2018 GREAT LAKES HERB FAIRE TEACHERS

Adela Nieves Martinez is a Traditional Community Health and Healing Arts Practitioner. She is deeply committed to her Taino (indigenous peoples of the Caribbean) roots and integrative wellness approaches, practicing Acudetox (ear acupuncture), indigenous traditional medicine, cupping therapy, whole person natural care, and Reiki for individuals and groups struggling with addiction, PTSD, stress and trauma. Adela founded Healing by Choice! a circle of women-of-color healers and health practitioners offering a range of healing modalities to organizations and communities within the city of Detroit. She is also a project coordinator for Center for Embodied Pedagogy and Action (CEPA), an ecologically light retreat and education center in Puerto Rico. website
Alexander Weyer has been working in collaboration with the Stars and Planets through the study and practice of Astrology for over 15 years. A current member of the American Federation of Astrologers (AFA), as well as the Association for Young Astrologers (AYA), he has been professionally teaching and working privately with clients in the Detroit area and beyond for the past 5 years. His primary training with Herbs has come through the blessed teachings of Jim McDonald’s intensive course ‘Lindera’ in 2016, as well as Sajah Popham’s Alchemical Herbalism program. For his ‘Saturn Return’ this year he is currently building a dual-function Tiny-Home and Apothecary in the Brightmoor neighborhood of Detroit where he hopes to be able to further serve his various communities. One of his favorite past times comes through searching for and finding meaningful connections between ‘seemingly unrelated’ aspects of life and the different patterns of how we live it; like all the ways cooking is like math, how math is like music, and how music is one of the best metaphors for the cosmic dance of the planetary influences around us… or something profound like that ;)    website
Althea Northage Orr is dedicated to interweaving the knowledge of both the East and the West. In 2000, Althea founded her school, The Chicago College of Healing Arts, where she created curriculums for Bodywork, Chinese Medicine, Herbalism, and Psychophysical Re-education. She served on the governing council of the American Herbalists Guild and sits on their professional admissions committee. Althea has an 80 acre country sanctuary where she cultivates medicinal herbs.  ​        
​ website  
​
Amanda Klain What began in 1995 as a piqued interest in herbs, has developed into a passionate lifetime dedication to all plants, in a diversity of ways, with a particular focus on preserving native species. I have been working professionally with the Michigan flora since 2006, with extensive knowledge in plant identification, native plant propagation, seed collecting, botanical surveying, herbarium work and more. 
The kinship I feel with plants and animals is beyond words, and my entire being wants full immersion with the natural world. I do what I can!
Hey! I’m Andrea Bukiewicz. I am licensed traditional midwife, athlete and witch. I am the owner of Artemisia Midwifery, a homebirth midwifery practice and herbal clinic. My experience as a midwife helped me mature into the woman I am today, a strong woman who is here to protect our rites of passages in such a way that honors its process, a witch and poisoner who pays reverence to her Deities and an athlete who kicks ass as a national competitor in Olympic Weightlifting. My introduction to the healing arts and feminine teaching looked very similar to my midwifery practice, my grandmother sharing her eucalyptus folk remedies and family stories. Her love began the preparation for what was to come and helped cultivate my spirit and trade. Outside of midwifery, folk herbalism and ass kicking, I am a tattoo enthusiast, bone collector, devout animist and avid traveler with my two children and our Goldendoodle, Loki. website
Angela McElroy is a Naturopathic Practitioner with a focus on herbs, homeschooling mom, and farm girl with a special interest in children’s emotional and physical health.  She has her Bachelors in Science and Human Services and former Infant mental health specialist.  Angela obtained her Naturopathic Doctor certification from Trinity College of Natural Health.  Angela works as a naturopath at Continuum Healing in Grand Rapids MI, and looking to open up her own practice called Dorr to Eden, Animal assisted Naturopathy in Dorr, MI. 
Angela McElroy
Breezy Barcelo has worked as a birth and postpartum doula for 11 years. She is the mama of 7 and is passionate about homeschooling. Breezy is currently a student of occupational therapy and integrative holistic health at WMU in Kalamazoo, MI. Much of her passion and research lies in the incredible benefits of nature therapy for children.
