Earth Curative

02/06/2026

Selecting appropriate planting dates is a critical component of successful vegetable gardening. Vegetables vary widely in their preferred growing conditions and tolerance to temperature extremes, both cold and hot. Understanding the local frost-free period aids in selecting appropriate planting date...

02/06/2026

It is time to start thinking about those vegetable gardens! Here is what you can start putting in your gardens in February!

What are you excited to plant this month?

Planting in February:

Zone 7B - Beets, Collards, Kale, Mustard, Onion, Bulbing Peas, Garden Radish, and Spinach

Zone 8A - Beets, Collards, Kale, Carrots, Mustard, Onion, Bulbing Peas, Garden Radish, and Spinach

You can prepare for the entire planting season by visiting https://brnw.ch/21wGUpZ
- keep in mind that this resource has not been updated to reflect the new hardiness zones. To determine your USDA zone, you can enter your zip code here: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/

02/06/2026

02/06/2026

This Turkey Vulture was found standing in the road and not flying away from approaching people. During the intake exam, we found abrasions over the face and a fractured beak tip that we suspect may have been caused by a vehicle collision. We also took a blood sample and found that this bird was suffering from lead toxicity.

Over 80% of our opossum, vulture, and eagle patients come in with elevated lead levels. Species that scavenge (like those listed above) are primarily exposed to lead by eating remains of animals field-dressed by hunters. Shot "nuisance" wildlife that was left out to die and fish that have ingested lead sinkers can also be eaten by these scavengers, resulting in lead poisoning.

Lead bullets usually fragment upon impact and these fragments remain in the meat and organs - up to 18 inches from the wound channel. The best way to avoid unintentionally harming wildlife is to choose to use non-lead alternatives when hunting. If you must use lead, gut piles should be buried > 3 feet deep to decrease access for scavenging wildlife.

When we see high lead levels like this, we always take x-rays to determine if more lead is still in the gastrointestinal tract (many birds will regurgitate these fragments or bring them up with casts before they even come in for care). There was no lead in the stomach in this case, so our treatment focuses on fluid therapy and chelation agents to bind the lead that had already been absorbed into the blood stream. This chelation process can take weeks or even months in patients with very high lead levels, and unfortunately, some patients with these severe exposures never regain normal neurologic function.

The most common signs we see associated with lead poisoning are lethargy and depression, inappropriate mental state, generalized muscular weakness, incoordination, and even an inability to eat or swallow. Avian patients with neurologic symptoms from lead most frequently come to us as victims of vehicle collisions as the lead impairs their ability to evade cars when scavenging along the roads. Chronic exposure to lead can cause low red blood cell levels, organ damage, and impacts on an animal’s ability to reproduce.

A lead fragment smaller than a grain of rice can kill an adult bald eagle or any of our smaller avian patients. This same lead also causes significant health problems for the humans and domestic animals who eat game meat. Help protect human, animal and environmental health today by opting for non-lead!

02/06/2026

02/06/2026

Wildlife Water Emergency: Below 20°F, All Water Frozen Solid for Days ❄️💧

When temperatures drop below 20°F and stay there, every natural water source freezes completely. Wildlife faces a crisis most people never see.

Threats to Survival:
Birds die in three days without water—faster than starvation. Squirrels die in five days without water. Eating snow creates negative calorie intake, burning more than 12 calories per bite just to melt and warm the ice. This accelerates hypothermia rather than providing hydration.

Your Action Saves Lives:
Refill water twice daily—morning and afternoon. Use a dark brick in a shallow dish. The brick absorbs sunlight and radiates heat, keeping water liquid for 6-8 hours between refills. Keep water depth at 1-2 inches only to prevent drowning.

Your neighborhood wildlife has no other water source for acres. If it's frozen at your house, it's frozen everywhere. Check water before checking feeders. Dehydration kills faster than hunger.

02/06/2026

SHE IS DEAD. THEY ARE NOT. 🚗🐀

It is Pouch Season (Late Feb - March). You see an Opossum hit by a car on the side of the road. You keep driving. "It's too late," you think.

Turn around.

The Opossum is North America's only Marsupial. That means the mother is just a vehicle; the babies are passengers in a safe, warm "External Womb." The mother can be gone, but the 13 babies inside her pouch are often perfectly healthy, waiting to be saved.

Here is the science of "The Pouch Check":

1. The Survival Capsule 🛡️ Opossum babies are born the size of a honeybee. They live inside the pouch for months. The pouch is insulated, fur-lined, and tough. It acts like a crash helmet and an incubator. Babies can survive for hours inside a deceased mother.

