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Mother Nature’s Secret Garden
Written By: Ann Self - The Village Green | Issue: 2016/08 - August
Wildcrafting is a term for the practice of collecting plant materials in their natural habitat for food, medicine, and craft.
Originally such activity was the only grocery store, medicine chest, and hardware store available. People today continue to provide for their families by harvesting such things as moss, ginseng, and other medicinals along with plants to make food and natural dyes. Ila Hatter was raised on natural remedies with a love and respect for nature. She will present a program on wildcrafting entitled “Mother Nature’s Secret Garden,” during the Village Nature Series, 5:30 P.M., Tuesday, August 30, at The Village Green Commons in Cashiers.
Ila Hatter, known as “The Lady of the Forest,” says, “Opportunities for wildcrafting are not just found in the countryside. There are ‘wild’ places in cities and in one’s own backyard.”
In your own yard or neighborhood may be native persimmons, walnuts, blackberries, dandelions, and wild roses.
“In wildcrafting, we’re harvesting the bounty of the earth and should always approach collecting with respect and thankfulness,” says Hatter. She contributed a chapter in the newly released book, “Women of the Smokies.” She also produced “Roadside Rambles,” a wild foods cookbook, and the DVD “Mountain Kitchen.” She has appeared on PBS, CNN, and A&E networks.
A foraging feast sponsored by Dargan Landscape Architects will accompany this lecture.
The Village Nature Series is sponsored by the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust and The Village Green as part of their shared mission to protect and preserve land and natural resources. The free monthly presentations provide educational opportunities to learn about distinctive features of the area as well as offer cultural enrichment for residents and visitors to the Highlands-Cashiers community.
To register for the foraging feast, email [email protected] or call (828) 743-3434. For more information, visit villagegreencashiersnc.com.
