FIELD GUIDE TO MEDICINAL PLANTS
Summer is in full swing and there is no better time than now to become your own herbal expert! This month we’ve put together a fun and interactive Field Guide to Medicinal Plants for you and your family to enjoy, and become more familiar about the plants growing right outside your front door.
Stay tuned until the end of this blog post for the download!
Nature Helps Restore Children’s Attention:
Plant identification is a great activity for kids to connect with nature. In the book Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louve made a case that kids were spending such little time in nature that it caused “nature deficit disorder” creating more stress, anxiety, higher rates of obesity, and ADHD.He argues that spending time in nature helps restore kids’ attention, allowing them to concentrate and create greater focus, and improve cognitive function. Plant identification is a great tool to build awareness, cultivate a genuine interest in the natural world, and helps fine-tune their awareness to the range of plant life around them.
“Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually.” ― Richard Louv
Plant Identification – Getting Started; Things to Consider:
Whether in your own backyard, at the cottage or camping, our little guide reflects species native to North America, have medicinal properties, and are used in our products! When heading out into the field start by considering these following things:
- Is the plant woody or herbaceous?
- Take note of the leaf and stem shape.
- Where is it growing, and what is growing around it?
- Seasonally how does the plant change?
In our Guide, we’ve created a point system for plants that are a little more challenging to find. See how many points you can get! Bonus activity, colour in the picture for further plant identification!
Enjoy!
xo Denise