Eir’s Hand Botanicals

02/01/2026

Cool opportunity for friends in the Lake City, MI area!

🌸 Ready to transform your lawn into a thriving native habitat? 🦋
Tired of high-maintenance grass? Join us for "Bring Nature Home" and discover how native plants can create a beautiful, low-maintenance landscape that supports pollinators, conserves water, and celebrates Michigan's natural beauty!
In partnership with North Country CISMA, this hands-on workshop will equip you with everything you need to get started:
What You'll Gain:
🌱 Expert guidance on native vs. invasive plant identification
🗺️ Create your own preliminary landscape plan
🌼 Take home up to 4 native Michigan plants to start your transformation
🐝 Learn how native landscaping supports local wildlife and reduces maintenance
Whether you're looking to replace a small patch of lawn or reimagine your entire yard, this workshop will give you the confidence and tools to bring nature home!
📅 Wednesday, May 27th, 2026
⏰ 6:00-7:30 PM
📍 Missaukee Ardis Library, 210 S Canal St, Lake City
💰 $35/person (includes 4 native plants!)
👥 Recommended for ages 14+
Registration required—space is limited!
Visit missaukeecd.org or call 231-839-7193 to register.
Part of the Go Beyond Beauty program celebrating garden professionals committed to avoiding high-priority invasive species.

01/23/2026

Learning botanical Latin comes with great responsibility…and opportunity! 🤣

Fun fact: Botanical Latin is not a kooky term for scientific names. It's the language used for the formal taxonomic descriptions of plants.

01/08/2026

Yay trees! 🌳

Download the newest copy of Identifying Trees of Michigan from MSU Extension! Learn about the 75+ different species of native trees that grow in our state: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/identifying-trees-of-michigan-e2332-revised-2022

11/04/2025

Educator and local community friends: take a look!

🌿 Applications for Wild Ones’ Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Grants close soon! These grants fund youth projects that create native plant gardens and outdoor learning spaces. Don’t miss your chance to inspire the next generation of native plant stewards.

Apply today at https://wildones.org/seeds-for-education/

09/19/2025

That about sums it up. 🍄

09/15/2025

Get wild about wild rice! It’s native to Michigan too!

09/13/2025

Have you ever seen a fairy ring? It’s a groovy phenomenon that occurs with some types of fungus in the ground that cause the fruiting body (mushroom) of the fungus to form a full or partial ring around an area. There are sciencey explanations and really interesting lore, but I just love finding them.

Extra bonus: they attract cryptids, as evidenced by this photo of my favorite Sasquatch/husband. 🍄

09/11/2025

It’s not all tea and tincture around here. I checked on this year’s wild grapes while enjoying a glass of the wild grape pyment (grape wine made with honey) we made last year. Cheers! 🍇💚🍃

09/09/2025

There are a lot of foraging posts or threads with the “can I eat this?” theme. I get it! Learning more about wild edible food is AWESOME! I love eating wild food, too.

It’s also fun to notice who else enjoys wild food. I was reaching for a ripe blackberry when I noticed a dragonfly was already there. ❤️ Bon appetit, wild friend! I also spotted a few extremely stylish caterpillars hanging out (I felt so underdressed). I also caught a squirrel friend picking blackberries! That friend was too speedy to record, but so fun to see!

Remember: the wild world isn’t all about you, but you can play a really meaningful part in conservation by just learning, harvesting responsibly and thoughtfully, and encouraging various species while discouraging others. You are a part of a really, really big picture! Observe. Look around. Listen intently. Inhale deeply. Enjoy!

And you can never “harvest” too much trash that others leave behind. 💚🍃

09/01/2025

This really is my favorite time of year. We casually picked about a pound of blackberries while we were enjoying a jaunt through some of our favorite foraging spots. We like big boletes and we cannot lie, but there were a few chanterelles, hedgehog mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and more fun friends out and about! We also grabbed a healthy bucket-full of wild grapes for another batch of wine. 🍷

I hope you’re enjoying this time of the year too! Get your Google on and look for plant and/or mushroom walks near you if you’re not sure where to start.

If you’re in the Great Lakes region, check out Will Forage for Food!

09/01/2025

It’s never too late to talk to your kids about responsibly texting about fungi. 🍄🤣

PSA: Now is the time to talk to your child about foraging.
Keep you and your child safe this fall by knowing the signs and symptoms of mush love.

08/30/2025

In a shocking turn of events, we were out in the woods today. 🤯 My favorite Sasquatch just attracts mushrooms, and we made some friends too! Being in the woods recharges my soul batteries. I hope you make time to do the thing that recharges yours too. 💚🍃

Remember: don’t eat ANYTHING you forage without being 100% sure of the identity and toxicity. Be an old forager, not just a bold forager. 😉