Whassup yall?! I hope yall having a cool week so far! I wanted to share some cool finds on my hike this morning. A friend of mine invited me out to take a hike in the East Palisades in Vinings, ga. I've never been, so I said sure! I was surprised to find so much diversity out there! It's a goldmine for understory medicine! There was bloodroot, trilliums, wild ginger, green dragons, wild comfrey, rocket weed may apple and soooo much more, I definitely was out there for a few hours just exploring and compiling data! We decided to take a rest on the river and meditate. After my meditation, a bald eagle 🦅 came and caught a fish and flew off. This was a great sight for me as it was definitely a spiritual message! Pic order: green dragon , wild comfrey, wild ginger and wild ginger root.

Peace, Guild! I was out in the woods recently and stumbled across something that made me feel like I had just stepped straight into Whoville. If you’ve never seen a Wool Sower Gall before, you might think Dr. Seuss himself came out and decorated the forest. It looks like a fluffy, toasted marshmallow or a cotton ball speckled with pink and bright red spots, just casually growing right out of the stem of an oak tree. It’s incredibly unique and definitely one of those finds that makes you stop and appreciate the wild art of nature. What exactly is it? That beautiful, fuzzy creation is actually a plant gall, specifically created by a tiny, stingless species of gall wasp (Callirhytis seminator). In the spring, the female wasp lays her eggs on the twigs of a White Oak. The tree responds to the wasp's secretions by growing this incredible, fibrous fluff, which acts as a protective, temperature-controlled nursery for the wasp larvae developing inside. Is it harmful to the tree? Nope! it looks like some kind of alien fungus taking over, yet it’s completely harmless to the oak tree. It’s just a temporary, localized reaction...think of it as the tree throwing a little protective blanket over the wasp's young. Why these wasps matter: It’s easy to hear "wasp" and immediately think of a pest, but these little gall wasps are vital to the ecosystem. They don't sting or bother humans. Instead, they act as a crucial food source for a variety of birds, small mammals, and predatory insects. They are a perfect reminder that everything in the woods has a purpose and a place in the web of life. Next time you’re out scouting around White Oaks, keep your eyes peeled for these little Seussian tufts! Has anyone else in the Guild ever spotted one of these in the wild? Drop a picture in the comments if you have!

I was out on a walk and my coworker noticed this plant. Are these berries edible?

So over the last few days I've been going out after and during rains to check for mushrooms...this is the perfect season to look around! When the weather goes from hot to cold and vice versa with heavy rains...it activities alot of dormant mycelium to start putting out fruits! So i found 3 that i would deem as interesting and worth a mention! 1st pic: the octopus 🐙 stinkhorn (Clathrus archeri) which is a fairly stinky fungus when fully developed. Here , it has just emerged with it freaky tentacles still entact...once it releases it's spores it will look like an upside down octopus 🐙! It attracts flies that become covered in its spores and spreads them that way!! 2nd pic: the hairy oyster mushroom (Lentinus strigosus)! Not a choice edible but it is edible!!! Get them while they are younger and not the older ones!! 3rd/4th/ 5th Pic: River teachers (Psilocybe ovoideocystidiata) which are a native to North armerican soil psylocybin active mushroom. I've been gathering these for over 7 years now... They are definitely magical!! Have you seen any mushrooms out in your area recently?? If you do, post them here!

Thanks for being apart of the guild! Here is a link to the PDF form of my newest book Hood Medicine Vol1. I've sent you each individual messages in your chat box as well with the link! Guild members can also get the physical signed copy for discount of $30 dollars! let me know if your interested! Also please give me any feedback on the book ! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wuXqKWonokTNAJneS-Jhb5ldgNNY26eU/view?usp=sharing