Helping you care for our land, water, soil, and wildlife
Napa RCD Weekly Activity Digest - 11th Edition

Greetings from Napa RCD!

Modern day Napa County was stewarded for thousands of years by indigenous people before their forced removal. It is estimated that people have lived in this region for more than 12,000 years, speaking a wide variety of languages. Check out resources collected by the Napa County Historical Society to get started exploring the indigenous people of Napa County, then check out these local organizations working to serve and restore indigenous communities today: Suscol Intertribal Council and Movimiento Cultural de la Unión Indígena.

As always, don't forget to share the things you're finding and doing on social media, tagging @NapaRCD and #WILDnapa. We can't wait to see what you're up to!

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Many thanks to the following education and outreach activity sponsors for their support: NOAA, County of Napa, Napa County Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program, City of Napa, the Watershed Information and Conservation Council, and Friends of the Napa River.
Online & Inside Activities
Bay Area Indigenous History Webinars

Peninsula Open Space Trust and partners are hosting a free 3-part webinar series throughout June related to indigenous history of the Bay Area.

Register for these free events and learn about the rich cultural and environmental history of indigenous people from Mark Hylkema, tribal liaison of California State Parks.

Bay-Friendly Garden Month- Thank You!
We would like to give a big, loud THANK YOU to all of you that joined us for our Facebook Live garden tours, Zoom + Facebook Live lectures, and all of you that checked out the video and web resources we shared throughout Bay-Friendly Garden Month. We were so happy to see how many of you tuned in, and it has given us a renewed excitement for Bay-Friendly Gardening here in Napa County.

If you missed any of our videos, lectures, or other resources, they will live on the Bay-Friendly Garden Month web page for you to access into the future.
Nature Journaling
Get Inspired by the Written Word

One way to gather inspiration for nature journaling is to read others' work about the environment. In line with our theme this week, here are some recommendations for books written by Native American authors:


How does the writing of others spark your own creativity?
No Tech Needed
Make Your Own Oak Gall Ink

Oak trees hold an important role in Napa Valley indigenous peoples' culture. Most parts of the tree have something to offer, including oak galls! These interesting parasitic growths are the tree's response to a wasp injecting its larvae into it. Once the larvae eat their way out of the gall, these growths can be used for medicinal purposes as well as ink and dye. Indigenous people of this area have used gall ink for hair dye, basket coloring, and tattoo ink.

Follow these instructions on how to make your own oak gall ink! Use it to write a letter or journal entry about all the other amazing things these trees have been providing humans for thousands of years.

Share your experience with us on social media or email Education@NapaRCD.org with your drawings or designs.
Weekly Challenge
Native Land Digital Project

Who were the first people to settle in modern day Napa County? Check out this project from the Native Land Digital Project . Challenge yourself to acknowledge the tribal origins of your home region. What languages were spoken here? What else do you want to know about indigenous communities and colonization?
Weekly Nature Nugget
This week's nature nugget is called bitterroot ( Lewisia rediviva ). The roots of this plant are edible and are prepared for eating by removing the exterior and boiling or steaming them. The roots are then eaten either fresh or dry. For more information on bitterroot, visit the USFS page or CalFlora .
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Napa County Resource Conservation District | 707-252-4189 | NapaRCD.org