May we all live and share in abundance

Born and raised in North Carolina, Kim Calhoun joyfully shares
the time-honored healing practices of wild food, plant medicine, yoga, and somatic energywork with her community. Enjoy the latest news on Kim’s Ancestor/Plantcestor Pilgrimage this autumn!

AbunDance Healing Arts enacts a vision of our world where everyone has abundant opportunities for vibrant health and a loving connection to themselves, others, and our living Earth. May we remember that scarcity, separation, and supremacy are myths as we recreate relationships and systems sourced in deep care for ourselves and each other.

Follow Planty Kim’s wild adventures on Instagram

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seeing “hummingbirds” in the edible redbud flo

seeing “hummingbirds” in the edible redbud flowers with sweet folks sunday for my #springequinox #plantwalk. we all had magnifying lenses to observe the intricate wonders of petals, pollen, and hairs as we rambled. 🌺⁣
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also enjoyed #wildspring balls with dipping sauce (see stories), pine needle tea, chickweed tincture that tastes like maple syrup, of course weedy pesto, and many more #goodiments 😍⁣
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may this potent time of shifting seasons and new moon offer you delightful beauty, fresh connections, and deep nourishment. 🌱⁣
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check out my video from last march for more inspiration on redbud’s edible flowers and pods. 💚⁣
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and thanks to nancy ross hugo who first taught me to find the redbud flower hummingbird in one of my favorite books “seeing trees” and to jen for capturing the close-up during our walk 💕⁣
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#wildfood #foragingfun #treefoodandmedicine #eattheweeds #eatwildgreenseveryday #enoughforusall

celebrating my beloved momma karen’s 73rd birthd

celebrating my beloved momma karen’s 73rd birthday with these wild spring balls full of fresh edible flowers and “weedy” greens from the #yarden.🌺⁣
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mom had an eye for seeing and creating beauty and connection (among many other gifts too numerous to list here). thanks sweet momma karen and momma earth for everything. 💚⁣
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hope ya’ll are feeling beautiful and nourished as we transition into spring. and that you’re able to safely identify and enjoy some of the abundant #goodiments growing all around like #redbuds, #dandelions, #violets, and #chickweed. 🌱⁣
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i’m grateful to ya’ll that my equinox walk is full this weekend. subscribe to my newsletter to be the first to hear when registration opens for upcoming rambles (link via IG bio). 🌼⁣
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second picture: momma in my greatgrandma's backyard in wanchese #obx circa the 80s. no wild spring balls on those plates but def some good local seafood. 🍤⁣
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#edibleflowers #wildfood #foraging #eattheweeds #eatwildgreenseveryday #treefoodandmedicine #springequinox #enoughforusall #rememberingmommas

hey sweethearts, my spring equinox wild walk fille

hey sweethearts, my spring equinox wild walk filled up in just one day! oh my goodness, thank you! 💚⁣
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would you love to join me on an upcoming plant ramble? be sure you’re registered for my newsletters where i first announce new dates: subscribe via my website (linked in bio). 🌱⁣
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hope ya’ll are able to spend some wondrous moments with early spring unfurling. wanna guess these woody friends emerging? what signs of the season are warming your heart? 🌺⁣
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#cuspofspring #plantwalks #plantfriends #treefoodandmedicine #goodiments #kinship #foraging #enoughforusall

a valentine’s love note. i accidentally uncovere

a valentine’s love note. i accidentally uncovered this eastern red bat hibernating in insulative leaf litter. 🦇⁣
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while the timing was auspicious (full moon + halfway between winter solstice and spring equinox) it was actually the third time i’ve discovered a sleepy bat in the woods’ understory recently. initially i was concerned to find a bat on the ground versus up in the tree canopy which is their usual warm weather roost. now i better understand their winter habits and habitat. 🍂⁣
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they are so well camouflaged amongst the leaves, you many wonder how I even saw them. i actually heard them first: they squeak! their audible alerts implored me to take care with my size 11 feet moving through the forest. 🥾
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now, if i am surprised by an insistent ground level squeak, i know who to look around for (sometimes they are still curled up) and pray i haven’t harmed them—thankfully so far all three bats were OK after our encounter. ✨⁣
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i whispered to this cutie that they were safe, i was sorry to disturb their rest, and i was going to gently move them a little bit deeper into the woods where no humans were walking about. 💤⁣
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i gazed in wonder at their tiny feet, magical wings mapped with constellations, furry tail flap which they tuck around their small bodies when all rolled up, and oh my goodness this sweet face. not long after re-location (with gloves), they re-cozied themselves away in the leaves…⁣
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…and then, just a few days later when the weather warmed, they emerged to acroBAT around the sky at dusk; swooping and soaring for insects and i imagine, joy. this time i called out a loud hello. 👋🏼⁣
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as a human who loves hanging out in trees, resting on the earth, and has explored paragliding/hangliding/parasailing/skydiving, these flying mammal friends are deeply inspiring. i’m delighted to be learning more about/from them. 💗⁣
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please tell me if you’ve ever spied #easternredbats hibernating! so far, none of my friends have (except in attics). there will be more freezing temps ya’ll: keep a listen/look out for our bat fam. may we all be cherished, safe, and free to rest and soar. 🥰
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#ilovebats #lasiurusborealis #protectourforests #otherthanhumankin

