Herbal Roots Zine Oak

November 2013
Volume 5 Issue 11 zine

Planting a Seed
of Knowledge
for a Lifetime of
Herbal Wisdom
Ode to Oak
e Written and Illustrated by Kristine BrownE

1
Written and Illustrated by Kristine Brown © 2013 Kristine Brown
Herbal Roots Zine is a monthly activity magazine created
to teach kids about medicinal herbs. All writings and
illustrations are created and owned by Kristine Brown and
are subject to copyright laws. All rights reserved.
Please do not distribute this packet outside of your

immediate family or use any part of it for resale value.
Libraries are welcome to print out a copy to place in a
binder for their loan system.
Commercial and classroom rates are available.
All information is for educational purposes only and is not

intended to diagnose or treat any condition.
Text and Illustrations copyright © 2013 by Kristine Brown
Herbal Roots zine

8801 State Route 162
Troy, Illinois 62294
info@herbalrootszine.com
Herbal Roots zine ISSN 2166-4668 (online)
http://herbalrootszine.com/
https://www.facebook.com/herbalrootszine
1
Table of Contents
Note to Parents 3
Supply List 5
Calendar 6
Herb Spirits 7
All About...White Oak 9
Herbal Glossary 14
Scramble, Search and More 16
Herbal Botany 21
Herbal Lore 23
Songs and Poems 26
Herbal Recipes 27
Coloring Page 34
Herbal Crafts and More 35
Maze 38
Herbal Journal 39
Crossword Puzzle 41
Resource Page 43
2
Note to Parents
Dear Parents,
Congratulations on starting your child(ren) on their lifelong

journey of herbal learning! Empowering children to take
control of their health and well being through using natural
herbal remedies is one of the most important things we can
do for them.
Each month we will focus on one plant and take your

child(ren) on a journey of discovery. By the time they have
worked through this issue they should have a good
working knowledge of Oak. Of course for this to remain
with them, they must be encouraged to use the plant as
often as possible.
In addition to this zine (which we recommend you print out

a copy per child who will be using it), there are some
supplies that will be needed to get the most out of this
issue. We have created a master list of items in the next
section to help you get started on collecting the items
needed.
In the back of this issue is a journal page for your child to

keep notes on their activities using Oak. They should
write down any recipes they create or any experiences
they have with using Oak along with the date of when it
was used. As they grow and use more herbs, these journal
pages will be important for them to refer back to.
We’ve included a monthly calendar of suggested activities

to incorporate herbal learning into your daily activities. If
you’re not sure how to incorporate Herbal Roots into your
daily learning routine, use the calendar as a way to get
started. Subscribers have found this to be a great starting
point whether they are homeschoolers trying to fit Herbal
Roots Zine and herbal learning into their daily school
routine or public/private schoolers trying to fit a few
minutes of herbal learning into their hectic after school
routine. My hope is that this calendar will be a starting
point to get kids exploring herbs on their own and learn to
bring a bit of herbal joy into their everyday lives.
3
Note to Parents
Be sure to check in with our blog! Every Monday we offer a
giveaway. Your child(ren) can sign up for a chance to win
all sorts of great items including wooden animals, clay
pendants and herbal gift packages from grassroots
companies such as Mountain Rose Herbs and many
herbalists from around the country.
For new subscribers, I’d like to suggest investing in a

binder of some sort to put these monthly sheets in. One per
child if possible so they can each have their own little
herbal book. They’ll be pasting actual samples of the herbs
in here along with keeping a journal of all their thoughts
and explorations of each particular herb. That will create a
wonderful memory to last through the schooling lifetime!
They are building an herbal foundation of knowledge to be
used for the rest of their lives. These are real herbs that
can be found almost anywhere or grown very easily. Having
this knowledge is very powerful and will stay with them for
a lifetime! A great way to introduce Herbal Roots zine is to
have them decorate a cover page for their own binder. You
can also download a ready made binder cover on our
website at: http://www.herbalrootszine.com/freebies/. You
might also consider having them make a Herbarium if they
haven’t already. Directions can be found on our website.
Look for the tutorial in the articles section of our website!
What’s new? Be sure to scope out our new label pages!

