Spring is just around the corner

Hi everybody,
I don't know if you're as excited as I am about spring almost being here. One day it is here and the next there's snow again. Well I guess that's March for you. At the farm we're cleaning up after the winter and starting some early crops in cold frames.

I've also been sneaking around in the woods for signs of PLANTS!
Here in Armstrong the sap of the birch is not ready to tap yet, but a couple of warm days will surely change that. Another treat out there, ready for the picking now is the lovelies of them all, the nettle. She is high in iron, extremely nutritious, beautiful to look at and if that wasn't all, fantastically tasting too. So get on out there and grab a few, easy to make a dip out of to spread on your sandwich. Or why not make a soup out of them?
This year I will do some hikes and events teaching people about plants. More will be posted here as they come up.

• If you have a group and are interested in learning about wild plants, berries and nuts I can tailor a hike for you. I can take groups as small as 2 people or up to 25. I can come to any location you wish. In the past I have done many hikes in Ellison Prov. Park, Kalamalka Lake Prov. Park, Mount Rose Prov. Park and BX Creek.

• Should you be interested in a workshop on how to make your own salves; medicinal properties of plants; or planting/growing tips on herbs ,I can do those too. 

• Last year I did a couple of birthday parties, where the theme was wilderness survival, plant knowledge and fauna. If this is something you think your child would enjoy, or even if you're an adult and wish to have an organised wilderness event, let me know and we can come up with a plan that would interest everyone.

For more information, prices and ideas please feel free to contact me:
Mikaela Cannon     Tel +1 250 306 1915              email: mikicannon@gmail.com

Workshop on Nuts and Seeds

Autumn is my favorite time of the year. There is so much happening out there in the woods. The squirrels and chipmunks are busy stashing food away and so are we at the farm.
This time of the year is a perfect time to harvest nuts and seeds. There are many wild seeds and nuts to choose from, for example you can get your winter supply of salsify and alfalfa to make your own sprouts in the months to come. Or how about finding your wild supply of hazelnuts for Christmas.
Come out to Allan Brooks Nature Centre in Vernon and learn how to identify, how to prepare and what to be cautious of. You will get to taste and touch a wide array of nuts and seeds.
When: Saturday 22nd of September 10am to noon
Where: Allan Brooks Nature Centre, Vernon
Cost: $7/person

A selection of some tasty seeds:

Douglas Fir cone, Hoary alyssum, Plantain, Salsify, Lamb's Quarters, Heart Nut and Beaked Hazelnut.

Wild berries workshop

Summer is here with its intense heat and bounty of berries, fruits and wild foods. This time of the year I gorge myself on wild berries and keep an eye out for my fellow foragers, the bears.
I will hold a workshop about wild berries at Allan Brooks nature centre in Vernon on the 11th of August. You will get to be close and personal with the plants and even taste some of my favourite berries and learn about some of the poisonous ones to stay clear off.
Come prepared to get your tastebuds tickled:)
Where: Allan Brooks
When: Saturday 11th of August -10 am to noon
Price: $7/person

 A yummy selection of huckleberries, saskatoon berries, barberries, soopalallie berries, rowan berries and oregon grape berries

Dainty little trailing raspberry

Plant Talk at Allan Brooks Nature Centre 26th of May

Hi everyone.
Spring is in the air!
Allan Brooks nature centre is open again for the season and I will be doing a talk there on Saturday May 26th about plants and their uses. Time: 10 am to noon. The cost will be $7/person.
For those of you who came out last year, this talk will be similar in format but will cover some plants that were not in bloom last fall. You will get to identify the plants and learn of their uses for food and medicine. Some plants you will get to sample. I don't know about you, but I always find it so exciting to learn that a plant that I see all the time can be used for food! The talk will consist of a short walk (suitable for people with disabilities) and a presentation around the benches outside the centre. Wear clothes for the weather, it can get quite windy up there on the hill:)
Looking forward to seeing you all.
For more info email: mikicannon@gmail.com

The Old Fashioned Pharmacy

Thanks to everyone who came out to the medicinal garden talk. I had a great time! Here is the next upcoming event:

I will be partaking in the Museum of Vernon's Pharmacy Day on April the 28th. They will open up the old pharmacy in the museum for the public to get a closer look at the intriguing stuff in there. I will be at the museum between  1-5pm.

• Talk about the History of Western Herbal Medicine, from the cave men to Dioscorides to modern herbalism.

• Demonstration on how to make a mustard poultice, herbal infusion and tincture.

• I'll be in the pharmacy to answer questions on the herbs on the shelves. Come and join a journey into an 1892 year pharmacy.

Admission is by donation.
Here is the link to the museums webpage for all the info about the pharmacy day.
http://www.vernonmuseum.ca/

Medicinal Garden Plants Workshop

And Music Performance

Saturday April 21st

2pm-4.30pm 

Come and learn how to plan your own medicinal garden from planting to final product.

You will learn how to grow, harvest and prepare your own medicine. We will talk about 6 plants in depth and learn their:

-growing requirements

-harvest times and methods

-medicinal and culinary uses

-preparation methods

The speaker Mikaela is an avid plant lover who has travelled extensively, learning about plants from all around the world. She has taken a 2 year wilderness guide course in Sweden, worked as a park ranger and research assistant in Australia, and has taken herbal medicine courses on Vancouver Island. She is now running a business out of Vernon called Herbal Myth, where she does hikes and workshops on plants and their uses.

 

 Combined with the workshop we will hear music from a new album by PM Glimm. He plays thoughtful folk music. His lyrics focus on personal and social responsibility, conscious environmental stewardship and everyday life. Peter is passionate about DIY and self- sufficiency and is in the process of starting up a bio-dynamic farm in the North Okanagan.

Cost: $10 per person. 
Contact: mikicannon@gmail.com or 250-306-1915
                                                       
At Okanagan Centre for Spiritual Living 2913 29th Ave

Marshall field interpretive hike for kids

Come join us for a 2 hour interpretive walk at Marshall field.
During the time with the children we will learn through games and group observation. 

Specifically we will:
-walk along the creek and learn about the vegetation and the animals here.
-talk about the beaver and the muskrat, how to tell them apart, what their tracks look like and what they eat.
-observe a willow tree and the signs of the beaver's gnawing.
-learn more about willow and its uses.
-identify rose and hawthorn by their thorns and learn uses for these plants.
-play a game where we learn about mice and voles and what their predators are.
-take a closer look at cattail and learn about its uses.
-discuss which birds migrate and which ones stay.
-see if we can spot a red winged blackbird and learn to identify it by its call. We will learn more about this particular bird. At the end we reiterate what we learnt and what we enjoyed the most.

Meet at the tennis courts at Marshall field.
Monday March 5th 10.00am- 12.00 pm
Tuesday March 6th 10.00am-12.00pm
Wednesday March 7th 10.00am-12.00pm
Be sure to dress for the weather.
Price: $7 /child ($5 if child brings adult along)
Limited spaces available. Pre-booking required.
Contact Mikaela Cannon at 
Email: mikicannon@gmail.com (please leave telephone number)
Tel: 250 306 1915