**REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED**
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Image by Lacey Walker
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Wild Ginger Herbal Center is excited to offer our online Community Herbal Program, a community based herbal program - we're dedicated to putting herbal medicine in the hands of the people! This program offers our community a chance to explore folk herbalism from various traditions, and to understand natures ability to support our health, strength, and vitality. The series is an in depth introduction and includes herbal fundamentals, North American and Mid-Atlantic medicinal plants (and others), practical and therapeutic applications of herbs, herbal preparations and medicine making, harvesting and wild crafting plants, herbal gardening, herbal energetics and more. A strong sense of social, racial, healthy, economic and environmental justice is integral to our program. Our focus at Wild Ginger Herbal Center is to provide an inclusive learning environment that celebrates the voices and contributions of people of color, indigenous, LGBTQIA, women and more. All are welcome in our program with an open heart and dedication to a safe and respectful collective space. You will receive instruction from the abundance of local, expert knowledge.
During our Community Herbal Program, we build cooperatively to keep the knowledge of our food, herbal medicine, seeds, and our healing traditions alive and vital within our communities. Our belief is that plant medicine is the people's medicine, everyone of us comes from a lineage of plant people, and this knowledge is our birthright. We are a community rooted educational center, our goal is to keep our classes affordable & accessible while honoring the time, energy, and knowledge our instructors come to share. We celebrate the richness and diversity of folk herbalism while providing practical knowledge that can support each of us, our families and communities. We honor the incredible knowledge present within our communities and our teachers are all local herbalists and plant people in the communities we work, the knowledge is right here! By attending this program you are supporting and are part of this cosmovision, creating alternatives to the dominant paradigm, and you are helping us to provide employment to local herbalists and to keeping our dynamic educational center & teaching gardens running. We thank you for your interest and support, and we look forward to building with you!
Attend Live or Take at Your Own Pace
Our schedule is intensive, we are together for long days and we ask that by enrolling students to commit to fully participating in the program - that said you can take it at your own pace. We offer two options, you can attend all classes live and have an interactive experience with the instructor and other students, or you can view the recordings whenever you would like in your own timing. A few classes will may be pre-recorded . Recordings will be available for stream for one year after the course start date.
Class Session Topics:
- Herbal Healing Traditions
- Phytochemistry
- Social, Environmental and Economic Justice in Herbalism and Healthcare
- Medicinal Plants and Plant Walks
- Herbal Gardening
- Flower Essences
- Doctrine of Signatures
- Herbal Actions, Tastes, & Energetics
- Botany & Herbal Plant ID
- Herbal Medicine Making
- Grassroots Herbalism and Social Change
- Intro to the Herbal Apothecary
- Introduction to Ayurveda
- Virtual Field Walks to Local Gardens
- Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Fermentation
- And More!
The Community Herbal Program Is:
~ For folks with an interest in herbal and nutritional wellness and self care.
~ Focused on empowering participants with basic knowledge and information on holistic health and self care.
~ Taught by skilled herbalists in areas of holistic health, herbs, nutrition, energy healing and more.
~ Is designed to give you practical skills as well as basic theoretical background on how to incorporate holistic wellness into your life, how to incorporate herbs into your diet and how to make basic herbal remedies.
