Community Green at the Present Moment

In case you were wondering, this blog is a writing sample I submitted for work (part of our job is to web journal about what our teams have been up to). I decided to keep this post on my personal blog, because I haven't written in awhile and this post, formal as it may be does provide an update on my recent life/summer work!

(Photo courtesy of group leader, K. Johnson, taken 06/29/11)

Pictured above are four members of Community Green, standing outside of Present Moment, located near the corner of 36th Street West and Grand Avenue in Minneapolis. Packed with a wide variety of herbs, books and unusual trinkets, this store also provides an office home to Dr. Andrew Lucking, ND, who has practiced naturopathic medicine for over 25 years.

Because part of Community Green's mission is to learn about plants and how they affect human health, the purpose of our visit was to learn more about medicinal uses of plants.

During our meeting with Dr. Lucking, ND, our team had the opportunity to learn about plant medicine and more specifically about 16 commonly used herbs. Starting with Angelica and ending with Zingiber (Ginger), our group took notes diligently and tasted each herb.


(Photo courtesy of group leader, K. Johnson, taken 06/29/11)

Of the many herbs tasted, it was no surprise that licorice was the most popular among our team members...at least at the beginning of the taste testing. For the first time in weeks, group members declined seconds of a sugary treat. It wasn't hard to say "No" after they learned (and tasted) how licorice is actually 50 times sweeter than sugar.

We also learned that licorice is one of the most ancient, medicinal herbs, dating back at least 4,000 years. This perennial shrub grows from three to seven feet high and fairs well in a temperate climate. Its valued properties are found in the runners and the roots, which can be harvested in the fall. As we tasted, licorice root is not used fresh but dried to lock in the medicinal properties.

Considered a "superior" plant drug, licorice is useful in a variety of health conditions. It is anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antimicrobial, etc. In general, licorice benefits the gastrointestinal tract and boosts the immune system. In our case, it boosted our energy, allowing us to pay attention to the remainder of Dr. Lucking's presentation.

At the end of the day, as noted in group reflection, the trip was an overall success. Two members agreed that the field trip helped them learn about natural options to consider when dealing with health problems and that medicinal plants can be a good addition to "regular medicine." Another student journaled, "It was the best!" While our last team member wrote, "Present Moment opened my mind to new things."

As a group, we now look forward to the challenge of unpacking this new knowledge and sharing what we learned at Present Moment in our team's official presentation about plants and health which will be delivered to various, local nonprofit organizations throughout the month of August.

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Community Green is a group of young adults (14-15 year olds) that are learning about nonprofit organizations and how plants affect the environment and our health. To read more about Community Green and the Urban Garden Youth Employment (UGYE) team, please visit the UGYE website and look for us under Community Green.

Naturopathic medicine blends centuries-old natural healing therapies with the advances of scientific knowledge. In a nutshell, naturopaths believe in nature's healing power and in the human body's ability to heal itself. For more information about naturopathy, check out the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine's (NCCAM) webpage.