2. The "Ni**le Lock" (DO NOT PULL) ⚠️ This is the most important rule. When a baby opossum latches on, the ni**le swells inside its mouth to keep it from falling out. They are physically locked on. If you try to pull them out, you will rip their mouths open and kill them. The Protocol:

Move the mother’s body to safety (wear gloves!).

Check the belly. If you feel lumps or see movement in the pouch...

Do not remove the babies.

Put the whole mother in a box or towel.

Drive to a Wildlife Rehabber. Let them surgically detach the babies.

3. The "Pink" Check 🕵️‍♀️ If the babies are pink and moving, they are alive. If they are grey and cold, it has been too long. But in February, the cold air preserves the babies longer than in summer. It is always worth a look.

One stop can save 13 lives.



📌 Quick FAQ
Q: Won't she bite me? A: Make sure she is dead. ☠️ Poke the rear leg with a stick first. If there is no reflex, she is gone. Opossums "play dead" (catatonia) when scared, but a road-hit animal usually shows other signs of trauma.

Q: Is it illegal to transport them? A: Technically, maybe. 🚓 In some states, transporting wildlife is restricted. However, if you are driving directly to a licensed rehabber or vet, you are usually covered under "Good Samaritan" protocols. Call the rehabber first; they will tell you what to do.

Q: Can I raise them? A: No. 🚫 Baby opossums require a specialized tube-feeding diet (their stomachs are tiny). Cow's milk kills them. They also suffer from Metabolic Bone Disease (rickets) if they don't get massive amounts of calcium. They need a pro.

02/05/2026

Please please please! Hunters, choose lead free ammo. Please! Our scavengers are suffering from lead poisoning all over America. Think for a second what it would be like if there were NO scavengers.

This Turkey Vulture was found standing in the road and not flying away from approaching people. During the intake exam, we found abrasions over the face and a fractured beak tip that we suspect may have been caused by a vehicle collision. We also took a blood sample and found that this bird was suffering from lead toxicity.

Over 80% of our opossum, vulture, and eagle patients come in with elevated lead levels. Species that scavenge (like those listed above) are primarily exposed to lead by eating remains of animals field-dressed by hunters. Shot "nuisance" wildlife that was left out to die and fish that have ingested lead sinkers can also be eaten by these scavengers, resulting in lead poisoning.

Lead bullets usually fragment upon impact and these fragments remain in the meat and organs - up to 18 inches from the wound channel. The best way to avoid unintentionally harming wildlife is to choose to use non-lead alternatives when hunting. If you must use lead, gut piles should be buried > 3 feet deep to decrease access for scavenging wildlife.

When we see high lead levels like this, we always take x-rays to determine if more lead is still in the gastrointestinal tract (many birds will regurgitate these fragments or bring them up with casts before they even come in for care). There was no lead in the stomach in this case, so our treatment focuses on fluid therapy and chelation agents to bind the lead that had already been absorbed into the blood stream. This chelation process can take weeks or even months in patients with very high lead levels, and unfortunately, some patients with these severe exposures never regain normal neurologic function.

The most common signs we see associated with lead poisoning are lethargy and depression, inappropriate mental state, generalized muscular weakness, incoordination, and even an inability to eat or swallow. Avian patients with neurologic symptoms from lead most frequently come to us as victims of vehicle collisions as the lead impairs their ability to evade cars when scavenging along the roads. Chronic exposure to lead can cause low red blood cell levels, organ damage, and impacts on an animal’s ability to reproduce.

A lead fragment smaller than a grain of rice can kill an adult bald eagle or any of our smaller avian patients. This same lead also causes significant health problems for the humans and domestic animals who eat game meat. Help protect human, animal and environmental health today by opting for non-lead!

02/04/2026

🎟️2026 Gullah Geechee Early Bird Tickets Update

There are only 42 Early Bird tickets available and Early Bird ticket sales have been extended through February 28 or until sold out.

Early Bird pricing:
$180 (no t-shirt) | $205 (with conference t-shirt)
General Admission begins March 1 or when early bird tickets sell out, whatever comes first, at $225.

Attendance at the Gullah Geechee Herbal Gathering is intentionally limited to preserve an intimate, powerful, and well-supported experience — with space to learn, connect, and breathe.

✨ Children 15 and under attend free with a paid adult admission.

Early registration is encouraged. Join us at our Elders feet and help us preserve the culture.

Register at www.gullahgeecheeherbalgathering.com