Classes 2023
2023 Great Lakes Herb Faire Schedule is still subject to change
Basic Faire Schedule
|
Friday
Intensives 9:00am-1:00pm (This can be purchased separately- you do not need to attend the whole Faire to attend an intensive) General Faire Registration 1:00pm-3:50pm Marketplace opens 3:00pm Welcome/Announcements/Opening Ceremony 4:00pm-5:15pm Keynote 5:15pm-6:00pm Dinner 6:30pm-7:45pm Friday night classes 8:00pm-9:30pm |
Saturday
Sunrise class 7:30am- 8:15am Breakfast 7:30am-8:45am Announcements- 9:00am Keynote 9:15am-10:15am Marketplace/ Silent auction/Mingling Session 1 classes 11:00am-12:30pm Lunch 12:45-2:15pm Session 2 classes 2:45pm-4:15pm Session 3 classes 4:45pm-6:15pm Dinner 6:30pm-8:00pm Musical Performance 8:30pm-10:00pm |
Sunday
Sunrise classes 7:30am- 8:15am Breakfast 7:30am-8:45am Session 4 classes 9:00am-10:30am Session 5 classes 11:00am-12:30pm Lunch 12:45pm-2:00pm Session 6 classes 2:15pm- 3:45 pm Closing Ceremony 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm |
Opening Ceremony
with Schantell Taylor
Welcoming to this year's Great Lakes Herb Faire gathering. We are honored and excited to share this beautiful time with you. Our opening ceremony this year will be held by Schantell Puamaeole Taylor a Native Hawaiian from Waianae, O'ahu. She will lead us through an Intentional space and set up a container to hold our medicines.
"My greatest wish for this time together is to make ready our hearts, our minds and our spirits to receive these potent gifts. To embody the land within us and respect it like family."
Please join us for this opening ceremony where we will build a beautiful energy field of sacredness, reciprocity and love to carry it forward through the weekend. May this opening move with you while learning in community, while sharing spaces, experiencing new ideas concepts, and being inspired by folx. May we build our own language with the very land we tend, who gives us life. There is no separation, we are nature. May your bundles be replenished and nourished as you hold these teachings in your hearts, and carry these medicines forward into your homes and communities.
with Schantell Taylor
Welcoming to this year's Great Lakes Herb Faire gathering. We are honored and excited to share this beautiful time with you. Our opening ceremony this year will be held by Schantell Puamaeole Taylor a Native Hawaiian from Waianae, O'ahu. She will lead us through an Intentional space and set up a container to hold our medicines.
"My greatest wish for this time together is to make ready our hearts, our minds and our spirits to receive these potent gifts. To embody the land within us and respect it like family."
Please join us for this opening ceremony where we will build a beautiful energy field of sacredness, reciprocity and love to carry it forward through the weekend. May this opening move with you while learning in community, while sharing spaces, experiencing new ideas concepts, and being inspired by folx. May we build our own language with the very land we tend, who gives us life. There is no separation, we are nature. May your bundles be replenished and nourished as you hold these teachings in your hearts, and carry these medicines forward into your homes and communities.
Keynote Talks
Connecting Our Stories with Earth Medicines
with Lucretia VanDyke
Join Lucretia in community as she shares her personal journey with the plants inspired by her ancestors and world travels with Indigenous cultures' learning about their connection to the plants and the Earth by reaching back to honor the old traditions, the power of a story, and how the plants can unite us to heal and build better communities.
Voices of Our Herbal Elders
with Rosemary Gladstar
This is an honoring, a remembering, as we meet via photo’s and story telling remarkable elders who influenced the herbal teachers of today. In this delightful and memorable slide presentation, you’ll meet such notables as Juliette de Bairacli Levy, Adele Dawson, Norma Meyers, Ann Wigmore, Dr. Christopher, Jim Duke, Steven Foster, Michael Moore, and many others who have had a profound influence on American herbalism. May also include a one sided history lesson on current affairs in the herbal world.
with Lucretia VanDyke
Join Lucretia in community as she shares her personal journey with the plants inspired by her ancestors and world travels with Indigenous cultures' learning about their connection to the plants and the Earth by reaching back to honor the old traditions, the power of a story, and how the plants can unite us to heal and build better communities.
Voices of Our Herbal Elders
with Rosemary Gladstar
This is an honoring, a remembering, as we meet via photo’s and story telling remarkable elders who influenced the herbal teachers of today. In this delightful and memorable slide presentation, you’ll meet such notables as Juliette de Bairacli Levy, Adele Dawson, Norma Meyers, Ann Wigmore, Dr. Christopher, Jim Duke, Steven Foster, Michael Moore, and many others who have had a profound influence on American herbalism. May also include a one sided history lesson on current affairs in the herbal world.
Friday Intensives
9am - 1pm September 8th, 2023
Please Note: Intensives take place on Friday morning before the Faire officially kicks off.
They are optional, space is limited, and pre-registration is required.
Please Note: Intensives take place on Friday morning before the Faire officially kicks off.
They are optional, space is limited, and pre-registration is required.
Option One:
Holistic Herb Work with Elderly: Adjusting your herbal work with yourself and others on the path of growing older
with Leslie Williams and Heather Herdman
No one warns us how difficult aging can be, and how the standard herbal texts seldom address these issues. How do we work safely and effectively with ourselves and others as they age? This presentation is built around a set of questions and answers and is designed to interact with questions from the herbalists attending as well. This will offer handouts to help guide figuring dosages, intake questions to be sure to consider, lab test result realities and safety. It is difficult growing old in our culture and even as herbalists we find a lack of resources for our work – this is the doorway to better designing our own daily care and that of our family and clients.
Option Two:
From Forest to Fen: The Botany of Waterloo in a Landscape Perspective
With Robert Ayotte
This Intensive involves walking about 4 miles. Please be aware!
“A forest is more than the sum of its trees” - B.V. Barnes
Join forest ecologist and botanist Robert Ayotte for an exploration of the forest and fen
ecosystems of the nearby G. Eddy Discovery Center, in the Waterloo State Recreation Area. We’ll start with the lecture presentation “Notes from the Underground” which illustrates how glacial landforms and soil properties effect ecosystem dynamics and determine the nature of plant communities. The presence and distribution of plants are a direct reflection of microclimate, landform, soil qualities, and water availability. In turn, we will discuss how plants change their environments.
In the field we’ll examine a “soil pit” at the crest of “Connie’s Esker” to determine the various soil horizons, and describe the soil structure, texture, nutrient availability, and water holding capacity at this site. How did those horizons develop over the last 12, 000 years, and how they influence species presence and distribution? How does the flora of the east and west slopes differ and why?
Next, we’ll note the flora along the mile long Bog Trail and enjoy the diverse flora of the Cedar Lake “Poor Fen”. What makes it a “poor fen” versus a “bog”? What are the plant adaptations that allow for success in this nitrogen-poor environment? In total, we’ll hike about 3.5 miles with a bit of climbing onto “Connie’s Esker”. The trek should be dry; and we’ll utilize a boardwalk over the poor fen.
Option Three:
Phytochemistry for Herbalists
with Heather Irvine
This is a four-hour intensive (with short breaks, as the group needs) on Friday morning before the main festivities begin. This is one of the few one occasion overviews of phytochemistry you will find, and it will be led in a way that is engaging and memorable, to help us sustain our endurance and interest in this very exciting, and foundational, but formerly difficult to access topic: Phytochemistry for Herbalists.
