Folklore – Wineberry Woods

25Jun 2026 by catbird

What is the Green Corn Moon & a Coloring Page

Folklore, Free Printable, Full Moon, Green Corn Moon, Learning, Play

The August full moon is frequently called the Sturgeon Moon. This is because sturgeon were often caught in the late summer in the Great Lakes. I don’t live in the Great Lakes area however, and sadly I have never even seen this cool fish. Instead I prefer to call this moon the Green Corn Moon because it better reflects what’s happening around me in August. Fields of corn are everywhere, and I can’t seem to eat enough of it. This name mirrors traditional names used by several tribes: (Green) Corn Moon is used by the Algonquin and Ojibwe, Harvest Moon is used by the Dakota, and Ricing Moon is used by some Anishinaabeg. All of these names make reference to gathering maturing crops. Several tribes in the southeast have Green…

25Jun 2026 by catbird

What is the Thunderstorm Moon & a Coloring Page

Folklore, Full Moon, Learning, Play, Thunder Moon

Many people call July’s full moon the Buck Moon because that’s the name that the Farmers’ Almanac has chosen, but the names found among sources (both Native American and European) are all over the place. There is no tribal citation for buck moon and I have not found any traditional sources for it. It refers to buck's growing their antlers in which is maybe a thing you notice this time of year, but I can't say I ever have, Of course, there are all kinds of different things happening in nature depending on where you live. Still, if a theme can be found among many July moon names, it’s probably berries, not bucks: Berry Moon from the Anishinaabe, Moon When the Chokecherries Are Ripe Moon from the Lakota and Arapaho, Red Berries…

14Apr 2026 by catbird

What is the Strawberry Moon & a Coloring Page

Folklore, Free Printable, Full Moon, Learning, Play, Strawberry Moon, Summer

In many places June is the transition into summer. In much of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, it’s high strawberry season, and this traditional name is shared among the Dakota, Chippewa, and Ojibwe peoples. Similarly, the Haida call this the Berries Ripen Moon, the Lakota refer to the When Berries Are Good Moon, and the Mohawk have Ripening Time Moon. For many, this is the start of summer abundance. Eating or baking with strawberries is the perfect way to observe this moon! If this time of year is not full of ripening strawberries where you live, what else do you notice happening in nature? You can use my phenology tracker printable to record your nature observations and select a full name that makes sense for your area. Full moon names are…

29Jan 2026 by catbird

What is the Pink Moon & a Coloring Page

Folklore, Full Moon, Pink Moon, Play, Scavenger Hunt, Spring

Many modern moon name lists suggest that the Pink Moon is named for the emergence of phlox subulata, or moss phlox, which is a native North American wildflower with pink flowers that blooms in April. However, I cannot track down a single actual source beyond the Farmer’s Almanac for this claim. (And the Farmer's Almanac does not expand on where this info came from which is unusual.) I do find that pink is everywhere this time of year—most welcome after a gray winter—so I've decided to roll with it. Moss phlox does, after all, bloom in April along with a host of other pink flowers like cherry blossom and spring beauty. That said, I wouldn't feel at all obligated to stick with this name because the phlox claim is weak at best. The Cherokee…

29Jan 2026 by catbird

What is the Worm Moon & a Coloring Page

Folklore, Full Moon, Learning, Play, Worm Moon

Jonathan Carver yet again is credited as the source of the name "Worm Moon", claiming it was a Dakota name. However, every Dakota resource I have found calls this full moon the Sore Eyes Moon, which refers to the glare of the sun off snow. (“Sore Eyes Moon” is how this moon’s name translates from the Lakota and Assiniboine dialects as well.) Allegedly, in the late 1700s, Jonathan Carver wrote that the worms actually refer to larvae that are emerging from winter hideouts around this time. Where I live in the Mid Atlantic, snow is receding in March, and spring is just starting to peek through. I often think of March as the muddy month. Worms make their first trip to the surface as the ground unfreezes and leave their little…

