Foundations in Herbalism
Certificate Program
Our goal is to provide a solid foundation in folks herbalism and build skills that can serve our students regardless of where they come from.
Students will also receive our Online Community Herbalism Program with complimentary information.
Bump Home Herbalism & Business of Herbalism
Immersion into the
Herbal Medicine & Introduction to the Plants of Caribe Sur of Costa Rica
Students will also receive our Online Community Herbalism Program with complimentary information.
Bump Home Herbalism & Business of Herbalism
Immersion into the
Herbal Medicine & Introduction to the Plants of Caribe Sur of Costa Rica
THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
**Buddy Discount $200 off Tuition**
Special Scholarship Price for Black, Indigenous, People of Color $200 off
Discounts cannot be dually applied
"The apprenticeship was amazing. I felt challenged, supported, stimulated, and nourished. At so many moments I had to pause in awe to take in my environment, the knowledge of a teacher or fellow student, or to be amazing at learning something new and fantastical about a plant. It was a special experience to be in a new environment, especially one as magical as Wild Ginger, Manzanillo for almost a whole month. By the end it felt like home."
"My experience at Wild Ginger was a huge shift for me in my path to herbal healing. It has given me a stable foundation and confidence to move forward into a career as a healer and Plant Medicine Woman. The space felt like home from Day 1 and I feel sadness about leaving, but joyful in the experience that has elevated me to another higher level in my life path. I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to dive deeper into medicinal plants."
"Everything about this experiences makes you want to stay a little bit longer. It's a great experience from the field studies and the on-site classes to the beach and the home cooked meals. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants an intense foundational study in botanical medicine."
"My experience at Wild Ginger was a huge shift for me in my path to herbal healing. It has given me a stable foundation and confidence to move forward into a career as a healer and Plant Medicine Woman. The space felt like home from Day 1 and I feel sadness about leaving, but joyful in the experience that has elevated me to another higher level in my life path. I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to dive deeper into medicinal plants."
"Everything about this experiences makes you want to stay a little bit longer. It's a great experience from the field studies and the on-site classes to the beach and the home cooked meals. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants an intense foundational study in botanical medicine."
About Our Apprenticeship:
Join us in the tiny beach village exploring tropical herbal medicine, where the jungle meets the Caribbean Sea! Our tropical immersion in an amazing opportunity to truly immerse yourself here in the local culture, to explore plant medicine while surrounded by the infamous natural beauty. Our immersion program focuses on providing a strong foundation in folk herbal medicine, and includes an engaging balance between field studies to local indigenous and traditional herbalists and farms, practical and theoretical classes at our center, and time spent exploring plants with amazing teachers who have dedicated their lives to plant medicine both local from Costa Rica as well as those who have immigrated here. You will stay at our rustic group Caribbean Cabinas, very close to the Caribbean sea! Our activities focus are centered weekdays, and you'll have your weekends off to explore the local area! We accept a limited number of apprentices per session, we encourage you to reach out if you are interested! Our amazing faculty include incredible local people born and raised in Talamanca Costa Rica including Indigenous as well as Afro Costa Rican faculty members, as well as people who have immigrated here from the US and Europe, our entire staff are inspiring plant people and share generously their love for plants and people.
The incredible Talamancan Coast of the South Caribbean of Costa Rica is where everything got started for Wild Ginger. We have been facilitating incredible cross cultural and educational programming for many years in this regions home to diverse peoples including Indigenous communities such as the BriBri, Kekoldi, and Cabecar, as well as Chinese and Afro-Costa Rican communities who came to work building railroads and working on banana plantations. Over the years this area has become increasinly diverse with residents from virtually all over the globe. Our programs focus on the sustainable local agricultural food system as well as traditional herbalism as it is practiced across the incredible cultures that inhabit Talamanca.
Daily Flow:
Our days will differ depending on whether we have field studies that day or not. Each week we will have field trips and onsite activities (a total of 10 sessions each week over 5 days). Some days will be field study and onsite class, some will be one or the other. There is plenty of time to spend on the beach and exploring the local area. On class days we eat breakfast and lunch together (dinners are not provided), free days food is not provided. Our loving staff creates nourishing and traditional meals you can't get enough of. Off Days are totally free, we do note provide meals, and we encourage folks to explore the local area, spend time at the beach, on your final projects etc.