In our phytochemistry intensive we will most likely work progressively from the safest, gentlest, and most common types of medicinal constituents of plants to the notable, harrowing, and handle-with-care alkaloids of the low-dose botanicals.
The takeaways will include the how and why of medicinal properties of plants, for example the polyphenols and polysaccharides- the benevolent ones, to aromatics and terpenes, which can be entirely subtle and gentle, or profound, bossy, or even psychoactive. We will spend ample time on constituents that are a little bit frisky; triterpenoids, saponins, alkamides, and other prickly constituents, and many ways in which herbal constituents get under our skin and tell our body to pay attention! This is where we get into botanical immune stimulants, movers, and influencers, in leaf form, or bud, seed, root, or spike. Heather will also highly emphasize the how and why of the heroic medicines, such as medicinal plants characterized by alkaloids. These are the potentially poisonous stand-outs in the competition to not be eaten. But wait. Some are life saving, or grant temporary euphoria, or any number of medicinal tricks. We will talk about some of these for real use and others for the thrill of it. This is a long session, and in the morning. Unlike chemistry lab, you may bring your breakfast, drinks, snacks, special chair, blankets, etc., or anything you need to be comfortable from the start of your experience at the Great Lakes Herb Faire.
Holistic Herb Work with Elderly: Adjusting your herbal work with yourself and others on the path of growing older
with Leslie Williams and Heather Herdman
No one warns us how difficult aging can be, and how the standard herbal texts seldom address these issues. How do we work safely and effectively with ourselves and others as they age? This presentation is built around a set of questions and answers and is designed to interact with questions from the herbalists attending as well. This will offer handouts to help guide figuring dosages, intake questions to be sure to consider, lab test result realities and safety. It is difficult growing old in our culture and even as herbalists we find a lack of resources for our work – this is the doorway to better designing our own daily care and that of our family and clients.
Option Two:
From Forest to Fen: The Botany of Waterloo in a Landscape Perspective
With Robert Ayotte
This Intensive involves walking about 4 miles. Please be aware!
“A forest is more than the sum of its trees” - B.V. Barnes
Join forest ecologist and botanist Robert Ayotte for an exploration of the forest and fen
ecosystems of the nearby G. Eddy Discovery Center, in the Waterloo State Recreation Area. We’ll start with the lecture presentation “Notes from the Underground” which illustrates how glacial landforms and soil properties effect ecosystem dynamics and determine the nature of plant communities. The presence and distribution of plants are a direct reflection of microclimate, landform, soil qualities, and water availability. In turn, we will discuss how plants change their environments.
In the field we’ll examine a “soil pit” at the crest of “Connie’s Esker” to determine the various soil horizons, and describe the soil structure, texture, nutrient availability, and water holding capacity at this site. How did those horizons develop over the last 12, 000 years, and how they influence species presence and distribution? How does the flora of the east and west slopes differ and why?
Next, we’ll note the flora along the mile long Bog Trail and enjoy the diverse flora of the Cedar Lake “Poor Fen”. What makes it a “poor fen” versus a “bog”? What are the plant adaptations that allow for success in this nitrogen-poor environment? In total, we’ll hike about 3.5 miles with a bit of climbing onto “Connie’s Esker”. The trek should be dry; and we’ll utilize a boardwalk over the poor fen.
Option Three:
Phytochemistry for Herbalists
with Heather Irvine
This is a four-hour intensive (with short breaks, as the group needs) on Friday morning before the main festivities begin. This is one of the few one occasion overviews of phytochemistry you will find, and it will be led in a way that is engaging and memorable, to help us sustain our endurance and interest in this very exciting, and foundational, but formerly difficult to access topic: Phytochemistry for Herbalists.
In our phytochemistry intensive we will most likely work progressively from the safest, gentlest, and most common types of medicinal constituents of plants to the notable, harrowing, and handle-with-care alkaloids of the low-dose botanicals.
The takeaways will include the how and why of medicinal properties of plants, for example the polyphenols and polysaccharides- the benevolent ones, to aromatics and terpenes, which can be entirely subtle and gentle, or profound, bossy, or even psychoactive. We will spend ample time on constituents that are a little bit frisky; triterpenoids, saponins, alkamides, and other prickly constituents, and many ways in which herbal constituents get under our skin and tell our body to pay attention! This is where we get into botanical immune stimulants, movers, and influencers, in leaf form, or bud, seed, root, or spike. Heather will also highly emphasize the how and why of the heroic medicines, such as medicinal plants characterized by alkaloids. These are the potentially poisonous stand-outs in the competition to not be eaten. But wait. Some are life saving, or grant temporary euphoria, or any number of medicinal tricks. We will talk about some of these for real use and others for the thrill of it. This is a long session, and in the morning. Unlike chemistry lab, you may bring your breakfast, drinks, snacks, special chair, blankets, etc., or anything you need to be comfortable from the start of your experience at the Great Lakes Herb Faire.
Adult Classes
Friday Evening Through Saturday
For Kids Tent Classes, please view the Kid's Tent page.
(Listed Alphabetically by Teachers last name and by class type)
Plant walks are listed at the bottom of the page.
Plant walks are listed at the bottom of the page.
Friday Evening Classes
Friday evenings we have historically held a session of classes that have some fun and flair to them and people have really enjoyed them.
Embodiments With Herbal Delights
with Celena Chavez and Vivian Sakellariou
This class will make use of body, mind, spirit and plant connection. We will start with breathwork and brief exercises to get everyone grounded into the environment, we may use smells, sights, and touch to enliven the body to presence. We will talk about the various methods of preparing herbs and how they give us a sensual experience. After this we will go over various herbal aphrodisiacs and their preparations for sharing, such as cooking a romantic meal, herbal bath, elixirs to heighten arousal and sweets. Samples will be provided. After sampling we will follow up with breathwork and embodiment through movement and sensorial experiences using feathers, sticks, warmth and coolness.
Beauty Everywhere – Stories for a Nature-Connected Community
with Rowena Conahan
“Beauty Everywhere” is the title of a book of nature-connected stories and activities I’ve written that might be ready for distribution in September. I will be telling original stories from my book. Stories will likely be told at the amphitheater with the fire.
The Earth and Sacred Plants as Teachers
with Constance Campbell Ferry
We gather to learn how we walk upon the Earth and know thru our relationship to the sacred plants, as food and medicine, that this is our most intimate relationship. We will look at the wild, the native, the non native and cultivated plants and deepen our understanding of where we stand today as human beings, in the web of life.
Medicine Wheel Yoga
with Kyanna Fredrick
This is a Yoga class that I created that combines wisdom of the Native American Medicine Wheel, yoga and organic movement, prayer and visualization.
We will journey through the Cardinal Four Directions of the Medicine Wheel of Life, a Native American teaching, exploring our relations within and outside of us learning and remembering that all is connected. We will renew or begin our relationships to a deep higher awareness and empathy for all beings we share this life with through prayer/affirmations, visualization, breathwork and Asana. All are welcome.
Yoga mats, blankets, yoga blocks, waters, journals recommended.
Spirits 101: For Herbalists and Foragers (21+)
with Angie Jackson
Herbalists and Foragers! Get ready for a journey into the spirited world - in liquid form!