Each month we’ll have a label sheet for the recipes that
can be printed on sticky back paper. Choose from
predesigned or basic so your child(ren) can decorate it the
way they prefer it! You can also find them on our Freebie
page.
Most of all, have fun. Learn, explore, discover, taste and

dream. The herbs are playful and we should be too.
Until next month,
Peace and Herbs!
4
Supply List
To complete the Herbal Remedy Recipes and Craft
Activities for this month you will need the following items.
(See specific sections for amounts).
Ingredients
White Oak twigs
Cinnamon sticks
Sage
Cardamom pods
Peppercorns
Baking Soda
Sea salt
Grain alcohol
Water
Honey
Milk
Freshly harvested acorns
Supplies
Glass jars
Labels
Knife
Cutting board
Muslin bag or tea ball
Saucepan
Mortar and pestle
Tea cups
Acorn cups
Acorns
Super glue
Jump rings
Earring wires
2 feet Leather or hemp cording
Pliers
Scissors
5
November 2013
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 2
What is
your
impression
of Oak?
3 4 5 67 Start 8 9
Check leaching Time for
Giveaway Start an out Kat’s some a botany
Monday* extract lore on acorns lesson!
today. Oak.*** today. See page
17.
10 11 12 13 14 Have 15 16
Tell a Have you you been Review
Giveaway friend made an journaling with the
acorn about your
Monday* Oak’s Oak crossword
story. necklace? exper- puzzle!
iences?
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Share Listen to How did
Giveaway Sing Oak’s your Flora your
Delaterre
Monday * song. photos on talk about acorns
our Flickr Oak.*** turn out?
page.**
24 25 26 27 28 Brew 29 It’s 30
How’s Make a up some time to say
December your healing acorn good-bye to
issue is extract Oak. How
tooth chai. It’s have your
out today! looking? powder. yummy!
thoughts
changed?
*Go online to Herbal Roots’ website at:

http://herbalrootszine.com to see what’s new there! Every
month I’ll be giving away a copy of Herbal Roots and many
more goodies including plants, clay pendants and wooden
critters made by local mama artists.
**Have any pictures to share? Post them on our Flicker

page at: http://www.flickr.com/groups/herbalrootszine. We’d
love to see what you’ve been up to!
***See the resource section for links to great articles on

this month’s herb!
6
Herb Spirits
Visualizing herbal spirits can help you understand and
remember the herb better. Before you read anything about
Oak, take a few minutes to fill out this page with your
thoughts and feelings. After you have learned all about
Oak, fill out the second page with how you view Oak after
learning about this herb. Compare your answers and see
how your understanding and knowledge of Oak has
changed and grown over the course of this issue. There are
no right or wrong answers.
Part 1: Fill out BEFORE you learn all about Oak.
Q What color is this Herbal Spirit?_______________________
Q What body type?(long, lean, plump, wispy, stout, etc.)
________________________________________________________
Q Any particularly pronounced features? (eyes, ears,
feet, belly, fingers.....?)_______________________________
Q What personality? (fiery, calm, flighty, aggressive,
grounded...)__________________________________________
Q Age? (baby, youth, crone...)____________________________
Q Ethnicity? ___________________________________________
Q Gender? Circle one: male, female, gender neutral
Q Herbal Spirit energy
Circle one: cooling, warming, drying, moistening
Q Element? Circle one: fire, water, earth, wood, metal, air
7
Herb Spirits
Part 2: Fill out AFTER you learn all about Oak.
Q What color is this Herbal Spirit? ______________________
Q What body type?(long, lean, plump, wispy, stout, etc.)
________________________________________________________
Q Any particularly pronounced features? (eyes, ears,
feet, belly, fingers.....?)_______________________________
Q What personality? (fiery, calm, flighty, aggressive,
grounded...)__________________________________________
Q Age? (baby, youth, crone...)____________________________
Q Ethnicity? ___________________________________________
Q Gender? Circle one: male, female, gender neutral
Q Herbal Spirit energy
Circle one: cooling, warming, drying, moistening
Q Element? Circle one: fire, water, earth, wood, metal, air
QQQ
How did your answers change?___________________________
How did they stay the same?_____________________________
Did any of your changes surprise you?____________________
Why or why not?_________________________________________
8
All About White Oak!
The mighty oak! So much lore has been based on this

magnificent tree, which can grow to be hundreds of years old,
growing slowly and steadfastly. This wonderful tree offers
food, shelter, medicine and so much more for both man and the
creatures who live in the woods.
White Oaks are deciduous trees native to Eastern North

America. They are in the Fagaceae family, which is also known
as the Beech family. They are related to Chestnuts, Beech and
Chinkapins. White oak’s botanical name is Quercus alba.
Though this issue focuses on the medicinal uses of White Oak,
other Oaks can be used medicinally. In Europe, English Oak (Q.
robur) and European Turkey Oak (Q. cerris) are commonly used.
In North America, many species including Swamp White Oak (Q.
bicolor), Gambel Oak (Q. gambelii), Valley Oak (Q. lobata),
Oregon White Oak (Q. garryanna) and Blue Oak (Q. douglasii)
are often used interchangeably.
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Typically, the inner bark is used for medicine. The galls and
leaves can also be used. The acorns are edible though some are
more palatable than others and most require boiling in several
changes of water before they
lose their bitter taste.
Energetically, Oak tends to be

