Unearthing treasures of the trees

Armed with a pocket knife, she stoops over to pull something out of the dirt. Scissoring open the blade, she snips off bits of the fern's root and passes them out to any outstretched hands. "A little dirt never hurt anybody," Brenda Beckwith says with a chuckle.

All but one person in the group pop the morsels in their mouths. Advised not to bite down on the snippet of licorice fern or face a bitter tang, again all but one suck the tidbit, dirt and all. "This is my favourite fern," enthuses Beckwith, an ethnobotany instructor at Royal Roads University and a senior instructor at the University of Victoria's school of environmental studies. "It's going to be good for my sore throat."

Beckwith's passion for plants and her expertise in ethno-ecology and ecological restoration is what brought her to lead a free ethnobotany tour in celebration of Aboriginal Awareness Week at Royal Roads University June 23. Touring the grounds with upwards of 35 people, she provided advice on what to plant in backyard gardens, which invasive species to stay away from and the need to practice sustainable harvesting. "Never take all of a plant," she said of the advice she gives her students. "You're never going to take more than 10 per cent of it."

The tour was an ideal opportunity for residents from Greater Victoria to visit the forest in detail and find out how southern Vancouver Island aboriginal people used the plants and managed the lands. "A lot of people know Royal Roads for its European and Japanese gardens but the most important thing is these forests," says Royal Roads gardens and grounds manager, David Rutherford. "A lot of it is totally untouched." Dating back 400 to 500 years, the university lands - home to a dry-belt coastal Douglas fir ecosystem - were also medicine-gathering places for First Nations communities. "You can always build a European garden but you can't build these (forests) again," Rutherford explains admiring the lush view as he tagged along for the walkabout tour. "Most people think we're interested in the ornamental (gardens)," Rutherford says. "It's the forests and the trees and the trail system that we rely on. Most people don't see the forests, only when they're going by in a car."

Those taking the tour follow Beckwith like ducklings follow their mother and when she stops by the forest edge, everyone gathers around. She deftly snips sprigs from Douglas and Grand fir trees, holding them up for everyone to see.

Beckwith impresses with insight that brings excited murmurs from her audience, that is, Grand fir needles can be used to make tea rich in vitamin C. "If you come to my ethnobotany class, we'll make tea," she cajoles, casting an eye around the group for anyone willing to take her up on the offer.