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Wolf Journey Chapter Nine - Caretaking Nature

Order a fine print - signed, numbered, limited edition on 6x9 or 8.5x11 of Joanna's Artwork - this one composed in honor of Chrism and other teachers.

Coyote Gets Her Name indigenous story as told by Chrism to be uploaded ASAP. Love the Power Song written and performed by Chrism to be uploaded ASAP. Man Who Planted Trees music written by Leslie Lightfall to be uploaded ASAP. Inspirational Artwork by Joanna Colbert.

Contents of Chapter Nine:
• Preparation for Chapter Nine Field Exercises
• Field Exercise 9A - Attitude of the Medicine Driver
• Field Exercise 9B - Caretaking Wilderness
• Field Exercise 9C - Transplanting Non-Native Species
• Field Exercise 9D - Cultivating a Symbolic Native Tree
• Field Exercise 9E - Chapter Nine Celebration

Guest Essay by Nikki:

For an herbalist, finding our purpose and path in life involves a quest of living so close to nature that we cannot be distinguished from it. When we find ourselves on the true path, it leads to amazing places and situations.

That little voice inside, the one most people rarely listen to, I think it is the voice of the Creator. Our heart is pure when we allow it to lead us. It does not lie, nor does it make excuses. All we have to do is slow down, listen and feel with our heart, and all our questions are answered.

We can find the answers to all the questions we ask in nature. When we wander freely, being drawn and guided by that inner voice, we are led to beautiful experiences in magical places, all gifts from the Creator.

It is in nature where we can be closer to the Creator, inside his natural church, where child-like instincts are not held back and we are free. The mysterious trees, with carpets of moss and fern all around, or the waterfalls and streams that join: these may be the secret places of the faeries where we too can dance, sing and play.

It is not surprising that there has been a significant "faery" revival in the past decade. It may not so much be that the faeries are reappearing, but that we are slowly coming back to the earth. So the faeries I think are coming back into people’s consciousness.

Our worlds were once very close, but as we grew farther away from nature, the faeries became make-believe. But, the faeries are still helping God grow the plants in our forests, gardens and deserts, where we can still feel their youthful energy, wild and free.

As beings of earth and water, fire and air, the faeries take on qualities of light and dark, gnarled or fluid, and they create the faces we see reflected in trees, rivers and stones. Here are a few Do’s and Don’t’s for when you discover those secret faery places:

–Step lightly, quietly and be very still at times to appreciate and enjoy God’s creation.
–Leave gifts, as faeries love simple, natural cookies, butter and sourdough, but go easy on the elderberry wine and make sure you make tiny cookies so they can carry or fly off with them!
–Plant a faery garden with their favourite trees and flowers, including any of the celtic month trees (see Wolf Camp 5 Year Anniversary calendar) plus hollyhocks, evening primroses, bluebells, cowslips and foxgloves.
–Be careful not to step in a faery mushroom ring.
–Do not offend them or defile areas they protect and love.
–Never eat food they offer, but politely decline.
–Four leaf clovers break faery spells as well as turning your coat inside out and backwards. Faeries are full of riddles!

Faeries facilitate laughter, beauty and health, as well as their opposites, for us and the earth. Everything has a balance, and we all must strive for balance in our lives. When was the last time you walked barefoot outside? Try it again and never forget to laugh and play along your journey!

Field Exercise 9A – Attitude of the Medicine Driver

"Harvest with a Caretaker's Attitude." - Karen Sherwood
"Become a Medicine Driver." - Jon Young

____Make An Appointment With Yourself For An Hour and A Half Including Journaling Time. Read through these directions carefully, and then go out to your doorstep, ready to go to your Medicine Place.

____What is the first thing you are about to do? Are you about to walk on concrete covering the ground? Are you about to get into your car? Are you about to step on grass to get to your Medicine Place? Before you take that first step, thank the plants and insects that were there, or that are there now, for sacrificing themselves for your journey, so you can do your studies.

____Now take time to thank what you crush every step of the way, crank of the pedal, or vehicule excelleration which carries you to your Medicine Place.

