Spring Project Log - Riparian Hillside

Date April 14, 2007
Time 5:30-7:30 Total Hours: 2 Cumulative Hours: 2
Partners None were with me
Activities Being with my new place and getting a sense of it.Plant  ID
Observations I feel connected to this spot, but am disillusioned by all the weeds.  I see much Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) and Horetail.  I know we need to remove it, but would like to know what value it has as well.
Learning Gained Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) – This plant has quite a few talents, though it is not put into use much.  The leaves have the ability lower blood sugar levels and can be usedl in the treatment of diabetes. An infusion of the leaves can be used in the treatment of bleeding, stomach ailments, kidney infections, and jaundice. Externally, a wash or poultice can be applied to swollen and painful breasts, rheumatic joints, bruises, and bleeding. It is best to use the entire plant, including the roots.  The leaves can also be rubbed on the skin to repel mosquitoes.  Note:  I find it an interesting point that this plant repels mosquitoes and it is so very abundant around mosquito breeding ground.Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) – The fertile shoots can be eaten cooked or raw, though can be toxic when eaten raw so be careful.  The rhizomes can be eaten in the spring and the black nodules attached to these are also edible. Horsetail is rich in silica, and contains several alkaloids (including nicotine) and various minerals. Horsetail is very astringent and is effective in aiding the clotting of the blood. It can also speed the repair of damaged connective tissue.  It is a usefule diuretic and can aid in the treatment of kidney and bladder problems, cystitis, urethritis, prostate disease and internal bleeding, especially when there is bleeding in the urinary tract. A decoction applied externally will stop the bleeding of wounds and promote healing; a decoction of the herb added to a bath benefits slow-healing sprains and fractures, as well as certain irritable skin conditions such as eczema.  Horsetail also contains equisetic acid, which is a potent heart and nerve sedative that is a dangerous poison when taken in high doses. This plant should only be used for short periods of time and under the supervision of a trained herbalist.
Tools N/A
Future Garden Ideas/Tasks I have not been able to meet with my partners as of yet, but I definitely know that the main plan is going to be plant procurement and weeding! 
References 1.  Plants For A Future Database.  www.pfaf.org.
Date April 21, 2007
Time 9:30 – 5:00 Total Hours: 0 Cumulative Hours: 2
Partners Anna, Donna, and Sylvia
Activities Plant walk at McLane Creek and afternoon gardening/tutoringIn the afternoon, I helped Donna and Anna pull Horsetail and Herb Robert, and tutored Sylvia on Drupal in the computer center.
Observations It was great to get some serious plan identification in this morning.  I learned quite a bit and am able to confidently ID.
Learning Gained The ID many plants I had not know before, including Waterleaf, Vanilla Leaf, Spirea, and more that I will add in her later.  It was beautiful to see all the birds out and hear that they were comfortable with us. 
Tools My hands
Future Garden Ideas/Tasks We still have not officially sat down and discussed this, but we did talk with Marja about how we will be leaving some Horetail in our area.  I am planning on working on our trail area and the trail between the hillside and the Dry Woodlands.
References  N/A
Date April 29, 2007
Time 10:30 – 3:30 Total Hours: 5 Cumulative Hours:

7
Partners Anna, and Sylvia
Activities Clearing more unwanted plants from our site, then we took Sylvia on the plant walk she missed and used the opportunity to get ideas for our site.At our site:  I worked on the trail to the creek and put down mulch about a third of the way down.  We discussed where to leave Horsetail and Anna took that over.  I also went up and checked on the Dry Woodland site.  I think the little Salal we planted needs to be tended to and will talk to Lorn this week.
Observations At our site:  I see how beautiful and peaceful our area is and how much better it can be without the weeds.  It was very rewarding seeing our trail start to form out of my work.  At McLane:  We noticed how much the plants have grown up in just one week at McLane Creek.  We also noticed how False Lily of the Valley  grows nicely with Miner’s Lettuce, but that the Horsetail stays out of those areas.  It was nice to be able to walk through there and know what we were looking at.  We encountered Corrine from Radiance and said hi to her for a moment as we all marveled at the abundance of plant life that had sprung forth in just a week.
Learning Gained This was basically a re-cap of last week, but it is nice to know that I can ID many more plants than before.  However, I must notice how many are here that I cannot yet ID. 
Tools Rake, wheelbarrow, trowel, hands
Future Garden Ideas/Tasks Anna and I have discussed adding False Lily of the Valley and Miner’s Lettuce to our site as ground cover and Horsetail repellent.  We also talked about how wide our trail should be and what it should be lined with.  We would like to meet with Donna to talk about signage and made that one of our priorities for the next couple of weeks.
References My notes from the previous week.
WEEK OF APRIL 30 - I DO NOT HAVE ANY TIME YET, I WILL BE MAKING UP TIME THE WEEKEND OF MAY 12-13
Tracy Wilson
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