Blue Ridge Country May/June 2020 - 60

"Of course it requires a bit of sugar,"
she said.
Geo Derick Giordano, who has twice
delivered the keynote for the Wild Edibles
Festival, also sings praises of dandelions.
As a registered clinical herbalist, Giordano

STAYING AT WATOGA, WEST VIRGINIA'S
BIGGEST, OLDEST STATE PARK
With more than 100,000 acres of misty, ferny forest, Watoga State Park has
room to spread out-and a quiet so deep Pan's flute seems to reverberate
from another world. Or perhaps it's the flute-clear song of a wood thrush.
Cabins are old and rustic stone-log cottages or sleek and modern. All
have full kitchens, fireplaces, showers and comfy beds with linen service.
Two creekside campgrounds offer closer communion with nature.
Park naturalist Chris Bartley says people come to Watoga for four main
reasons: fishing, hiking, history and the bears.
"Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, I see four to five bears every
week, usually in the evening," he says. "They don't bother anybody, but we
should remember they are wild animals-no selfies please."
Anglers pull largemouth bass, trout, and bluegills from Watoga Lake,
and rainbow trout and smallmouth bass from the Greenbrier River. Canoes,
kayaks, paddleboards and row boats rent out by the hour, and the swimming pool is a popular summer hangout. More than 40 miles of hiking trails
crisscross the park, including the statewide Allegheny Trail.
Watoga's special attractions include a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
museum, a lookout tower, and Brooks Arboretum with its 60 species labeled
trees. -SC-W

can name 265 active ingredients in the
dandelion plant, including vitamin A and
lutein. Some of these constituents have
been tested and found to help cure cancers and inflammations, she says.
"Wild plants have adapted the chemistry to fend off bacteria, viruses and funguses. This chemistry can protect us too
when we eat them," Giordano said.
Giordano has compiled a long list of
plants from backyards, fields and forests
that help something in the body. By law,
she can't say plants heal. Or cure. She can
prescribe them in "support of" an ailment
or condition. It's obvious, though, that
through her pharmacological research
and experiences, she believes plants can
have a powerful curative effect.
Many of Giordano's favorites fall
within the weed category, plants growing where civilization doesn't want them.
Burdock, plantain weed, yellow dock,
chickweed and red clover figure in her formulary.
"In animal studies, dried burdock root
tea has inhibited the growth of cancer
cells," she says. "It's also good for colds
and rheumatism."

WEST VIRGINIA

VANDALIA GATHERING

Experience it!

May 22 - 24, 2020 - Charleston

APPALACHIAN STRING BAND MUSIC FESTIVAL
July 29 - August 2, 2020 - Clifftop

EEO/AA Employer

@WVDACH
60

BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM

wvculture.org

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Blue Ridge Country May/June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country May/June 2020