bitter, cooling and drying.
You can test this out by
cracking open an acorn and
chewing on the raw meat.
Though some acorns are
sweet enough to eat directly
from the shell, most will give
you a taste of bitterness,
leaving your mouth dry and
need to be leached before
using.
I have been unable to find the

nutritional content for the
bark but the acorns of White
Oak are very nutritious. They
provide lots of carbohydrates
along with some protein and
fat and contain many
vitamins and minerals.
Vitamins listed make up B-
complex: thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic
acid (B5), B6 and folate (B9). They also contain a good amount
of minerals: calcium, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium,
phosphorus, potassium and zinc.
Medicinally, Oak bark is considered anthelmintic, anti-

inflammatory, antiseptic, antivenomous, astringent,
expectorant, febrifuge, hemostatic, lithotriptic, styptic and a
tonic. Oak galls and leaves are astringent. Even the acorn soak
water has astringent and antiseptic actions though they are
milder than the galls and bark. Let’s check out these medicinal
actions one by one. For definitions of the actions, see the
glossary page following this section.
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As an anthelmintic, Oak is great for expelling worms from the
body. Try a tea or a tincture of the bark.
Oak’s anti-inflammatory action is great for treating many

issues. Appalachian herbalist Tommie Bass used Oak bark tea
for treating arthritis and rheumatism.
I like to make a mouth wash from Oak bark to take advantage
of his antiseptic and astringent properties, as well as his

styptic activities in the case of bleeding gums. I also have
used a tooth powder which contained Oak bark with the same
great effects. Oak bark works wonders for treating all kinds of
mouth and gum issues, including loose teeth, bad breath,
canker sores, gum disease, cavities and bleeding gums. As an
added bonus, the bark also whitens teeth.
Oak bark doesn’t stop at just stopping bleeding gums, he’s also
great for other types of bleeding in the body, both internal and
external thanks to his styptic and hemostatic actions. A
poultice applied to bruises also helps to reduce the bruising.
Combined with his antiseptic and astringent actions, Oak bark
will do wonders for cleansing wounds and preventing infections
from entering into the tissues.
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For those suffering from a sore throat, a gargle helps to sooth
sore throats, including strep throat and tonsillitis. Also call on
Oak as an expectorant to help expel mucus in the lungs, clear
up sinus congestion and post nasal drip. Combining these
actions along with his febrifuge action, Oak makes a great
addition to a cold care tea blend to dry up excess mucus and
runny noses, sooth sore throats, ease coughs and bring down
fevers.
Many have often

found Oak to be
effective in
dissolving
gallstones and
kidney stones
with his
lithotriptic
activities. I do not
have any personal
experience in
using Oak in this
manner so I cannot
vouch for the
effectiveness of
Oak for stones.
Matthew Wood
mentions using
Oak for ulcerations
of the bladder, bloody urine and cystitis as well as when
kidneys are not concentrating the urine and there are copious
amounts of clear urine present.
Oak bark tea makes a great soak for feet. Tommie Bass’s
favorite use was for smelly feet and Matthew Wood mentions
for excessive sweating on the feet or elsewhere on the body.
As a poultice or compress, Oak does wonders for relieving

varicose veins and hemorrhoids. The astringency also has been
called upon to relieve diarrhea.
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Acorns have long been used for food by the Native Americans
and Asians. They were a very important food source and were
used as a flour, a thickener, a type of pudding and added to
soups and other meals for their nourishment. There are several
ways to process them (we’ll discuss it more in depth in the
recipe section) but the cold process is the best as it retains
the most nutrition.
Oaks are slow growing trees but over time they reach massive
heights and this must be considered when planting one. But, if
given a chance, do plant an Oak as they are beautiful and an
asset to any backyard!
13
Herbal Glossary
Not sure what a word means? Check here to find a glossary
of actions, botany and remedies. For a full list of terms, go
to our website and look for the page under the articles
tab.
Anthelmintic - Herbs that expel parasitic worms either by

stunning or killing them.
Anti-inflammatory - Reduces inflammation in the body.
Antiseptic - Having antimicrobial properties to prevent

infection by inhibiting the growth of microorganisms.
Antivenomous - Having the ability to neutralize venom in

the body.
Astringent - Herbs that tend to shrink or constrict body

tissues.
Deciduous - Plants that seasonally lose their leaves.
14
Herbal Glossary
Decoction - A tea-like drink of herbs produced by boiling
the herb in water.
Expectorant - Promotes and facilitates the discharge of

mucus and fluids from the respiratory tract.
Extract - Also referred to as tincture. Preparations made by

extracting, and preserving, the active properties of herbs
using alcohol.
Febrifuge - Herbs that reduce fever.
Hemostatic - Works to slow or stop bleeding or

hemorrhaging.
Lithotriptic - Herbs that help dissolve calculus.
Styptic - Stops bleeding by constricting tissue and blood