Wildcraft cocktails, apothecary elixirs, medicinal mixology, and agriculture alchemy are a few topics that will be discussed in this workshop. Angie Jackson, Master Culinary Mixologist aka “The Traveling Elixir Fixer” and author of the book, “Drink the Wild: Recipes From a Kitchen Witch for the Spirited and Sober Soul” will discuss tastes, aromas, history, and the ingredients used in the spirits we use when crafting magic and medicine. You will be guided through a sensory analysis of grains and botanicals, including the grains and plants used in the distillation process, bittering agents, and sweeteners used while crafting apothecary elixirs, tinctures, and bitters.
Attendees can expect: A discussion about tastes, aromas, history, and the ingredients used in the distillation of spirits. How to choose brands and alternative spirit styles when crafting tinctures and apothecary medicine with harvested plants and dried botanicals. A discussion on how to craft zero-proof (NA) tinctures and bitters. How to read liquor labels to determine if a spirit is truly distilled by the distillery that may have only bottled it. More brand for your buck. A discussion on the best of the bottom shelf and everything leading to the top shelf spirits. Craft spirits vs. global spirit brands. Truth in distilling: Is that brand legit or a marketing campaign?
Friday evenings we have historically held a session of classes that have some fun and flair to them and people have really enjoyed them.
Embodiments With Herbal Delights
with Celena Chavez and Vivian Sakellariou
This class will make use of body, mind, spirit and plant connection. We will start with breathwork and brief exercises to get everyone grounded into the environment, we may use smells, sights, and touch to enliven the body to presence. We will talk about the various methods of preparing herbs and how they give us a sensual experience. After this we will go over various herbal aphrodisiacs and their preparations for sharing, such as cooking a romantic meal, herbal bath, elixirs to heighten arousal and sweets. Samples will be provided. After sampling we will follow up with breathwork and embodiment through movement and sensorial experiences using feathers, sticks, warmth and coolness.
Beauty Everywhere – Stories for a Nature-Connected Community
with Rowena Conahan
“Beauty Everywhere” is the title of a book of nature-connected stories and activities I’ve written that might be ready for distribution in September. I will be telling original stories from my book. Stories will likely be told at the amphitheater with the fire.
The Earth and Sacred Plants as Teachers
with Constance Campbell Ferry
We gather to learn how we walk upon the Earth and know thru our relationship to the sacred plants, as food and medicine, that this is our most intimate relationship. We will look at the wild, the native, the non native and cultivated plants and deepen our understanding of where we stand today as human beings, in the web of life.
Medicine Wheel Yoga
with Kyanna Fredrick
This is a Yoga class that I created that combines wisdom of the Native American Medicine Wheel, yoga and organic movement, prayer and visualization.
We will journey through the Cardinal Four Directions of the Medicine Wheel of Life, a Native American teaching, exploring our relations within and outside of us learning and remembering that all is connected. We will renew or begin our relationships to a deep higher awareness and empathy for all beings we share this life with through prayer/affirmations, visualization, breathwork and Asana. All are welcome.
Yoga mats, blankets, yoga blocks, waters, journals recommended.
Spirits 101: For Herbalists and Foragers (21+)
with Angie Jackson
Herbalists and Foragers! Get ready for a journey into the spirited world - in liquid form!
Wildcraft cocktails, apothecary elixirs, medicinal mixology, and agriculture alchemy are a few topics that will be discussed in this workshop. Angie Jackson, Master Culinary Mixologist aka “The Traveling Elixir Fixer” and author of the book, “Drink the Wild: Recipes From a Kitchen Witch for the Spirited and Sober Soul” will discuss tastes, aromas, history, and the ingredients used in the spirits we use when crafting magic and medicine. You will be guided through a sensory analysis of grains and botanicals, including the grains and plants used in the distillation process, bittering agents, and sweeteners used while crafting apothecary elixirs, tinctures, and bitters.
Attendees can expect: A discussion about tastes, aromas, history, and the ingredients used in the distillation of spirits. How to choose brands and alternative spirit styles when crafting tinctures and apothecary medicine with harvested plants and dried botanicals. A discussion on how to craft zero-proof (NA) tinctures and bitters. How to read liquor labels to determine if a spirit is truly distilled by the distillery that may have only bottled it. More brand for your buck. A discussion on the best of the bottom shelf and everything leading to the top shelf spirits. Craft spirits vs. global spirit brands. Truth in distilling: Is that brand legit or a marketing campaign?
Saturday and Sunday Classes
Tea or Tincture: Does Incorporating Ritual Enhance Our Herbal Practices?
with Leslie Alexander
Across the globe, each and every culture embraces ritual. We have processes, events, and/or ceremonies to mark, for example, birth and death, coming of age, unions, affiliations, achievements and yes, even healing. If ritual enhances well-being, then perhaps it needs to be an integral part of our work. After a brief introduction, this interactive workshop will explore this ritual, sharing our own perspectives and experiences. Perhaps too our discussions will help to inform the question: Tea or tincture?
Guidance for the Self Trained Herbalist
with Mary Colvin
There is a considerable amount of information available to the novice herbalist who is beginning their journey into herbalism. This amount of information can be overwhelming to the student. There is also a considerable amount of misinformation and contradicting information that the self-trained herbalist has access to as well. How do you decipher the correct information? What subjects should I learn and in what order? Where can I turn for more information if finances and time are an issue? Join Mary Colvin RH(AHG) as she offers guidance to the student that includes researching guidelines, steps to the learning process, and additional resources they can turn to. (Beginner and possibly intermediate self trained herbalists)
Pranayama and Plants: Energetics of Breathing with Plants
with Colleen Donahoe
I would like to share some pranayama practices (yogic breathing exercises) to demonstrate how these practices can deepen our awareness and sensitivity to plant energy. We will discuss the similarities between the beneKits of pranayama and sharing space with plants, i.e. Kiltering air, increasing oxygen, calming the mind and improving concentration. (all levels)
The Lung Garden
with Geo Edwards
In this class I will cover how my studies in TCM have provided additional insight into the uses of plants and trees grown extensively by my grandparents in the Mississippi Delta, with a specific focus on both the internal and topical uses of these plants for support of respiratory conditions.