Program Dates:
*live classes are held Eastern Standard Time*
Introduction to Folk Herbalism, Herbal Actions, Tastes, Energetics
with Molly Meehan
October 17, 2020 from 12-5 pm LIVE
Tea - Holy Basil
Cycle Breaking: Our Roles in Ending Generational Harm & Carrying Forward Ancestral Healing with Plant & Nature Resources
with Richael Faithful
October 18, 2020 from 12-4 pm LIVE
Building Relationships w/ Our Plant Allies:
Doctrine of Signatures, Plant Journeys, Ethical Wildcrafting & Plant Conservation
w/ Molly Meehan
October 24, 2020 12-4 pm LIVE
Tea - Dandelion Root
Herbalism - A Peoples History of Herbal Medicine & Ancestral Herbalism
with Ayo Ngozi Drayton
November 14, 2020 from 12-4 pm LIVE
Herbal Medicine Making & Herb Gardening, Tinctures, Teas, Oils, Salves , Seed Saving & Root Digging
with Molly Meehan
November 15, 2020 from 12-4 pm EST LIVE
Tea - Peppermint
Healing the Spirit: Plant Medicine and the Subtle Body
with Ellenie Cruz
December 5, 2020 from 12-4 pm EST LIVE
Intro to Ayurveda
with Karen Culpepper
December 6, 2020 from 12-4 pm LIVE
Kitchen and Home Medicine
with Ayo Ngozi Drayton
January 9, 2021 from 12-4 pm LIVE
Grassroots Herbalism & Social Change plus Creating Herbal Formulations & Dosages
with Molly Meehan
January 10, 2021 from 12-4 pm LIVE
*Cinnamon*
Pleasure Medicine for Health and Resistance
with Ayo Ngozi Drayton
February 20, 2021 from 12-4 pm LIVE
Intro to Chinese Herbal Medicine
with Geoff Edwards
February 21, 2021 from 12-4 pm LIVE
Dreaming Up the Communities we Desire to Be In Service To
Professional Apothecary Tour (Online!), Apothecary Practices & Herbal Formulations
with Karen Culpepper
March 13, 2021 from 12-4 pm LIVE
Serving LGBTQIA Community in Herbalism
with Holly Poole Kavana
March 14, 2021 12-3 LIVE
Herbs for Digestive Support & Fermentation
with Suzanna Stone
March 14, 2021 3-7 LIVE
Intro to Phytochemistry
with Olivia Fite
March 27, 2021 from 12-4 pm LIVE
Botany & Wild Plant ID
with Holly Poole-Kavana
Basic botany, plant identification, and plant walks, recommend you have a copy of Newcombs Wildflower Guide to this class
April 10, 2021 from 12-4 pm
Organic Herbal Growing, Harvesting Processing and Drying
with Lacey Walker
April 11, 2021 from 12-4 pm
Herbal Plant Walk
with Geoff Edwards and Yuma Bellomee - Pre - Taped then Live Q & A
Herbs & Metaphysics
with Yuma Bellomee from 12:00 - 2:30pm LIVE
May 1, 2021 times listed above
Student Herbal Medicine Showcase, Student Presentations & Closing Celebration
May 2, 2021 from 12-6pm LIVE
Tea - Nettles
COURSE MATERIALS
Teas Needed for Tea Tastings:
Holy Basil 10/17
Dandelion Root 10/24
Peppermint 11/15
Marshmallow Root 3/14
Nettles 5/2
**Please be sure to have at least 2 tablespoons of each dried loose tea OR two teabags of each of each**
Items to Have on Hand:
Mug
Sieve or Strainer
Book for Botany Class
Newcomb's Wildflower Guide
Tea for Organic Herbal Growing, Harvesting, Processing and Drying with Lacey Walker 4/11:
Chamomile: ideally from two sources (two tea brands or a home-grown and a store brought).
Student Medicine Show
One the final day of class we will come together and each student will share between 3-5 herbal medicines they have created during their journey of this class OR they can share a 10 minute presentation of their choosing inspired in some way by their experience during our time together. This is often one of the most fun days of our entire time together, folks get very creative and its a beautiful way to collectively create together!