hey hon, here i am embracing old friends of reenad

hey hon, here i am embracing old friends of reenadinna wood, ireland.🌲learn a little more about my recent ancestor pilgrimage in my january newsletter (linked to my bio) where you’ll also find an invitation for my popular winter tree love/ID/food/medicine walk (a few spaces left). gentle new year blessings, planty kim 💚

🍁Giving thanks for the life, love, and teaching

🍁Giving thanks for the life, love, and teachings of my dear granddaddy D.A. who joined the ancestors 15 years ago today. ⁣
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🌲Grandaddy could cut a rug, deliver a sermon, catch and fry some fish, and split firewood into his eighties. Growing up walking the woods with him and Grandma Margie, I learned to recognize our tree friends and so much more.⁣
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🌟He was a wise, funny, generous, and humble human with a commitment to building healthy equitable community here in Chatham and beyond.⁣
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🔥Sending cusp of Solstice blessings to all you wondrous beings. May the ever-present embrace of the Earth be a balm for folks missing loved ones this time of year. Frosted leaf ID guesses welcome, as well as D.A. Calhoun memories ❤️

as a kiddo, i was always impressed that my dear da

as a kiddo, i was always impressed that my dear dad could crack pecans with his bare hands by simply squeezing them together, their thin shells yielding to reveal such a delicious treat. delights me i can perform this skill now, though only two at a time (swipe 😄) ⁣
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pecans are our easiest nut to process and i’m still finding vibrant ones on the ground and waiting to drop. they aren’t actually native to our area though enough have been planted we can find good harvests. 🌿⁣
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the bigger ones in this photo consistently come from the same tree (and the smaller ones from the same tree). grateful to collect from them every year. 💚⁣
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while my november wild ramble is full, i’m planning to offer my popular #wintersolstice #treewalk again. be sure to sign up for my newsletter to be alerted when registration opens. 🌲⁣
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#enoughforusall #pecansarehickories #treefood #caryaillinoinensis #foraging #blessedfullmoon #pleasevotetomorrow

Rocking Grandma Margie's #VOTE shirt at the new Ag

Rocking Grandma Margie's #VOTE shirt at the new Ag Center in #Chathamcounty. Early voting through this Saturday ya’ll and election day on Tuesday. A lot on the line for folks, locally and statewide. Thanks for showing up in this way (along with all the other ways). Info on sites and hours at www.ncsbe.gov. Love, Planty Kim ❤️

Been talking to my european ancestors a lot lately

Been talking to my european ancestors a lot lately. Those I know by name (and place and time), and those I don’t, which is the majority. Asking them questions. Saying prayers. Singing songs. Making offerings. Listening.🍁⁣
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Wednesday I met this oak beauty growing in the town where my great great great grandfather Johannes Merz was born in 1829–he immigrated from Muhlacker, Germany to East St. Louis when he was 19 years old (after fighting in a failed revolution to overthrow the monarchy, I’m told). 🍂⁣
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A small portion of my ever expanding traveling altar. Photos of my sweet mama Karen —> her dad John posing with his mom Margaret —> her parents, Anna Gunning (family from Ireland) and August Merz (Johannes’s son) + acorn from pictured oak tree, heart rock collected from the path to Uragh Stone Circle in Eire*, necklace vial of my loved ones’ ashes. 🌳⁣
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The gorgeous mallow flower and fuzzy hazel leaf grace the River Enz in the background, plants and waters that my family in Muhlacker knew/know. 🌺