29Jan 2026 by catbird

What is the Snow Moon & a Coloring Page

Craft Project, Folklore, Free Printable, Full Moon, Learning, Snow Moon, Winter

February is the snowiest month where I live, and according to the National Weather Service it’s the snowiest month nationwide. According to the Farmer’s Almanac’s list, this month’s full moon is called the Snow Moon based on the report of Captain Jonathan Carver, a colonial expedition leader who claimed the Lakota people called it that. The translation of the Lakota name that I have found is substantially more poetic: When Trees Crack Because of Cold Moon. Similarly, the Abenaki people observe the Makes Branches Fall in Pieces Moon. The Arapaho call this the Frost Sparkling in the Sun Moon, and the Comanche call it the Sleet Moon. I have continued to call it the snow moon because it's concise and easier to fit on graphics, but in my head I think…

27Jan 2026 by catbird

Simmer Pot Cake

Folklore, Midwinter, Recipes, Winter

The doldrums of winter can start to feel overwhelming. It’s dark, it’s cold, I am completely tired of chipping ice out of the chicken’s water every morning. It’s time for a pick-me-up. Midwinter is a time for rest and rebirth. Storing up energy in preparation for spring. It’s no secret that I love a simmer pot in the winter, and I have written extensively on their benefits, but this recipe takes it a step further and essentially makes a simmer pot that you can eat! The first step is to slow cook oranges and spices, just like you would with a simmer pot. It will warm the air, lift your mood, and make your house smell like oranges and spice. I like the idea of setting intentions and then consuming them,…

26Mar 2025 by catbird

“Clear and Bright”

Craft Project, Folklore, Foraging, Learning, Picture Book Buds, Spring

Picture Book Buds are a fun and easy way to incorporate literacy into nature study. Read a book (you can even read it outside!) and then enjoy the related activity and snack suggestions! Clear and Bright: A Ching Ming Festival Story Written by: Teresa Robeson Illustrated by: William Low Clear and Bright: A Ching Ming Festival Story is a lovely, lyrical story about a family celebrating the Ching Ming Festival. This is a spring festival right around the same time as spring equinox that has been on my radar for some time, but that I didn't previously know very much about. When I came across this picture book I jumped at the chance to learn more. If you have read much of my work than you may have noticed that…

20Mar 2025 by catbird

“When We Gather (Ostadahlisiha): A Cherokee Tribal Feast”

Folklore, Foraging, Hike Ideas, Learning, Picture Book Hikes, Spring, Spring Equinox

Picture Book Hikes are a fun and easy way to bring learning outside. Read a book (you can even read it outside!) and then enjoy the related hike, activity and snack suggestions! When We Gather (Ostadahlisiha): A Cherokee Tribal Feast Written by: Andrea L. Rogers, Illustrated by: Madelyn Goodnight When We Gather (Ostadahlisiha): A Cherokee Tribal Feast is about a familiy foraging in the early spring for wild onions and then joining a feast at their local community center. I was excited to come across it because I am always looking for seasonal celebrations from different cultures and this is one I had not come across before. I also love wild onions in the spring, they are one of the first (if not the very first) edible plants to start growing, months…

12Mar 2025 by catbird

What is Spring Equinox?

Folklore, Learning, Spring, Spring Equinox

The Spring or Vernal Equinox is the midpoint between the Summer and Winter Solstices. Day and night are of equal length in nearly all parts of the world. The word equinox comes from the Latin words for “equal night”—aequus (equal) and nox (night). On the Spring Equinox the Earth’s tilt is at zero relative to the sun, meaning it is not tilting towards or away from the light, it is in balance. The Equinox is the astronomical first day of spring, traditionally starting the spring season. Sunlight increases, dawn is earlier, sunset is later and the earth begins again. This time of year has long been associated with spring and rebirth in cultures across the world. It was an important marker in the agricultural cycle, time to begin planting and…

Category: Folklore