Watercolor - Fawn Sleeping in the Woodlands

The Dragonfly That Landed on My Nose

While at Beardfest in the Pine Barrens of NJ, I had a close encounter with a beautiful dragonfly. It was the last day of the festival when everyone was cleaning up their tents. I was feeling exhausted from a long weekend, and also having gone through a lot recently, so I decided to take a break down by the water. I laid down on a small floating dock. While relaxing there, a dragonfly decided to come land on my nose. She stayed there for around ten minutes basking in the sunshine. She was black with golden stripes. I barely moved, because I was in awe of the insect, her wings gently fluttering in the wind and eyes moving about

…I heard her soulfully whisper, “Thank you for honoring my home”. A tear ran down my cheek as she flew over and landed next to me for another moment before returning to her swamp , her home. I felt so inspired by this moment, and the visitor.

They say dragonflies communicate the messages between the Earth and the Spiritual Realms. The wisdom that came through afterwards was that its sometimes more important to be quiet and still than to be the one doing much work. I was almost as still as the lily pads on the water that day for her to come land on me for that long. Also, remember to never underestimate the power of taking a break from the business of society to rest in nature. There is a gentleness there unfound in other worlds. I felt a real peacefulness overtake me while next to the water that day. It was as though all the challenges of the modern day world drifted away, and all that was left was that dragonflies words. - “Thank you for honoring my home”. And I truly did honor her home by taking the time away from everyone to lay down and remember my place in the natural order of things… Gratitude for the small worlds hidden all around us.

Just as I was about to leave to return with my story, my dear friend Ken decided to join me on the dock. We laid there together in conversation, tears pouring down our cheeks. - In awe of what is truly possible when we take the time to be moved by nature.

Poems and Watercolor

Romantic Breakfast in the Garden

July Foods and Drinks for Wellbeing

Summer Recipes from the garden and local farms ~

Salad with local greens, carrots, cherry tomatoes, toasted sunflower seeds, goat feta, rice and pesto dressing. Dressing : Basil, Honey, Olive Oil, Lemon, S+P.

Potato Latkes with all the fixins’. ~ Yogurt, honey, salsa, tomatoes, avocado, pickles, nasturtium.

Juice Today ~Pine, Beet, Kohlrabi, Yellow Carrot with Soil, Local Granny Smith Apple, Homegrown Ginger, Lemon Balm, Kale, Chard, Parsley, Celery, Lemon, Love!

'Real Love' Musical Cover with Our Newest Wildcrafted Arts

Northern Spicebush Song

Spicebush of the golden sun Rising up from this land we’re on (x2) Bees come through the rhythms in the wind Collecting her nectar, the pollen Honey, spicy and sweet Rising up through the Earth, our feet Spicebush in the golden sun, rising up from this Earth we’re on (x2) Remember the stories she keeps, holding wisdom for those who care Remember the stories she keeps, she has the medicine to those who feel weak Spicebush, Spicebush, Spicebush

Autumn Pesto Salad Dressing Recipe

Autumn Leaves Spoken Word Art Piece

Autumn Leaves is a short film captured in November at Baldpate Mountain in New Jersey. The piece was originally written as a song and was then recorded as a spoken word poem. The guitar was recorded on site beneath the Tulip Poplar Trees and the vultures in flight. Vocals were re-recorded in our studio.

Planting American Persimmon Seeds - Native Edible Forests Series

American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)

American Persimmon is a medium to large deciduous tree native to the Northeast and Southeast of North America. (Zone 4-9) They can grow up to 100’ tall if planted in ideal conditions. Diospyros are a wildlife tree that attract many species including diverse birds, insects such as luna moths and honey bees, deer, fox, opossums, raccoons, and skunks. Their fruits ripen from autumn into winter and their flavor is like a sweet and juicy date. When immature, they contain tannins which produce an astringent flavor. The ripe fruits drop to the ground and sweeten after the first frost.

Persimmons can be found throughout a range of forests. They prefer moist rich, sandy loam, or clay soil - on the edges of fields or in the clearings of more mature woodland. We have found persimmon in the dry mesic oak forests and dry oak-pine forests common to New Jersey. Persimmon is an Algonquian word and Diospyros means ‘The Fruit of Zeus.’ in Greek.

