Not Every Conifer Is A Pine

Greetings,

Before I share a new video with you, I’d like to mention that I’ll be opening up registration for my online tree identification course on Monday, May 15.

Trees In All Seasons is an online video course designed to teach you how to successfully identify over 100 trees in every season. Registration will be open for one week only — from Monday, May 15 to Monday, May 22. Once you register, you will have immediate and unlimited access to the course.

If you’re interested in improving your tree identification skills, check your email on Monday for more information on how to register.

Two years ago, I explored a remote bog in northern Pennsylvania. It was the peak of the autumn mushroom season, but I wasn’t there to look for mushrooms. Archery season had just begun, but I wasn’t there to harvest deer either.

After a few hours of wandering through the bog, I eventually encountered the only person I’d see the entire day. His name was Bill and he was heading home for the day.

Taking one good look at Bill, I immediately knew why he was in this isolated part of Pennsylvania. He was hunting deer.

Bill, on the other hand, wasn’t too sure why I was there. He noticed that I had no hunting gear, no camouflage, no truck, and no apparent desire to look for deer.

Instead, I had a tripod, a camera, and a paper map printed off the internet.

After exchanging formalities, I explained to Bill why I was in the bog: to film and photograph balsam fir.

Bill was a lifelong woodsman. He hunted. He fished. He knew his way around the woods better than most people did. Bill spent his entire life in Pennsylvania, but he had never heard of balsam fir.

“We call them all pines,” he said as he watched me point out a few balsam fir trees.

Pines. I wasn’t too surprised to hear that response. Heck, I could even relate. Years ago, I called every conifer a “pine.” It didn’t matter if I was looking at a spruce or a fir. As long as the tree had evergreen leaves and woody cones, it was a pine.

Today, things are different. Disciplined tree study has allowed me to appreciate the beautiful differences between conifers. I now love observing the distinctive Christmas tree shapes of balsam firs. I love watching fir cones fall apart in the autumn season. I love smelling fir leaves (they smell better than any conifer I’ve ever smelled). And I love knowing that firs, despite being in the pine family, aren’t true pines. They’re firs, and thank God they are.

Noticing the distinctions between conifers is an important skill if you want to learn how to identify trees. Tree identification skills are important if you want to improve your ecological literacy.

To get you started, I created a video in which I teach you the major differences between conifers.

You can watch the brand new video here.

Thanks for reading and watching. If you are interested in learning how to identify over 100 trees, check your email on Monday for information on how to register for Trees In All Seasons.

-Adam Haritan

HSA Webinar: Horticultural Therapy – Improving Health and Wellness

The Herb Society of America Blog

A girl and a woman planting herbs Have you ever said to yourself or others, “My garden is my therapy?” If you have noticed that you feel more relaxed and even rejuvenated after imbibing the beauty, fragrance, and even hard work in your garden, you are not alone! Gardening provides physical exercise, as well as a rewarding intellectual and emotional connection. When recognized on a personal level, it is not a stretch to see how people in a wide variety of care environments who are facing diverse personal challenges can benefit from professionally facilitated horticultural experiences as well.

Gardening in a raised bed as part of horticultural therapy The profession of horticultural therapy (HT) was formalized in the early 1970s, though people have sought out gardens and gardening activities for respite and health recovery well before then. The practice of horticultural therapy involves a plant-based activity, a horticultural therapist, client(s), and identified treatment goals and objectives. Either in a group or as individuals, clients participate in outdoor…

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Improve Your Tree Identification Skills This Autumn

Years ago, I didn’t have much of an appreciation for the months of October and November.

Becoming a devout student of trees changed that.

In my early days of tree identification, I placed too much emphasis on the spring and summer seasons. Everything was lively and green, I reasoned. What more did I need?

As time went on, I inevitably ran into problems whose solutions would only be found in the autumn season.

I remember seeing an oak in the summer season whose leaves contained deep sinuses. Scarlet oak and pin oak were two candidates, but my beginner’s mind required more information. Once autumn arrived, I easily identified the tree based on its acorns. (Scarlet oak acorns contain concentric rings.)

I also remember seeing an ash tree but being unable to determine its exact identity. Once autumn arrived, I easily identified the tree based on its color. (White ash foliage turns yellow to purplish; green ash foliage turns yellowish-brown.)

I could share more examples of how the autumn season provided answers to my most pressing questions. Suffice to say, I now rank the months of October and November as among the most important for honing tree identification skills.