vessels.
Tincture - Also referred to as extract. Preparations made

by extracting, and preserving, the active properties of
herbs using alcohol.
Tonic - Herbs that restore or increase body tone.
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Scramble , Search & More!
I I R Q R K O S N R O C A B S G D H R N N I
A R S U K B S E L E T H I A M I N E C I C R
Y Q U E R C U S A L B A N T C A I I A E E S
E O R R A I S A S I A E F A A R I C L T S A
K I O C B T V K T N X G C E R T I I C O N S
B V H U C P R T A P D I R F B N S N I R O N
I N P S F I E T E O N E A I O R O O U P I C
B T S P I R T C G E D I C R H L I T M T A C
A N O E B T T N H V T E I I Y S A F L E Q R
C I H T E O S T I T A B R L D T D T U U H H
I N P R R H O N A M O L E K R U I R E G A I
T T I A N T I I N F L A M M A T O R Y C E R
T F N E N I I R L V V E A G T O C U I I C U
U T T A H L K A O E T I H W E U K T S M N H
R E P P O C V R S N N M T T S O P C A I U G
A B L M U I S E N G A M R R N E D N A F T R
L M K A N T I V E N O M O U S A G Z E L T R
I A I T M P Z S X I S B N I M A T I V I B A
E N E T R Y S R M T U A T S N I N N A T U E
T U A M F T A S T R I N G E N T U C A N P E
C C M C B S S P O T A S S I U M A C E V C O
A I C A F A G A C E A E E T A T M R T T R E
Acorns Copper Leaves Quercus robur

Anthelmintic Deciduous Lithotriptic Red Oak
Anti-inflammatory Drying Magnesium Riboflavin
Antiseptic Expectorant Manganese Styptic
Antivenomous Fagaceae Niacin Tannins
Astringent Fat NorthAmerica Thiamine
Bark Febrifuge Pantothenic Acid Tonic
Bitter Fiber Phosphorus Vitamin B six
Black Oak Folate Potassium White Oak
Calcium Galls Protein Zinc
Carbohydrates Hemostatic Quercus alba
Cooling Iron Quercus petraea
16
Unscramble the actions of Oak.
C I T E H N T I N M A L ____________________________________
T I C T E N P A S I _______________________________________
T R E T N I S G A N ______________________________________
R I E B F E G U F ________________________________________
R C T I O T H I T I P L _____________________________________
N C O I T _______________________________________________
A I N T - L A F M N O I T A M Y R ___________________________
C T E O P R X A N E T ____________________________________
P C Y I T T S ____________________________________________
SLUCME X A T L N E A R ______________________________
C I T O A M T E S H _______________________________________
V E N I M T O N O A S U ___________________________________
17
How many acorns are on the tree?
18
Circle the energetics of Oak.
Sweet Acrid Sour Bitter
Cooling Neutral Warming
Cold Drying Hot Moistening
Complete the leaf drawing.
19
Decipher the codes to find all of Oak’s vitamin and mineral
content.
Z Y X W V U T S R Q P O N
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
M L K J I H G F E D C B A
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
11 25 13 7 12 7 19 22 13 18 24 26 24 18 23
7 19 18 26 14 18 13 22 9 18 25 12 21 15 26 5 18 13
13 18 26 24 18 13 5 18 7 26 14 18 13 25 U
14 26 20 13 22 8 18 6 15 18 9 12 13
11 19 12 8 11 19 12 9 6 8 14 26 13 2o 26 13 22 8 22
11 12 7 26 8 8 18 6 14 24 26 15 24 18 6 14
21 12 15 26 7 22 1 18 13 24 24 12 11 11 22 9
20
Herbal Botany
Read through the information on White Oak’s anatomy then
label the pictures with the correct words from the
highlighted words. Color the pictures.
White Oak is a deciduous tree in the Fagaeae family. He

can grow up to 100 feet (30.5 m) tall. They are often as
wide as they are tall. Oak is slow growing but long lived,
with the longest living tree being recorded at over 450
years old back in 2002 when he toppled over in a
thunderstorm. Oak begins producing acorns at maturity
when he is about 20 years old but can be as old as 50
before he heavily produces them. The outer bark is a light
ash colored gray and is shallowly furrowed or grooved.
Leaves grow alternately up the twig, are simple, oblong and

lobed, usually with 7 - 9 lobes, growing up to 10 inches in
length and half as wide as they are long. Leaf stalks are
up to 1 inch long. The upper surface is deep and glossy
with the leaves turning red or brown in the autumn.
White Oak flowers in spring, when the leaves begin to

unfold. Both staminate (male) and pistillate (female)
flowers bloom on a single tree but grow separately.
Staminate flowers are drooping yellow catkins while
pistillate flowers are few in a group and red in color.
The fruits are called acorns. They grow in clumps of 1 - 3