An Herbalists' Assessment of Nutritional Deficiencies
with Lindsey Feldpausch
No amount of Kava is going to fix a magnesium deficiency, nor will Ginkgo get rid of a B12 Deficit. Understanding patterns of nutritional deficiency in our client base will help us provide greater support. This class will dive into the world of vitamins and minerals, learning to recognize how the body clues us in when it’s not getting what it needs, and how to support nutritional repletion through food, herbs, and supplementation. (all levels)
Rewilding Ourselves Through Plant Medicine
with Lindsey Feldpausch
The act of taking a wild plant into our bodies changes us. The interfacing between plant and people transpires down to the cellular level but can bring about great shifts on a personal plane. We can generate positive evolution through the incorporation of plants into our daily lives, in so many ways. In this class we will discuss perspectives of what it means to be on this earth, our place in it, and how plants can be the path connecting us back to the natural world. (all levels)
Surviving and Destroying the Gender Binary Herbal Dystopia with your Cluster
(for trans, 2S, GNC and NB folks only)
with Vilde Chaya Fenster-Ehrlich
How has the gender binary ruined your day or your herbal life? What herb dreams do you have?How can we take care of each other, make something different and rewrite cisnormative stories out of herbal medicine. Plus sweet time with herbs to make us immune to the toxic ooze and strengthen our superpowers. This is a meetup for folks who identify as trans, non-binary, two- spirit or gender-nonconforming, to have some moments of realness and community together, to talk about ways that the plants are gay with us and help bring us joy in this hostile world, to hold hardness, and talk about our queerest visions within plantdom. (all levels)
Preparing Healthy Boundaries in Practice
with Margi Flint
One who listens to their client’s history and hears is on the path to becoming an excellent herbalist. It is the client’s story. When you respond to a memory, feeling or trauma of your own you have left the seat of the herbalist and become the client. This will be a supervised interactive practice session. (Intermediate)
Confirmations with Drop-Pulse Testing
with Margi Flint
Learn to relax your mind and share Drop-Pulse testing. Clients love this testing, for they are directly involved in the process. Test tinctures, dried herbs, or fresh herbs to sense responses. They are joining their energies with the herbs to feel a response. Note pulse, pupil, color, tension, temperature, moisture and overall impact of our plant friends on the person sitting before you. (beginner to intermediate)
Herbal & Aromatic Energetics in the Emotional Realm
with Erika Galentin
Join Clinical Herbalist Erika Galentin, MNIMH, RH (AHG) for an interactive deep-dive exploration into traditional Western herbal and aromatic energetics and how they can be called upon in support of the emotional realm. Using the four elements of Earth, Fire, Water, and Air as a framework, students will be guided through the fundamentals of Humoral, Physiomedical, and Alchemical traditions as a basis for both interpreting and utilizing herbal and aromatic actions to support wellness and balance in the human psyche. (all levels)
Demystifying Herb-Drug Interactions
with Erika Galentin
Many people get very frightened when they think about herbs and drugs interacting with each other. Some even may feel defensive about the idea that pharmaceutical medicine so easily puts herbs in the hot seat. In this class you will be introduced to the means by which herbs and drugs may interact with each other, for better or for worse. We will also be learning skills for easier interpretation of the scientific research investigating these interactions in order to discern their clinical relevance.
Adaptogenic and Tonic Herbs: Herbs for Longevity and Well Being
with Rosemary Gladstar
Experience Well Being and celebrate Every Stage of Life. Using herbs and simple common sense practices, you can restore and maintain vitality ~ whatever your age. We’ll discuss herbs used around the world that have earned a reputation for improving and maintaining energy, vitally and health. The adaptogenic/tonic herbs are also the foundation of many health protocols for both acute and chronic disorders. Favorite herbs and recipes for longevity and well being will be shared.
Herbs for Sexual Health
with Jocelyn Kirkwood
Trauma informed, body positive, Queer and Trans loving. We will explore supporting sexual health and pleasure with the help of herbs. This class will be a combination sex ed class and herbal workshop. We’ll talk in detail about prevention and herbal supports for most common STIs. Participants will walk away with a comprehensive understanding of sexual health and how to support yourself with herbs and harm reduction practices. (Teens and older)
Follow the Flowers! The Soul Language of Flower Essences
Amanda Klain
Flower essences are vibrational remedies that can help reorient and recalibrate ourselves towards wholeness. The unique expression of flowers are imprinted into water through an elemental alchemical process, and when ingested (or used in many other ways) they show our energy systems these high-frequency expressions of nature (flowers), and our systems respond! This class will share information about what flower essences are, why they can be such powerful medicines, and how we can use them not just for ourselves but for animals, land, homes, wildlife, etc…As a field botanist I will also be sharing species information/geographical distributions of the essences discussed as well as some ethical reminders. There will be a focus on essences used for themes of Protection & Boundaries, Individuation, Sovereignty & Self-Liberation, and Community-Building. A remarkable animal case study will be shared as well. (all levels)
Fresh Plantain Salve
with Greg Monzel
Make a rich green unctuous salve with fresh plantain leaves. We gather the leaves together and demonstrate our favorite techniques for making an infused oil with fresh plant material. Participants get their own tin of plantain salve. (all levels)
Reclaiming the Spiritual Guidance; Nookomis’s Visit
Esstin McLeod Niganobe
Part One
The spiritual guidance of Nokomis will assist with understanding the role of elders within indigenous communities. Creating a spiritual connection through meditative practice that will guide the individual to seeking personal acceptance for their family connections.
Individuals will be encouraged and motivated through a meditation session that will allow for the participants to identify their roles as they move forward to achieving their status as Nokomis and Mishomis.
Part Two
Recovering with the meditative process and empowering a personal relationship with self, Nokomis, Mishomis and Creator(chi-mannido)
holistic abortion: caring for someone during 1st trimester pregnancy release
with Alex Rae
I’m so excited to offer this special class that marries my two loves; reproductive justice and herbalism. join me for this empowering class that will cover in depth material and practical skills on 1st trimester abortion options, red flags, comfort measures and more. We do not cover herbal abortifacients in this class. However we will discuss pros and cons of using herbs. Look forward to you joining!
Herbalism for the Young Woman
with Abigail Ruby
A class for the young women of the herb faire. Taught by Abigail, but led by the little ladies. We will discuss the cycle and all the happenings during a monthly-moonly-womanly cycle. We will then talk about common symptoms, and symptoms of the class’s choosing, and the herbs that can be an ally. We will taste test some of my favorite herbal remedies that support a young woman’s cycle.
Caribbean Herbalism
with Brandon Ruiz
In this class we will discuss the history, stories and background of Caribbean plant medicine. We will talk about commonly used medicines in the Caribbean and their uses, the diverse backgrounds that create the medical systems and traditions in the islands and more. (all levels)
Culturally Relevant Herbalism and Herbal Accessibility
with Brandon Ruiz
In this workshop we will discuss the importance of practicing herbal medicine with cultural reverence towards those we work with and ourselves. We’ll talk about the value in reconnecting with our ancestral plants whether for food or medicine, how to navigate aiding those we help in doing the same and discuss examples. We will also talk about the obstacles that prevent some individuals from having easy and affordable access to plant medicine. We will discuss ways to create more accessibility for our community and how to be vehicles for this change as community herbalists and in general. (all levels)
Jewish Herbalism and Kabbalah
with Rivka Schwartz
There was a lot more to health practices in Jewish communities in Eastern Europe than chicken soup. (Not to discount that a good bone broth is excellent for health. Looks like those women were onto something.) Who were the healers in the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe? What were some of the attitudes, beliefs, practices and remedies prevalent in the Ashkenazi Jewish communities? After taking a quick journey through 4000 years of Jewish healing in the many countries Jews lived in, we’ll take a deeper look into the health practices of the last 400 years in Eastern Europe, focusing on the influences of kabbalah and its world view on those practices. I’ll also present some ideas and recipes to bring this into modern herbal practice along with a traditional method to help transition from illness to health.
Herbs for Pain and Trauma
with 7Song
Pain and trauma are both common health conditions that herbalist’s see and treat regularly. In this class categories and specific plants will be discussed that work on different types of pain. These include skeletal and smooth muscle pain, inflammation, and generalized pain syndromes. Some of the plants discussed will be: Jamaican dogwood, Hops, Valerian, Wild lettuce, Licorice, and others. (All levels)
Do It Yourself Community Health: Detroit, Asthma and Environmental Justice using Respiratory Herbs
with Lottie Spady
Asthma rates for adults and children in Detroit are significantly higher than in Michigan as a whole. In this learn-shop, we will explore why asthma is an environmental justice issue. I will also share my community herbalism work of the last three years in partnership with Keep Growing Detroit to provide Detroit residents with native medicinal plants and herbal instruction for making herbal blends that support respiratory health. The Do It Yourself Community Health project is centered around access and affordability, emphasizes local resources and economies and encourages community leadership and empowerment. Participants will also learn about the medicinal actions and constituents of a variety of respiratory herbs and formulations from tinctures to steams.