Field Studies:
Each week we will go on field trips in the Talamanca area that will focus on local culture, history, animals, plants and natural life.
- Jungle Hike in National Reserve
- Visit Indigenous Family to learn medicinal and dye plants
- Chocolate Making with Indigenous Family
- Hike to the waterfalls in the indigenous reserve
- Traditional Afro-Caribbean Cooking Class
- Traditional Afro-Caribbean Herbal Medicine class with local women
- Traditional BriBri and Indigenous Herbal Medicine class - field visits
- Visit Organic Agro-ecological farm on Indigenous Reserve
- Local Plant Walks
- Jaguar Animal Rescue Center
- Visit to local botanical gardens
- Visits to other local friends medicinal and botanical gardens and centers in the region!
Onsite Classes:
- Culture & History of the South Caribbean of Costa Rica
- Introduction to Herbal Medicine
- Tropical Herbal Medicine Making
- Garden Time through out the month
- Materia Medica of Costa Rica medicinal plants
- Herbal Tastes
- Herbal Actions
- Herbal Energetics
- Herbal First Aid
- Kitchen Herbalism
- Tropical Flower Essences
- Starting and Managing your Holistic Business
- Ethical Wildcrafting
- Making Herbal Formulas
- Astrology and Herbalism
- Tropical Herbal Body Care Making
- Grassroots Herbalism & Social Change
- Apothecary Work and Practices
- Group Circle Work
- Group Presentations - At the completion of our time together each student will present a 20 minute project exploring a topic of their inspiration and choice as well as 3-5 botanical medicines they have created over the course of our month together.
Accomodations:
You have a choice between staying onsite at Wild Ginger Herbal Center in shared rooms (3-4 people dorm style) or a private room. Staying at Wild Ginger is an exciting jungle immersion. Your accomodations are located in our onsite housing which is a rustic wooden cabina. We cannot stress enough that this is a very intensive environment and living situation, We live very very simply and rustic, our house has electricity, and is equipped with WIFI internet that will be slower than you are used to if you are from the US, the beds won't be as comfortable. It will be very hot and humid and while we have a few fans it will likely be an intense adjustment. We live where the jungle meets the sea and the natural environment is in charge here, there are mosquitos, there are some times sand flies near the beach, there are termites, there are geckos, there are cockroaches with wings, there are spiders. We do not use chemicals to spray our home, thus in the tropics we have little geckos that will be indoors, theyre your friends they eat mosquitos! Sometimes there are ants, termites, etc, that decide to invade the house - be prepared to be in community with nature! Coconuts or mangoes may drop on your roof. Because we are in the very humid tropical rainforest, things get musty and moldy, this is part of life here. We provide communal rooms with single beds for our apprentices, bug nets, fans in each room, our communal kitchen and bathroom. Great place for relaxing, If you prefer to have a private room this is a possibility. The private rooms are equally simple and rustic and are similary as described above. Our classroom is right onsite at Wild Ginger and our humble site is home to amazing medicinal and edible gardens. You're are one block to the beach and we make sure you have lots of relax and self care time while you are here. We do not provide laundry services on site, however you can pay to do laundry at a couple locations around town during your stay here.
Expectations & Respect:
We expect those that apply for this program to have an true interest and excitement for plant medicine. We ask that everyone show up on time to all classes and activities in order to honor each other as well as our teachers and facilitators. When coming to Wild Ginger Community Herbal Center openness and respect are central. All people are welcome and we celebrate life in all our beautiful manifestations and forms. We expect people of diverse paths to come here with respect for each other, we have an expectation of non-violent communication when faced with challenges that inevitably arise when living together during intensive communal experiences in new environments. All people of varying class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, immigration status, political ideology, race, sex, sexual orientation and religious, non-religious, or spiritual beliefs are welcome at Wild Ginger and we seek to build a safe community space for all. Group Presentations - At the completion of our time together each student will present a 20 minute project exploring a topic of their inspiration and choice as well as 3-5 botanical medicines they have created over the course of our month together. Containers are not easily available in our area, we suggestion you bring one ounce dropper bottles as well as containers for your salves, small amount of beeswax, carrier oils or anything else you may like to use in order to make your medicines for your final presentations, you will not be able to get these items in our area.