HOW TO PLANT YOUR SEEDS

Outdoors

Soak seeds 24 hours before planting. Seeds can be planted in pots or directly in the ground in select sites. To plant in pots, select a container deep enough to allow some root growth room. I use 1 gallon or deep quart pots. For soil, we collect native forest soil from areas that are less sensitive. You can also purchase a potting mix for woodland plants with good drainage. Organic Mechanics Seed Potting Mix is a good local brand. You can always mix bagged soil with some native soil that has decent drainage, because the seeds are acclimated to the native soil from their parent genetics. Dense clay doesn’t provide good drainage for pots, so try to find loamy forest soil or soil from a local yard. Always check before you dig anywhere for sensitive species or wildlife.

Plant seeds 2” deep with the pointy end facing down. Cover your pots with fine netting or screen to keep out wildlife. Sometimes sneaky rodents will steal seeds if looking for a cold-weather snack. Water in the pots regularly if there isn’t consistent rain, and if they are dry. A sunny location is best. They will overwinter outdoors and go through a process called cold stratification. This cold-moist process helps break apart the seed coating and allows the embryos to germinate. The freeze and thaw of winter weather helps the saplings break ground in spring!

Indoors

*Soak seeds 24 hours before planting. You can also mimic winter in a refrigerator and start your seeds indoors. They will need up to three months of cold moist refrigeration/stratification. I often wrap the seeds in a clean paper towel that I wet with water, and place in a plastic ziplock bag. I change out the paper towel periodically to avoid any bacterial buildup. After three months, seeds can be planted out in pots with adequate sunlight. I have had success by starting them in our windows in late winter/ early spring. Pot them up the same way as mentioned for the outdoors.

Dividing Saplings

Depending on how many seeds you plant in a pot, you may want to separate saplings in spring. This can be done by carefully digging up the roots with the soil and moving into bigger individual pots. Keep all pots watered in and keep in sun/ part sun. After one year of growth, the trees will be large enough to be transplanted out into the ground.

WHERE TO PLANT YOUR 1- YEAR OLD SAPLINGS

IN YOUR YARD

Look for cleared soil, or prep a bed. Keep the areas surrounding the trees maintained so that other species don’t compete for resources. New saplings will thrive if mulched in with deciduous leaf mulch (never mounded around the trunks), and a good drink of water regularly. Running a drip line is a good option if you are saving the trees on your land. Biodegradeable tree rings are also recommended.

IN THE WILD

If planting in the wild, select sites with good moisture, sunlight, and soil nutrients. Young trees are sometimes browsed by deer and other wildlife, so tree rings or cages are sometimes implemented. (Search biodegradable tree guards to find a diverse selection). These can be adjusted with the growth of the tree, so revisiting sites may be necessary. Once the saplings are one year old and have been kept outside in the elements, they should be adapted to the weather patterns and receive their water from rain. A drink after transplanting is always appreciated!

You can also plant your saplings in the wild in places that are less likely to be disturbed. Also remember that humans maintain land, so making small signs for public spaces and adding tree rings to your trees may prevent from human caused damage.

Thank you for joining in the reforestation efforts we can all be a part of! Purchase seeds or donate to our cause on our online shop here - https://earthenorigins.org/shop-donate.

Forest Poem

The forest is medicine, for the people and the land, the forest is the keeper of root deep healing, soil and sand. The Forest is a portal of networks and stories woven together by mycelium consciousness, unfurling myth and link to the potentials of human awareness. Sprung from the underground rivers, lakes and seas, she is tall as the clouds and deep as seeds. When you ask her for a lesson, or for a gift -she gives endlessly, reminding us of the shift needed in humanity, the story we must remember - is that we are the guardians she needs. We are the ones who in the future who must plant her seeds, share her medicine, sing her song, give back all she has given and ask forgiveness for what has gone wrong. We must nurture her soils, and only take what we need, we must listen closely and tread lightly through the trees. Thanks to the forest for the teachings and love, I promise to share these gifts and nurture these paces always.

Inspirational Words

Some kind words from our friend Scott Kloos who hosts the School of Forest Medicine in Oregon -

“Envisioning you as Agent of Renewal and Steward of the Earth asking

Without our loving presence, what will become of the world that is coming to be?