Natural Plant Dyes
with Crystal Stevens
Participants will learn about some basic plant dyes, various folding techniques, mordants, and various materials needed for plant dying. Participants will be able to dye their own bandana. I will have some fabric squares/bandanas and dye materials with an asked donation of 2$. If you can't pay this, please contact [email protected] and we will make sure you are able to participate!
Organic Growing of Medicinal Herbs
with Jane Hawley Stevens
The world needs medicinal plants, that are ethically grown. Certified organic since 1989, I will
share my knowledge of herbs that are easy or more challenging to grow, up and coming important crops and organic growing techniques that I use on my 130 acre farm in central Wisconsin. ( all levels)
Grounding in Plant Traditions
with Taylor Rae Tate
In this workshop, we dive into the histories involved in creating what is now considered to be "western herbal medicine". We will explore the ways that humans have evolved with plants over time to form highly intertwined relationships and mutualism, and how being in relation with them can support our own healing journeys. While plants are capable of supporting us in a number of different ways, in this workshop we will be honing in on stress, an emotion that we are all too familiar with. We will also be exploring our bodies' physiological stress responses, the ways stress has been passed down generationally (epigenetics), and the ways that our ancestral knowledge of the plants has been passed down with it. (Beginner)
The Weight of Stigma
with Taylor Rae Tate
Weight stigma and fatphobia are present in many facets of society and unfortunately the herb world is one of them. During this class, we will examine the way in which fatphobia shows up in wellness spaces and the ways fatness has been equated with pathology itself. This class will explore the roots fat-bias has in colonialism and Anti-Blackness, and ways in which herbal practitioners can cultivate spaces that are safe and inclusive for people in larger bodies.
Affrilachian Healing: Women of Color Healers of the South
with Lucretia Vandyke
Throughout history, people of color have played important roles in the world of healing arts and healthcare. From the granny midwife to the herbalist, from abolitionists like Harriet Tubman to the community medicine women who healed everyone. Learn about the history of African American healers as well as the roots of the craft from ancient Egypt to the Southern Appalachian Mountains. We will also talk about some of the plants they loved, recipes ,and the importance of their contributions to community health and wellness.
Topical Herbal Remedies
Experiential Herbalism Class for Beginners (Teens-Adults)
with Shana Weddington
Baths, poultices, compresses, and fomentations...oh my! Applying herbs topically not only aide in skin/musculoskeletal ailments, but have therapeutic benefit for all body systems and ailments. We'll discuss a little bit about indications for specific herbs and the basic how-tos but class attendees will also have an opportunity to experience the therapeutic benefit of using herbs topically for themselves.
The Lunar Influence
with Alexander Weyer
This class will explore the various impact potentials of the moon’s journey through the zodiac signs on our mind, body, and soul and how we can work with plants at every stage to support it’s passage. From planting, to harvesting, preparing, and taking medicine for the first time the moon can be referenced to inform opportune moments of action. (all levels)
What Should I Believe? Critical Thinking for Herbalists
with Kathleen Wildwood
It’s hard enough to get accurate information online on any subject, but accurate information about herbal medicine is even more challenging. We live in an era of Instagram influencers who may have good intentions but poor sources of information, websites that suck you (and your money!) in with grand health promises that don’t deliver, and charismatic social media figures that have more passion than facts. And, what about the powerful information brought to us through traditions, by elders with herbal knowledge, who may not even be on the internet? Kathleen Wildwood will teach you how to evaluate whether a person or a website has reasonably accurate information regarding herbs. She will discuss ways to deal with (and honor) emotions that may sway you one way or the other, while not ignoring red flags or clear evidence. She will also tell you how to figure out whether the latest scientific study about herbs (or foods!) is valid. (all levels)
Wild Vinegars: Homemade Wildcrafted and Scrap Vinegars. Beyond Fire Cider
with Leslie Williams
Demonstration of step-by-step methods for making vinegars at home, for preservation, medicine and food. We will taste samples and will discuss types of yeast, suppliers, shelf life, measuring acidity, shortcuts, quick pickles and more. Whether to buy yeast or use wild yeast – add sugars or not? Tonics, remedies, liniments.
Botany by Family: The Key to See
with Marc Williams
Plant Family Patterns can greatly aid in demystifying the “green wall” of botanicals around us. Close to 400,000 species of plants are known to global science. These species have been grouped into around 15,000 genera and over 400 flowering plant families. About 200 flowering plant families grow in the temperate world where it annually frosts and or freezes. You will know something significant about the majority of plants that you see in the temperate world if you learn the top 30 families around you. It is often possible to guess whether a plant is edible, medicinal, or poisonous simply by the family it occupies. However, some exceptions are important to know as well. We will engage in a lively presentation delving into the major plant families of the Midwestern USA. Students will reinforce plant identification skills by observing family patterns such as leaf, flower and fruit types. Uses including edibility, medicinality, craft, wildlife promotion and landscape beauty will be discussed. Participants will gain a more holistic understanding of the major plants comprising the Midwestern US flora and their potential ecological and ethnobotanical applications.
Supernatural Sodas, Magical Meads and Local Liquers
with Marc Williams
Come join Marc for a journey through the ancient art of brewing beverages. We will sample various beverages while also crafting a mead and reviewing step by step directions for making your own special brews. This class will empower each student to reclaim the wonder of uniquely created drinks to please any palate! Handouts will be given.
Herbal Safety for Pregnancy
with Cal Janae Wolfpack
One of the basic safety considerations most asked by herbalists is the question of herbal safety for pregnant folks. The class will look at 3 different approaches to the question of herbal safety in pregnancy. Students will leave class with an understanding of herbs that they can use during pregnancy as well as understanding when to consider using herbs that may carry some risk and what these risks entail. Focus will be on herbs commonly used by midwives, birth workers & pregnant folks as well as herbs used for common discomforts and issues that arise during pregnancy. (Geared toward Intermediate)
Tree Medicine
with Cal Janae Wolfpack
Many important herbal medicines come from trees and shrubs. One of my favorite things about tree medicine is that the long-lived woody nature and large size of most trees makes it possible to harvest them in a truly sustainably manner. In this class I will cover several species of medicinal trees that are found in Michigan & the Great Lakes Region. We will discuss the medicinal properties, actions and applications of these trees. For each tree we will also discuss identification, sustainable harvest techniques, processing & medicine making. If there is a tree onsite that can be pruned for the class, we will process and make a tree tincture in class. Specimens of some species may be provided for identification purposes. (All levels)
Land Back—Restoring Mother Earth’s Natural Landscape
with Nathan Wright
By rewinding the forests, waters, and even our own backyard, we can learn how to live in harmony with Mother Nature while helping nature take its course. (All levels)
The Plants Don’t Lie: Our Teachers, Our Truth, Our Connection to Mother Earth
with Nathan Wright
Learn from the greatest teachers of all: the plants themselves. (All levels)
Tea or Tincture: Does Incorporating Ritual Enhance Our Herbal Practices?
with Leslie Alexander
Across the globe, each and every culture embraces ritual. We have processes, events, and/or ceremonies to mark, for example, birth and death, coming of age, unions, affiliations, achievements and yes, even healing. If ritual enhances well-being, then perhaps it needs to be an integral part of our work. After a brief introduction, this interactive workshop will explore this ritual, sharing our own perspectives and experiences. Perhaps too our discussions will help to inform the question: Tea or tincture?
