Flora Adventures

At Whitaker Pond Portland State University

Educational Leadership & Policy Department

University Studied Senior Capstone: Environmental Education through Native American Lenses

Compiled by Jen, Andy, Laura, Kevin, & Sam Under the direction of Judy Bluehorse-­Skelton

Nature Game After you have looked at the plants/trees in the booklet, begin traveling along the

recognized an area with a plant/tree from the list, stop and begin the game. If several plants/trees are in your area, choose one.

After the spy declares that he or she has found a plant/tree, the other players take turns making guesses. Players continue to guess until someone correctly guesses the plant/tree. If the players are stumped, the spy may offer more clues. Whoever

Once the plant/tree has been guessed, players may walk over to it and explore it by touching, smelling, and notice colors and shapes, as well as other identifying marks. While others are observing the plant/tree, someone may want to read from the

map using its identification letter listed at the top right corner of its information page. Once players are finished exploring that plant/tree, continue the game with another plant/tree that you may have noticed in the area or continue on the trail until you recognize another from the list. Players may also choose a previously played plant/tree and use new or previous clues. Plant/Tree List Black Cottonwood Oregon Grape Douglas Fir Hazelnut Red Elderberry Western Red Cedar Oregon Ash Thimbleberry Pacific Ninebark Red Alder Vine Maple Red Osier Dogwood Weeping Willow Snowberry

Black Cottonwood

Spring Leaves Tree

Fall Leaves

Bark

Latin Name: Populus trichocarpa Native Origin: Western North America Identification:

Cottonwoods tend to grow in wet environments near riverbanks and floodplains. Cottonwoods are a tall tree that can grow upwards of 165 feet in height. Cottonwood has grey, paper-­like bark. Its leaves can be oval or heart-­shaped. They produce seedpods in the spring, which become white and fluffy and float through the air.

Medicinal/Herbal Uses: Cottonwoods have many food and medicinal uses. The inner

can be used to make a salve for skin problems, and the resin from the buds can be used for treating sore throats, rheumatism, and tuberculosis.. Cottonwood can be used for soap, hair wash, glue, ropes, and paint and the wood is sometimes used by Natives Americans for canoes, buckets, and fishing traps. Fun Fact: Today black cottonwood is used mostly for magazine and book paper.

A

Hazelnut

Bark

Leaves

Nuts

Latin Name: Corylus Americana Native Origin: Western North America Identification:

Hazelnuts can grow in open forests, forest edges, meadows, and near bodies of water. They are relatively small growing 5 to 12 feet in height. They have smooth grey bark and grow flowers in the Spring before their leaves appear. The nuts on the tree, which are surrounded in green spikes are the easiest way to identify them while they are fruiting.

Medicinal/Herbal Uses: Hazelnuts are relatively high in fats and protein and are used as a food source by both humans and animals. With their high fat, protein, and carbohydrate content hazelnuts are an ideal energy source and are used in many foods and desserts. Fun Facts: Some believed that hazelnuts provided wisdom and inspiration. When hazelnuts fell into the water they would be eaten by salmon and their wisdom absorbed. People thought the number of spots on the salmon were how many ha-­zelnuts they had eaten. It was believed that in eating salmon one could gain their wisdom.

B

Tree

Western Red Cedar

Foliage

Tree Mature Cones Latin Name: Thuja plicata Native Origin: Pacific Northwest Identification:

Western Red Cedars grow in moist soils, often near streams and rivers, but do grow in shaded forests and dry areas. These trees grow very tall up to 200 feet in height. They have needles rather than leaves, which have clusters of small cones atop them.

Medicinal/Herbal Uses: The wood of the Western Red Cedar is used by Natives Americans for a multitude of construction purposes because it resists decay. It was used for making longhouses, baskets, fishing floats, masks, cradles, drum logs, combs, clothing, hats, arrows, and dishes. It also has many medicinal uses which include boiling the branches to make teas that help with coughs, colds, fevers, stomach pain, kidney problems, rheumatism, and arthritis. Buds can be chewed to help with tooth pain and buds can help with fungal issues, bronchitis, skin diseases, and warts. Fun Fact: In many areas where it grows it is considered an invasive weed because it often takes over other native plants. It was also used to make totem poles.