with short or non-existent stalks. The nut of the acorn is
oblong, up to 3/4 inch long, green to greenish-brown and
shiny, coloring to a rich, caramel colored brown when ripe
and fallen from the tree. The cap, called the cup or cupule,
covers about 1/4 of the nut.
21
Herbal Botany
22
Herbal Lore
How Oak Got His Acorns
Gather ‘round and I’ll tell you a story about Mighty Oak...
A long time ago, before the stars were born but

after the rainbow was born, there was a little tree who
grew in the forest.
Now, this little tree grew and grew and grew but never got
anywhere fast. Because of this, he often had visits from
Deer and Rabbit and Squirrel, all who enjoyed nibbling on
his leaves.
“Stop that!” he would say, giggling. “That tickles!” But they

would not stop as much as he would beg them.
“Your leaves are so tasty!” declared Deer.
“They are so easy to reach!” replied Rabbit.
“There are so many of them,” suggested

Squirrel. “Surely a few nibbles are
okay.”
But Oak did not agree with them.

He called out to Mother Earth to
help him in his plight.
Mother Earth, being compassionate, had Father Sun shine

down on him and he instantly started growing bigger and
bigger until he was the highest tree in the forest.
The next day, Deer, Rabbit and Squirrel came to Oak for
their breakfast.
“Hello Friends,” waved Oak from high up in the canopy.
“Wow,” declared Deer, “you have really grown, Oak!”
23
Herbal Lore
“You sure seem taller this morning!” replied Rabbit. “How
ever will we enjoy your delicious leaves?”
“Perhaps we could nibble on his bark instead?” suggested

Squirrel.
The 3 friends agreed and started to chew on the bark.
“HEY, stop that!” squealed Oak. “I can’t stand it!”
Oak twisted and writhed as their gnawing

tickled his roots and trunk. “Mother
Earth, Heeeeellllllpppppp!”
Deer, Rabbit and Squirrel ran off.
Mother Earth appeared and Oak

explained that while Deer,
Rabbit and Squirrel were
no longer nibbling on his
leaves, now they were stripping the bark from
his roots and trunk.
Mother Earth put her hand on Oak’s bare patches of bark

and said “Oh dear, we need to put a stop to that.” Mother
Earth summoned Sister Rain and she sprinkled down on
Oak.
“Drink deeply Oak, the rain will make your bark very
astringent so Deer, Rabbit and Squirrel will have dry
mouths and not want to eat your bark any more.”
Oak drank deeply and went to sleep. The next morning, he

was woken up by Deer, Rabbit and Squirrel nibbling on his
bark. He chuckled to himself when they spit out the bark
and ran off to the river to take deep drinks of water.
And so Oak remained content for many months.
One day in the early Autumn, Deer, Rabbit and Squirrel

came back to Oak. It had been a long, dry summer and they
could not find anything to eat. They began eating Oak’s
24
Herbal Lore
dead leaves laying around, even though they were no
longer sweet.
“We’re so hungry!” declared Deer.
“I’m afraid we’re not going to make it through the winter at

this rate,” replied Rabbit.
“Is there anything you could give us to eat?” suggested

Squirrel to Oak.
Oak shook his branches. He had nothing but his crispy

leaves that drifted down to the ground. His friends
wandered away in search of food.
“Mother Earth,” Oak called out.
“Yes my dear,” she answered right away. “What is wrong?”
“I’m so sad for my friends,” he sighed. “They are so hungry

and there’s nothing to eat. Is there anything we can do
about that?”
“Well, perhaps I could give you some nuts that they could
eat.” She gestured to Brother Lightning and he struck out
to Oak. Acorns formed on the tips of his branches as the
electricity jolted through them.
Oak shook and the acorns started to

fall to the ground.
The next day, his friends

returned and were
overjoyed at the gift Oak
gave them.
From that day on,

Deer, Rabbit and
Squirrel had food to
eat in the Autumn
when everything
else was drying up.
25
Herbal Songs and Poems
Harvest Oak Bark Now
Sung to the tune of “I Shall Not Be Moved”
(version sung by Mississippi John Hurt)
Chorus:
I shall har-, harvest oak bark now
I shall har-, harvest oak bark now
Just find a tree that’s growing in the forest,
harvest oak bark now.
My gums are bleeding now, I’ve got cavities

My teeth are dull and brown, starting to fall out
Chorus
Got a sore throat, coughing’s keeping me up,

Got a fever, this cold has got me down
Chorus
Kidney stones, boy, they really hurt

Gallstones, got me in the dirt
Chorus
The oak grows ever steady

To make his medicine ready,
For times when we’re in need;
It all starts with an acorn seed.
26
Recipes
Harvesting Oak Bark

