There are many species of Tobacco (Nicotiana species) all of which are native to the Americas. Tobacco has been cultivated in the Americas for several thousand years for its medicinal, ceremonial & social benefits. Unlike other plants in the garden, Tobacco is an annual & needs to be seeded every year. The species we grew [...]
Eastern pasqueflower (Pulsatilla patens), a species of native flower found in Fish Creek Provincial Park. Native species such as Eastern pasqueflower, Northern bedstraw and silky lupin are often pollinated by native bee species. Last week we talked about Richardson’s ground squirrels, a species of vertebrate that plays an important role in prairie ecosystems. [...]
The St Mary’s University medicine garden, named Itsemseemo, a Blackfoot word meaning “Where we plant” by Elder Casey Eagle Speaker in fall 2021, was built by a group of former Biology students as their senior project. The idea was to grow native prairie & woodland plants from southern Alberta, particularly those which have [...]
Our Student Capstone Conferences are a distinctive annual tradition at St. Mary’s, where all of the four-year arts and sciences degree programs hold conferences in which their graduating students deliver presentations on the research they’ve conducted in their senior seminar courses. Our graduating biology students worked both separately and in teams on senior projects [...]
St. Mary’s BIO-317 students get hands on experience at Deep Bay Marine Field Station as part of field study trip Taking educational lessons out of the classroom and into the field with experiential learning is a cornerstone of the St. Mary’s University Biology Program. This year students in [...]
The Gardening Club The Garden Club was created to help us with the maintenance of the medicine garden while creating an inheritance plan of responsibility for yeas to come and to provide an opportunity for interested community members to learn about native plant species and how they can be used. Currently, we are [...]
Bee balm or Monarda fistulosa, is a perennial herb. This herb contains an antiseptic that is commonly found in mouth washes. It was used by the Blackfoot to help treat infections on both the skin as well as in the mouth and throat (was used as tea). Bee Balm is part of the [...]
One of the concerns we received about our garden is that our perennial plants are dying, and we want to clarify that they are not. Despite the hail in August and frost this last week, most of our plants have developed well. We observed new foliage in our dogwood, stinging nettle and Tobacco [...]
Sweet grass is an aromatic herb. Scientifically it is known as Hierochloe odorata, but more commonly it is known as vanilla grass for its distinctly sweet smell. The most common use of sweet grass is by the indigenous people of Canada and the United States. It is used for basket making, its aroma, and [...]
On Monday, the medicine garden team and Dr. McLean reunited to tidy up the garden. They worked together to remove weeds, add soil to level the ground and add mulch to the hedge. They hope they can finish adding mulch this coming Friday. Everyone who has time on Friday, September 17th, from 8:30 am [...]
This month, we’ve highlighted different resources available to support our #StMU students on their mental health journey.
We’re continuing to develop new programs that offer additional support, & a comprehensive list of current resources for students: https://bit.ly/3kr5pTM
Interested in one of our programs?
Click here to chat with us!
