The Blessed Acorn

Galbreath Wildlands Preserve
October 14, 2024, 3:00 am – 5:00 am
October 14, 2024, 6:00 am – 8:00 am

Admission Fees: none

Registration Links:
Register for afternoon session

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, 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.

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.

This event is presented on Indigenous Peoples Day in collaboration with the Anderson Valley Land Trust and the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District.

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 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.

Bernadette is the subject of a short video, Chishkale: The Blessing of Acorn, that aired on PBS.

Logistics

We will meet 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.

COVID-19 Safety

Do not attend if you test positive for COVID-19 or if you have any symptoms that may be indicative of COVID-19. All SSU updated guidelines can be found here.

What to Bring

Bring a nutcracker to open the acorns and something to carry home some of the acorns you collect. It will be a small amount. Also bring water, a snack, 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, selecting which session you'd like to participate in (morning or afternoon). Each participant should register separately. Registration is free.