Spring and fall is the best time for harvesting bark. This is the
time the sap is flowing through the tree making bark easy to
peel. The best time for maximum sap flow is when the
temperatures are above freezing during the day and at or
below freezing at night. Never strip bark completely around a
tree, always take only a small strip from one section of the tree.
Even better, follow my method of easy harvesting, which will
give you plenty of bark without fear of killing the tree:
Cut off a few branches. Use sharp pruning shears and cut the
branch next to the trunk of the tree. Be sure to ask permission
before cutting off a branch and always leave a token of thanks:
a drink of water, bird seed, cornmeal, dried sage, feathers,
hair and handmade clay totems are all acceptable gifts.
Using a knife, scrape off the bark, all the way down to the
wood. Save the shavings, laying them out to dry. For smaller
twigs, you can chop them up in 1-2” pieces and use as is. There
is no need to shave the twigs.
27
Recipes
Oak Bark Extract
Use the Oak bark extract for treating inflammation, cold
symptoms, as a gargle for sore throats or a mouth wash for
sore and bleeding gums.
Ingredients Tools
White Oak twigs Glass jar
Grain alcohol Labels
Water Knife
Cutting board
Carefully chop up enough twigs to loosely fill your jar.
Fill 3/4 full with grain alcohol then top off with water.
Label your jar and let steep for 4 - 6 weeks. Shake once or
twice daily while singing the Oak song to him.
General Dosage
Adults: Children:
15 - 30 drops. Can be 2-6 5 - 10 drops. Can be
repeated a few times every repeated a few times
60 minutes. every 60 minutes.
7-12 10 - 15 drops. Can be
repeated a few times
every 60 minutes.
28
Recipes
Oak Bark Decoction
This decoction can be used internally as a tea or externally
as a wash, fomentation or compress.
Ingredients Tools
1 T. Oak bark Muslin bag or tea ball
Water Saucepan
Honey to taste
Place the bark in the muslin bag or tea ball and simmer for
10 minutes then steep for another 10 minutes.
Add honey to taste if taking internally.
Healing Tooth Powder

It’s best to freshly powder the herbs before making for the
highest freshness. I grind my herbs and sea salt in a mortar
and pestle for the best powder. This healing tooth powder
will tighten loose teeth, stop bleeding, whiten teeth and
heal gum sores. Use 2 - 3 times daily for best results.
Ingredients Tools
1 tablespoon powdered Oak bark 4 oz jar
1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon Label
1 teaspoon powdered sage leaf
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt, powdered
Mix the ingredients together and store in a jar. To use,

sprinkle a bit on your hand and rub your wet toothbrush in
the powder then brush your teeth with it.
29
Recipes
Shelling and Leaching Acorns

There are a variety of ways to leach acorns after
harvesting and shelling them. The two most common are
cold leaching and boiling leaching. Cold is best if you want
to retain the nourishment of the acorns and the most oils.
It is also best if you want to grind your acorns into flour as
they contain more binding power. I prefer the cold method
and will describe it here. You can find Green Deane’s
article listed in resources if you’d like to read more about
the other methods.
After you have harvested your acorns, it’s best to let them
sit and dry for a few days. You will find some of your
acorns may begin to sprout, especially if you’ve brought
them inside. This is perfectly natural and will not harm the
acorns or their nutritional value.
First you will need to shell your acorns. This can be time
consuming, I find it a great activity to do at night while
watching a movie or during a day visit, sitting around
with friends and working the acorns together. Use a hand
held nutcracker to crack them open. Discard any nuts that
have holes in them or are dark. Yellow or creamy nutmeats
30
Recipes
are what you are looking for. You may find part of the
testa to be attached to the acorn meat. It will fall off later
on in the process.
Once your acorns are shelled, you may leave them whole or
coarsely grind them in a blender, food processor or coffee
grinder (designated for herbs) and then place them in a pot
and add cold water. At least twice a day, drain off the
water and add fresh until the water no longer discolors.
Now you are ready to dry them!
Drying Acorns
Acorns should be dried in low heat to preserve their
nutrition. A dehydrator or oven set to 150 F works nicely. If
you go any higher in temperature, you will lose the starch
and binding power of the flour.
Spread your leached acorns on a baking sheet or

dehydrator tray. Check them every 20 minutes to make
sure they haven’t over dried. The dried acorns will be
slightly darker but not extremely dark.
Store your dried acorns in a glass jar or freezer bag in the

fridge or freezer until you are ready to use them.
31
Recipes
Roasting Acorns
Roasting acorns makes a lovely base for Acorn chai. Though
they can no longer be used for making flour, the roasted
acorns make a delicious, nutritious drink.
Continue on after the drying stage but turn the oven up to

