By Ken Moore
The second week of the three-week-long Haw River Assembly’s 18th Learning Celebration for area fourth graders was held on the Haw River near Saxapahaw, where spicebush, Lindera benzoin, was
showing off its crimson red berries throughout the flood plain.
In addition to learning about river ecology, pollution and local animals, the youngsters were introduced to lots of plant facts and lore, from poison ivy identification to the Native American heritage of spicebush. They had fun smelling the leaves and the stronger spicy-scented seed skins. The color and scent of a seed in hand kept the youngsters engaged long enough to hear that the leaves were used for medicinal teas and the skins were sun dried and crushed for spicy seasoning in primitive cooking. They took pride in helping nature plant by poking their seeds into the ground.
Adults that day were happy to learn that spicebush is a fine native shrub for a deer-infested garden, because even hungry deer will pass on by as they do not like strong-scented plants. The tiny yellow flowers on bare branches are one of the first signs of spring and the yellow foliage and crimson berries brighten the fall. Birds eat the berries, butterfly larvae eat the leaves and Native Americans used every part of the plant. Quoting Dr. Ritchie Bell in Wild Flowers of North Carolina: “This is a shrub that, as a landscape or wild garden plant, has everything!†After some careful research, you may even want to try your hand at concocting a bit of spicebush tea or pepper-like flavoring.
Unforgettable encounter
On the return hike up from the river, one group of fourth graders was thrilled to discover two tiny box turtles emerging from their nest in the center of the path. One turtle was still freeing itself from the egg case. Words cannot describe that experience for young and old alike. This was a wonderful example that there are marvelous adventures to be experienced right here on our home turf.
The songs and giant puppet show following their lunch reaffirmed what the kids had learned about all life flowing to and from the river and how we pollute it in our daily lives. Those kids became very aware that what we do upstream ends up in Jordan Lake, a water supply for many people, and eventually passes Wilmington into the Atlantic. All of us reading The Carrboro Citizen are residents of the Haw River watershed and hopefully we will be as excited as those kids, with their spicebush seed planting and their turtle sighting, in taking better care of our water.
Check out the Haw River Assembly’s website (www.hawriver.org), become a member and help in the current Jordan Lake, Clean It Up (www.cleanjordanlake.org) campaign. Remember, you are an active participant in this big watershed.
And plant a spicebush or two in your garden this fall!
Photos by Ken Moore