Dear Editor: Gunalchéesh to Vivian Yéilk' Mork (Hike Harvest Heal) and Josh Smith (Bear Mountain Forest Nursery) for a wonderful berry propagation workshop! Over 60 Sitkans came out for this free event hosted by STA’s Kayaaní Commission and Sitka Conservation Society.
Yéilk' and Josh are engaging instructors who generously shared their passion and deep knowledge of plants. Participants learned how to propagate native berries, got some hands-on practice, and were able to take as many berry seeds and plant starts home with them as they desired. It was a lovely learning experience and investment in traditional food security.
Huge thanks to Pacific High School for generously allowing this event to take place in their new Learning Shelter. And thanks as well to the attendees, instructors, and staff who helped make this event a success.
For those interested in future trainings, please follow Hike Harvest Heal and Bear Mountain Forest Nursery on Facebook or contact hikeharvestheal@gmail.com. They are planning a series of virtual events this winter. For those who care about native plants and preserving and protecting traditional ways of life, we invite you to get involved with STA’s Kayaaní Commission. The annual meeting is Monday, September 28, at 6 p.m. at the Sheet'ká Ḵwáan Naa Kahídi Community House.
Sienna Reid and Chandler O'Connell,
Sitka
