The smell in the air is distinctly autumnal.

Cedars are shedding their browning fronds, and the native squirrels are loudly claiming their Douglas fir harvest trees. Spiders are beginning to descend from the trees, their webs glistening in the lengthening sun rays.

The plants are all drawing their energy down into their roots, slipping into a more dormant phase as insects seek a safe shelter from the inevitable chill. The vibrant greens of summer are giving way to the spectrum of yellows and reds.

As the fall equinox approaches, the natural world begins a palpable shift toward slowing down and pulling back.

Since insects get sluggish in cooler temperatures, the wasps and bees are starting to fly low and a little less accurately lately. The wasps seem to be a little more irritable than in those carefree days of summer and therefore less tolerant of minor transgressions, such as accidentally pinching or squeezing them.

I actually got stung twice in the last month, for the first time in years.

In one instance I had immediate access to fresh plantain — a common broadleaf weed (Plantago major) that grows in hardpack dirt and has a long history of use for treating insect stings. After chewing to get the plant juices flowing, I applied the fresh bruised leaf to the sting and held it there for several minutes.

The plantain actually draws out the poison, thereby counteracting the swelling and irritation. Within minutes, you cannot tell there ever was a sting. I have used this remedy with great success on all ages from infants to seniors. Without fail, if the fresh plantain leaf was applied right away, the sting never swelled up, there was no fiery red or heat, and it never even itched.

The other time I got stung recently on my forearm, I did not have immediate access to fresh plantain leaf, and the reaction was a dramatic contrast.

Within minutes, an angry red spot appeared, which quickly began to grow. Within 10 miutes, there was a hot, red swollen patch about the size of a half dollar. Within 30 minutes my entire forearm had swollen and was quite irritated. Over the course of two days, that sting caused painful muscle aches in my forearm, and it remained swollen, hot, painful and itchy for a full 48 hours.

I advise people all the time to carry a fresh plantain leaf in their pocket when hiking; sometimes I forget to take my own good advice!

Foraging in the forest for seasonal natives is more of a challenge this time of year. Besides the occasional hazelnut that escaped the squirrels’, crows’ and jays’ eyes, we can look forward to the fall mushrooms: puffballs, chanterelles and oyster mushrooms.

There is also an abundance of seasonal fruits in the form of evergreen huckleberries, wild apples and mountain ash berries. Most people think the mountain ash berries are poisonous; however, they have a long history of medicinal use for treating diarrhea.

Soon the madrona trees will be filled with chattering thrushes as their red berries ripen into an edible fruit. Autumn is also the ideal time to collect any plant in which the roots are used for medicine, such as dock and Oregon grape, since all the energy of the plant is returning to the root. Doug fir sap is still stiff enough to collect for treating coughs and for use as an antiseptic salve for wounds.

If you’re one of those people who is melancholy about summer being over, it’s helpful to remember that in the depths of winter, this season will seem bountiful. Now is a good time to acknowledge our accomplishments from the summer and begin to slow our pace down.

— Erin Kenny is a teacher, writer and naturalist.