Guidance for the Self Trained Herbalist
with Mary Colvin
There is a considerable amount of information available to the novice herbalist who is beginning their journey into herbalism. This amount of information can be overwhelming to the student. There is also a considerable amount of misinformation and contradicting information that the self-trained herbalist has access to as well. How do you decipher the correct information? What subjects should I learn and in what order? Where can I turn for more information if finances and time are an issue? Join Mary Colvin RH(AHG) as she offers guidance to the student that includes researching guidelines, steps to the learning process, and additional resources they can turn to. (Beginner and possibly intermediate self trained herbalists)
Pranayama and Plants: Energetics of Breathing with Plants
with Colleen Donahoe
I would like to share some pranayama practices (yogic breathing exercises) to demonstrate how these practices can deepen our awareness and sensitivity to plant energy. We will discuss the similarities between the beneKits of pranayama and sharing space with plants, i.e. Kiltering air, increasing oxygen, calming the mind and improving concentration. (all levels)
The Lung Garden
with Geo Edwards
In this class I will cover how my studies in TCM have provided additional insight into the uses of plants and trees grown extensively by my grandparents in the Mississippi Delta, with a specific focus on both the internal and topical uses of these plants for support of respiratory conditions.
An Herbalists' Assessment of Nutritional Deficiencies
with Lindsey Feldpausch
No amount of Kava is going to fix a magnesium deficiency, nor will Ginkgo get rid of a B12 Deficit. Understanding patterns of nutritional deficiency in our client base will help us provide greater support. This class will dive into the world of vitamins and minerals, learning to recognize how the body clues us in when it’s not getting what it needs, and how to support nutritional repletion through food, herbs, and supplementation. (all levels)
Rewilding Ourselves Through Plant Medicine
with Lindsey Feldpausch
The act of taking a wild plant into our bodies changes us. The interfacing between plant and people transpires down to the cellular level but can bring about great shifts on a personal plane. We can generate positive evolution through the incorporation of plants into our daily lives, in so many ways. In this class we will discuss perspectives of what it means to be on this earth, our place in it, and how plants can be the path connecting us back to the natural world. (all levels)
Surviving and Destroying the Gender Binary Herbal Dystopia with your Cluster
(for trans, 2S, GNC and NB folks only)
with Vilde Chaya Fenster-Ehrlich
How has the gender binary ruined your day or your herbal life? What herb dreams do you have?How can we take care of each other, make something different and rewrite cisnormative stories out of herbal medicine. Plus sweet time with herbs to make us immune to the toxic ooze and strengthen our superpowers. This is a meetup for folks who identify as trans, non-binary, two- spirit or gender-nonconforming, to have some moments of realness and community together, to talk about ways that the plants are gay with us and help bring us joy in this hostile world, to hold hardness, and talk about our queerest visions within plantdom. (all levels)
Preparing Healthy Boundaries in Practice
with Margi Flint
One who listens to their client’s history and hears is on the path to becoming an excellent herbalist. It is the client’s story. When you respond to a memory, feeling or trauma of your own you have left the seat of the herbalist and become the client. This will be a supervised interactive practice session. (Intermediate)
Confirmations with Drop-Pulse Testing
with Margi Flint
Learn to relax your mind and share Drop-Pulse testing. Clients love this testing, for they are directly involved in the process. Test tinctures, dried herbs, or fresh herbs to sense responses. They are joining their energies with the herbs to feel a response. Note pulse, pupil, color, tension, temperature, moisture and overall impact of our plant friends on the person sitting before you. (beginner to intermediate)
Herbal & Aromatic Energetics in the Emotional Realm
with Erika Galentin
Join Clinical Herbalist Erika Galentin, MNIMH, RH (AHG) for an interactive deep-dive exploration into traditional Western herbal and aromatic energetics and how they can be called upon in support of the emotional realm. Using the four elements of Earth, Fire, Water, and Air as a framework, students will be guided through the fundamentals of Humoral, Physiomedical, and Alchemical traditions as a basis for both interpreting and utilizing herbal and aromatic actions to support wellness and balance in the human psyche. (all levels)
Demystifying Herb-Drug Interactions
with Erika Galentin
Many people get very frightened when they think about herbs and drugs interacting with each other. Some even may feel defensive about the idea that pharmaceutical medicine so easily puts herbs in the hot seat. In this class you will be introduced to the means by which herbs and drugs may interact with each other, for better or for worse. We will also be learning skills for easier interpretation of the scientific research investigating these interactions in order to discern their clinical relevance.
Adaptogenic and Tonic Herbs: Herbs for Longevity and Well Being
with Rosemary Gladstar
Experience Well Being and celebrate Every Stage of Life. Using herbs and simple common sense practices, you can restore and maintain vitality ~ whatever your age. We’ll discuss herbs used around the world that have earned a reputation for improving and maintaining energy, vitally and health. The adaptogenic/tonic herbs are also the foundation of many health protocols for both acute and chronic disorders. Favorite herbs and recipes for longevity and well being will be shared.
Herbs for Sexual Health
with Jocelyn Kirkwood
Trauma informed, body positive, Queer and Trans loving. We will explore supporting sexual health and pleasure with the help of herbs. This class will be a combination sex ed class and herbal workshop. We’ll talk in detail about prevention and herbal supports for most common STIs. Participants will walk away with a comprehensive understanding of sexual health and how to support yourself with herbs and harm reduction practices. (Teens and older)
Follow the Flowers! The Soul Language of Flower Essences
Amanda Klain
Flower essences are vibrational remedies that can help reorient and recalibrate ourselves towards wholeness. The unique expression of flowers are imprinted into water through an elemental alchemical process, and when ingested (or used in many other ways) they show our energy systems these high-frequency expressions of nature (flowers), and our systems respond! This class will share information about what flower essences are, why they can be such powerful medicines, and how we can use them not just for ourselves but for animals, land, homes, wildlife, etc…As a field botanist I will also be sharing species information/geographical distributions of the essences discussed as well as some ethical reminders. There will be a focus on essences used for themes of Protection & Boundaries, Individuation, Sovereignty & Self-Liberation, and Community-Building. A remarkable animal case study will be shared as well. (all levels)
Fresh Plantain Salve
with Greg Monzel
Make a rich green unctuous salve with fresh plantain leaves. We gather the leaves together and demonstrate our favorite techniques for making an infused oil with fresh plant material. Participants get their own tin of plantain salve. (all levels)
Reclaiming the Spiritual Guidance; Nookomis’s Visit
Esstin McLeod Niganobe
Part One
The spiritual guidance of Nokomis will assist with understanding the role of elders within indigenous communities. Creating a spiritual connection through meditative practice that will guide the individual to seeking personal acceptance for their family connections.
Individuals will be encouraged and motivated through a meditation session that will allow for the participants to identify their roles as they move forward to achieving their status as Nokomis and Mishomis.
Part Two
Recovering with the meditative process and empowering a personal relationship with self, Nokomis, Mishomis and Creator(chi-mannido)
holistic abortion: caring for someone during 1st trimester pregnancy release
with Alex Rae
I’m so excited to offer this special class that marries my two loves; reproductive justice and herbalism. join me for this empowering class that will cover in depth material and practical skills on 1st trimester abortion options, red flags, comfort measures and more. We do not cover herbal abortifacients in this class. However we will discuss pros and cons of using herbs. Look forward to you joining!