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Thimbleberry

Berry

Flower

Leaves

Latin Name: Rubus parviflorus Native Origin: Western and Northern North America, from Alaska to California. Identification:

Dense shrub up to 2.5 meters tall with canes no more than 1.5 cm in diameter. The stems are thornless and branch often. Soft, fuzzy, palmate (hand-­shaped) leaves grow in groups of 5 up to 20 cm across. In early summer, they have white, pink, or lavender flowers with five petals. They are flimsy and resemble tissue paper. The fruit (late summer to early autumn) are a deep red and resemble raspberries. They grow in small clumps of 3 to 8 berries and are very fragile. Grows predominantly in sunny patches of young forest, or in areas that have

recently been clear-­cut, or exposed to fire. Medicinal/Herbal Uses: The leaves can be used to treat nausea and vomiting.. When the leaves are dried and powdered they can be used topically to treat wounds and burns. The young sprouts have been used to treat and prevent scurvy. A tea can be used in the treatment of diarrhea, dysentery, to help gain weight, and to treat vomiting and the spitting up of blood. Fun Fact: The leaves can be used to line baskets. Soap can be obtained from the boiled bark, and a purple-­blue dye can be extracted from the fruit.

D

Shrub

Pacific Ninebark

Leaves Shrub

Before Bloom

Fruit Clusters

Latin Name: Physocarpus capitatus Native Origin: Western North America Identification:

Dense deciduous shrub growing up to 13 feet tall. The name comes from the appearance of the bark which is loose and flaky,

peeling away in many layers. The leaves are similar to maple (lobed), broad and 3-­14 cm long with clusters of small white flowers with five petals and numerous red-­tipped stamens. The fruit comes in bunches in a glossy red pod that turns dry and brown and splits open to release seeds. Grows in wet, somewhat open places such as streamside thickets and coastal marshes, as well as in drier shrubby sites.

Medicinal/Herbal Uses: The Nuxalk Native Americans used a tea made from a stick with the bark peeled off to induce vomiting and as a laxative and to treat measles. Fun Facts: Many of the medicinal preparations that included Pacific Ninebark were kept secret by the first peoples of the Cascades. It has a drastic effect when mixed with other medicines. It is said that when the plant is grown in a garden, new species of birds and pollinators will come.

Bark

E

Red Elderberry

Leaves

Flowers

Latin Name: Sambucus racemosa Native Origin: Europe, temperate Asia, and north and central North America. Identification:

Clusters of small red berries, 5-­7 opposing leaflets. Thin, smooth stems, leaves have a serrated edge. Crushed leaves produce an unpleasant smell.

Medicinal Uses: These bright red berries are high in Vitamins A & C and can be eaten raw in small amounts;; more than a few berries can cause nausea. The berries will not cause nausea after they are cooked, but the leaves, stems, and roots of the plant can be poisonous if consumed. Diluted elderberry juice can be used to treat minor scalds and burns. Fun Fact: Native Americans used the stems of the plant to make various items, including whistles.

Berries

F

Shrub

Red Alder

Leaves

Tree

Latin Name: Alnus rubra Native Origin: Western North America Identification:

They tend to grow in moist forests, near water, and low elevation floodplains. They grow up to 80 feet in height. They have smooth grey bark. Red alders grow clusters of cones, referred to as catkins.

Medicinal/Herbal Uses: Red alders can collect hydrogen from the air and enrich the soil as it passes to the ground. The wood can also be used for bowls, masks, and dyes. Red alder can be used for treatment of inflammations, respiratory illnesses, and has strong antibiotic abilities. Fun Facts: Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest extracted a red dye from the inner bark, which was used to dye fishnets. Oregon tribes used the inner bark to make a reddish-­brown dye for basket decorations. Yellow dye made from red alder catkins was used to color quills. A mixture of red alder sap and charcoal was used by the Cree and Woodland tribes for sealing seams in canoes and as a softener for bending boards for toboggans.

Cones

G

Vine Maple

Bark

Leaves & Seedpods

Latin Name: Acer Circinatum Native American Name: [for Maple] maxo atcalnix (Quinault);; meaning basket tree. Native Origin: Western North America Identification:

Commonly grows as a large shrub growing to around 5-­8 m tall, but it will occasionally form a small to medium-­sized tree. Bark is smooth and reddish and the shoots are

slender and hairless. Each leaf has 7-­11 pointed lobes with coarsely toothed margins, and is 3-­14 cm long and broad. They are thinly hairy on the underside and turn bright yellow to orange-­red in fall. The flowers are small with a dark red calyx and five short greenish-­yellow petals.

Medicinal/Herbal Uses: The wood was burned to charcoal and mixed with water and brown sugar then used in the treatment of dysentery and polio. Bark can be boiled to make tea to help ease cold symptoms. Fun Facts: The largest Vine Maple grows in Tillamook, Oregon and is 46 feet high by 35 feet wide. They provide nesting sites and cover for many birds and mammals. Birds use the seed stalks and leaves for nest building. As a food source, squirrels, chipmunks and birds eat the seeds. Native Americans used their wood for bows, frames for fishing nets, snowshoes, cradle frames, and cooking utensils.

