Practical workshop “Traditional vs. digital plant identification”
A large number of plants thrive on extensively used meadows and the question often arises: "What actually grows so beautifully there?" Plants can be found everywhere in nature and we don't know exactly what they are called. Identify plants - recognize flowers, trees or leaves. Where a thick identification book used to be necessary, plant species can now be easily identified digitally, for example with the app "flora incognita" determine.
The pharmacy in the meadow
Healthy herbs on the doorstep - there is often more to our native wild plants than you think. Especially on extensively used meadows there is usually a real pharmacy. Meadow sage, thyme, chamomile, calendula, caraway and many other herbs contain valuable ingredients that not only support people but also animal health. The positive effect on the animal is based on evolution, since the herbs used and their natural biology have always been ingested through the daily diet on the hay milk meadows.
However, not only healthy plants grow on the meadows. There are also some potentially dangerous plants that can have a negative impact on animal health. Most poisonous plants contain so-called bitter substances and are recognized and avoided by the animals. Nevertheless, it is important, especially with grazing, to check the areas regularly and to identify and remove such plants in good time. Some poisonous plants lose their bitter taste when they are dried or only develop it when they are "adult" and can thus pose a danger to the animals.
Woerle farmers as active living space designers
As part of the federal, state and EU-funded project "We build (r)n for diversity", in which WOERLE is a project partner, our farmers together with us and the ÖKL identified a wide variety of plant species at the Weissl family farm and dealt with the health value of the herbs growing on their meadows. As part of the practical workshop, a herbarium was set up together to make all the many plants visible. Many thanks to our two speakers Hans Reschenhofer (botanist, nature conservation Braunau) and Andreas Thomasser (botanist and herb expert) for the exciting and instructive practical workshop.
Below are a few impressions of the workshop from 21.5.21
Did you know that…
.. the buckhorn is a constant companion on almost all of our meadows and grassland from around May to October? The plant is not only a promising medicinal plant, but also has a lot to offer in the kitchen.
Ribwort plantain is also often called “Indian patches” because the juice of the crushed leaves works wonders on the skin and helps with small abrasions, insect bites or even involuntary encounters with stinging nettles. Simply grate or chew a leaf or two and apply the juice to your skin. After a few minutes, the pain-relieving and healing effect of the plantain unfolds.
If cows were free to choose between all herbs, they would probably prefer to eat plantain, because its high sodium content makes it particularly tasty for the animals. Plantain contains vitamin C and B vitamins as well as minerals such as silicic acid, zinc and potassium. The plant ingredient aucubin, which has an anti-inflammatory effect and is considered a natural antibiotic, is particularly valuable. In the kitchen, the leaves, blossoms or seeds of the buckhorn are valuable ingredients that we eat raw or steamed in salads, as a spread or in soups, casseroles and much more.