*live classes are held Eastern Standard Time*
Introduction to Folk Herbalism, Herbal Actions, Tastes, Energetics
with Molly Meehan
October 17, 2020 from 12-5 pm LIVE
Tea - Holy Basil
Cycle Breaking: Our Roles in Ending Generational Harm & Carrying Forward Ancestral Healing with Plant & Nature Resources
with Richael Faithful
October 18, 2020 from 12-4 pm LIVE
Building Relationships w/ Our Plant Allies:
Doctrine of Signatures, Plant Journeys, Ethical Wildcrafting & Plant Conservation
w/ Molly Meehan
October 24, 2020 12-4 pm LIVE
Tea - Dandelion Root
Herbalism - A Peoples History of Herbal Medicine & Ancestral Herbalism
with Ayo Ngozi Drayton
November 14, 2020 from 12-4 pm LIVE
Herbal Medicine Making & Herb Gardening, Tinctures, Teas, Oils, Salves , Seed Saving & Root Digging
with Molly Meehan
November 15, 2020 from 12-4 pm EST LIVE
Tea - Peppermint
Healing the Spirit: Plant Medicine and the Subtle Body
with Ellenie Cruz
December 5, 2020 from 12-4 pm EST LIVE
Intro to Ayurveda
with Karen Culpepper
December 6, 2020 from 12-4 pm LIVE
Kitchen and Home Medicine
with Ayo Ngozi Drayton
January 9, 2021 from 12-4 pm LIVE
Grassroots Herbalism & Social Change plus Creating Herbal Formulations & Dosages
with Molly Meehan
January 10, 2021 from 12-4 pm LIVE
*Cinnamon*
Pleasure Medicine for Health and Resistance
with Ayo Ngozi Drayton
February 20, 2021 from 12-4 pm LIVE
Intro to Chinese Herbal Medicine
with Geoff Edwards
February 21, 2021 from 12-4 pm LIVE
Dreaming Up the Communities we Desire to Be In Service To
Professional Apothecary Tour (Online!), Apothecary Practices & Herbal Formulations
with Karen Culpepper
March 13, 2021 from 12-4 pm LIVE
Serving LGBTQIA Community in Herbalism
with Holly Poole Kavana
March 14, 2021 12-3 LIVE
Herbs for Digestive Support & Fermentation
with Suzanna Stone
March 14, 2021 3-7 LIVE
Intro to Phytochemistry
with Olivia Fite
March 27, 2021 from 12-4 pm LIVE
Botany & Wild Plant ID
with Holly Poole-Kavana
Basic botany, plant identification, and plant walks, recommend you have a copy of Newcombs Wildflower Guide to this class
April 10, 2021 from 12-4 pm
Organic Herbal Growing, Harvesting Processing and Drying
with Lacey Walker
April 11, 2021 from 12-4 pm
Herbal Plant Walk
with Geoff Edwards and Yuma Bellomee - Pre - Taped then Live Q & A
Herbs & Metaphysics
with Yuma Bellomee from 12:00 - 2:30pm LIVE
May 1, 2021 times listed above
Student Herbal Medicine Showcase, Student Presentations & Closing Celebration
May 2, 2021 from 12-6pm LIVE
Tea - Nettles
COURSE MATERIALS
Teas Needed for Tea Tastings:
Holy Basil 10/17
Dandelion Root 10/24
Peppermint 11/15
Marshmallow Root 3/14
Nettles 5/2
**Please be sure to have at least 2 tablespoons of each dried loose tea OR two teabags of each of each**
Items to Have on Hand:
Mug
Sieve or Strainer
Book for Botany Class
Newcomb's Wildflower Guide
Tea for Organic Herbal Growing, Harvesting, Processing and Drying with Lacey Walker 4/11:
Chamomile: ideally from two sources (two tea brands or a home-grown and a store brought).
Student Medicine Show
One the final day of class we will come together and each student will share between 3-5 herbal medicines they have created during their journey of this class OR they can share a 10 minute presentation of their choosing inspired in some way by their experience during our time together. This is often one of the most fun days of our entire time together, folks get very creative and its a beautiful way to collectively create together!
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Richael Faithful
Richael Faithful (they/them/theirs) is a multi-disciplinary folk healing artist and healing justice practitioner rooted in the African diasporic tradition of conjure. They were born in Washington DC and raised in Virginia, with a strong affinity to their southern family line in Georgia, Alabama and Texas.
Their work has been featured in national publications, including in Colorlines, The Root, Everyday Feminism, HuffPost, among others. They also publish their own words in several books and law review articles.
Faithful is former Shaman-in-Residence at Freed Bodyworks. Before formal shamanic initiation, Richael was a healing-oriented community organizer and peoples’ lawyer.
Richael Faithful (they/them/theirs) is a multi-disciplinary folk healing artist and healing justice practitioner rooted in the African diasporic tradition of conjure. They were born in Washington DC and raised in Virginia, with a strong affinity to their southern family line in Georgia, Alabama and Texas.
Their work has been featured in national publications, including in Colorlines, The Root, Everyday Feminism, HuffPost, among others. They also publish their own words in several books and law review articles.
Faithful is former Shaman-in-Residence at Freed Bodyworks. Before formal shamanic initiation, Richael was a healing-oriented community organizer and peoples’ lawyer.