​​Briana Wiles is a wild plant expert who loves expanding people’s knowledge about the plants surrounding them. She teaches foraging and medicinal plant classes out of Rooted Apothecary, her shop in Crested Butte, Colorado, which offers her line of body care products, remedies, and potions made with foraged botanicals. She resides in the central Rockies of Colorado with her husband, son, and Alaskan Malamute. She was raised in Michigan, and uses a blend of plants from both bioregions in her formulations and concoctions. website
​ Brooke has over 15 years of small business experience and has been formally studying herbalism since 2002. Her herbal journey was sparked by a desire to know the names of common weeds growing on the sides of pathways, not the fancy ones in a greenhouse. With a passion for introducing people from all walks of life to the wonderful world of herbalism, Brooke excels at teaching techniques and new perspectives on how to use herbs. Her goal at the end of each class is to have students walk away feeling confident and curious to experiment with one herb at a time.
 
She began teaching for the Ohio Herb Education Center in 2012. She began managing the center in 2013, creating curriculums for single workshops, multi-class intensives and lectures. She has arranged herbal experiences for tour groups of 6 to 100, combining technique lectures with hands-on crafts to introduce people to herbs. She also coordinates the annual celebration event Herb Day, a free herb education day along side of the largest one day herb plant sale in Columbus, Ohio.  
 
Brooke has been guest speaker for the The Gardens at Gantz 2015 Herb Symposium, 2014 Garden to Table Symposium hosted by the Master Gardeners of Cuyahoga County, as well as for the 2014 National Children & Youth Garden Symposium. She has also been a featured presenter for the Herb Society of America and has made multiple TV appearances including on FOX28 “Good Day Columbus”, NBC4, and FOX8 New Day Cleveland. She is an active member of the American Herbalist’s Guild and the Herb Society of America. 
 
In 2017, she and Erika Galentin opened Sovereignty Herbs, an herbal service business offering herbal consultations, apprenticeships and workshops located in Athens, Ohio.
Cali Janae is a plant and nature lover with a passion for accessible and empowering healthcare for self and community. Cali’s love for the wild was sparked early in life on plant and bird walks with their father in central Iowa. Cali’s training includes a Bachelor’s degree in Ethnobotany from Drake University. Following this up, Cali studied for three years at the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine, completing the Community Herbalism Intensive and two years of apprenticeship alongside 7Song. During this time Cali worked as a volunteer clinical herbalist at the Ithaca Free Clinic in Ithaca, New York. Cali is currently works as a community and clinical herbalist and botanist in their own practice. In their free time they enjoy celebrating time with friends, fermentation, gardening, travel and bird watching. 
Colleen Donahoe Growing up the daughter of two Deadhead attorneys just north of Indianapolis, Colleen has been surrounded by forests and fields since day one. Her interests in nature and conservation expanded as she completed her degree in Wildlife at Purdue University to include organic agriculture and education. After several seasonal adventures in environmental education, she settled close to her roots and honed her skills as a teacher at a local charter school and a horticulturist at Garfield Park Conservatory in Indianapolis. She also cofounded a yoga studio and herb school with her husband. Her current position as Garden Educator is the perfect combination of her many passions and talents. website
Erika Galentin is a Clinical Herbalist and an ITEC certified Clinical Aromatherapist consulting from Sovereignty Herbs, Athens, OH. She holds a degree in Herbal Medicine from the University of Wales, Cardiff, UK and Scottish School of Herbal Medicine, Glasgow, UK. She is a professional member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (UK) and the American Herbalists Guild (USA). She is also a proud member of Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society in Horticulture (USA). ​A decade of clinical practice has provided a platform for a deep and influential understanding of the efficacy of medicinal plants within a clinical environment. It is through this clinical practice that Erika is able encourage positive, learned relationships between plants and people. She is a firm believer in celebrating the role humanity plays in the ecology of our landscapes and that our relationships with the natural world should be based upon reciprocity and exchange. In addition to clinical practice, Erika is both a student and teacher of horticulture and native medicinal plant conservation and ecology. website        another website
​Esstin McLeod is a member of the Mississaugi First Nations. Esstin has been studying and practicing Aboriginal Healing Methods for the past 30 Years. She has facilitated “Traditional Healing” workshops promoting the benefits of Spiritual plant therapy a program designed with reference made to The Medicine Wheel Teachings. As a Traditional Medicine Practitioner she provides clinical consultations to various health organizations in northern and southern Ontario, her practice for herbal medicine stems from a spiritual energetic perspective.
