Join Missy and Gradey as we dive into nerdtastic, critically important topics in the world of herbalism, plant foraging, and botany. When approached with curiosity, wonder, and a sense of exploration, these subjects are fun and awe-inspiring!

Understanding what family a plant belongs to is a fabulous shortcut to identifying that plant. Botanical families not only teach us relationships and classic characteristics among plants; they also clue us into the right questions to ask when we want to consider using an herb as medicine. On our field days, we’ll be paying attention to patterns and questions, zooming in on fruits and seeds after reviewing the basics of flower anatomy.

Asking the right questions is key in first aid, as well. We’ll get geeky with herbal emergency care, from wound healers to styptics, and learn some important scene survey skills for responding effectively to medical emergencies. Topical herbal preparations will be a big focus, and we’ll survey some of the best herbs for first aid kits. It’s the season for bruises, bee stings, burns, sore muscles, and sciatica, and we’ll tailor our focus plants to students’ interests.

This 4-week course is part of the Saturday Herbalism Mini-Series. Each intensive includes two full-day field trips led by Gradey Proctor and two online or in-person classroom days taught by Missy Rohs, for a combination of nature immersion, hands-on medicine-making, lecture, discussion, and sensory learning.

Students can choose to sign up for as many mini-series as they like, delving into different focus topics throughout the year. Each block of classes is deeply seasonal, centering us with a sense of place and a knowledge of our bodies through the cycles of the year. Go to the Saturday Herbalism Mini-Series page for registration, pricing, and more.