To help you hone your tree identification skills this autumn season, I am opening up registration for my online course next week.

Trees In All Seasons is a four-season online video course designed to help you successfully identify over 100 trees in every season — spring, summer, fall, and winter.

This course is presented entirely online and it features over 75 exclusive videos that lay the groundwork for successful tree identification. If you are interested in identifying trees but are finding it difficult to learn through field guides and apps, consider enrolling as a student in Trees In All Seasons.

Please note: Trees In All Seasons will be open for registration for one week only from Monday, October 17th to Monday, October 24th. Upon registration, you have immediate access to all course content and you can watch the videos at your own pace.

To register for Trees In All Seasons, mark your calendar for Monday, October 17th and visit this link.

All additional information (including course structure, outline, and cost) will be posted on Monday.

I look forward to seeing you then!
— Adam Haritan

How To Find Pawpaws In The Wild

Good food is bestowed upon those who scout.

This is especially true when we consider what it takes to harvest pawpaws.

Pawpaws are incredibly delicious fruits that are produced by pawpaw trees (Asimina triloba). Green and kidney-shaped, these tropical-tasting berries are considered to be the largest edible fruits produced by any native North American tree.

Many people are interested in finding pawpaws for the first time this year. Some people will wait until the fruits are ripe in September to begin their search.

I would suggest another approach: begin your search right now.

Scouting the land in advance is an essential part of harvesting wild food. When preparatory work has been done ahead of time, successful harvests are much more likely to occur. Such is the case when we understand what it takes to find pawpaws.

What does preparatory work look like? How do we begin our search for pawpaws? What kinds of habitats are worth exploring?

I answer all those questions in a brand new video. If you are interested in harvesting pawpaws this year, check it out!

I was a recent guest on the Silvercore Podcast hosted by Travis Bader. In this conversation, we chat about foraging, the importance of learning trees, and why money is necessary to protect land. You can listen to the interview here.

Click to listen

Thanks for reading and watching, and thanks for your continued support!

-Adam Haritan

Learn To Identify 100 Trees In All Seasons

Greetings,

I am very excited to announce that registration for my brand new online course will be open on Monday, May 23rd.

Trees In All Seasons is a four-season online video course designed to help you successfully identify over 100 trees in every season — spring, summer, fall, and winter. Additional topics that are featured in this course include tree ecology, physiology, anatomy, and taxonomy.

Please note: Trees In All Seasons will be open for registration for two weeks only from Monday, May 23rd to Monday, June 6th. Upon registration, you have immediate access to all course content and you can watch the videos at your own pace.

To register for Trees In All Seasons, mark your calendar for Monday, May 23rd and visit this link.

All additional information (including course structure, outline, and cost) will be posted on Monday.

My good friend Aaron Watson recently invited me on to his podcast to discuss my work with Trees In All Seasons and Learn Your Land. To learn more about the course, as well as my motives in creating the course, check out the recent interview:
Part 1
Part 2

I look forward to seeing you on Monday!
-Adam Haritan

A 21st Century Wheel of the Year: Regeneration at Beltane — The Druids Garden

A druid walks upon a landscape, barren, cold, with trees cut and plants uprooted. Tears in her eyes, she surveys the damage that others have caused: the homes of so many animals disrupted after logging, the wild ramps and ginseng roots damaged, and the remains of the logged trees laying like skeletons on the earth.…
A 21st Century Wheel of the Year: Regeneration at Beltane — The Druids Garden

How Do I Deal With Ticks?

Greetings,

Before I share a new video with you, I want to provide some exciting news regarding the upcoming online tree identification course.

After many years of diligent work, I’m happy to announce that the brand new course — Trees In All Seasons — will be released in May. This online video course is designed to teach students how to confidently and successfully identify over 100 trees in every season — spring, summer, fall, and winter. Additional topics that are featured in this course include taxonomy, ecology, physiology, and general natural history.

If you are interested in identifying trees but are finding it difficult to learn through field guides and apps, consider enrolling in Trees In All Seasons this May. To receive updates regarding the initial release of the course, simply remain a subscriber to this newsletter.

And now on to the brand new video…

It’s no secret that I spend a lot of time in the woods. It’s also no secret that the woods in which I spend my time harbor some of the most reviled organisms on Earth.

Ticks.

Because I share many of my outdoor adventures on video, and because I live in a state (Pennsylvania) whose Lyme disease cases are extraordinarily high, people naturally want to know how I deal with ticks.