I did not meet any human relatives this trip though I was supported generously by so many kind folks and surrounded by plant kin-ections as always. Blessed to eat #wildfood every day, especially blackberries, hawthorne berries, nettle and so many more!** 🌱⁣
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These photos are from just one day of my very potent 50th birthday ancestor & plantcestor*** pilgrimage over the last 7 weeks. 💫

Honoring the land in Ireland, Wales, England, Scotland, and now Germany where I spent today, my last day of the journey, walking the route to Hildegard’s abbey while pausing to read, resonate, and cry with the essay by @adriennemareebrown on our responsibility to our ancestors just published in @yesmagazine_ (highly recommended). ✨⁣
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Thanks for your love as I arrive back home and continue to digest the layers of learnings. So many layers and stories y’all! May there be healing in all directions. 💚⁣
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Maybe see you on the bridge over the beloved Haw River on Halloween? 🎃

such a sweet morning with these fabulous folks cel

such a sweet morning with these fabulous folks celebrating late summer abundance with #pawpaw popsicles (swipe), wild fruit leather from native #chickasawplums, and more #goodiments! 🌿⁣⁣
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so grateful these wild plant rambles keep filling up (including the next one in autumn)! be sure to sign up for my newsletters to hear when new #plantwalks are announced. 💚⁣⁣
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don’t have an ice cream maker? i blended my pawpaw pulp with some coconut milk, spooned into ice cube tray, and clipped woody lemon balm stalks for compostable handles. divine! 🍦 ⁣⁣
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#asiminatriloba #prunusangustifolia #indigenousfruit #plantnativefruittrees #eatwildeveryday #foragingfun #givingthanks #enoughforusall

some comfort, steadiness, and joy for me in these

some comfort, steadiness, and joy for me in these times: walking around the #yarden and seeing friends, food, and medicine everywhere 🌿⁣
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these 13 wild edible greens i gathered with gratitude are destined for various creations: gazpacho, kimchi, salad, frittata, and a new recipe i want to try for purslane pickles generously shared by @linda.black.elk 💚 ⁣
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clockwise spiral from top left: sochan, lambsquarter, passionflower, dandelion, day flower and lady’s thumb, bidens, violet, wild lettuce, chives, purslane, perilla, oxalis. ya’ll be certain of your ID 🌱⁣
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who is interested in a wild ramble first weekend in september? i’m considering squeezing in one more #plantwalk before my big autumn journey 💚⁣
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#foraging reminds me there is enough for us all to have our deepest needs met when we share equitably. sending love to everybody 💕⁣
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#wildfoodlove #eatwildgreenseveryday #eattheweeds #goodiments #givingthanks

Curious about creating tasty wild sodas? Looking g

Curious about creating tasty wild sodas? Looking good for sampling these beauties at my #SummerSolstice #PlantRamble June 25th! 💚⁣
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We’ll spend the morning celebrating abundance, meeting flora friends, learning sustainable #foraging skills, and tasting wild treats. 🌺⁣
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This will be my last public walk till late autumn and space is limited so invite a friend and register soon, dear ones! 💕⁣
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Tending these wild sodas is comforting—and harvesting the elderflowers helped settle my agitated mind, nervous system, and spirit. 🌿⁣
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Wanna guess the #goodiments? Big jar: #elderflowers, #lemonbalm, #blackberries. Quart jar: elderflowers, #blueberries, #holybasil. And love and magic of course! 🤩⁣
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#sippingsummersweetness #wildsoda #wildferment #wildbeverages #enoughforusall #wildfruit #wildflowers #treefoodandmedicine #givingthanks

yesterday’s lovely wild spring ramble! we enjoye

yesterday’s lovely wild spring ramble! we enjoyed #foraging for salad together with #violets, #chickweed, #wildlettuce, tender #mulberry leaves, #dandelion, common #mallow, #oxalis and more. kelly’s brightly colored outfit complemented the wild flowers sprinkled on top (third slide). 💖⁣
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enjoy our plant “quiz” while remembering the need to be 100% certain of identification when harvesting, including knowing which part is edible and/or medicinal, when they are harvested, and how to safely prepare. 🌱⁣
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look over more sustainable foraging guidelines and other resources on my website. and best of all: get out to learn in person with knowledgable folks—my next walk will be announced soon via newsletter. 🌿⁣
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other #goodiments we sampled: divine #hickorynut milk, uplifting #mockorange blossom cold infusion, super tasty wild spring greens infused vinegar, and the homemade dressing for our salad (with #wildgarlic, #beebalm, #southernchervil, #cleavers). 💚⁣
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#enoughforusall #wildfood #plantmedicine #blessedbeltane #midspring #mayday #internationalworkersday #givingthanks

