Applegate Trails: Exploring Nature with Children – By Michelle LaFave
With Spring just about ready to unfurl its pent up glory for all to see, the time is right for getting your kids or grandkids geared up for a beautiful and bountiful season of hiking and wildcrafting. If your children are like mine, they get stir-crazy when kept under wraps for too long. They are eager to shed their warm sweaters and open up their bodies to take in a little sunshine. They love to prance along a moist path looking for all of the delightful treasures the forest holds, wade in irresistible pools of water, and gather acorns, oak galls, and wildflowers.
The first Shooting Stars are already up. My five-year old son loves to nibble these fresh flower treats and their yummy leaves. He knows not to eat too many of any of the wild delicacies.
Speaking of delicacies, morel season is nearly upon us! Mushroom hunting is one of my family’s favorite pastimes. Last season, my little toddler could be found grinning from ear to ear, perched high on her daddy’s back while her brother cut morels for the dinner table. We eat them sautéed lightly in olive oil, after soaking in salt water for 30 minutes. Watch out for the look-alike false morels – they’re obvious once you are familiar with the true morels, but you need to be sure of what you are eating! Beginning foragers should always consult with local experts AND have an excellent reference book. (Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora is a great choice.) “If in doubt, throw it out!” That said, there is nothing more empowering than teaching your children how to take care of themselves in the wild.
morel mushroom
Gathering food, medicine, and building shelter and fire are basic skills that are often over-looked in this modern age of hyper-technology. Your pre-teen might be able to download the latest Edible Wild Foods Ap for her iPhone, but does she have the clarity of mind and confidence to handle herself in a real life survival situation?
It is so important to teach youngsters the art of interacting respectfully and harmoniously with nature – our future really does depend on it.
If you’re looking for a way to get your family involved in local outdoor recreation, the Applegate Trails Association (ATA) is a volunteer group dedicated to creating and preserving non-motorized trails in the Applegate Valley. Join the ATA on one of our educational hikes, such as the Trees and Wildflowers in Marble Country hike on Sunday, March 11 on the Shooting Star Trail in the foothills of the Williams Valley. See our schedule of upcoming hikes on our website, www.applegatetrails.org.
Do you have specialized knowledge that you would like to share with the community? Maybe you would like to share your passion for local history, bird watching, environmental education, or nature crafts on a future hike? Get in touch – we’d love to see you on the trail.
Michelle LaFave
Applegate Trails Association, Board of Directors
www.applegatetrails.org