Can twitter be used to teach? So far my experiment on sending daily tweets with wildcrafting and foraging tips seems to be doing just that. Not only does it clue people in to what is happening in nature today, the tweets are a daily reminder to go outside and look around. And some people find comfort in a sense of a larger community of people who are also out there doing something radical - eating wild food. Here are my latest tweets, expanded.

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Attending Hollerfest in Brooklyn Michigan I met another urban beekeeper who believes in encouraging hives in the city. We agree mentoring newbies is the way to go. Education is key, teaching new beekeepers but also people who may be afraid or concerned about the safety of urban hives. For example, swarms can look really scary. Yet they are one of the safest times to encounter bees. They're full of honey, mellow and just focused on finding a new place to live. They can be easily and safely moved by an experienced bee keeper, or they will move themselves within a day or two. However, of a swarm has been in one place for more than three days they are likely to be a little agitated and not as calm.

Although today I saw hundreds of happy bees madly collecting goldenrod pollen and nectar, they really are seriously endangered. One answer is lots of hives in cities and rural areas. If we can get a lot of people interested in bees and finding it normal to have a hive or two in their backyard, it will help the bees come back and save us all. There has never been a better time to become an apiarist!

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Sitting next to a friend who has used mullein, Verbascum thapsus, stalks for a hand drill friction fire. Fire with no matches. Can't wait to try it. Making a fire without a match isn't just a trick for people who want to be on "Survivor." It's pretty empowering, and a real challenge. And may someday be a helpful skill, you never know. I love this idea. I've only previously tried with a bow drill. Lots of smoke, no fire. I'll report results.

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Yellow mullein flowers on tall stalks can be made into an oil for earaches but it is hard to find enough to harvest at once. I usually buy the oil. But if you want to make it, here is one method. Fill a jar with the yellow blossoms. Add enough olive oil to fill the jar. Cap and wait 4-6 weeks. Strain, keep oil in refrigerator. It only takes a small quantity for earaches, and the oil should last a few years. But these are small flowers, and bloom just a few at a time on each plant. If you start with a few and keep adding you increase the risk of contamination and mold growth. But there are some areas where there are dozens of plants, and you'll be able to pick a lot at once.

And you may have heard of the dried leaves being used for lung problems. One popular method of use was to smoke the dried leaves. I prefer an infusion, 1 oz of the plant or less (this is a very lightweight herb) steeped with 1 qt water just off the boil, put a lid on it. Steep 3-8 hours. You then drink the infusion, the remainder can be refrigerated for 2-3 days. One of the effects many of my clients have enjoyed is apparent strengthening of the lungs, lessening symptoms of asthma. It is sometimes combined with Stinging Nettles, Urtica, for the same purpose.

Mullein is a biennial. The tall stalks you can see now are the second year growth. The first year plants will be nearby, but will remain a simple rosette until they dedicate all their energy next year - the second year - to producing the beautiful flowering stalk. Another biennial you'll see a lot of right now is burdock, Arctium lappa, with a lovely purple flower that will soon turn into the sticky burr so many find annoying. The burdock root, considered a culinary treasure, is still good to eat in the first year (non-flowering) plants. But if you dug up the root of the second year plants, you'd find a woody and sometimes even hollow tough root that is worthless both as food and medicine.

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Every apple tree seems to offer a unique taste sensation. I’ll try as many as possible. Occasionally I find perfection. What a joy to taste apples all over the city and try and find the ones you like best. Try school yards, traffic medians, older neighborhoods, parks. They are all over! If you see apples on the ground, there has to be a tree nearby. And even on the same tree, some apples are great, and some just so so.

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Taste those apples that are beginning to drop. Any of them might be ripe, many will be really tasty. Carry a knife to cut and avoid worms. When I was still young, my parents taught me that the uglier the apple the more likely it is to taste good. And I have generally found that to be true. Some of the finest apples are lumpy, with dark spots, and even worm holes.

Talking about that with a friend last night, he reminded me of that very old joke. What;s worse than biting into an apple and finding a worm? Finding half a worm. That's why I use a knife to cut open wild apples. It is far easier to find the good spots. And with free fruit, you can toss out partly eaten fruit with no guilt. Pick 10 apples and find even just one or two bites from each, you're still way ahead of the game!

***** I've never noticed goldenrod to this extent. And there are hundreds of bees in bee heaven, little legs heavy with golden pollen. Lovely.

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On my walk today I just missed being hit by falling acorns. It may be a big year for those. I'll gather a few pounds and make flour. Acorns are a great source of flour. The finished flour has a lovely nutty taste, unique and hearty. It is a lot of work to process acorns into flour, a major reason you don't see it on store shelves. On Wednesday I'll post full instructions, and a creative twist that involves using a bathroom appliance. Once you read that you'll be certain that foragers think differently than many people.

Last year my foraging friend made flour and we enjoyed buckwheat and acorn flour pancakes, and later some quickbread. Every bite was flavor filled and wonderfully unique. Worth the work and time.

Linda Diane Feldt is a holistic health practitioner and herbalist, author and teacher, who has had a full time private practice in Ann Arbor since 1980.

Photos by Linda Diane Feldt The first photo is Mullein framed by Staghorn Sumac, which is just beginning to fruit. The next is a typical grouping of second year Mullein The third photo is a first year plant, a rosette of leaves but no sign of the stalk that will begin next year. The last shows a few yellow mullein flowers beginning to open at the tips of the stalk.