Tag Archives: Wildcraft

Jack’s Custom Deluxe Super Premium Los Padres Liniment

Cottonwood trees showing fall color along the Santa Ynez River in Santa Barbara County. “Well the summertime has gone,” Van Morrison sings. “And the leaves are gently turning.” And come fall season in Santa Barbara County the black cottonwood trees … Continue reading

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Wild Oyster Mushrooms and Reading the Nuances of Nature

Oysters on a standing dead cottonwood tree in the Santa Ynez Mountains. You can see where the deceased tree’s canopy had filled in the now empty sky above, the other trees wrapping around it. “The hunter-gatherer lives on what is … Continue reading

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Black Cottonwood Wildcraft

A dribble of resin oozing from the leaf bud of a black cottonwood tree (Populus trichocarpa) growing along the Santa Ynez River. Black cottonwood buds may hold the finest natural fragrance found in the Los Padres National Forest. The gooey … Continue reading

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Wildcrafted Salad

Miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliatum) growing in profusion along a shady bank of Alder Creek in the Santa Ynez Mountains of Santa Barbara County. Skills Are Weightless “You have to travel light. . . And you have to be self-reliant. . … Continue reading

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Lion’s Mane Mushroom

Afternoon reflections on a deep pool, which would be a lot deeper, as the mineral stain on the rock shows, were it not for the current droughty conditions. Hericium mushrooms are one of the subtle signs of annual change in … Continue reading

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