What precautions do I take? What repellents do I recommend? How much duct tape do I wrap around my socks? What does diet have to do with all of this?

Questions regarding ticks are among the most common questions that I receive. To compile my thoughts and concerns, I decided to film a video in which I discuss my 6-part strategy.

To learn how I deal with ticks, check out the brand new video!

In addition to harboring ticks, the woods in which I spend my time are home to beautiful wildflowers. Pictured here are 15 wildflowers that blossom during the early weeks of spring in the northeastern United States. Have you seen any of these flowers recently? To view a larger image, check out the latest Instagram post.

Click to view post

Thanks for reading and watching, and thanks for your continued support!

-Adam Haritan

Gather Ye Redbuds While Ye May – A Colorful Harbinger of Spring…and Edible, Too!

The Herb Society of America Blog

by Karen Cottingham

Eastern_Redbud_by Dan Keck via wikimedia Here in Texas, there’s a saying: “We have two seasons – summer and winter.” That’s not quite true; but if you’re not paying attention, spring can slip right past. And the last thing I want is to miss a single day of our glorious, but ephemeral, spring.

The nights here are still cold – sometimes approaching freezing – but the robins have arrived, so I know springtime is near. It’s time to listen for a hushed prelude to seasonal change, time to look for intimations of life beginning to stir. Every few days, this calls for a visit to the two redbud trees in my Houston neighborhood to check the trunks and bare branches for any evidence of tiny pink flowers. Nothing to see for weeks on end; then suddenly, here they are – scattered crimson buds emerging straight from the furrowed bark, swelling with life, and…

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American Chestnut — Questioning Its Former Status As A Dominant Tree

What did the land look like before you were born?

This is a good question to ponder, but it’s a difficult question to answer unless clarification is provided.

How much land are we talking about? And what is the time frame in question?

Even with such clarification, answers do not come easy. The original question often persists and we are prompted to further refine our inquiry.

What did the eastern forests look like 300 years ago? Which trees were present, and what was the composition of the trees in these earlier forests?

American chestnut, it turns out, can help us answer those questions.

American chestnut (Castanea dentata) is a tree whose numbers have dwindled over the past 100 years. A fungal disease known as chestnut blight has been the major culprit, but other factors have contributed to the decline of mature American chestnut trees in eastern forests.

When we study accounts of American chestnut, we routinely hear the same thing: “American chestnut was a dominant tree in eastern North America prior to the introduction of chestnut blight.”

We also hear this: “One in every four hardwood trees in eastern North America was an American chestnut.”

Believing both statements to be true, we might imagine an unbroken expanse of chestnut trees in eastern North America. The proverbial squirrel might have been able to travel from Maine to Florida on chestnut tree limbs without ever touching the ground.

But was that ever the case? Was American chestnut really the most dominant tree in eastern North America?

Or, have the claims been exaggerated? Could it be possible that American chestnut was not so dominant of a tree in these earlier forests?

That’s the topic of this week’s brand new video. If you are interested in learning what the land might have looked like in the not too distant past, check it out!

Most maples are leafless this time of year in eastern North America. Fortunately, bark features are still available and very useful for proper identification. Check out these side-by-side images of 8 different maple trees to assist you with your winter identification skills.Click to view post

If you are eager to pursue educational opportunities during the winter months, check out Foraging Wild Mushrooms. This 4-season online course is designed to help you safely, successfully, and confidently forage wild mushrooms from the forest, from the field, and from your own backyard.Click to learn more

Thanks for reading and watching, and thanks for your continued support!

-Adam Haritan

Sacred Trees in the Americas: American Holly (Ilex Opaca) – Magic, Meanings, Ecology, and Divination

The Druid's Garden

American Holly is one of the most wonderful trees for getting us through dark times. And as the season of darkness is upon us once more, it is a good time to consider the magic, meanings, and mystery of this incredible holly tree!

American Holly has many names including white holly, prickly holly, Christmas Holly, Yule Holly and Evergreen Holly. It is quite similar to European Holly (Illex Aquifolium) with similar leaves, berries, and an overall growth habit. The American Holly has larger, brighter leaves and berries, but the trees are otherwise quite similar. While I often argue against importing meanings and uses of European trees into American contexts (with Ash being a great case in point), in this case, I think that the myths and old-world understandings of Holly apply!

This post is part of my Sacred Trees of Eastern North America series–here you can learn about the…

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