____When you get to your study site, consider everything that you will be sitting or standing on while you rest there. Thank the plants and insects again for sacrificing themselves for your studies.

____When you are at rest at your Medicine Place, consider all the winged ones and four-leggeds that make way for you to be there. How are you effecting their lives? Send them thanks for making room for you.

_____Close your eyes, and think of times you've spent in a car. What effect did driving that car have on the enviroment, plants, and animals? Think of as many times as you can that fumes covered up the smell of fresh air, how many times your windshield was covered with bugs, how many trees and plants were removed in order to lay down the road you were on, and how many times you've seen road-kill in the ditch.

____Now think of times you've ever hunted or even eaten meat. Then think of how many times you've harvested or simply eaten plants. Did you thank the plant or animal for giving its life, so that you may continue to live in the world?

____Finally, open your eyes, and give thanks in the way you are most comfortable and expressive. Then head home when you are ready.

____At home, start with a Journaling Cover Page - Word Version (or Journaling Cover Page - Html Version or cover page of your own design, and supplement/replace it with the Wildlife Recording Form if you wish), and use this list to help guide you in journaling your experience. Questions we would like you to consider in your journaling include: How is driving like hunting? What other actions of yours effect the environment, and perhaps deserve rememberance that we you may be taking a life of a plant or animal by taking that action. Think deeply about why it's important that you go to your Medicine Place despite the sacrifices? Why is it important that you continue to live in the world and effect the environment as you do?

____Finally, make a wallet-sized pouch (could be a simple sewn cloth, or as extravagant as a tanned leather, sinew-sewn, beaded belt) that has a loop on it so that you can easily carry it to your Medicine Place in the future without it getting in your way. Place inside it something you hold dear but that you would give away every day. The best thing is an herb or seed that you cultivated. You have probably heard that tobacco is commonly offered to the land when a person harvests from it. That is not my personal tradition, so what I do instead is carry a maize husk from my past season's garden with the corn kernals still attached, and leave that for the earth whenever I harvest from her.

Field Exercise 9B – Caretaking Wilderness

Recommended Resource:
Guide to invasive species from your local Conservation District, Department of Ecology, Native Plant Society, or siimilarly named agency that does public education on invasive species.

____Set aside one of your days off, such as on the weekend, for this exercise, since it will take some time. Your goal is to identify a need that your study site is asking for. In other words, does it need removal of an invasive species in order to provide space for native species? Does it need you to plant new trees or other plants there? Does it simply need garbage removed, or maybe it's fine the way it is, but some tree branches have fallen on some shrubs and they just need to be jimmied to the ground?

____Spend some time doing research with information from your local Conservation District, Department of Ecology, Native Plant Society, or siimilarly named agency that does public education on invasive species. Maybe even hire a private wetlands consultant or your county/city biologist from the Planning & Development Department to visit your site, and they should be able to give you good ideas for any needed restoration.

____But before making any decisions, just prepare as usual and make a journey to your Medicine Place, but bring a copy of the best map you have previously made of your study site - one that you can write on in the field. Once you reach your place, leave an offering if you like, or if you can bring your mind into a place of appreciation and focus your thoughts clearly without any physical representation, then do so. Ask your higher power or the land itself to guide you to understand how you can best caretake your study site. Once you have shed the busyness of your personal life, and feel fully present with your site in your mind and heart, then start fox walking around, endeavoring to simply witness the whole area. At first, don't make any judgements. Just witness it, as it is. Leave the judgement about how to steward the land for later.

____Come back to your Medicine Place. When ready, start making notes on your study site map as to what you saw. in particular, if there were areas that needed cleaning up, mark those. If there was an invasive plant community that needs thought as to its effect on native species, mark that. If there were some native trees or plants which seemed stressed, note that. If waterways seemed polluted or negatively effected by past removal of vegetation, then be sure to write that down for later consideration.

____If there is something you can do now to care for your study site, go ahead and do that. If you realize that you need to study up on what is native, what is invasive, what effect development has had on the hydrology of the area, or whether non-native plants may be beneficial to your site for various reasons, etc, then go home and so some research. If you realize that you need work gloves, shovels, and maybe a crew to help you, then go home and start organizing those things.

