The Old Woodsman

In this column you'll read interesting facts from 'the ole woodsman'. For almost a year and a half, we have enjoyed these wise writings and we did not know who wrote them.

September 2006 - Although Jan will be leaving at some point for a warmer location, she will write a few more articles for us.  We have been honored to have Jan McLaughlin provide us with this column. Jan has always been a vocal advocate of our land and she will be dearly missed by me and others. We hope she will continue to send us her thoughts from her new home in a brand new environment. Thank you Jan. 

Natural Organisms that Surround Us

April and Wild Foraging

Happy Groundhog Day

Societies and Winter Solstice - Dec 05

Warm Autumn

Summertime

We are being invaded

Mushrooms

Sassafrass Tree

Swamps

Poison Ivy and its Natural Remedy!

Poison Ivy, Oak and Sumac

Thoughts of Fall

Snowflake Bentley

Winter Blues

White Tail Deer

Maple Syrup and Spring's First Flowers

Silent Night

Sassafrass Tree

Sassafrass trees are common in PRV. Look for them. Sassafrass tree leaves can be dried, powdered and used as a thickener in gumbo or soup and the roots are dried and used as a tea.  Crush the leaves in your hand and note the pleasant aroma.  Cautionary note:  Recently Sassafrass  (Sassafras Albidum) has been proven to cause cancer in laboratory animals if used in large amounts.  

Sassafrass Tree

Pineapple Weed

There is another very safe aromatic plant growing outside at present.  It grows along  places recently trampled- in our case along the edges of the sidewalks.  Pineapple weed (Matricaria Matricariaoiodes) is inconspicuous as it is very close to the ground. The flower head is green something like a daisy without the white rays, and smells exactly like pineapple.  It is very safe to use and can be collected and dried and used either as a tea steeped in hot water or as a flavoring.  I have collected it in large amounts and used as flavoring for chicken along with some honey and soysauce.  

Pineapple Weed