THE ROOTS OF HERBALISM extend deeper than the history of humankind. Every- thing that we know today follows

the threads from the very beginning, woven together into a tapestry of knowledge that we tend to take for granted. Yet it is natural to seek out plants for medicine, as animals do. From the family dog eating grass for a sour stomach to chimps choosing medicinal plants for spe- cific purposes (pain, parasites, etc.), there is a good deal of evidence that animals and humans alike turn to plants for healing. We hold innate knowledge that is often forgotten and ignored.

With the modernization of medicine, village herbalists were shunned. As an example, herbal healers in my own Pennsylvania-German region followed what is locally known as Pow-wow, or more properly, Braucherei. It is a combination of Native American healing, old German medi- cine, and prayer that many of the old-timers around here remember as a life-saving medici- nal method, when conventional medicine failed. In the 1950s it was driven underground, as were most regional healing traditions around the

world, as conventional medicine was embraced. Only in the last decade have individuals begun to work on preserving and protecting these traditions. Although some herbal healing modalities in countries such as India and China have flourished, even there the rural herbal-
ists are currently working with people who are documenting their work and the herbs they use. In the Amazonian rainforests, researchers are racing to learn from the village herbalists before time runs out. This work is being carried out around the world as our elders pass on and we realize how very soon it can be lost forever or lost to deforestation.

As a child, I spent every possible moment outside. The plants were our toys, our com- panions, and our building materials. We knew what we could eat, what was poisonous, and what would cause our skin to blister. Despite the distractions of television, the Internet, and other technology, it gives me hope to see young parents encouraging their children to appreci- ate and enjoy the natural world. More and more parents are teaching children to find wild foods to nibble, plants to soothe a sting, and how a soft bed of pine needles on the forest floor can be the perfect place to while away an afternoon, watching the birds and the clouds.