Kudzu is a fairly recent addition to the Southern landscape. We all know it’s invasive, but how exactly did it get here? Ironically, kudzu is a rare and treasured plant in its native Japan. It’s cultivated as an ornamental vine in gardens and prized for its purple blooms.
Read moreWild Edible Wednesday 8/19 - Staghorn Sumac
This week’s plant for #WildEdibleWednesday is Rhus typhina, or Staghorn Sumac. Dramatic and exotic-looking with its bright red fruiting bodies, sumac is part of the Anacardiaceae family of plants that includes cashews, mangoes, and pistachios, as well as Brazilian pepper, poison ivy, and poison oak.
Read moreInstructor Corps Pro Tip 8/18 - Water From a Vine
“Need water but can't locate a good source? In certain areas (rarely in the Eastern Woodlands, but it happens) you might be a good ways away from a creek or stream, or it might be a time of drought and sources may be dried up. If that's your situation, consider the vine.”
Read moreWild Edible Wednesday 8/12 - Mountain Mint
Today’s plant for #WildEdibleWednesday is Pycnanthemum incanum, or Mountain Mint. This is a powerhouse of a plant that’s one of the “universal medicinals” – it’s one of the few plants that’s at least somewhat useful for nearly every illness or ailment… even, as we’ll see, allegedly raising the dead.
Read moreInstructor Corps Pro Tip 8/11 - Brown Baggin' Your Carving Projects?
“One of the most maddening things about a finishing up a woodcarving project is the wait for it to cure out. Will it crack? Will it stay intact? Who knows?”
Read moreWild Edible Wednesday 6/12 - Broadleaf Plantain
“If you’ve ever taken one of our courses at SARCRAFT, there’s a 100% chance we’ve at least mentioned Plantain, if not shown you how to use it. We’ve always said that if you’re going to learn one edible and medicinal plant, it should be this one.”
Read moreInstructor Corps Pro Tip 6/11/19 - Sweetgum Toothbrush
“One of the most important, yet most neglected, aspects of wilderness living is personal hygiene. In our experience, most guys behave like unwashed heathens in the woods and won't shower, shave, or brush their teeth for weeks at a time if they don't have to, but that's a recipe for trouble.”
Read moreWild Edible Wednesday 6/5 - Henbit Deadnettle
“Henbit season is actually tapering off – it prefers cooler temperatures and rarely thrives in the hottest parts of summer except in cool, moist areas. But it’s still out there, so if you want to try it this year, get it while the getting’s good! Like so many of the plants we’ve covered, check your lawn first.”
Read moreInstructor Corps Pro Tip 6/4 - Bark Shingles
“Primitive shelters ain't all they're cracked up to be. If you've studied many "survival tips" websites or quick reference guides, you get the impression that simple debris huts are all you need to stay warm and dry in any conditions. If you've ever slept in one, though... well, that's a different matter.”
Read moreWild Edible Wednesday 5/29 - Orange Daylily
“So named because the flowers bloom and die in a day, it’s probably a familiar plant to most of us. I think almost everyone had a grandmother who grew them in her garden, and even if not, you’ve certainly seen them on summer roadsides. They bring back happy memories for me of speeding down unkempt backroads in early summer with the windows rolled down…. “
Read moreInstructor Corps Pro Tip - Toggles, Pt. II
“Last week we showed you how to use a wooden toggle as a quick-release system for hanging your tarps... but that's just the tip of the toggle iceberg. Like a shemagh, or a poncho, a wooden toggle is a blank canvas that is only limited by your imagination.”
Read moreWild Edible Wednesday 5/22 - Oxeye Daisy
“The Greeks dedicated the flower to Artemis, the goddess of femininity, as it was useful for treating women’s issues and was thought to bring fertility. Even today, it’s considered good luck in some circles for women who are trying to get pregnant to leave daisies at the ruins of temples dedicated to Artemis.”
Read moreInstructor Corps Pro Tip 5/21 - Toggles, pt. 1
“Tarp, ponchos, and emergency blankets are three of the most crucial elements of modern, fast-action shelters. And for those shelters to be effective, they need to be built correctly. But hanging them can be a pain if you don’t have much experience with it.”
Read moreStudent Spotlight May 2019 - Stephen Hendrix
“Most of our students do well under our instruction. They fill a hole in their skill set, come to a course every now and then, and wish us well. That’s okay. And then there are those who are here every time the doors are open, those who bring an already respectable skill set to the table and build it into something truly remarkable. That’s Stephen Hendrix.”
Read more#WildEdibleWednesday 5/8 - Red Clover
“As medicine advances and more and more compounds are synthesized from natural sources, maybe it’s time we humbled ourselves and realized that the ancients knew what they were talking about.”
Read moreInstructor Corps Pro Tip 5/7 - Reading Wood Grain
“Just like everything else, there's a right way and a wrong way to baton wood. Or to put it differently, there's a more efficient way and a less efficient way. Even something as simple as this can still be optimized and done better.”
Read moreWild Edible Wednesday 5/1 - Creeping Charlie
“It goes by a weird plethora of alternate names, including Creeping Charlie, Gill-Over-the-Ground, Hedgemaid, Tun-hoof, Runaway Robin, Lizzy-Run-Up-the-Hedge, Catsfoot, and Alehoof. No, not kidding. And don’t ask me how half those names came to be, other than people in the British Isles got bored.”
Read moreInstructor Corps Pro Tip 4/30 - Ranger Bands on Fire
“They won’t catch a spark, but if you have an open flame, they’ll burn easily. Lighting one is like starting a mini tire fire. Even the small ones will burn for 10-15mins in all conditions, including rain and high winds, and they're virtually impossible to put out.”
Read moreWild Edible Wednesday 4/24 - Common Purslane
“Once you have purslane on your property, you’ve got it forever. There’s no getting rid of it, and the harder you try, the more it spreads. It’s fire-resistant, pretty indifferent to most herbicides, and pulling it only breaks the roots into fragments that turn into more plants. So the moral of the story is… if you can’t beat it, eat it!”
Read moreInstructor Corps Pro Tip 4/23 - Why We Baton
“While processing firewood this way is more work on the front end than just gathering it up and trying to burn it, the rewards are well worth it. You’ll be blessed with fires that are easier to start, less likely to die, don’t smoke as much, and put off more heat.”
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