Ellenie Cruz of Asc3nsion Art and Atabey School of Cultural Healing
Educator, Poet, Student Midwife, Doula, Asc3nding Herbalist, Reiki Master, Food Literacy Educator, Artist, Designer and Founder of Ac3nsion Art LLC- Ellenie Marie Cruz uses her given and learned talents to promote the art of ancestral practices to heal self, family and community. Motivated by social justice, she has shifted from being a high school English teacher to a free agent and entrepreneur promoting radical change through holistic wellness, self-care and community building. Ellenie received her Bachelor's Degree in Secondary English Education and had a strong focus on her research of Spoken Word as a Method of Social Change and Education. Ellenie serves and impacts her community through birthwork work and Atabey School of Cultural Healing by offering courses and care that centers Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. She is the SOUL Organizer of the NOLA Herb Gathering, and author of the poetry book Saturn Return I: Glimpses of the past. She offers tiered level herbalism classes in New Orleans/Gretna through the Atabey School of Cultural Healing and teaches with the Samara School of Community Herbalism and Wild Ginger Herbal Center. Ellenie also travels to teach and lecture on the subjects of radical full spectrum birth work, herbalism, community care, and more in small intimate group spaces and larger conferences.
Contact: Ellenie Cruz/ Asc3nsion art asc3nsionart@gmail.com Ig:@asc3nsion_art @nolaherbgathering.com @fertilegroundfm @growmesomethin Website: asc3nsionart.com. nolaherbgathering.com
Educator, Poet, Student Midwife, Doula, Asc3nding Herbalist, Reiki Master, Food Literacy Educator, Artist, Designer and Founder of Ac3nsion Art LLC- Ellenie Marie Cruz uses her given and learned talents to promote the art of ancestral practices to heal self, family and community. Motivated by social justice, she has shifted from being a high school English teacher to a free agent and entrepreneur promoting radical change through holistic wellness, self-care and community building. Ellenie received her Bachelor's Degree in Secondary English Education and had a strong focus on her research of Spoken Word as a Method of Social Change and Education. Ellenie serves and impacts her community through birthwork work and Atabey School of Cultural Healing by offering courses and care that centers Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. She is the SOUL Organizer of the NOLA Herb Gathering, and author of the poetry book Saturn Return I: Glimpses of the past. She offers tiered level herbalism classes in New Orleans/Gretna through the Atabey School of Cultural Healing and teaches with the Samara School of Community Herbalism and Wild Ginger Herbal Center. Ellenie also travels to teach and lecture on the subjects of radical full spectrum birth work, herbalism, community care, and more in small intimate group spaces and larger conferences.
Contact: Ellenie Cruz/ Asc3nsion art asc3nsionart@gmail.com Ig:@asc3nsion_art @nolaherbgathering.com @fertilegroundfm @growmesomethin Website: asc3nsionart.com. nolaherbgathering.com
Geoff Edwards of Nu Healing Arts
Geoff Edwards is an herbalist and licensed acupuncturist and has spent most of his post graduate study focusing on herb cultivation and herbal applications for traumatic injuries.
Geoff has worked as a clinical supervisor in the Chinese Herbs dispensary at MUIH and enjoys teaching students herb identification, preparation, and the art of combining and formulating herbal medicines. While completing his studies in acupuncture Geoff began the process of cultivating what he now calls the “Healing Arts Garden” which includes a wide selection of perennial herbs and continues to expand each year. It is a combination of native North American, African and Asian medicinal plants and culinary herbs. The herb garden library’s focus is primarily education, preservation and conservation of plant based medicines
Beyond his healing arts practice, Geoff maintains a growing studio art practice and teaches arts & literature to homeschoolers in the area. Locally and nationally he facilitates workshops across on the common uses of local herbs, herb cultivation, expressive art therapies for mental health, and community health and wellness.
Geoff Edwards is an herbalist and licensed acupuncturist and has spent most of his post graduate study focusing on herb cultivation and herbal applications for traumatic injuries.
