Last year I had the pleasure to walk in the woods with the irrepressible naturalist and teacher Doug Elliott. He was leading a walk that focused on the wild medicinal plants in the area. Clearly, Doug loves both the scientific nature of plant identification as well as the anecdotal, backwoods stories about how local folks traditionally used specific plants. He has fun ways of remembering their names. Pointing to a shrub with deep red chrysanthemum-like blooms he said, “In the books, this plant is called sweet shrub or Calycanthus. When it’s in full bloom, it smells like tropical fruit or ripe melons. Mountain folks call it “sweet bubbies.” It was often planted in front of country churches and when it was in bloom, ladies would tuck a few blossoms in their cleavage for the sweet fragrance—hence, their common name.” Doug Elliott in a nutshell.
I recently caught up with Doug again to ask for his tips and thoughts, gathered through years of experience, about initiating children into a life-long love of learning about nature. Most children have an innate desire to connect with nature and realize its magnitude for depth and beauty and relationship. Often they are waiting for an adult to take them on this journey. Doug’s easy-going way of sharing stories and songs to help children (and other folks) become closer to the plants and animals around them is a lesson to us all.
When I mentioned the focus of this article, right away Doug recommended two soap-producing plants for children to have some fun with. “Soapwort, or Saponaria, also called Bouncing Bet, is amazing and marvelous. It is in the phlox family, and grows along roadsides and in gardens. It is a European plant that naturalized here. You can wet your hands and scrub them with the leaves, (crushing the leaves and keeping them wet) and watch them lather up. It will really make soap suds and will really get your hands clean. Its a great plant to start teaching kids with.” You can do the same thing with Pepper Bush, or Clethra. “This native plant is a small tree or shrub that grows near luscious mountain streams, where you can go and take a bath. Your soap is growing right there, everything you need.”
“Another really great plant that everyone should know, and that is fun for kids, is Jewel Weed (Impatiens sp.). Note the plant when it is in bloom with its beautiful orangish yellow delicate blossoms, and remember its location for when you are in need of it. “This is a remedy for poison ivy, and is common near streams. Crush and use it for bug bites, poison ivy, and other irritations. The leaves are unwettable. Kids can hold them under water, and they look like they are coated with silver, and when you pull them out, the water beads up on the leaves like jewels, hence the name. There is nectar in the back side of the blossom that you can sip out, like in honeysuckle. The dangling seedpods are very sensitive and explode when you touch them. That’s where the genus Impatiens gets its name. It’s impatient! It’s unusual to sneak up on a plant and try to catch it without it exploding. If you ‘catch’ a seedpod, it squirms and wiggles in your hand! When you catch the seeds, particularly if they’re ripe -- you’ll know because the seeds will be dark brown --- peel off the seed coat and inside you will find turquoise blue seeds. They are edible, and taste like English walnuts.”
“Berries are a good way to start kids off appreciating nature -- either by picking wild berries or at an organic U-Pick operation. But one thing is, don’t give them sweets just before picking wild berries or it can ruin the tastebuds for the tanginess of berries right off the bush. My youngster had to learn not even to brush his teeth with the sweet childrens’ toothpaste before eating berries.”
Doug also had this to say about working with kids: “Kids are amazing. Let them loose in nature, and they start finding frogs, damming up streams... they have a natural ability to find things, ask questions, and explore. That’s what it’s all about. “I find that it is good not to direct them too much; they’re out there finding things, they’re not listening to the details. They’re taking it all in. When they show me what they have found, I say things like, ‘You’re such a good observer.’ It encourages them.”
They love to mess with fires, and they also enjoy cooking things. Next time you are outside with a fire, make a biscuit dough, a simple one with whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt and the like. Have the kids roll the dough into a bunch of long “snakes,” and wrap each one around a stick, like a spiral. It’s called “long-tailed pie” or “bread-on-a-stick.” Kids love cooking them over the fire. They take a little longer to cook than marshmallows, but they get the experience of actually making their own bread. We found that even picky eaters like it because they make it themselves. (A little butter and honey can help the palatability.)
Doug also mentioned the delicious drink -- red sumac lemonade. I have had a friend make this for me, and it is not only really tasty, but a beautiful pink color. “Red sumac berries are ready from late August through October. They are very different than the poison sumac. Poison sumac has whitish berries that hang down, and it is kind of rare. Edible sumacs have dark red upright clusters of berries. Soak (don’t boil) them in water for at least half an hour and sweeten to taste (ideally with honey). The berries are covered with malic and ascorbic acid, and the drink tastes like a combination of lemonade and apple juice.
Doug also appreciates the practical applications of plant novelty with children. “Plantain leaves are good for bee stings. You can make a poultice right on the spot. Just chew or quickly grind up a few leaves and place it right on the sting. Not only does it reduce the swelling and sting, but kids are so amazed that you are making a green poultice that it distracts them.”
Taking the time to teach children the boundless generosity of the plant kingdom will be a blessing for them and their future relationship with nature. Taking the time to teach yourself so that you can be a mentor and guide then becomes a double blessing. And we could all benefit from that. Spread the joy.

Doug Elliott is a nationally known educator and storyteller. He has books and recordings that celebrate nature, and he teaches workshops from his home in Union Mills, NC. More on his passion for plant and animal folklore can be found at www.dougelliott.com.

Tracey Schmidt is a portrait photographer who has worked with native Americans for the past ten years. She loves learning about nature and its bounty. Her work can be seen in galleries around the Southeast, and on her website: www.traceyschmidt.com.

Back to New Life Journal..