by gowildinstitute_vv8003 | Oct 8, 2019 | Uncategorized
Jolie Elan, founding Director of the Go Wild Institute, has spent years drawing from her rich background in ecology and ethnobotany to transform people’s connections to the Earth. The Go Wild Institute weaves modern science with ancient wisdom in the programs it...
by gowildinstitute_vv8003 | Oct 1, 2015 | Uncategorized
Acorns have been eaten and revered for their nourishment the world over—by Celts, by Koreans, by the native people throughout North America. Perhaps your ancestors were acorn eaters – you might be surprised Long before the cultivation of wheat or the advent of...
by gowildinstitute_vv8003 | Oct 8, 2019 | Uncategorized
When I first started eating acorns, I felt like a sheepish imposter. I intended to bond with my adopted California homeland, but the last thing I wanted to do was disrespect or appropriate Indigenous cultures. As a Jew from New York, I know I will never be indigenous...
by gowildinstitute_vv8003 | Sep 25, 2019 | Uncategorized
If your newsfeed is anything like mine, it might seem like the world has gone mad with greed, violence, and conspiracy. However, not all conspiracies plot with hostile governments. Conspire also means breathing together (con – with; spirare – breath)....
by gowildinstitute_vv8003 | Sep 24, 2019 | Uncategorized
If I gave you a really big gift and you did not say thank you, I would probably be less generous next year. We all love to be seen and honored for our unique gifts to the world. When we feel unseen, we often get sick and sad. Maybe our more-than-human relatives feel...
by gowildinstitute_vv8003 | Jan 24, 2019 | Uncategorized
SIT SPOT RITUAL Many people want to deepen their felt sense of connection to nature. One of my favorite exercises is the Sit Spot Ritual. This exercise was made popular by John Young. I have adapted it here: The most potent way to develop a strong and intimate...
by gowildinstitute_vv8003 | Nov 7, 2018 | Uncategorized
An interview with Jolie Elan and Jesse Wolf Hardin in Plant Healer Magazine. In this interview we discuss a sense of place and why it is imperative for herbalists to foster a deep connection to the earth and her medicines. In these times of great change, how does the...
by gowildinstitute_vv8003 | Aug 27, 2018 | Uncategorized
I live at the meeting place of three mountain ranges in Southern Oregon. My home town nestles in millions of forested acres that are watered by clear flowing, salmon-bearing streams fed by icy snow melt. It’s paradise, until fire season strikes. Then it feels more...
by gowildinstitute_vv8003 | Jul 11, 2018 | Uncategorized
Learning botany is like going to a wild party where you don’t know many folks. At first, you may feel intimidated, then you bump into someone and you learn their name. But, a name is just an entry point. Each time you run into your new friend, you learn more about...
by gowildinstitute_vv8003 | May 7, 2018 | Uncategorized
Around Mother’s day we see innumerable cards and posts with adorable furry baby mammals with their doting and capable moms (click here for cute pictures). However, this mother’s day I want to celebrate a whole other maternal kingdom. This post is dedicated to all the...
by gowildinstitute_vv8003 | May 1, 2018 | Uncategorized
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra subspecies caerulea) is a tall shrub with beautiful lacy clusters of tiny white flowers that look like snowflakes. This fascinating medicinal and edible wild plant grows in North America, Europe, western Asia, and North Africa[i]. We...