Student or Group Info
Name(s): Alegra Sky Dunn
Term: Spring 2021
Credits: 11
Title of ILC or Group Project: Plants and Planets: Tending the Evergreen Medieval Herb Garden
Internship Info (if applicable)
Internship hours/wk:
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Academic credits:
Field Supervisor
Field supervisor: Sarah Williams
Title:
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Subcontractor
Name: Steve Scheurell
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Program of Project Description
Narrative: In this spring ILC, entitled Plants and Planets: Tending Evergreen’s Medieval Herb Garden the student will use the texts Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmer, Culpeper’s Complete Herbal by Nicholas Culpeper, and Muck and Mind by Jonathan Code in order to explore the connection between the cosmos and the growing, harvesting, and preparation of medicinal herbs from multiple points of view. The student will tend to the medieval herb garden at the Evergreen Organic Farm and show her learning through a weekly e-portfolio log, as well as posts on wordpress and other art/documentary mediums.
| Learning objective | Activity | Deliverable |
| The act of tending and managing the herb garden on the Evergreen Organic Farm | Weeding and harvesting plants, growing hyssop and shiso for the SPSCC CBD program, and guiding other students as the Herb Garden Student Coordinator for a senior capstone project | Weekly e-portfolio log 5 credits total |
| Learn about the history of botanicals and other medicinal herbs and explore their connection to astrology and bio-dynamic farming methods, specifically the benefits of working with the moon cycles and the esoteric planetary and astrological correspondences of herbs as a language of symbols to provide us with a deeper knowledge of the actions and uses of plants | Read books and do research, make medicine, food, and document on wordpress | Weekly e-portfolio log 4 credits |
| Observe and document the plants within the Herb Garden in reference to Culpepers Complete Herbal and Michael Moore’s Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West | Compile a materia medica using watercolor and ink renderings to create plant monographs which include a description of the appearance, habitat, constituents, harvesting methods, preparation, and medicinal uses | Weekly drawing and e-portfolio log 2 Credits |
Evaluation of Work
- WordPress ePortfolio
- Final week ten presentation
- Narrative evaluations from field supervisor and/or subcontractor
- Narrative mid-quarter and final self-evaluations