Greenrock

Today wasn’t just a walk 🌳it was a reminder that the land already holds medicine.

As part of Give an Hour for 🌍, a GreenRock initiative leading up to Earth Day this Wednesday, we hosted a guided herbal walk with Doreen Williams of Wild Herbs and Plants.

Through both a medicinal and traditional lens, we explored Bermuda’s living apothecary, from golden rod supporting urinary health and tissue repair,
to plantain as a vulnerary for skin healing and inflammation,
to Jamaican vervain regulating the nervous system,
to Spanish needle with antiviral properties,
to fennel aiding digestion,
and wild coastal greens offering mineral-rich nourishment.

Alongside this was the transmission of generational knowledge, much of it unwritten, yet deeply practiced and observed.

We reflected on the principle that what grows in each season often aligns with the body’s needs, something consistently recognized across traditional systems of medicine.

We tasted, touched, observed, and engaged directly with the plants.

And it made me reflect once again on how far we’ve moved away from what is naturally available to support our health and sustains us.

There is deep intelligence in these systems, not only as medicine, but as a foundation for food security and food sovereignty.

The ability to recognize, grow, and utilize what is locally available is not just about tradition, is about resilience, independence, and the future of how we nourish and sustain our communities.

Because this is not just knowledge.

It is survival. It is health. It is sovereignty.