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.
April's Wildtending Walk at Verbena Fields marked the third of this year-long monthly series. Each month, we discover changes that have taken place and learn the stages of a plant's growth (e.g. leaf, bloom, seed). One goal is to develop an intuitive sense of when and how to gather seeds of different species, with a broader goal of helping people develop an understanding of local ecology from a native peoples' perspective in which humans are not separate from nature, but an equal participant and keystone species that interacts with and influences plant evolution and propagation. Some of the plants focused on during this walk are also keystone species: important components in the lore, culture practices and survival of the Mechoopda people who inhabited this land for thousands of years prior to occupation by Europeans.
As fluffy cottonwood seeds floated in the air, the group headed towards the channel and stopped at a cottonwood. These trees are a primarily riparian species that can also handle drought. Meders-Knight noted that their seeds float along hoping for a flood year. Each tree puts out many thousands of seeds and gambles that a few will land in enough moisture to enable them to take root and grow to maturity. Humans can help by collecting the cottony seed pods and dropping them into welcoming habitat.
The cottonwood's medicinal properties include interacting with fungus and as an antiseptic. In addition, buds can be soaked in oil to make a pleasantly-scented tincture to ease muscle pain. The inner bark, buds, and catkins are edible. Mechoopda people found cottonwood ideal for a fire-starting plank – the tree is a softer hardwood that is easy to drill into to make sawdust. (Cedar makes the best fire planks but does not grow in the valley.)
An enormous yerba santa perched along a high spot above the channel was planted seven years ago as a tiny start. by Meders-Knight. Since then she has used this specimen to show kids how to sample plants, and it has responded to the honor of being a teaching plant by growing into a huge shrub, right now in its flowering stage. European honeybees and several types of native bees are mobbing this bush. It blooms at a good time of year to nurture these pollinators. It's not quite ready to give up its seed– perhaps next month. Yerba santa seeds will not sprout without having been exposed to fire.
Meders-Knight calls the yerba santa a “backwards chewing gum” plant as the leaves initially taste unpleasant and sweeten up with chewing (whereas chewing gum starts out sweet and ends up icky). Yerba santa leaves are helpful for dehydration and can also act as a stimulant. As she plucks these leaves and drops them in her water bottle, Meders-Knight emphasizes the importance of staying mindful and being thankful while gathering. She gathers for medicinal and educational purposes, and honors and respects what the plant offers. Traditionally, jewelry might be offered in thanks, and she demonstrates how strands of hair can be wound on the plant in return for sharing its leaves and seeds.
Yerba santa absorbs, even thrives on, carbon monoxide, and it likes to grow on roadsides. This plant can be smoked: pick and dry leaves, then crumble, roll, and smoke them to help clear your lungs. Meders-Knight noted that smoked with cannabis it can soothe lungs that have been scarred from wildfire smoke, like those of firefighters. She cautions to gather from plants growing in interior areas, away from constant car exhaust. One can also make a cough syrup from yerba santa. Breathing in steam from boiling this plant or steeping it to make tea can also soothe lungs.
DiGenova finds the fruit of a pipevine, which is exciting as there is a very short window of time to gather seeds of this plant, and the seed pods are camouflaged within the foliage. Each pod can carry fifty or more seeds. Since seeds fall straight down it is hard for this plant to spread itself to other parts of the park. They'd like to seed many more of these in order to beef up the pipevine swallowtail butterfly population. Look for an area at the bottom of the seed pod that is just barely open: this means that the seeds are ripe to pick but seeds have not yet dropped. Scatter them at the base of other trees, as pipevines need a support structure to grow on, or along the willow walls woven along the sides of the channel.
Verbena Fields is home to a bush that grows abundantly in our valley: the elderberry, a keystone Mechoopda species with high intrinsic value. Straight narrow twigs from this bush are made into clapper sticks which the Mechoopda use for percussion during ceremonies and songs. Elderberry twigs also make excellent drill sticks to use with the cottonwood plank. Native stories recount firebirds playing with and stealing the people's drill sticks.