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Shrub

Oregon Grape

Berries

Leaves Latin Name: Mahonia aquifolium Native Origin: North American west coast from British Columbia to northern California. Identification:

Shiny leathery leaves that resemble holly, clusters of small blue berries. Leaves are smooth, with spiny edges. When in bloom, its yellow flowers smell like grapes.

Medicinal Uses: Oregon Grape is anti-­bacterial and anti-­fungal;; can be used to treat various skin conditions including psoriasis. It can also be used to make a tea to promote respiratory health. Fun Fact

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Shrub

Douglas Fir

Bark

Cone

Tree

Latin Name: Pseudotsuga menziesii Native Origin: Oregon and Washington: The Pacific Coast Ranges and Pacific Ocean. In California: Klamath and California Coast Ranges as far south as the Santa Cruz Mountains. Sierra Nevada as far south as the Yosemite region. Identification:

Douglas fir trees are cone-­shaped, and their needles encircle the entire branch. Their cones are distinct, with small papery 3-­pronged bracts sticking out from under the scales. The needles are blunt-­tipped and two -­sided, they will not roll between the fingers. Breaking one of the needles produces the resinous, Christmas-­tree smell.

Medicinal Uses: Dried sap of the Douglas firs was used to cure cold symptoms, and sticky buds were chewed to relieve mouth sores. Young Douglas fir needles are very high in Vitamin C and were used to treat scurvy. Fun Facts: The Douglas Fir is the most common Christmas Tree in the United States. A Native American story explains that the 3-­pronged bract on the cone represents the hind legs and tail of a forest mouse who took shelter inside the cone during a forest fire.

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Weeping Willow

Tree Leaves & Flowers

Latin Name: Salix Babylonica Native Origin: China;; now grows in many states throughout the U.S. and Canada. Identification:

Short light brown trunk with wide spreading branches that give it a broad, round shaped crown, and can grow up to 70 feet in height and width. Drooping branches bear long narrow green leaves that grow up to 8 inches long with pointed tips. In the fall, the leaves turn yellow before falling off the tree. In the spring, tree produces fuzzy yellow flowers that resemble a small caterpillar. Flowers are 1 inch in length. After the flowers fade, small fruits appear, consisting of light brown capsules containing small seeds. Prefers to grow near water since roots constantly seek out water.

Medicinal/Herbal Uses: Native Americans used various parts of the willow tree as medicine, chewing young twigs and bark to alleviate headaches. Some Native Americans used a mixture of the bark for fevers, stiffness pains, insomnia, diarrhea, and sore throats. A bandage made from the bark was used to heal wounds. Fun Facts: Some say that the weeping willow once stood upright and strong, but the death of star crossed lovers so touched the heart of the trees that they bent in grief and were never able to straighten themselves again. Others claim that the trees weep for the great loss suffered by Native Americans.

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Snowberry

Latin Name: Symphoricarpos albus Native Origin: Canada and the Northern United States. Identification:

It is a deciduous shrub, producing a stiff, branching main stem with several smaller shoots. Grows up to 6.5 feet. The oval leaves differ in size and shape, grow up to 5 cm long opposite from each other on the main stem. The flowers appear in late spring and are in bunches of up to 16 with a bright pink corolla, similar to pedals. The fruit is a fleshy white berry about 1cm wide with 2 seeds inside. Appears in summer. Grows on wooded hillsides, rocky open slopes, and marine shorelines, and both dry and wet soils, and sunny and shady locations.

Medicinal/Herbal Uses: It is used as a disinfectant, and a diuretic (promote the flow of urine), to reduce fevers, and to treat irritated eyes. The berries stimulate bowel movements, and aid and improve digestion. A moist hot mass of plant material can be used topically to treat burns and minor irritations. The berries can be poisonous if eaten in large quantities, and will cause an upset stomach. Fun Facts: The branches of the snowberry bush are popular dwellings for birds;; they were also used by Native Americans and pioneers to make brooms for sweeping.

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Shrub

Flower

Fruit

Oregon Ash

Tree

Leaves

Latin Name: Fraxinus latifolia Native Origin: Western North America, west of the Cascade Range from British Columbia to central California. Identification:

Medium sized tree that grows from 40 to 80 feet tall, and 1 to 3 feet in diameter. When mature the grey-­brown bark is thick with flat ridges, and the leaves are eye shaped and grow from 5 to 14 inches long. The leaves are green on top and paler green on bottom. The flowers are small, greenish white, and come in dense clusters. The fruits are small samaras, or wing like structures.