So that we can

Reclaim not what was, but the space for what wants to be

A remembrance that encompasses past, present, and future

A continued learning to trust your connections and relationships with the spiritual forces and beings of place

Tending the spring from which those thirsty souls longing for reconnection can drink and immerse themselves in the wisdom of the Earth

Creating spaces within which folks can remember their childhood wonder

Inspiring play and artistic expression in the wilds of nature

The ones who can benefit from your medicine will show up!

How will you present the stories of the land through garden installations that merge art with experiential learning?

How will the land express itself through you, inspired by the relationships woven through deep time and the here-and-now, in ways that will draw people into more intimate engagement with nature?”

Green Light Plants ~ A Model for Earth Sanctuary

Tucked away in the lush hillsides of Landenburg, Pennsylvania along the White Clay Creek is the homestead and native plant nursery ‘Green Light Plants’. Dale and his wife Carol have lived here for generations and poured their love into the Earth and community.

Human scale trials meander around a myriad of fruiting trees and native pollinator plants. The intersection of small scale intensive food production, agroforestry, and traditional earth skills intersect on this land. What’s happening here feels tangible in all the soulful ways - muddy bare toes, home baked fruit pies, and communing with sun dappled trails surrounded by abundant foods and medicines.

Diverse Berries fro the land

We pull fists of juicy ripe fruits dangling from loaded branches, our palms stained purple and red. There are an array of fruit and nut trees here that provide for both wildlife and people. This time of the year you will find nanking cherry, unique varieties of mulberry, goumi berry, and an understory of black raspberry + high bush blueberry. Food forests such as this are models for relating with Earth in regenerative ways. They sustain a healthy ecosystem while bringing countless benefits to both humans and wildlife. These multilayered gardens build soil, sequester carbon, provide shade, capture water, and provide for pollinators + all other species within our shared community. They bring back a recognition of abundance, earth culture, and connection to our more indigenous selves.

A collection from the Green Light Mulberry Gathering

Mulberries fill the trees along the trail, we stretch sheets to collect the abundance

Charlie, a resident and co-creator of the Earth works here gives a tour of his diverse vegetable plots intermingling with Dale’s fruiting shrubs and trees. We visit long rows of heirloom melons, neatly trellised tomatoes, rare varieties of tomatoes, peppers, and corn. The corn is really a spectacular example of crop diversity! Heirloom flour, flint, popcorn, sweet, and broom are all already a few feet tall in late June. The plants here are grown for food, remedies, and cultural crafting. Charlie and I trade seeds from his extensive collection, all neatly stored in recycled spice jars in Dale’s basement. He saves many of his own seeds, creating more resilient and unique genetics for the years to come.

Ripe Goumi berries, ready to be picked

We kneel amongst plantain and clover filled walking trails and nibble on freshly pulled carrots planted earlier in spring. I excitedly leave some of the soil on, knowing I too will become a part of the culture of this place. Charlie has been growing his own food for years and knows techniques for increasing production and germination in small scale spaces. He explains a technique for increased germination of carrots in which he presses one of his hand hewn boards atop the freshly planted seeds and adds amendments made on site such as biochar and communal compost. They even compost human waste ‘humanure’ on site, which is rich usable soil by year two.

Outside of the growing spaces there are dense areas of forest with species such as oak, poplar, beech, hickory, maple and walnut. In the understory I notice shrubs such as spicebush, multiflora rose, black raspberry, and native forest plants sewn by seed over the years. There are mixed generations of people here who know how to steward Earth in beautiful and harmonious ways. Dale and Carol are inspiring elders who have allowed so many to grow and learn in their presence. Our friend Nolan was working on maintaining some trails during my visit and shared with us his compassionate presence and bowls of homemade chili.

At the entrance to the forest, Charlie is building a home with his own two hands, the help of friends, and a quality collection of traditional hand tools. We observe newly stacked stone layers dug straight from the land that will be the foundation for floorboards and hand hewn beams. He explains that each one, made of fallen trees from the forest, takes an entire day or more of labor to create. He uses simple hand tools such as an axe, adze, and two person saw. He even dug a pit for sawing boards of wood the way people did hundreds of years ago. Charlie also built a primitive sweat lodge, lean-to, and tree swing on the Green Light Land. Some of his experience is from living at ‘The Possibility Alliance’ in Maine - an experimental community focusing on off-grid communal living, hand-crafted culture, and the gift economy.

