Upcoming Events at Beaver Brook (Hollis)

Beaver Brook naturalist Rivka Schwartz writes:

“The spring ephemeral flowers have passed. The summer flowers in the sunny fields are blooming.  Walking between the barn at Maple Hill Farm to the outside of the garden and then to the beginning of the Wildflower Trail there are over 20 kinds of flowers blooming. 

I’ve been harvesting St. John’s Wort buds. I cover these with a golden colored olive oil to make a beautiful, deep, red, medicinal oil. This oil is used topically for nerve pain, be it from shingles or a wound. A tincture, made by soaking buds and flowers in alcohol, has been used for mild depression and seasonal affective disorder. The tincture can interact with some medications.

The staghorn sumac fruit is almost ripe. The beginning of August is usually the best time for harvest. If you wait too long you harvest extra protein in the all the insects that like to live in the fruit. To make a wild lemonade, soak two clusters in a quart of cold water until it turns a light, red-brown color. Use honey or maple syrup to sweeten the drink if you want.”

Upcoming Events

Wildflowers of Beaver Brook
Wed., Aug 16 at 7pm
Nashua Public Library

Naturalist Rivka Schwartz will present a slide program and talk on the diversity of wildflowers at Beaver Brook.

Guided Mushroom Foray
Sat., Aug 19 10am – 12:30pm
Maple Hill Farm, 117 Ridge Rd, Hollis

Teacher and walk leader Stephanie Doyle will be taking a group out on the trails in search of wild mushrooms.

Wildflower Walk: Asters, Berries and Late Summer Flowers
Wed., Aug 23 10am – 12pm
Maple Hill Farm, 117 Ridge Road, Hollis

Enjoy a guided wildflower walk with naturalist Rivka Schwartz. You’ll be finding many species of asters, goldenrod, berries and late summer flowers.

For more information or to register, go to www.beaverbrook.org