Medicinal/Herbal Uses: Native Americans used pulverized fresh roots to topically treat wounds. A cold tea made from the twigs can be used to treat fevers, and the bark can be used to expel parasitic worms from the body. Fun Facts: It is very wind resistant, making it reliable for building shelters. It is excellent firewood, and it is highly sought after for making wine barrels and furniture. It is a great The Yokuts tribe used the wood to fashion a ball for use in a form of soccer.

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Red Osier Dogwood

Shrub Branch

Latin Name: Cornus sericea Native Origin: Widespread throughout North America, from Newfoundland to Manitoba, down into central and western US. Identification:

A round, spreading, multistemmed deciduous shrub that grows from 6 to 10 feet tall with dark red branches and twigs. Ovate (eye shaped) medium to dark green leaves are arranged oppositely and grow up to 5 inches. Small, dull white flowers appear in late May or early June growing in clusters of up to 2.5 inches in diameter. The white to pale blue fruit is very small and appears in August or September.

Medicinal/Herbal Uses: Some Native Americans ate the berries to treat colds and to help blood clot at wounds. The bark has been widely used both internally and externally. A decoction of the bark has been used internally to treat headaches, diarrhea, coughs, colds, and fevers, and externally to wash sore eyes and other infections, and to treat poison ivy rash. The powdered bark has been used in the mouth to preserve the gums and keep teeth white. Fun Fact: In Iroquois folklore the Red osier Dogwood was considered magic material frequently portrayed as a weapon against supernatural enemies.

Berries

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Have you ever noticed that leaves have a wide variety of shapes? One way to learn more about leaves is to make leaf rubbings. You can collect leaves from trees, shrubs, plants, etc.

What You Need: Plain white paper Crayons A selection of interesting leaves.

What You Do: Place a leaf on a hard, flat surface with the rough side up. Put the piece of plain paper on top of the leaf and hold the paper so it does not move. Use the side of a crayon (you will have to peel the paper off) and gently rub the paper. Make sure you rub the entire area, especially around the edges of the leaf.

See if you can identify what plant/tree the leaves came from, write the name of the plant/tree on your paper.

a piece of paper on a tree trunk and start rubbing. Leave the name off the rubbing, exchange yours with another person, and see if you can guess which plant their leaf came from.

Make a A mobile is fun to make-­-­and fun to watch as it twists and twirls in the slightest breeze.

objects from your nature hike. While walking around Whitaker Ponds collect things with interesting shapes or patterns.

your mobile. You could also hang your mobile from the branch of a tree in your yard and watch the objects sway in the breeze.

What You Need:

Objects from nature (such as pine cones, leaves, bark, acorns, seedpods, etc.) Two sticks to hang the objects from Thread or string Scissors

What You Do:

After you collect your materials, decide how you want to arrange them. Tie a piece of string to the middle of the stick that will be on top. Then tie the other end of the string to the middle of the stick that will hang below. (If you want, you could also tie the two sticks together in the middle to make a cross. Or, for a simpler mobile, just use one stick to hang objects from.) Tie a piece of string to each object. Tie the other end of each string onto the sticks.

use to hang the finished mobile. Adjust the length and placement of each string until all the objects balance nicely. This can be tricky-­-­you'll probably want to ask someone to help. Hang your mobile in a place where you can admire it!

Resources http://www.gardenguides.com/115742-­interesting-­weeping-­willow.html

http://www.english-­country-­garden.com/trees/weeping-­willow.htm

http://www.weepingwillowtree.net/Weeping-­Willow-­Tree.html

http://www.arnatural.org/Wildfoods/Uses_Trees.htm

http://pbskids.org/rogers/R_house/object7.htm

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/cin/leaf_rubbing_activity.asp

http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_alru2.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alnus_rubra

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_circinatum

http://www.washingtonwildings.com/plants/acer_circinatum.html

http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/wilderness/forest/vinemap.htm

http://www.crosswordpuzzlegames.com/create.html

http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/WordSearchSetupForm.asp

www.columbiaslough.org/PDFs/maps/Whitaker%20Ponds%20Map.pdf

http://pnwplants.wsu.edu/

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/22671677

http://www.consultyou.net/meadowhawkfarm/mhfblog/index.php?blogid=1&query=happily

http://www.naturehills.com/product/red_berried_elder_elderberry.aspx

http://www.alanbauer.com/south_cascades_and_mount_rainier.htm

http://store.plantoregon.com/prostores/servlet/Detail?no=193

http://www.bahiker.com/plantpages/snowberry.html

http://www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net

www.localharvest.org

edibleandmedicinalplants.tribe.net

http://livepermaculture.com/

Native American Medicinal Plants by Daniel E. Moerman, Timber Press, Portland, OR 2009 and Nch'i-­Wana

"The Big River": Mid-­Columbian Indians and Their Land by Eugene S. Hunn. University of Washington Press, Seattle, WA 1990.