265 F. Continue to dry and roast until they turn dark brown
and can be smelled, about 2 - 3 hours.
Allow to cool then store in a glass jar.
To grind, use a mortar and pestle as they will be extremely

hard and will break a plastic coffee grinder!
32
Recipes
Acorn Chai
Ground and roasted acorns are a good tonic for everyone
but especially those who are sick and the elderly when
they have weak digestion, anemia and debility.
Ingredients Tools
1 tablespoon whole, roasted acorns Mortar and pestle
4 cardamom pods Saucepan
1/2 cinnamon stick tea cups
4 peppercorns
2 cups water
Honey and milk to taste
Begin by crushing the acorns, cardamom pods and cinnamon
stick in the mortar and pestle.
Add them into the saucepan with the peppercorns and

water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down, cover the
saucepan and simmer for 20 minutes.
Serve in tea cups and add milk and honey to taste. I find it
to be delicious without any!
33
Coloring Page
White Oak
Quercus alba
34
Herbal Crafts and More!
Herb Pressing/Drawing
Draw a picture of Oak here or place a few leaves in the box if you have him growing nearby. Do a rubbing of
the bark. Decorate the frame with acorns and Oak leaves.
Quercus _____________
Which Species of Oak are you using? Write it above.
35
Acorn Necklace
An acorn necklace makes a fun autumn accessory! You could
also make matching acorn earrings.
You will need:

1 acorn
Super glue
1 jump ring
2 feet Leather or hemp cording
Pliers
Scissors
For earrings you will need:

2 extra matching acorns
2 extra jump rings
2 earring wires
Place your acorn(s) in the freezer for 24 - 48 hours to

freeze out any acorn grubs.
Remove the cup from the acorn(s). Reattach with super

glue and allow to dry.
Using the pliers to hold the jump ring, glue the jump ring
into the cup(s) of the acorn(s). Hold until dry, about 30 - 60
seconds (according to the instructions on your super glue
tube).
String the acorn on leather or hemp cording making the

length long enough to fit over your head. Tie
off the cording and trim the edges.
If you are making matching earrings, use the

pliers to open the earring wire loop and hang the
acorns onto them. Close the wires again.
36
Acorn Cup Whistle
Did you know you can make a whistle from the cup of an
acorn?
Place your thumbs together, side by side, bending at the

top knuckles so they are touching knuckle to knuckle with
the thumb tips pointing back towards your fingers.
Hold the acorn cup between your thumbs and index fingers
so the top third of the cup is exposed. The outer part of
the cup should be touching your index fingers.
Place your bottom lip on the knuckles of your thumbs and

the upper lip above them, opening them slightly and then
blow into the cup. You may have to adjust the angle
slightly but you should get a shrill whistle from the cup.
37
Maze
Find your way through the Acorn!
Start Finish
38
Journal Pages
Use these pages to keep a journal of your discoveries of this month’s herb.
39
Journal Pages
Use these pages to keep a journal of your discoveries of this month’s herb.
40
Herbal Crossword
1
2 3
4 5
10 11
12 13
14
15
16
17
Alba Deciduous Hemostatic

Anthelmintic Decoction Lithotriptic
Anti-inflammatory Expectorant Quercus
Antiseptic Extract Styptic
Antivenomous Fagaceae Tincture
Astringent Febrifuge Tonic
41
Herbal Crossword
Across
3 Herbs that expel parasitic worms either by stunning or
killing them.
6 Family Oak belongs to.
7 Having antimicrobial properties to prevent infection by
inhibiting the growth of microorganisms.
9 Having the ability to neutralize venom in the body.
11 Works to slow or stop bleeding or hemorrhaging.
13 Herbs that reduce fever.
14 Promotes and facilitates the discharge of mucus and
fluids from the respiratory tract.
16 Herbs that help dissolve calculus, or stones, from the
body.
17 Herbs that restore or increase body tone.
Down
1 White Oak's species name.

2 Plants that seasonally lose their leaves.
3 Reduces inflammation in the body.
4 Also referred to as extract.
5 Oak's genus.
8 Herbs that tend to shrink or constrict body tissues.
10 A tea-like drink of herbs produced by boiling the herb in
water.
12 Also referred to as tincture. Preparations made by
extracting, and preserving, the active properties of
herbs using alcohol.
15 Stops bleeding by constricting tissue and blood vessels.
42
Reference & Resource Page
This is a short list of some great resources for teaching
kids more about herbs. For a more complete list, go to
http://www.herbalrootszine.com/herbal-learning-resources/.
Books
For more reading about herbs, try these kid friendly books!
Those highlighted in purple contain specific information
about Oak.
The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to New World

Medicinal Plants by Matthew Wood
Tree Medicine, Tree Magic by Ellen Evert Hopman
Walking the World in Wonder: A Children’s Herbal by

Ellen Evert Hopman
Backyard Medicine by Julie Bruton-Seal & Matthew

Seal
Trees of the Northeast Coloring Book by Stefen

Bernath
Traveller’s Joy by Beshlie
Wildflower Tea by Ethel Pochocki
A Kid’s Herb Book by Lesley Tierra
Herbs: An ABC Rhyme and Picture Book by Tamara Gondre