Herbalism for the Young Woman
with Abigail Ruby
A class for the young women of the herb faire. Taught by Abigail, but led by the little ladies. We will discuss the cycle and all the happenings during a monthly-moonly-womanly cycle. We will then talk about common symptoms, and symptoms of the class’s choosing, and the herbs that can be an ally. We will taste test some of my favorite herbal remedies that support a young woman’s cycle.
Caribbean Herbalism
with Brandon Ruiz
In this class we will discuss the history, stories and background of Caribbean plant medicine. We will talk about commonly used medicines in the Caribbean and their uses, the diverse backgrounds that create the medical systems and traditions in the islands and more. (all levels)
Culturally Relevant Herbalism and Herbal Accessibility
with Brandon Ruiz
In this workshop we will discuss the importance of practicing herbal medicine with cultural reverence towards those we work with and ourselves. We’ll talk about the value in reconnecting with our ancestral plants whether for food or medicine, how to navigate aiding those we help in doing the same and discuss examples. We will also talk about the obstacles that prevent some individuals from having easy and affordable access to plant medicine. We will discuss ways to create more accessibility for our community and how to be vehicles for this change as community herbalists and in general. (all levels)
Jewish Herbalism and Kabbalah
with Rivka Schwartz
There was a lot more to health practices in Jewish communities in Eastern Europe than chicken soup. (Not to discount that a good bone broth is excellent for health. Looks like those women were onto something.) Who were the healers in the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe? What were some of the attitudes, beliefs, practices and remedies prevalent in the Ashkenazi Jewish communities? After taking a quick journey through 4000 years of Jewish healing in the many countries Jews lived in, we’ll take a deeper look into the health practices of the last 400 years in Eastern Europe, focusing on the influences of kabbalah and its world view on those practices. I’ll also present some ideas and recipes to bring this into modern herbal practice along with a traditional method to help transition from illness to health.
Herbs for Pain and Trauma
with 7Song
Pain and trauma are both common health conditions that herbalist’s see and treat regularly. In this class categories and specific plants will be discussed that work on different types of pain. These include skeletal and smooth muscle pain, inflammation, and generalized pain syndromes. Some of the plants discussed will be: Jamaican dogwood, Hops, Valerian, Wild lettuce, Licorice, and others. (All levels)
Do It Yourself Community Health: Detroit, Asthma and Environmental Justice using Respiratory Herbs
with Lottie Spady
Asthma rates for adults and children in Detroit are significantly higher than in Michigan as a whole. In this learn-shop, we will explore why asthma is an environmental justice issue. I will also share my community herbalism work of the last three years in partnership with Keep Growing Detroit to provide Detroit residents with native medicinal plants and herbal instruction for making herbal blends that support respiratory health. The Do It Yourself Community Health project is centered around access and affordability, emphasizes local resources and economies and encourages community leadership and empowerment. Participants will also learn about the medicinal actions and constituents of a variety of respiratory herbs and formulations from tinctures to steams.
Natural Plant Dyes
with Crystal Stevens
Participants will learn about some basic plant dyes, various folding techniques, mordants, and various materials needed for plant dying. Participants will be able to dye their own bandana. I will have some fabric squares/bandanas and dye materials with an asked donation of 2$. If you can't pay this, please contact [email protected] and we will make sure you are able to participate!
Organic Growing of Medicinal Herbs
with Jane Hawley Stevens
The world needs medicinal plants, that are ethically grown. Certified organic since 1989, I will
share my knowledge of herbs that are easy or more challenging to grow, up and coming important crops and organic growing techniques that I use on my 130 acre farm in central Wisconsin. ( all levels)
Grounding in Plant Traditions
with Taylor Rae Tate
In this workshop, we dive into the histories involved in creating what is now considered to be "western herbal medicine". We will explore the ways that humans have evolved with plants over time to form highly intertwined relationships and mutualism, and how being in relation with them can support our own healing journeys. While plants are capable of supporting us in a number of different ways, in this workshop we will be honing in on stress, an emotion that we are all too familiar with. We will also be exploring our bodies' physiological stress responses, the ways stress has been passed down generationally (epigenetics), and the ways that our ancestral knowledge of the plants has been passed down with it. (Beginner)
The Weight of Stigma
with Taylor Rae Tate
Weight stigma and fatphobia are present in many facets of society and unfortunately the herb world is one of them. During this class, we will examine the way in which fatphobia shows up in wellness spaces and the ways fatness has been equated with pathology itself. This class will explore the roots fat-bias has in colonialism and Anti-Blackness, and ways in which herbal practitioners can cultivate spaces that are safe and inclusive for people in larger bodies.
Affrilachian Healing: Women of Color Healers of the South
with Lucretia Vandyke
Throughout history, people of color have played important roles in the world of healing arts and healthcare. From the granny midwife to the herbalist, from abolitionists like Harriet Tubman to the community medicine women who healed everyone. Learn about the history of African American healers as well as the roots of the craft from ancient Egypt to the Southern Appalachian Mountains. We will also talk about some of the plants they loved, recipes ,and the importance of their contributions to community health and wellness.
Topical Herbal Remedies
Experiential Herbalism Class for Beginners (Teens-Adults)
with Shana Weddington
Baths, poultices, compresses, and fomentations...oh my! Applying herbs topically not only aide in skin/musculoskeletal ailments, but have therapeutic benefit for all body systems and ailments. We'll discuss a little bit about indications for specific herbs and the basic how-tos but class attendees will also have an opportunity to experience the therapeutic benefit of using herbs topically for themselves.
The Lunar Influence
with Alexander Weyer
This class will explore the various impact potentials of the moon’s journey through the zodiac signs on our mind, body, and soul and how we can work with plants at every stage to support it’s passage. From planting, to harvesting, preparing, and taking medicine for the first time the moon can be referenced to inform opportune moments of action. (all levels)
What Should I Believe? Critical Thinking for Herbalists
with Kathleen Wildwood
It’s hard enough to get accurate information online on any subject, but accurate information about herbal medicine is even more challenging. We live in an era of Instagram influencers who may have good intentions but poor sources of information, websites that suck you (and your money!) in with grand health promises that don’t deliver, and charismatic social media figures that have more passion than facts. And, what about the powerful information brought to us through traditions, by elders with herbal knowledge, who may not even be on the internet? Kathleen Wildwood will teach you how to evaluate whether a person or a website has reasonably accurate information regarding herbs. She will discuss ways to deal with (and honor) emotions that may sway you one way or the other, while not ignoring red flags or clear evidence. She will also tell you how to figure out whether the latest scientific study about herbs (or foods!) is valid. (all levels)
Wild Vinegars: Homemade Wildcrafted and Scrap Vinegars. Beyond Fire Cider
with Leslie Williams
Demonstration of step-by-step methods for making vinegars at home, for preservation, medicine and food. We will taste samples and will discuss types of yeast, suppliers, shelf life, measuring acidity, shortcuts, quick pickles and more. Whether to buy yeast or use wild yeast – add sugars or not? Tonics, remedies, liniments.