Whats Included:
We include the programs and classes mentioned above, your breakfasts and lunches and described above, your rustic lodging in either shared dorm style room or private room based on your choice during booking during program dates, your transportation locally here in Costa Rica during your apprenticeship. We do not include flights or transportation to and from our site at the beginning or end of the program in the tuition fee.
Foods:
Our focus is on eating an abundant healthy and whole foods based diet rich in fruits, veggies, rice, beans, and plantains are central to our diet, and sometimes we get local cheese, chicken, yogurt, eggs. You will be in Latin American, we will be eating alot of beans and alot of rice and root veggies. Meals can feel very simple and repetative. While we encourage everyone to participate and share in meals together, we are able to be creative if there is a serious food allergy/food need. We do all clean up from meals collectively as well for meals Monday through Friday.
Money:
Make sure to bring enough US Dollars to last you the first week of the trip. Do not bring bills larger than $20, and make sure they are not ripped or in poor condition or folks will not accept them. Our town has no ATM, and the closes one is about 12 kilometers away. Everyone accepts US Dollars here, but again in the same town as the ATM there is a money exchange you can exchange your dollars for colones. You should expect at 500 colones to $1 exchange when using USDollars in our area. While we provide your food for all indicated meals during your time with us, and we provide drinking water during our programs, you are responsible for any extras you might need, including snacks etc etc. If you want to buy souveniers/personal care items etc you are responsible for those as well. Our town does have a few small shops "pulperias", two of which accept credit cards.
Call Your Bank!
*MAKE SURE TO CALL YOUR BANKS AND LET THEM KNOW YOU WILL BE IN COSTA RICA* - This will ensure your card does not get shut off for suspicious activity.
What to Bring:
Each person should bring between 5-6 1 oz dropper bottles, 3-5 salve tins (1 or 2oz) , 2-3 spray bottles between 1-2oz. Please bring 1/8 pound of beeswax/beeswax pastilles with you.
An open mind, heart, and soul! A true openess and interest in plants and folk medicine, in learning the traditional medicine of the people of Talamanca, Costa Rica. Remember our cabinas at Wild Ginger Herbal Center are rustic and very simple, we try to live as simply and in tune with nature as possible. We do not have air conditioning and we live simply in a way very much like our local community members. Coming on this trip and life in the Caribbean here is an opportunity to go with the flow and enjoy a slower and more simple lifestyle - that is part of the medicine of your time here. Most people when they talk about the rainy season it actually refers to the pacific side, which has a very distinct rainy season, 6 months dry, 6 months wet. We will be on the Caribbean side, and while yes it rains, it is more evenly balanced through out the year. That doesn't mean it won't rain, because it certainly can and probably will. As far as clothes, bring light weight stuff that dries easily, it is HUMID! We do not have laundry service available onsite but there are places in Puerto Viejo the town north you can bring your clothing on weekends to get cleaned. Bring a good pair of shoes to hike with that you dont mind getting muddy, and flip flops, and whatever else you'd like to have with you. Cotton tshirts and shorts are great, a rain jacket (very important don't forget!), bathing suit, towel for the beach (please do not bring towels from our center to the beach), are all great. Yoga mat if you'd like. We highly recommend bringing some Neem Aura Naturals Bug Repellent Sticks to share with the group to use in our outdoor classroom if you are willing - BUG SPRAY is important to your comfort here, however here in the Caribbean we do indeed have mosquitos and sometimes sand fleas. So bring repellent that works well for you! Any personal care items you need we recommend you bring with you. Bring any regular medications/supplements you use. Bring SUNSCREEN! A hat. Sunglasses. As far as a laptop - there is internet in town on site so you're welcome to bring it, just depends how connected you'd like to be! It's another thing to travel with and to be conscious of while you're on buses etc. But it can be convenient, so that is totally your decision. There are not safes provided so you will need to make sure to lock windows and doors every single time you leave. Outlets there are the same as the US, no converter is needed. Also please remember pens and note pads for note taking. Come prepared with clothing appropriate for tropical heat and tropical rain. We provide bath towels but you have to bring your own towel for the beach. A first aid kit, headlamp or flashlight, any prescriptions you need. Boots suitable for getting muddy walking in the jungle or on farms, rain jacket with hood. While many people take this opportunity to "unplug" you may feel like bringing a wifi accesible device to use while onsite. These are your responsibility and while traveling we always recommend traveling without valuable goods, but take good care of what you do decide to bring. Garden gloves and clippers can be useful and bringing a pair of scissors is a great idea for the apprenticeship for processing plants, and we always accept donations of these! Long and short pants, long and short sleeves. Personal care products. We cannot stress enough how bringing what you need to protect you from bugs will make your stay more comfortable, the struggle is real with mosquitos, sometimes sand fleas and more. These vary depending on the time of year, but we encourage you to bring protection with you!
