November is the key month for all nut bearing trees! We have enjoyed learning about hickories and Tennessee tree nuts in the past but never spent time looking closely at what makes the black walnut so special!
Part of our nature journaling practice is using our observation skills with actual specimens from the object being studied. We brought leaflet samples from the trees along with some dried out black walnuts, fresh walnuts in their husk, and some English walnuts to compare the two.
The comparison between the English walnuts and black walnuts is seen clearly in the nut itself. English walnuts have a thin shell and are easy to crack but we were never able to open a dried black walnut! In fact, Forager Chef explains that you need a “Grandpa’s Goody Getter” machine to have the best success at cracking open these hard shells!
I told the students a fun story from my childhood – when my parents decided to try and harvest their black walnuts they stored them in the detached shed in the backyard to air dry after removing the husk. One morning, my mom looked out the window to the backyard and she saw a line of at least 30 squirrels taking turns going in and out of the small hole in the door – going in for some walnuts and exiting with an armful! She said it was the most hilarious sight she had seen and left the walnuts for the squirrels, never to try and harvest on their own again! After we all tried to break through the nut we all decided it is best work for a rodent with sharp teeth that will regrow!
The scientific information that we highlighted was the compound juglone, a natural chemical released by black walnut trees that inhibits the growth of many nearby plants – dangerous for those that have gardens near black walnut trees!
The black walnut leaves also have wonderful medicinal properties that have anti-bacterial and anti-parasitic properties. Rural Sprout has a list of six uses for black walnut leaves for your health – both internal and external. The three items we listed on our handout were:
- Anti-fungal salve is made from the hulls. It treats ringworm, athlete’s foot, and other skin rashes.
- A wash made from the leaves is also helpful for topical skin issues.
- Tea from the leaves helps control blood sugar and blood pressure.
My goal for my children and their nature journal is both to double as a place for them to keep their observations and be creative and curious with nature, but also to have a sort of “materia medica” at their fingertips when they are older. Plants are amazing healers and I’m so thankful for our dedicated time to learn more about the benefits of our local flora.
After our journaling time we enjoyed the beautiful weather for a fall hike! Lots of leaves falling from the trees made it a magical time and we had fun collecting acorns on our walk!
For a list of other object lessons in nature, check out the page here: https://kindandcultivated.home.blog/nature/
KIND + CULTIVATED 