10/3/2015 | Mark Twain State Park | Florida, MO
Sam Clemens, who would grow up to enjoy fame as the writer Mark Twain, started life in the tiny frontier village of Florida, Missouri. The settlers in Florida, including the Clemens family, had to use what they could grow or find to help them survive conditions on the edge of "civilization." They worked hard and became experts at making use of all that nature had to offer. Herbs were an essential part of that life and were used not only for food and medicine, but also for such things as clothing, pest control, wool dying, candles and soap making.
Take a step back in time and enjoy a beautiful autumn day outdoors at Mark Twain State Park to learn about the numerous wild edible and medicinal herbs that could have been used by the hardy pioneers of Florida. Deborah Lee, Ph.D., a renowned herbal educator from Four Winds Farm in Quincy, Illinois, will facilitate the event. Lee, who has a doctorate degree in nutrition and a master’s in environmental education, is a past president of the Illinois Herb Association and the Muddy River Herb Guild, a member of the International Herb Association, and a 12-year University of Illinois Master Gardener. She has been featured on the PBS program “Illinois Stories” with Mark McDonald, and teaches herbal education classes year-round. Her specialties are medicinal, culinary and wild edible plants.
Participants will meet at Buzzard's Roost Picnic Area in Mark Twain State Park. The day will begin with a hike on one of the beautiful trails located in the park, where Dr. Lee will lead the group in viewing and experiencing the wild herbs found along the way. Participants will learn how the settlers used the herbs and experience what it would have been like to gather them in the wild. Returning to the historic CCC Shelter House at Buzzard's Roost in the park for a cup of herbal tea by a cozy fire, participants will help prepare an herbal lunch of soup, salad and bread. After a relaxing lunch, Dr. Lee will explain how the settlers used wild plants for medicine, including teaching workshop participants the difference between infusions, decoctions, tinctures and salves. All present will participate in making an herbal salve to take home with them.
This event is free and open to the public, but registration is recommended so that sufficient food and workshop supplies can be provided.
Event time: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Associated activities
- Interpretive Programs