Geoff has worked as a clinical supervisor in the Chinese Herbs dispensary at MUIH and enjoys teaching students herb identification, preparation, and the art of combining and formulating herbal medicines. While completing his studies in acupuncture Geoff began the process of cultivating what he now calls the “Healing Arts Garden” which includes a wide selection of perennial herbs and continues to expand each year. It is a combination of native North American, African and Asian medicinal plants and culinary herbs. The herb garden library’s focus is primarily education, preservation and conservation of plant based medicines
Beyond his healing arts practice, Geoff maintains a growing studio art practice and teaches arts & literature to homeschoolers in the area. Locally and nationally he facilitates workshops across on the common uses of local herbs, herb cultivation, expressive art therapies for mental health, and community health and wellness.
Ayo Ngozi Drayton of The Creative Root
Ayo is an herbalist, artist, and cultural worker committed to documenting traditional herbal practices of the African diaspora and making evidence-based herbal education accessible to all. She is a longtime instructor at Wild Ginger Herbal Center, has contributed to courses at the Herbal Academy and Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, and teaches at conferences and herbal programs in the US and abroad. Ayo is based in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where she owns a small herbal business, The Creative Root.
Ayo is an herbalist, artist, and cultural worker committed to documenting traditional herbal practices of the African diaspora and making evidence-based herbal education accessible to all. She is a longtime instructor at Wild Ginger Herbal Center, has contributed to courses at the Herbal Academy and Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, and teaches at conferences and herbal programs in the US and abroad. Ayo is based in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where she owns a small herbal business, The Creative Root.
Molly Meehan Brown of Wild Ginger Community Herbal Center
Molly Meehan Brown (she/her/hers) is an herbalist, gardener, and organizer passionate about community based herbal and food systems and specifically working cooperatively to keep the knowledge of our food, herbal medicine, seeds, and our healing traditions alive and vital within our communities! Molly and her family manage Wild Ginger Community Herbal Center programs while they live half the year in the DC Area and the other half the year in Talamanca, Costa Rica. She coordinates and teaches as part of the community based herbal apprenticeship program, facilitates youth programming, and coordinates the annual Chesapeake Herb Gathering, Ylang Ylang Gathering & more! Molly enjoys spending time with her family and kids in the garden or at the beach, facilitating workshops as well as connecting people and plants, and building in community.
Molly Meehan Brown (she/her/hers) is an herbalist, gardener, and organizer passionate about community based herbal and food systems and specifically working cooperatively to keep the knowledge of our food, herbal medicine, seeds, and our healing traditions alive and vital within our communities! Molly and her family manage Wild Ginger Community Herbal Center programs while they live half the year in the DC Area and the other half the year in Talamanca, Costa Rica. She coordinates and teaches as part of the community based herbal apprenticeship program, facilitates youth programming, and coordinates the annual Chesapeake Herb Gathering, Ylang Ylang Gathering & more! Molly enjoys spending time with her family and kids in the garden or at the beach, facilitating workshops as well as connecting people and plants, and building in community.
Olivia Fite of OHerbals
Olivia June Fite (she/her) is a therapeutic herbalist, whole-foods nutritionist, mother, and community educator. After graduating from MUIH (formerly Tai Sophia Institute) in 2012 she built Oherbals, an apothecary/sanctuary/teaching space/clinical practice in Baltimore, MD. There she worked with individuals and led community workshops for 5 years, focused on increasing people's sense of empowerment & connection to nature. Since 2018 she has been living in Lisbon, Portugal, offering virtual herbal mentorships, studying medicinal plants of the region, and teaching alongside Portuguese herbalist & author Fernanda Botehlo. Olivia loves working with the Wild Ginger Herbal Community and is always grateful when asked to return to this wonderful herb school focused on the power of plants, justice, and love. You can find out more about what she is up to at oherbals.com and on IG @olivia_oherbals.
Olivia June Fite (she/her) is a therapeutic herbalist, whole-foods nutritionist, mother, and community educator. After graduating from MUIH (formerly Tai Sophia Institute) in 2012 she built Oherbals, an apothecary/sanctuary/teaching space/clinical practice in Baltimore, MD. There she worked with individuals and led community workshops for 5 years, focused on increasing people's sense of empowerment & connection to nature. Since 2018 she has been living in Lisbon, Portugal, offering virtual herbal mentorships, studying medicinal plants of the region, and teaching alongside Portuguese herbalist & author Fernanda Botehlo. Olivia loves working with the Wild Ginger Herbal Community and is always grateful when asked to return to this wonderful herb school focused on the power of plants, justice, and love. You can find out more about what she is up to at oherbals.com and on IG @olivia_oherbals.
