By Sean Hillen
AVID gardeners, herbalists and nature lovers from countries as diverse as South Africa, England and Ukraine as well as many parts of Donegal gathered this week in Killybegs to share their knowledge about health-giving herbs and plants.
The well-attended event at the Niall Mór Community and Enterprise Centre was part of the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme supported by the Donegal Local Development Company, with more than 30 participants learning to integrate everyday garden flora into tasty dishes supporting digestion, blood circulation, cardiac issues and to help balance blood-sugar levels.
“It’s very important we bring back the knowledge about harnessing the goodness of Nature as food and medicine,” said Gaoth Dobhair-based Joanne Butler, Climate Action Officer with DLDC, who organised the event.
“The benefits include nutrition, mental and physical health and community resilience and care for the environment.
The DLDC programme started two years ago and my role is to coordinate community garden network events and help such initiatives with good governance, funding, awareness-raising and other supports they need.”
Guest presenter was Columbia Hillen, a member of the Irish Register of Herbalists and the Association of Master Herbalists, who also hosted a second workshop in Gaoth Dobhair on Saturday.
Tish Yelland, a retired kinesiologist who arrived in Donegal from South Africa over two years ago and ‘bushwhacked’ farmland that was fallow for a decade, said: “Plants such as lawn daisies and bramble have healing superpowers used for centuries by our elders.
“How absolutely refreshing to know there is a herbalist right here in Donegal who educates and empowers people to re-discover a love of weeds.
“Columbia communicated her knowledge in a relaxed and fun manner but also invited us to share our experiences about foraging and best use of plants for nutrition. Mixing gorse in butter makes it taste even better.
“As for pesto made from nettles, it’s simply scrumptious. Who’d have thought such an irritating plant could be so good.”
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