His outdoor kitchen is nearby, framed with rot-resistant cedar posts. The floor is Earth burnished by bare feet walking in and out of the space. There are modern cabinets gifted from a neighbor and a small hanging candle holder with a beeswax votive. He is excited to have his younger brother who is interested in masonry and architecture come add stones to the floor this week. The whole project is a labor of love, with most of al the materials gathered for free on site.

Wooden spoon carving in the morning with Nolan’s herbal brew

Charlie and I practice using some hand planers on his countertop and learn about the shifting direction of wood grain. I’m a novice woodworker, so it’s amazing to learn the tricks of the trade from someone skilled. He expresses how the sound of the tool against the wood helps us understand the channels of least resistance. This is important for planing and carving smooth surfaces.

There are legends of the nearby White Clay Creek and the surrounding tributaries having deposits of pure white clay. It’s lovely when the name of a place matches the findings to be had there. We decided to take a hike to find out, with our rucksacks and bare toes… through the forest we went. The stream banks here are lined with all kinds of clay and stone in monochromatic shades of red, orange, and yellow. There’s even mica in the stones that gleams in sunshine as you wade through the water. Wearing no shoes makes us extra observant of all the treasures underfoot.

Hand picks are replaced with primitive rock tools for digging at clay deposits in the banks. We take a moment to dig every time we find a promising spot. Charlie recalls that Dale said to, “Turn left at the fork” to find the best deposit of clay. And so we passed around five forks before finding the Perfect white clay… I’ve never found white clay in the wild in such a pure form! It seems more refined and easy to work with for modeling and sculpture.

We sat in the stream and filled our bags while being munched on by hungry mosquitoes. The journey was well worth it. On the trail back home, we passed beautiful young hickory trees dropping smelly nuts we stuffed into our pockets. We sauntered through magical golden-hour-lit meadow filled with milkweed and prickly datura leaves.

I’m looking forward to making more pottery with the white clay we found. Process and storytelling are an integral part of the art we make. We hope to host a primitive pottery workshop on Dale and Carol’s land in the future!

We came back home to Nolan’s wonderful cooking - a big pot of well spiced chili with Eunice’s homemade yogurt. We sang ‘Cornbread and Butterbeans’ by the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Nolan farms nearby and helps out on Dale’s land. He enjoys sharing foraged teas and traveling. We talked about hosting tea ceremonies with sassafras, spicebush, mugwort, and mountain mint.

Homemade mulberry pie with leaf lard crust

Charlie and I made mulberry pie for dessert from Eunice’s preserves. She had visited the week before and her well known quote is, “If there is a jar, I’m going to fill it.” The shelves in the basement have been graced with her presence and preservation skills. The pie had leaf lard I brought from the local ‘Rising Locust’ farm. It was possibly the best pie I’ve ever tasted. We even sculpted designs of symmetrical shapes, a dragonfly, and milkweed flower on top to honor our adventures.

A frog and lily pad sculpted as a gift from clay found on the Green Light land

As evening approaches, the moon and milky way shine down onto the porch and I camp surrounded by the most beautiful drying seeds and flowering green roof. I have in my heart the presence of my extended family of plants, animals, and friends. There are moths dancing in the light, leopard slugs slithering in their slime trails, and crickets creaking in the jungle night. The resident dogs snuggle up with us in our sleeping bags. My heart is filled with gratitude for places like this. I hope more of them are created and enjoyed by all of life, Earth wants that to happen.

Sincerely, Emily

Please take a moment to visit https://greenlightplants.com to order native plants and trees from the Green Light Plants forest nursery, support their work, and to read more about their story.

Morning light at the forest edge

Tending the Early Summer Garden

This garden was planted two springs ago and is now an abundant sanctuary for pollinators, wildlife and people. We grow many flowers, native plants vegetables and herbs.

While tending the garden this past month, I have come across many beautiful plants. Here are a few photos -

View of the stone area through the mid section of the garden surrounded by many colorful blossoms and greens. This aesthetically pleasing design helps create water flow through the garden and provides habitat for insects and amphibians.

Red Yarrow flowers in bloom are great pollinator flowers for small bee species and butterflies.

Coreopsis flowers in bloom add a striking yellow color to the summer garden.

False Indigo in flowers are opening in the sunshine. These legumes will produce pea like seed pods in late summer and can be made into rattles.

Northern High Bush Blueberry producing fruit, one of our favorites for making blueberry pie!