Yuma Bellomee of Yew360
Yuma "Docta Yew" Bellomee is a Certified Holistic Health Consultant, herbalist, wellness advocate/educator, and musical artist, who has been featured in numerous radio programs, natural hair, health & beauty expos, magazine articles, and community and school programs as a speaker and workshop facilitator on wholistic wellness. He is also the founder of Yew-360 Wholistic Health & Wellness (yew360.com), co-founder of Ni Dembaya African Drum & Dance Ensemble, and a member of the Collective Health Initiative (CHI) and African Wholistic Health Association (AWHA).
Yuma "Docta Yew" Bellomee is a Certified Holistic Health Consultant, herbalist, wellness advocate/educator, and musical artist, who has been featured in numerous radio programs, natural hair, health & beauty expos, magazine articles, and community and school programs as a speaker and workshop facilitator on wholistic wellness. He is also the founder of Yew-360 Wholistic Health & Wellness (yew360.com), co-founder of Ni Dembaya African Drum & Dance Ensemble, and a member of the Collective Health Initiative (CHI) and African Wholistic Health Association (AWHA).
Suzanna Stone
Suzanna resides in Scottsville, VA. She founded and directs Owlcraft Healing Ways, an outdoor herb school, where she offers clinical herbal consultations and leads in depth community and clinical apprenticeships, herb camps for kids, and workshops in herbal medicine, traditional food-ways, and plant spirit medicine. She was raised in a home where plant medicine and whole foods were the foundations of health and has spent the last 19 years broadening that foundation and deepening her knowledge of the herbal arts. She teaches at herb schools and conferences throughout the country and is co-founder and co-director of The Gaia Gathering For Women in Charlottesville, VA. She stewards fourteen acres of plant filled land to provide sanctuary, healing, and accessible education for all who hear the call of the plants.
Suzanna resides in Scottsville, VA. She founded and directs Owlcraft Healing Ways, an outdoor herb school, where she offers clinical herbal consultations and leads in depth community and clinical apprenticeships, herb camps for kids, and workshops in herbal medicine, traditional food-ways, and plant spirit medicine. She was raised in a home where plant medicine and whole foods were the foundations of health and has spent the last 19 years broadening that foundation and deepening her knowledge of the herbal arts. She teaches at herb schools and conferences throughout the country and is co-founder and co-director of The Gaia Gathering For Women in Charlottesville, VA. She stewards fourteen acres of plant filled land to provide sanctuary, healing, and accessible education for all who hear the call of the plants.
Karen Culpepper
Karen L. Culpepper is a clinical herbalist and licensed massage therapist in the DMV. She is the founder of The KLCC Collective, a healing arc that is a container for us to reimagine what healing, wellness, vitality and reclamation can look like for every body. She works in Maryland and holds space for herbal consultations, bodywork, runs a closed end apothecary and is the creatress of small batch organic herbal products and potions that keep folks, communities and movement spaces well and thriving. Karen can be found on Facebook Karen L. Culpepper, IG @klcccollective (you can find all the handles there) and she can be reached at hello@klcccollective.com
Karen L. Culpepper is a clinical herbalist and licensed massage therapist in the DMV. She is the founder of The KLCC Collective, a healing arc that is a container for us to reimagine what healing, wellness, vitality and reclamation can look like for every body. She works in Maryland and holds space for herbal consultations, bodywork, runs a closed end apothecary and is the creatress of small batch organic herbal products and potions that keep folks, communities and movement spaces well and thriving. Karen can be found on Facebook Karen L. Culpepper, IG @klcccollective (you can find all the handles there) and she can be reached at hello@klcccollective.com
Lacey Walker of Fox Haven Farm
Lacey Walker manages the education garden and builds community programs at Fox Haven Learning Center, but considers her true career to be that of a lifelong student. Her studies include herbalism, farm based education for adults and children, plant based cuisine, meditation, caring for and expanding the troop of ferment “children” she raises for gut health, the science of soil and composting, the mysterious life of companion plants, monthly wanderings to new corners of the country and the indispensable, incomparable joy of community potlucking.
