The Blessing of the Mighty Acorn
Galbreath Wildlands Preserve
10:00 am
– 1:00 pm
Admission Fees: none
Acorns are a traditional food source for indigenous people throughout the United States. Historically, they have provided up to 40 percent of sustenance for Pomo people, and serve as a rich source of protein and fats. In the North Bay, the most highly prized acorn comes from the tanoak tree, or chishkale, the Pomo word for tanoak. This member of the beech family is not a true oak, but a cousin whose acorn comes adorned with a furry showy hat said to be the envy of the other oaks with their flat or vaguely bumpy caps.
On this adventure we will harvest tanoak acorns, learning about their value, traditions around them and how to select the best acorns, care for and prepare them for eating.
This event is presented in collaboration with the Anderson Valley Land Trust.
Presenter
Bernadette Smith is a member of the Manchester/Pt. Arena Band of Pomo Indians and has worked on the preservation of this traditional food source, the acorn, specifically the tanoak acorn. She has been a traditional dancer for over 30 years and a songholder for over 17 years. Bernadette is the subject of a short video, Chishkale: The Blessing of Acorn, that aired on PBS.
Details
The tanoak has been much maligned over the decades as interfering with logging of soft woods such as fir and redwood and quickly covering the forest floor with its quick growing shrub-like young sprouts. Most recently it has been identified as the vector for Sudden Oak Death (SOD), a deadly pathogen plaguing some of California’s stately oaks, that claims the lives of the tanoak on its way, killing many stands of the mature trees.
Bernadette works specifically with the tanoak, revitalizing techniques that make this traditional food process accessible and achievable. She has used her knowledge to spread awareness about SOD and unsafe forestry practices within Mendocino county. She leads Pomo youth in protest and action to stand up for the protection of our forests and accessibility to traditional food gathering sites.
Bernadette will teach us how to identify tanoak trees and their acorns, and determine when they are ripe and ready to harvest, how they are dried, crushed in a mortar and leached to remove the bitter tannins. We will harvest and practice what she will show us.
Logistics
We will meet at 10:00 at the entrance to the Preserve at 30720 Elkhorn Rd. in Yorkville. There we will form carpools to drive on the Preserve. We will need AWD or 4-wheel drive vehicles on the Preserve, so if you have one and are willing to drive, please let me know. You will receive more detailed information via email just before the event.
You will be asked to sign a waiver upon your arrival. All children and minors must be accompanied by a legal guardian or a group leader who can legally take on that role (e.g., Girl Scout group). No pets or smoking permitted.
We will go in light rain, but if the rain is heavy, we will notify you via email of cancellation.
What to Bring
Bring a nutcracker to open the acorns and something to carry home what you crush. It will be a small amount. Also bring lunch, water, sunscreen and insect repellent. Long pants and long-sleeved shirts are recommended, as are sturdy walking/hiking shoes. We will be doing a minimal amount of walking, but it will be over uneven, occasionally steep, ground. Walking sticks might be helpful.
How to Sign Up
Register at the link below. Each participant should register separately. Registration is free.
About the Center
Sonoma State University’s Center for Environmental Inquiry empowers university students to work with community members on the environmental challenges of the North Bay. Our mission is to create an engaged and environmentally ready society, one where all people have the skills to find solutions to the challenges facing our earth. SSU Preserves are open to everyone engaged in education or research. Reservations are required.