oh my goodness, exactly one month till my 50th bir

oh my goodness, exactly one month till my 50th birthday! enjoying these fresh highlights inspired by beloved pokeweed’s brilliant fall stalk and berry colors 💗 #plantykim #becomingaplant #phytolaccaamericana #bigassbirthday #50 #givingthanks #sendinglove

dear ones, i have a BIG birthday coming up! 🎉 c

sharing redbud love with tips for flower foraging,

sharing redbud love with tips for flower foraging, recipe ideas (like yummy spring wildflower marmalade), and how to see the hummingbird in each bloom 💕⁣⁣
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deeply appreciating this small native tree whose edible red/
pink buds beautifully announce the return of spring, followed by their tender edible pods and heart-shaped leaves. steward a yarden? plant a redbud! 🌳⁣⁣
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want to learn more about safe and sustainable foraging in person? join me for a Wild Spring Ramble April 30th (NEW DATE)! we’ll focus on the abundant wild greens and blossoms of the season. register via link in my IG bio. thanks for sharing! 💚⁣⁣
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#easternredbud #cerciscanadensis #edibleflowers #wildfood #treefriends #treefood #springflowers #goodiments #protectourwoods #plantnativetrees #plantredbuds #pollinatorfriend #plantwalk #foraging #playwelltogether #needtorepaintmynails

Wild blessings ya’ll 💚 Join me April 16th for

Wild blessings ya’ll 💚 Join me April 16th for a plant walk celebrating edible spring greens and wildflowers like these beautiful violets and redbuds. 🌱 Space limited, sliding scale, scholarships available. Find registration on my website AbundanceHealingArts. 🌱⁣
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And enjoy my article “Finding Native Edible Greens in Your Yarden” in the @ncbotanicalgarden magazine, pages 14-16. 🌿⁣
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May everyone have access to deeply nourishing food. 💚 #wildfoodlove #eatyouryarden #eattheweeds #treefood #sendinglove #givingthanks #enoughforusall

agile anglepod, infused with fullmoon cusp-of-spri

agile anglepod, infused with fullmoon cusp-of-spring prayers, sent swiftly along the swollen haw river 💚⁣
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#givingthanks #askingforguidance #wildworld #rituals #equinox #fullmoon #easternanglepod #gonolobus #milkweedfam

Last week was the 29th anniversary of my beloved m

Last week was the 29th anniversary of my beloved momma Karen abruptly becoming an ancestor. ❤️⁣
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Swirled in with the sadness of missing her, I also experienced the wonder of meeting this miraculous creature who was hibernating in the leaf litter, as well as the delight of sipping my first fresh tree sap of the season. 💚⁣
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May all our kin (including more-than-human family) find refuge and nourishment. 💕⁣
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#easternredbat #blackwalnutsyrup #treefoodandmedicine #enoughforusall #refuge #collectivecare #nomoreempires

my heart's warmed by the glowing testimonial (belo

my heart's warmed by the glowing testimonial (below with permission) from a sweet participant in my winter solstice tree walk (pictured here). and now it’s already mid-winter! new plant walk announcements soon via newsletter, dear ones. wishing ya’ll coziness, curiosity, and collective care. 💚🌲🌱⁣
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Hey Kim! I am incredibly grateful for the time we all got to spend together. Your energy is radiant and nourishing. The education you shared was something that I have been yearning for but what I appreciated most went beyond plant ID. I greatly valued your recognition and respect for your own ancestors as well as those Indigenous to the land around us. ⁣
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Everything was so so amazing, from your respectful handout, the persimmon soda (bubbly magic), the twig ID, the side by side tree comparisons (Rock Chestnut Oak vs. Tulip Poplar), the observation of young and older species (Sweetgums and Sourwoods), and, of course the supremely delicious Forest Persimmon Cookies.⁣
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I cannot wait to dive into all of it, and begin experimenting with my own nut milks, flours, syrups, medicine, and more! I know your classes fill up fast, and truthfully I don't want to hog space because everyone should get to experience your walks, but I do hope to attend another in the future. Take care, Maggie

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