*As part of the course each apprentices will prepare a few herbal preparations to share at the end of the month, we recommend you bring a few bottles/containers/tins, even beeswax etc that you might be able to use for that final project as these items are very challenging to find around here. Exact numbers below.
Recommended Texts to Bring With You
(not required, can be purchased once in our area)
What Happen: A Folk History of Costa Rica's Talamanca Coast by Paula Palmer
Medicinal Plants of Costa Rica by Ed Bernhardt, N.D. ( we don't recommend buying this in the US or on Amazon, its overprice. It can be found in Costa Rica for a more affordable price.)
We provide an extensive text as well.
Donations Welcome:
We can always use donations of stainless steel pots and pans (very affordable from thrift stores) and serving utensils, yoga mats, HERBAL BOOKS, beeswax, lavender essential oil, dry erase markers, activated charcoal tablets, wide mouth quart size mason jars with lids (plastic lids are best so they don't rust in the tropics), brown tincture bottles 1/2, 1, 2, and 4oz with dropper tops, yoga mats, towels, sheets (single or double size), tapestries, massage table.
Tuition & Payment Schedule:
$2355 - Shared room in our rustic cabina, includes local transport to our field studies, rustic housing, and meals provided on class days. Rooms will have between 3 - 4 people sharing.
$3055 - Private room in rustic cabin, includes local transport to our field studies, and meals provided on class days
*Scholarship Pricing for Black, Indigenous, & People of Color ($200 off the program)
*Buddy Discount* - $200 off each registration
*Discounts/promotions cannot be dually applied.
*We do not extend discounts for those who choose not to stay onsite.
Payment Schedule (please do not make partial payments for amounts other than listed below):
A $500 Deposit is Due to complete Registration and hold your spot
A Second Payment of $855 for shared room or $1355 for private room is is due online anytime at least two months before the program begins (February 15, 2020)
*The buddy discount amount and scholarship pricing is applied during the second payment*
Final payment of $1000 is due in cash (US dollars) upon your arrival at Wild Ginger Herbal Center.
Registration and Application:
We accept a limited number of apprentices in this program, we truly want to make sure it is a good fit and that this will be a positive and useful experience for folks who come.. BEFORE sending in payments, please fill out the registration information below and return this to us and wait for our response, and also complete the waiver form with your signed signature, scan / take a photo and return this back. Once accepted, a non-refundable $500 is required to hold your spot. If you prefer to stay in your own private room at a hotel we still ask you participate in the meals and all programs. All payments are final, non-refundable and non-transferable. We accept payments via Cashapp to $wildgingerherbal OR via Paypal via the payment link on this site credit cards via paypal (we can send you invoice via email) or direct transfers via paypal.
Contact: [email protected]
-Name:
-Age:
-Gender:
-Hometown:
-Current Location:
-What Session/Dates Are You Applying For:
-How did you learn about Wild Ginger Herbal Center and about this program?
-Why do you want to particpate in the program?
-How will you be an addition to the program?
-What is your current knowledge about herbal medicine, medicinal plants, and tropical medicinals?
-This is an intensive experience living in close quarters with other apprentices in a new hot, humid tropical environment in a rustic setting. Please share your experience living in shared and communal spaces especially with people you are just meeting, how you approach communication and conflict as well as folks whos views or approaches to life may differ from your own.
-Spanish Level:
-Outdoor Experience:
-Medical Training:
-Existing medical conditions?
-Dietary Needs:
-Email &/or Phone Number:
-Emergency Contact Info: (relation, phone number and email)
Waiver Form:

wild_ginger_waiver.pdf |