The elderberry bloom this year was huge, perhaps prompted by our scant rainfall. Their berries are very popular with birds, who repay in kind by spreading the seeds in their droppings. Propagation also occurs through root sprouts.
The elderberry has many medicinal and nutritional uses. The berries and flowers of elderberry are packed with antioxidants and vitamins. It can be used to reduce inflammation, lessen stress, and to relieve cold and flu symptoms. Use care when working with this plant: prior to blooming, the green berries have high amygdalin concentrations. Amygdalin is a cyanogenic glycoside which can result in cyanide poisoning. Stems and leaves also contain this toxic compound. For this reason, remove any stems from flowers when making elderflower tea and never make tea from elderberry leaves. The ripe fruit, however, contains no poisons and has anti-viral properties.
The group circles back to revisit the redbud. Its flowering stage is complete and its branches sport many green and pliable seedpods, along with some that have dried. The redbud is also a Mechoopda keystone species, as leaves, seeds, and flowers are all nutritious and delicious. Pods are best eaten when still young.
The walk ends with the collection of California poppy seeds. It is just a tad bit early in their season, so DiGenova teaches how to identify the seed pods that are closest to ripe. The long slender pod develops dark vertical stripes when close to optimum ripeness, and one good clue is if most of the flowers on any given plant are spent. Test with a slight twist and tug at the base of the pod: the ripest ones will detach easily. When completely dry, pods pop open and seeds are ejected forcefully into the areas surrounding these beautiful, hardy plants. An annual, poppies rely on seeding to propagate. The group spreads out over the field, dropping pods into the collection bags to return to DiGenova for planting later; we are encouraged to pocket some to watch them pop open (and perhaps sow) at home.
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 10 and 1 to pull invasives, water seedlings, and more; and 3) Become certified in native plants through Meders-Knight's TEK training workshops.
The Master Gardeners 2021 Spring Workshop Series continues in June with “The Wild and Wonderful World of Honeybees” on Wednesday, June 16. Register for this free workshop on our 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.
- Author: Laura Lukes, UC Master Gardener of Butte County
Almost thirty participants strolled through Verbena Fields on March 30 for the second of a year-long series of Wildtending Walks. This month's leaders, Raphael DiGenova and Janeva Sorenson, shared their passion for and knowledge about the native plants of this area. DiGenova, a native plant expert and Wildtender, is a long-time volunteer at Verbena Fields and has worked closely with Mechoopda Indian TEK specialist Ali Meders-Knight. Their goal is to introduce us to and inspire us about the native plants used by indigenous peoples of our area. DiGenova is deeply invested in sharing the knowledge required to cultivate a large range of native plants throughout the region.
Underlying these tangible lessons is the deeper goal of helping us develop a more intimate relationship with nature, understanding its benefits and our interactions with our ecosystem. Even deeper than that lies the lesson of the importance of listening to native peoples, respecting and utilizing their original wisdom about each intricate part of this land. Indigenous wisdom about plants is based on ancient and ongoing interactive relationships. DiGenova cautions us not to make the mistake of believing that TEK is not “real” science: it is, but from a different root – the result of thousands of years of trial and error, of observation and experimentation. The plants we see around us are the product of human intervention and selection over millennia.
Here is a brief summary of the plants and processes the Wildlife Walk participants studied on the beautiful, warm, clear afternoon of March 30.
Grindelia: First up on the tour was grindelia, or valley gum plant. In April, it is still a basal rosette on the ground, but this super tough native can compete with even the dastardly star thistle. Grindelia has a number of medicinal uses, including to soothe and counteract poison oak. During its growth cycle, it manages to shade and thus inhibit the growth of star thistle seeds. (Star thistle and non-native mustard threaten to take over parts of Verbena Fields and much of the efforts by volunteers focus on eradicating these invaders.) Grindelia flowers and seeds provide lots of food for insects, including beetles which live inside spent flowers over the winter. The flower is sticky and gummy, hence the common English name.