____When home, complete a Journaling Cover Page - Word Version (or Journaling Cover Page - Html Version or cover page of your own design, and supplement/replace it with the Wildlife Recording Form if you wish), and spend a good amount of time making a new map of your study site, but this time, emphasizing the plant communities and areas which have been developed. Consider using separate colored pencils as you draw in what you think you need to restore in the area. Finally, make a journal entry about your experience, and if necessary, write out your restoration plans.

____When you have finished the first draft of your restoration plan, then show it to someone with expertise, or contact Wolf Camp to see if I or someone else there can give you feedback on your plan. I would recommend asking 2-3 different "experts" their opinions, and make sure they all come from different schools of thought. For instance, your county worker, or state department of natural resources forester, is going to have a different dogma than, say, your local neighborhood herbalist or a Native elder. All perspectives are valid, and you need to make your own decisions based on what the land is telling you (and the property owner decides - don't forget to get permission!) though your thoughts will be most best developed if you have observed the land through all 4 seasons before making much effect, since the hydrology and other things can change so much over the year.

____Your next field exercises guides you to do your first restoration work.

Field Exercise 9C – Transplanting Non-Native Species

Recommended Resource:
The Earth Manual by Malcolm Magnolia

Talking with an owner of a native plant nursery, or at least visiting a nursery which highlights some native plants in your area.

____Set aside one of your days off, such as on the weekend, for this exercise, since it will take some time. Your goal is to finish implementing the restoration work you began in the previous field exercise. You may have realized that there are some invasive species in your study site. It may be that you determined they are benign; that is, they don't block out the growth of native species, or perhaps they are beneficial to your study site for other reasons. Certainly, all the plants have gifts to share, whether they are native or not. The question is though, how you can become the best caretaker of your study site, and the first step is to simply observe, which you did in previous field exercises, but in reality, a full observation will take a year as you witness the way plants grow, animals move, and waters flow throughout each season. So take a year-long view of your study site, and before removing all the plants you think are invasive, wait a while to see if they are already in decline, or if they really block out the growth of native species. I do recommend pulling a patch of invasives out (if any) to see how your study site responds. Think about it, and make the best decision you can.

____ Before heading out today, do some research on how to make a craft using a plant which which you will be weeding from your study site. Tom Brown's Field Guide To Primitive Living Skills is just one of many books out there showing you how to make cordage, baskets, and other crafts. The Boy Scout Merit Badge series is another. Go to the library or bookstore, or seek out people with these skills in your community, and gather as much information as possible about the uses of the trees, shrubs, and other plants in your study site. When you go to yoru study site today, be prepared to look for a tree, shrub, or other plant that may lend itself to making a utilitarian craft like cordage or baskets.

____When you are prepared to make the journey to your study site, bringing work gloves, shovels, and anything else you need to do the restoration work you can realistically complete today, head on out. Remember that you will need a means to carry home some of the plants you will be weeding out of your site since you'll be endeavoring to make a craft with them. Upon reaching your study site, take a moment to leave a gift for the land from your medicine pouch, telling the plants and animals what you plan to do, and acknowledging that they all have unique gifts for which they were created, whether or not their gifts are appreciated in your particular study site.

____Do your restoration work, and bring home the plant(s) from which you hope to make a craft. Instead of journaling today, launch right into your craftwork. Remember, however, that it is a tradition in some cultures for a person to give away the first craft they make. In particular, if you make a basket, it is common to fill it with foods, flowers, or other gifts, and present it to someone whom you wish receives abundance in life. At least, this is something I heard from my cedar bark basketry teacher on the Lummi Indian reservation.

____Your next field exercises guides you to successfully transplant a native species into your study site. In preparation for that, you will need to think of a native species which, after research, you believe should be growing in your study site but which is not; or perhaps there is just one such plant and it needs some friends to become better established. The beautiful thing about bringing back a native plant which probably once grew in your study site before it was disturbed by modern humans, is that it will almost certainly bring back a native bird, sometimes attract a mammal that was displaced, and always invite a plethora of native bugs which are beneficial to the land. Again, do some research and decide on a native plant to re-introduce into your study site.

