Flowers, herbs and dyes

Yesterday was interesting in several ways. We (the Better Half [BH] and I) went our to see what's blooming on our little patch of Anoka sand plain. One new plant, that we had noticed from a distance, brought a red tinge to the grasses. Neither of us recalled every seeing this plant in the 20 + years we've been walking this property. I took some photos; she cut some samples. When we returned to the house, I promptly went to the Minnesota Wildflowers web site and searched under "red flowers" and "what's blooming." No answers. The BH, meanwhile, had checked our copy of Wildflowers of Minnesota: Field Guide. No results. By then I had found our copy of the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers--E: Eastern Region and searched. Success! Our mystery plant was the last one listed in the red flowers section. We have a field full of sheep sorrel. That made it easier to find on the USDA's wildflower site and allowed me to confirm it's not included on the Minnesota Wildflowers site, although it is on Minnesota Seasons.

red or sheep sorrel                        © harrington

It's starting to become clearer to me why Richard Louv, in Last Child in the Woods, could write that a child can identify 1,000 logos, but not 10 plants native to his or her region. In addition to the issues Louv writes about, we need better resources, and including field guides with more information on what local plants can be used for. Herbalists and those who make dyes from native plants could be helpful here if their information were cross referenced to online field guides, and vice versa. For example, boneset is listed on WebMD, but theres no photo nor link to one.

hoary puccoon: used for dye?              © harrington

boneset (white flowers): medicinal uses?          © harrington

Carl Rakoski shares a different perspective on lost knowledge.

The Old Codger’s Lament

By Carl Rakosi 

Who can say now,

“When I was young, the country was very beautiful?   

Oaks and willows grew along the rivers

and there were many herbs and flowering bushes.   

The forests were so dense the deer slipped through   

the cottonwoods and maples unseen.”

Who would listen?

Who will carry even the vicarious tone of that time?

In the old days

                        age was honored.

Today it’s whim,

                         the whelp without habitat.

Who will now admit

                            that he is either old or young   

or knows anything?

All that went out with the forests.

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Winning at the Range

Today's MinnPost is running a story I didn't think I'd ever see, about "Republicans mining DFL votes on Iron Range." Of course, I was foolish enough a few elections ago to think that Congressman Oberstar probably had the safest seat in the House. There's also a story by Eric Black that looks at a recent Pew Research Center report that finds "Yes, we're more polarized — but most Americans still don't fit the description [of being polarized]." This combination, plus the recent Star Tribune story about the continuing friction regarding the Southwest LRT project really makes me wonder if we've lost the ability to make the decisions we need to move ahead as a society. According to this posting on Planetizen, our willingness to be guided by "experts" has dropped phenomenally. We don't even need to begin to touch on the loss of civil civic discourse that has contributed to our political gridlock at state and national levels.

northern Minnesota                           © harrington

Many years ago, I worked for someone who was secure enough to show up at the office wearing a hat on which was printed I am their leader, which way did they go? I think the time has come for those of us in the 99% to show our "leaders" which way we went and want to go, and let them know we won't settle for more of the same. The Sierra Club has been conducting a fairly effective Beyond Coal campaign based on both creating cleaner energy sources and new jobs and cleaning up the environmental contamination associated with coal mining and burning. I, for one, would like to see more leadership from Democrats, environmentalists and labor leaders on something like a "beyond taconite" campaign. The studies I've seen so far don't offer much in the way of substantial economic development from nonferrous mining in Minnesota. Aaron Brown, a real Iron Ranger, offers the most intelligent and well reasoned analysis I've seen on how to move forward. Why the "powers that be" (Blandin Foundation? IRRB?) aren't trying to act on his proposal is beyond me.

Maybe the Center for Small Towns could follow up on their recent symposium and work with communities on the Range to create better, longer lasting (another way to spell sustainable) employment opportunities than currently exist. Minnesota's Region Five (Cass, Morrison, Crow Wing, Todd and Wadena Counties) has created and is implementing a resilient region plan. Maybe the Range could take a hint from their neighbors in northern Minnesota.

lumbering historic marker       © harrington

The St. Croix River Valley was once dependent on the fur trade: gone. Then it relied on lumbering: gone (mostly). Now it's looking toward its current assets: its history, the arts, tourism and a regional approach to economic development. Local leadership played a major role in each of the transitions the area has faced. The number of mills in "Mill City" is also pretty limited these days but Minneapolis seems to be managing, for the most part. Maybe we need to be reminded that no one really wins a Mexican standoff.
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Please be kind to each other while you can.