Botany by Family: The Key to See
with Marc Williams
Plant Family Patterns can greatly aid in demystifying the “green wall” of botanicals around us. Close to 400,000 species of plants are known to global science. These species have been grouped into around 15,000 genera and over 400 flowering plant families. About 200 flowering plant families grow in the temperate world where it annually frosts and or freezes. You will know something significant about the majority of plants that you see in the temperate world if you learn the top 30 families around you. It is often possible to guess whether a plant is edible, medicinal, or poisonous simply by the family it occupies. However, some exceptions are important to know as well. We will engage in a lively presentation delving into the major plant families of the Midwestern USA. Students will reinforce plant identification skills by observing family patterns such as leaf, flower and fruit types. Uses including edibility, medicinality, craft, wildlife promotion and landscape beauty will be discussed. Participants will gain a more holistic understanding of the major plants comprising the Midwestern US flora and their potential ecological and ethnobotanical applications.
Supernatural Sodas, Magical Meads and Local Liquers
with Marc Williams
Come join Marc for a journey through the ancient art of brewing beverages. We will sample various beverages while also crafting a mead and reviewing step by step directions for making your own special brews. This class will empower each student to reclaim the wonder of uniquely created drinks to please any palate! Handouts will be given.
Herbal Safety for Pregnancy
with Cal Janae Wolfpack
One of the basic safety considerations most asked by herbalists is the question of herbal safety for pregnant folks. The class will look at 3 different approaches to the question of herbal safety in pregnancy. Students will leave class with an understanding of herbs that they can use during pregnancy as well as understanding when to consider using herbs that may carry some risk and what these risks entail. Focus will be on herbs commonly used by midwives, birth workers & pregnant folks as well as herbs used for common discomforts and issues that arise during pregnancy. (Geared toward Intermediate)
Tree Medicine
with Cal Janae Wolfpack
Many important herbal medicines come from trees and shrubs. One of my favorite things about tree medicine is that the long-lived woody nature and large size of most trees makes it possible to harvest them in a truly sustainably manner. In this class I will cover several species of medicinal trees that are found in Michigan & the Great Lakes Region. We will discuss the medicinal properties, actions and applications of these trees. For each tree we will also discuss identification, sustainable harvest techniques, processing & medicine making. If there is a tree onsite that can be pruned for the class, we will process and make a tree tincture in class. Specimens of some species may be provided for identification purposes. (All levels)
Land Back—Restoring Mother Earth’s Natural Landscape
with Nathan Wright
By rewinding the forests, waters, and even our own backyard, we can learn how to live in harmony with Mother Nature while helping nature take its course. (All levels)
The Plants Don’t Lie: Our Teachers, Our Truth, Our Connection to Mother Earth
with Nathan Wright
Learn from the greatest teachers of all: the plants themselves. (All levels)
Plant Walks
Mushroom Walk
Rachel Misfud
We will walk the site looking for mushrooms. Common mushrooms will be identified and their edible and medicinal properties discussed. Less common mushrooms will be used to teach about the anatomical features that are used in mushroom ID and to discuss the proper use of field guides to assist with mushroom ID, along with pitfalls that may make ID difficult. (all levels)
A Fairely Good Herb Walk
with jim mcdonald
Join herbalist jim mcdonald in a walk 'round the woods and fields of the Great Lakes Herb Faire to discover the myriad plants (and their myriad virtues) that grow all around us. We'll explore their history, actions and use through a blend of common sense, humor and practical experience.
The Wonders of Wayside Weeds
jim mcdonald
Common weedy plants are the foundation of most herbalists’ repertories, and for good reason. We’ll take a deeper look at the specific indications and the surprising and overlooked uses of some of our most beloved medicinal plants.
Forest and Bog Walk
Greg Monzel
Get to know the local flora in this plant walk through forest out to the bog boardwalk and back. Interact with the plants and share stories of connection and healing. Learn how to use several plants for food and medicine, and how to avoid and treat poison sumac/ivy. Heed the call of the whispering pines and come walk with us! (all levels)
Great Lakes Plant Walk with a Clinical Focus
with 7Song
This walk will focus on the clinical uses of the medicinal plants that grow around the Great Lakes. We will look at the botanical aspects of each plant, wildcrafting methods, ways to prepare them as medicine, anecdotes, and specific uses in applying them clinically. (All levels)
Midwestern Woody Ethnobotany Plant Walk
with Marc Williams
Come spend a class learning about trees and shrubs. We will go for a plant walk to learn how to identify a woody plant by the leaves, bark and other characteristics. Common and obscure uses for woody plants of the Midwestern flora that may support overall health, well-being and sustenance will also be discussed.
Rachel Misfud
We will walk the site looking for mushrooms. Common mushrooms will be identified and their edible and medicinal properties discussed. Less common mushrooms will be used to teach about the anatomical features that are used in mushroom ID and to discuss the proper use of field guides to assist with mushroom ID, along with pitfalls that may make ID difficult. (all levels)
A Fairely Good Herb Walk
with jim mcdonald
Join herbalist jim mcdonald in a walk 'round the woods and fields of the Great Lakes Herb Faire to discover the myriad plants (and their myriad virtues) that grow all around us. We'll explore their history, actions and use through a blend of common sense, humor and practical experience.
The Wonders of Wayside Weeds
jim mcdonald
Common weedy plants are the foundation of most herbalists’ repertories, and for good reason. We’ll take a deeper look at the specific indications and the surprising and overlooked uses of some of our most beloved medicinal plants.
Forest and Bog Walk
Greg Monzel
Get to know the local flora in this plant walk through forest out to the bog boardwalk and back. Interact with the plants and share stories of connection and healing. Learn how to use several plants for food and medicine, and how to avoid and treat poison sumac/ivy. Heed the call of the whispering pines and come walk with us! (all levels)
Great Lakes Plant Walk with a Clinical Focus
with 7Song
This walk will focus on the clinical uses of the medicinal plants that grow around the Great Lakes. We will look at the botanical aspects of each plant, wildcrafting methods, ways to prepare them as medicine, anecdotes, and specific uses in applying them clinically. (All levels)
Midwestern Woody Ethnobotany Plant Walk
with Marc Williams
Come spend a class learning about trees and shrubs. We will go for a plant walk to learn how to identify a woody plant by the leaves, bark and other characteristics. Common and obscure uses for woody plants of the Midwestern flora that may support overall health, well-being and sustenance will also be discussed.
Sunrise Classes
Saturday & Sunday Early Morning Classes
An Early Morning Prayer and Gratitude Circle
with Angie Pietraszewski
Angie will lead a 30-minute early morning Prayer & Gratitude Circle. We will meet down by the water where everyone is welcome to join in prayer and set their intentions for the day.
Sunrise Dance
with Kara McNabb
We’ll start the morning off with a playful movement practice that will help you get moving, get into your body, and connect with plants in a unique way. Through guided prompts, you’ll be invited to connect with plant energy through dance. It will be as fun and playful or as serious and meditative as you’d like. Somatic dance is a way to interact without words, to release stuck patterns and to gain understanding, insight and clarity. All people, ages and abilities are welcome. No dance experience required.
with Angie Pietraszewski
Angie will lead a 30-minute early morning Prayer & Gratitude Circle. We will meet down by the water where everyone is welcome to join in prayer and set their intentions for the day.
Sunrise Dance
with Kara McNabb
We’ll start the morning off with a playful movement practice that will help you get moving, get into your body, and connect with plants in a unique way. Through guided prompts, you’ll be invited to connect with plant energy through dance. It will be as fun and playful or as serious and meditative as you’d like. Somatic dance is a way to interact without words, to release stuck patterns and to gain understanding, insight and clarity. All people, ages and abilities are welcome. No dance experience required.