Field Exercise 9D – Cultivating A Symbolic Native Tree

Recommended Resource:
The Earth Manual by Malcolm Magnolia
Purchasing a native plant from a nursery in your area.

____Your goal is to put a solid yet symbolic touch on the restoration work you've been doing. You may know about national Arbor Day when people are encouraged to plant a tree, but did you know that Chief Jake Swamp, spiritual elder of the Wolf Clan of the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne, is also the founder of the Tree of Peace Society, which according to the cover of "The Peacemaker's Journey", an audio tape produced by Audio Literature which features him, is an organization promoting respect and thankfulness for all peoples and all life. I heard Chief Jake Swamp tell about his travels the world over planting White Pines where respect and thankfulness need to be cultivated. In the audio taped story of the Peacemaker's Journey, he describes the Tree of Peace as a solid symbol of these ideals which the Iroquois Nation adhered to over the past millenium. Your goal today is to put your plant into the ground with an intention: the prayer which you as an herbalist most need to make. It would be great to obtain your plant already knowing the intention you plan to put into the earth with it, but it's also wonderful if you "discuss" your prayerful intention with the plant after meeting it. I'm sure that in your talks with the plant, you will be able to develop a simpe intention to state as you transplant it. Maybe it has to do with the health of the land and the people around your study site. Whatever you decide is perfect.

____Prepare as usual to make a journey to your Medicine Place, but of course bring your plant and the work supplies you need. Plant your plant, and state your prayerful intention. Complete any other restoration you can do today, then just leave any unfinished work to do according to your year-long plan. Don't worry if you feel you've left lots undone; nature has a way of taking care of itself, and you are just one part of that.

____ Upon returning home, indicate on your study site map the changes you made, make a journal entry about your experiences, and edit your restoration plan to allow for a year-long perspective. Always remember to journal the weather, animals and plants you witnessed today.

Chapter 9 Celebration

____Prepare to go to your Secret Spot as you normally do, and visit it with no agenda besides having an attitude of wandering, whether you remain in one spot or move around. Return home and complete this chapter summary, starting with a Journaling Cover Page - Word Version (or Journaling Cover Page - Html Version or cover page of your own design, and supplement/replace it with the Wildlife Recording Form if you wish).

____Complete a written Thanksgiving Address journal entry, adding the new category PLANETS after the sun and before the stars.

____Write a short description of your combined experiences at your Secret Spot during these Field Exercises. You may want to describe what feelings came up for you, fears, happiness, sadness, wonder, and more. Again mention where you may be on the path of initiation into nature, and if this reflection stirs anything in you, talk about it with your instructor.

____Set goals for yourself regarding Food and the Caretaker's Attitude that you are confident you can achieve. What do you wish to learn, experience, gain from practicing these skilsl?

____Note in writing anything you liked, or saw needs editing, in this chapter of the Naturalist Mentoring curriculum

____Give the following written information to your instructor:

o Your written Thanksgiving Address
o Your journal entries from all the Field Exercises
o Your summary of experiences with this chapter (see above - feel free to edit)
o The written goals you have set for yourself
o Your written evaluation of this chapter

Good work! It's time to move on to Chapter 10 - Making Medicine.

Wolf Journey is available complimentarily online, though we suggest donating $1.00 per chapter or set of recordings you utilize, with checks payable to Wolf Camp, 1026 14th St. SW, Puyallup WA 98371. Books and other resources which you will need for successful completion of field exercises throughout Wolf Journey can be purchased through Granny's Country Store or by calling them at 406-287-3605 to order. You can work through Wolf Journey independently, but we recommend this book series as part of our Correspondence Course, Academic Year Class Series, In-Depth Apprenticeships and Summer Training Camps, but if you would like an instructor from your own area to guide you while studying these skills, we recommend clicking on PrimitiveSkillsLinks.Com to find an earth skills specialist near you who can personally review your field exercises and journaling work, which you can keep track of on your Student Transcripts. Other schools and outdoor instructors who would like to use this curriculum for their own programs are free to do so. We would appreciate donations, or having your students donate as described above.