Two quotes from the leaders of the May 25 Wildtending Walk at Verbena Fields in Chico are pertinent here. Toward the end of the walk Ali Meders-Knight, Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Specialist for the Mechoopda Tribe, said “The more we understand this place together, the better off we'll be.” And Raphael DiGenova, plant propagator extraordinaire, echoed that sentiment, noting that “this knowledge is not everywhere.”
The health and welfare of flora and fauna (including human beings) are intricately tied to one another. They all have evolved with, adapted to, and been acted upon by geology, topography, and climate. This is why reviving traditional knowledge and ancient, proven technologies for living within our means and in partnership with our ecosystem is of utmost importance.
For example, a healthy natural landscape can store and protect water by employing three plant “stories:” an understory, a middle story, and an overstory. Riparian systems in particular have evolved this strategy to utilize and protect surface and groundwater systems. In our Mediterranean climate with its long, hot, dry summers, and especially in periods of drought like the one we are experiencing now, the ability to protect and preserve water resources is crucial.
Individual bunches of deer grass grow in groups within the swale in the central part of the park, as well as in the channel alongside the willows. It is deer grass seed collection time. On the grasses which were cut down to nubs while dormant last winter, new seed stalks are standing tall. Those grasses are green, symmetrical, and healthy. The grasses left unshorn are dry and rangy, and less able to propagate through seeding. This is a textbook example of how indigenous peoples influenced their environment to maintain its vitality. (Traditionally, fire would have been used to prune the grasses: an ongoing dialogue with City Planners could make this an option in the future.)
DiGenova has saved poppy hulls from the seeds the group harvested last month, and spreads them at the base of a baby blue oak. An acorn they seeded here last fall sprouted about a month ago. The light-colored hulls make an ideal mulch, protecting the ground beneath the seedling and helping to retain any moisture. The light color of this mulch will deflect some of the sun's heat.
Meders-Knight observes that prior to European's arrival, our region was populated by climate adapted plants. Today Verbena Fields is surrounded by their unnatural opposites: a golf course, watered lawns, coastal conifers, landscape plants native to rainy England, and large swaths of thirsty agricultural monocrops.
A plant that occurs naturally in this ecosystem is the datura. The sphinx moth feeds at night on the nectar of its blooms, but its deadliness to humans is belied by the beauty of its trumpet shaped white flower that opens with the moonlight. This is an extremely powerful plant: each seed pod contains hundreds of poisonous seeds: ingesting two can cause death, one will make you regret you tried it. Its hallucinogenic properties are frightening and dangerous; this is not a playful, enlightening trip. Don't even handle the leaves of this plant, as prolonged contact could cause harm.
Traditionally, datura is used in ceremony to deepen understanding of the entire ecosystem and only those with training and knowledge – “gatekeepers” – may do so safely. Its use must be accompanied by certain songs, ancient knowledge, and the right rhythm and mindset.
Willow bark, leaves, and stems have healing properties. All species of willow contain salicin, from which salicylic acid (and aspirin) is derived. Bark stripped from the stem is cool and refreshing – wrapped around the forehead it can soothe heat stroke. Water infused with torn leaves and chopped stems can be used as a face wash, to counteract acne, and as a rooting hormone.
She and DiGenova also talk about the long arc of experience the Mechoopda people have in flood control and drought. The channel we are sitting in was carved by what was once a year-round stream, home to fish and turtles, and along its banks stood a village. It is now being actively managed by the Wildtenders to maintain the three storied system, as well as ensuring the plant age diversity that contributes to woodland health. Willow branches cut last fall and piled in the streambed are mimicking beaver dams.
There are three ways you can get involved and learn more about this special place, native species, and the Mechoopda culture: 1) Join the Wildtending Walks the last Tuesday of the month. There is a suggested $5 donation to support the facilitators; 2) Meet up with the volunteer crew at Verbena Fields every Friday between 10am and 1pm to pull invasives, water seedlings, and more; and 3) Become certified in native plants through Meders-Knight's TEK training workshops.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu (preferred) or call (530) 538-7201.
Do you want to learn more about incorporating native plants in your garden? Are you curious about the healing properties of native plants? Ever wondered how Native Americans managed wild spaces? Would you like a free source for native seeds, cuttings, and plants? If so, join the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Wildtending walks on the last Tuesday of each month at Verbena Fields. This series of two-hour educational tours focuses on native plants and includes identification of plants in various stages of growth, their importance to native cultures, information on propagation and growing needs, examination of plant communities, interaction with insects, and forestry management. The first in the series was held on February 23;the next one will take place March 30.
DiGenova shared his extensive knowledge of our native flora and highlighted the importance of reseeding and replanting areas destroyed by fire or invaded by non-natives. The co-leaders of the Wildtending Plant Walk combined scientific knowledge with traditional wisdom and the wisdom born from wildfire experience. Redbud, for instance, needs plant companions. Lonely redbuds that have been planted away from others of their species or from other species they evolved with will not thrive and may die. Redbuds need periodic fire (or pruning) to grow the straight, pliable shoots prized by basket makers. Meders-Knight noted that the redbuds they planted along the eastern portion of Verbena Fields were allowed twelve years to mature before they were radically pruned this last winter. New shoots will be harvested for both weaving and propagation.
During the course of the tour, Meders-Knight read out passages on the care and uses of the identified plants from After the First Full Moon in April: A Sourcebook of Herbal Medicine from a California Indian Elder, by Josephine Peters and Beverly Ortiz. She also recommended Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California's Natural Resources by M. Kat Anderson.
The Plant Walks are free. They are a collaborative effort between the Camp Fire Restoration Project, the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria, and California State University, Chico Department of Agriculture. Visit Verbena Fields Wildtending Days for more information. The TEK Wildtending Walks will continue at least through April and will include seed collection methods.
For the monthly Wildtending Walking Tour meet at the entrance to Verbena Fields at 4pm on the last Tuesday of the month (time may change in Summer). So, whether you want a two-hour informative tour of native plants and their uses, or the camaraderie of working with others for the health and beauty of the park, Verbena Fields is your answer.
For the history of Verbena Fields and a more detailed description of what to find there, see “Discovering Verbena Fields in Chico” by Laura Lukes, published in The Real Dirt blog on June 19, 2020. For more information on the Camp Fire Restoration Project, click here. For specific questions about Wildtending Days or Walks, email DiGenova at Raphael@gnogi.com. For more information about the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria, visit their website.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu (preferred) or call (530) 538-7201.