! Hot fires, warm baths, teas and warm clothes are also good!
Other herbs to explore
You may also want to do some research on the following herbs. Especially if you are unfamiliar with herbs, it's extremely important to make sure you are in fact a) using the correct herbs and b) using them properly and safely.
elder flowers
licorice
lemon balm
rosemary
thyme
pine
sage
lavender
camomile
calendula
horehound,
St. John's Wort
boneset
by Kate Jones |
Story of the Month
Deep Thanks
Skeet,
thanks for the soul-shifting;
for many years i have shuffled over Ma Earth a hollowman:
interfacing Nature as if watching a dream
like a drunken monkey in an astronaut suit,
a goldfish tanked by glass projections
empowering ancient ways has taught me to sense thru these walls --
any seemingly arbitrary and mundane action
is now starbursting with the ancient roots of its bloodline
the origin of all this magical existence unfolding
thank-you for rooting this lumber-ghost back into
our big ol' fam tree laying one concentric ring at a time
with a smile like the milky way.
nothing is "just a..." anymore
grassy-ass
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