Redbud: This member of the legume family is now in various stages of bloom. Redbud doesn't bloom until about its fifth year. The tiny blossoms have a surprisingly delicate and sweet flavor. DiGenova noted that native peoples also ate the young leaves and seed pods. Because the plant evolved with periodic fire, it developed ingenious strategies to ensure that future generations would thrive. The seed pod has a thin paper coating which burns very quickly, singing the seeds just enough for them to open into the smoldering ground below. When harvesting redbud seeds to plant, scarify them to mimic the fire regime to which they are adapted.
Datura: This poisonous plant, also known as jimsonweed or devil's weed, belies its toxicity with its large and beautiful moon-white trumpet-shaped flowers. A low-growing herbaceous shrub, in winter and before its spring growth it carries a large seed head atop a curved skeletal arm.
Naked Buckwheat: The largest and most edible of the buckwheats, naked buckwheat (Eriogonum nudum) is super drought tolerant, and its flowers contain nice big seeds for birds to feast on. The Eriogonum species feeds many different pollinators. To distribute this plant to more and different areas, simply cut off the dried seed heads and sprinkle them on the ground.
Pipevine: As the group made its way toward Lindo Channel, the northern border of Verbena Fields, it came upon a pipevine twining up the limb of a young valley oak. The vine is host to the pipevine swallowtail butterfly, whose emerging larva will eat a good percentage of the vine, helping to keep it in check. Because the seeds of this plant fall directly down, it spreads better with the help of human hands.
Valley Oak: Valley oaks dot the landscape of the park. When acorns germinate, their initial taproot grows quickly to a few feet so the seedling can survive dry conditions. The valley oak prefers soil that is a little richer and deeper than does its cousin the blue oak, which grows upslope in the shallow, rocky soils of the foothills. Much of the soil at Verbena Fields has been covered with cobble from the historic gravel mining; valley oaks provide evidence that this soil is better than it appears on the surface.
Western Chokecherry: Western chokecherry (and all native prunus) provide abundant food for migratory and resident bird populations. It is a large sprawling shrub that can also provide habitat to wildlife. Coincidentally, at this point in the walk, a red-shouldered hawk conducted a fly over.
Yerba Santa: On the rocky shoulder above the channel sits a thicket of Yerba Santa. Translated from the Spanish as “holy herb,” this plant has a number of medicinal uses, especially for throat and respiratory ailments, and for fevers.
Also, on the way to visit the willow engineering project, walkers passed mugwort (a potent dream medicine), silver bush lupine (a beautiful showy native perennial), mule fat (good forage for equine species), and the pungent coyote mint. Together, this panoply of plants, with their different growing, flowering, and seeding schedules, provide year-round food and shelter for animal species.
Willows and soil-building: They are playing the long game out at Verbena Fields. Twelve years ago, when Meders-Knight began tending the wild there, volunteers planted multiple lines of willows along the south bank of the channel to slow flood waters and encourage them to drop out their sediment load (instead of carrying it downstream). A nice bed of soil has resulted, and the willows were recently cut down to a few feet above the ground. Using the supple willow-cuttings, volunteers wove walls to hold in the built-up soil and retain the sediment from previous and future flows.
While the group stood amid these clever and carefully wrought artifacts of Wildtending, DiGenova shared the vision of what we can create, by acting together and following the wisdom of those who came before us. This space, these plants, evolved with people. Humans are a major influence on the evolution of all plants, and these plants are our family. If we, as the native peoples do, saw all things on this Earth as people, as members of our family and friends, we would take care of them much differently. We can live in reciprocity by providing habitat and things that are useful to us and useable by others on this Earth as well. We are not outside of our ecosystem, and we cannot engineer our way out of what we've created by believing we are separate, above, and untouchable. DiGenova emphasizes that it's critical to support and promote indigenous sovereignty, to listen to and act on their advice; that it's vital to learn the true history of our region, our state, and its plants.
What they are teaching us at Verbena Fields is that we have the chance to create a living seedbank; literally to put the land back to its original abundance. After all, DiGenova says, wild areas such as this are just remainders of a really large, interrupted garden.
For more information, please visit Camp Fire Restoration Project and TEK (Chico Traditional Ecological Stewardship Program).
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.