Lawrence, ND
Games
Tree Leaf Bingo:
http://www.ellenjmchenry.com/homeschool-freedownloads/
lifesciences-games/documents/treeleafbingo.pdf
Wildcraft! Available online at Learning Herbs:

http://www.learningherbs.com/wildcraft.html
Herbal Bingo game:
43
Reference & Resource Page
http://www.herbalrootszine.com/Herbal_Bingo.pdf
Wild Cards by Linda Runyon, Available at:

http://www.ofthefield.com/html/learning_resources_4.html
Shanleya’s Quest Card Game:

http://hopspress.com/Books/Shanleya’s_Quest.htm
Internet Resources
Kat Morgenstern’s article on the lore and medicinal uses:
http://www.sacredearth.com/ethnobotany/plantprofiles/
oak.php
U.S. National Parks supplement for teaching about acorns:

http://www.nps.gov/lavo/forteachers/upload/
lp8_indian_acorn_game.pdf
Grandpappy on acorns:
http://www.grandpappy.info/racorns.htm
Green Deane on Acorns:

http://www.eattheweeds.com/acorns-the-inside-story/
Hank Shaw on gathering, preparing and using acorns:

http://honest-food.net/veggie-recipes/acorns-nuts-and-
other-wild-starches/
Great list of blogs creating recipes for acorns:

http://www.cauldronsandcrockpots.com/forage/acorn/
Mississippi John Hurt singing “I Shall Not Be Moved”:

http://www.songlyrics.com/mississippi-john-hurt/i-shall-not-
be-moved-lyrics/
Dried Oak Bark and tincture:

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=113760
Herb Seeds and Plants:

http://www.horizonherbs.com/
http://www.thymegarden.com/
http://www.richters.com/
http://www.botanicalinterests.com/
44
The Oak
Live thy Life,

Young and old,
Like yon oak,
Bright in spring,
Living gold;
Summer-rich
Then; and then
Autumn-changed
Soberer-hued
Gold again.
All his leaves

Fall'n at length,
Look, he stands,
Trunk and bough
Naked strength.
-Alfred Lord Tennyson
45
Stay tuned...
Next month is all about Vanilla!
46
47
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November 2013

Volume 5 Issue 11 zine

e Written and Illustrated by Kristine BrownE

Please do not distribute this packet outside of your

Commercial and classroom rates are available.

All information is for educational purposes only and is not

Text and Illustrations copyright © 2013 by Kristine Brown

Herbal Roots zine

Herbal Roots zine ISSN 2166-4668 (online)

All About...White Oak 9

Scramble, Search and More 16

Songs and Poems 26

Herbal Crafts and More 35

Congratulations on starting your child(ren) on their lifelong

Each month we will focus on one plant and take your

In addition to this zine (which we recommend you print out

In the back of this issue is a journal page for your child to

We’ve included a monthly calendar of suggested activities

For new subscribers, I’d like to suggest investing in a

What’s new? Be sure to scope out our new label pages!

Most of all, have fun. Learn, explore, discover, taste and

Until next month,

Peace and Herbs!

*Go online to Herbal Roots’ website at:

**Have any pictures to share? Post them on our Flicker

***See the resource section for links to great articles on

Part 1: Fill out BEFORE you learn all about Oak.

Q What color is this Herbal Spirit?_______________________

Q What body type?(long, lean, plump, wispy, stout, etc.)

Q Any particularly pronounced features? (eyes, ears,

feet, belly, fingers.....?)_______________________________

Q What personality? (fiery, calm, flighty, aggressive,

Q Age? (baby, youth, crone...)____________________________

Q Gender? Circle one: male, female, gender neutral

Q Herbal Spirit energy

Circle one: cooling, warming, drying, moistening

Q Element? Circle one: fire, water, earth, wood, metal, air

Q What color is this Herbal Spirit? ______________________

Q What body type?(long, lean, plump, wispy, stout, etc.)

Q Any particularly pronounced features? (eyes, ears,

feet, belly, fingers.....?)_______________________________

Q What personality? (fiery, calm, flighty, aggressive,

Q Age? (baby, youth, crone...)____________________________

Q Gender? Circle one: male, female, gender neutral

Q Herbal Spirit energy

Circle one: cooling, warming, drying, moistening

Q Element? Circle one: fire, water, earth, wood, metal, air

How did they stay the same?_____________________________

Did any of your changes surprise you?____________________

Why or why not?_________________________________________

The mighty oak! So much lore has been based on this

White Oaks are deciduous trees native to Eastern North

Energetically, Oak tends to be

I have been unable to find the

Medicinally, Oak bark is considered anthelmintic, anti-

Oak’s anti-inflammatory action is great for treating many

I like to make a mouth wash from Oak bark to take advantage

of his antiseptic and astringent properties, as well as his

Many have often