Lacey engages with her passion for writing by authoring Fox Haven’s monthly contribution to The Environment is You in the Frederick News Post and can sometimes be seen toting her camera around, a throwback to her time in art school pursuing a BFA in Photography at Shepherd University. More often these days she likes to keep her hands free for playing in the dirt.
Lacey Walker manages the education garden and builds community programs at Fox Haven Learning Center, but considers her true career to be that of a lifelong student. Her studies include herbalism, farm based education for adults and children, plant based cuisine, meditation, caring for and expanding the troop of ferment “children” she raises for gut health, the science of soil and composting, the mysterious life of companion plants, monthly wanderings to new corners of the country and the indispensable, incomparable joy of community potlucking.
Lacey engages with her passion for writing by authoring Fox Haven’s monthly contribution to The Environment is You in the Frederick News Post and can sometimes be seen toting her camera around, a throwback to her time in art school pursuing a BFA in Photography at Shepherd University. More often these days she likes to keep her hands free for playing in the dirt.
A note on Certification:
We are often asked if after taking our programs if participants will be a certified herbalist. As far as certification, here are no legal certification or license for herbalists in the US. Herbalists are free to practice, some are "folk" herbalists and practice from information passed down generation to generation, while others go and get masters degrees in herbalism, and still others attend community based schools such as ours and then go on to practice. There is no legal difference and no certification or lack there of has any legal meaning whatsoever. We feel telling someone they are a certified herbalist is unethical and not our place. Herbalists cannot legally practice medicine. Herbalists themselves come in many forms, some cultivate herbs, some see clients as wellness consultations (herbalists are not allowed to practice medicine, only doctors are), some make beautiful herbal medicinal preparations, some teach, some do research, there is not a finite definition. Because this program is being offered online and folks may not be watching live, we will not be offering a certificate of completion of the course this round because we do not have a way to determine who has attended what unlike our in person courses. Our program classes are geared towards beginners and are a great place to start for those who want to lay the foundation to be a professional herbalist, whatever that may be. We are not a clinical herbalism program, rather we focus on folk herbalism, keeping our traditional knowledge alive and vital at the community level. Those completing our program are no more legally allowed to practice as an herbalist than you are, or than a grandmother in her kitchen treating her grandkids, or than a person who has a Masters Degree. Our program is a great way to gain a better understanding of herbs and medicinal plants, to refine your knowledge moving from a more mechanistic approach of "this herb is for this issue" instead toward looking at patterns, interrelationships, and systems of the body and their relationship with herbs, a more wholistic view. Its not geared towards clinical herbalists, however provides an in depth foundation for those who are on that path.
Here is a great resource:
http://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/legal-and-regulatory-faqs
We are often asked if after taking our programs if participants will be a certified herbalist. As far as certification, here are no legal certification or license for herbalists in the US. Herbalists are free to practice, some are "folk" herbalists and practice from information passed down generation to generation, while others go and get masters degrees in herbalism, and still others attend community based schools such as ours and then go on to practice. There is no legal difference and no certification or lack there of has any legal meaning whatsoever. We feel telling someone they are a certified herbalist is unethical and not our place. Herbalists cannot legally practice medicine. Herbalists themselves come in many forms, some cultivate herbs, some see clients as wellness consultations (herbalists are not allowed to practice medicine, only doctors are), some make beautiful herbal medicinal preparations, some teach, some do research, there is not a finite definition. Because this program is being offered online and folks may not be watching live, we will not be offering a certificate of completion of the course this round because we do not have a way to determine who has attended what unlike our in person courses. Our program classes are geared towards beginners and are a great place to start for those who want to lay the foundation to be a professional herbalist, whatever that may be. We are not a clinical herbalism program, rather we focus on folk herbalism, keeping our traditional knowledge alive and vital at the community level. Those completing our program are no more legally allowed to practice as an herbalist than you are, or than a grandmother in her kitchen treating her grandkids, or than a person who has a Masters Degree. Our program is a great way to gain a better understanding of herbs and medicinal plants, to refine your knowledge moving from a more mechanistic approach of "this herb is for this issue" instead toward looking at patterns, interrelationships, and systems of the body and their relationship with herbs, a more wholistic view. Its not geared towards clinical herbalists, however provides an in depth foundation for those who are on that path.
Here is a great resource:
http://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/legal-and-regulatory-faqs