 Ginny Denton is a bioregional herbalist in Ann Arbor, Michigan, who spends most of her spare time wildcrafting and making medicines with the plants (and trees!) that grow nearby.  She is the owner and creator of Linden Tree Herbals, a small apothecary focused on wildcrafted, sustainably grown and gathered local plant preparations.  She has learned much of what she knows from herbalist jim mcdonald in White Lake, Michigan, with 7Song at the Northeast School of Botanical Herbalism, with Ordinary Herbalist Leslie Williams, and from all sorts of other lovely plant people.   When not working with the plants or inventing new and delicious recipes, Ginny is an avid reader, tea drinker, and kitty cuddler.  website
 Greg Monzel is a native Hoosier, husband, father, and student of nature and history with a gift for nourishing deep connections between people and plants. He experienced the medicinal power of plants directly when he used raw pineapple as an effective treatment for chronic strep-throat early in life. In 2007, Greg studied with renowned herbalist 7song at the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine and in 2013 with herbalist Jim McDonald in Michigan. He has parlayed his nurturing temperament and deep connection with plants into a career as an herbal educator, medicine maker and grower. website
Guido Masé RH (AHG) is a clinical herbalist, herbal educator, and garden steward specializing in holistic Western herbalism (though his approach is eclectic and draws upon many influences). He spent his childhood in the Italian central Alps and in a Renaissance town called Ferrara. After traveling around the United States, he settled in Vermont where he has been living since 1996.
He is founder, faculty member, and clinical supervisor at the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit herbal medicine clinic and school that provides comprehensive services focused on whole plants and whole foods. He serves as chief herbalist for the Urban Moonshine Natural Products Company, where he works on research, development, and quality control for an all-organic whole-plant tincture line and offers herbal medicine education. He is a founding member of the Burlington Herb Clinic, a worker-owned herbalist cooperative where he houses his clinical practice. He participates in herbal education at the University of Vermont, and is the author of The Wild Medicine Solution: Healing with Aromatic, Bitter and Tonic Plants and DIY Bitters: Reviving the Forgotten Flavor  website   another website
Heather Mourer is a Highland Park (Detroit)-based community herbalist. Mourer has studied with jim mcdonald and KP Khalsa and is currently furthering her studies through Rosemary Gladstar’s Science and Art of Herbalism. Mourer is also a 2016 alumna of the SEED Wayne Fellowship in Community Food Systems Planning at Wayne State University – with her research focused on food access and food as medicine in the Banglatown neighborhood of Detroit. In addition to more structured education opportunities, Mourer has more than a decade of self-taught experience in using herbs and food as medicine to help friends, family and herself and continues to attend workshops and classes with some of the best teachers in the country, as often as possible. Mourer's specific areas of interest in holistic healing include: women's health, LGBTQ health, harm reduction care, mental wellness and pet care. website
Inger Brown is a student of the plants and community herbalist living in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her partner where they raise bees, food, and herbs. She works as a graphic designer and herbal product maker in addition to hosting a free, weekly, virtual herb tasting. The tasting schedule can be found at her website.    website
Jade Shutes holds a Diploma in Holistic Aromatherapy, Holistic Massage, Anatomy and Physiology, and Reflexology from the Raworth College of Natural Medicine in Dorking, UK, and a Diploma in Aromatherapy from the International Therapist Examining board (ITEC). She has studied herbs and herbal medicine with David Hoffman, Rosemary Gladstar, Erin Groh, Thomas Easley, Erika Galentin, and has completed her first year in the Masters in Herbal Medicine at Maryland University of Integrative Health where she fell in love with pathophysiology.  Today she is the co-visionary and co-director of education for the New York Institute of Aromatic Studies. “I am a strong advocate for the use of aromatherapy and herbal medicine for self care healthcare and believe education is the key to self empowerment. I believe aromatherapy 'plants a seed' in each of us, awakening our inherent relationship with the beauty and wisdom of the natural world , our sense of smell, and the beauty of plant derived aromatics.”
Janice Marsh-Prelesnik Since 1981, Janice has offered, through her business, Creative Health Arts, various modalities as a community healer. Now a retired home birth midwife, Janice currently offers herb classes and consults, expressive arts/music therapy sessions for those in Hospice care, and sound healing sessions and end of life care midwifery.  Janice is the mother of four grown children who were raised with herbs for wellness and healing, and takes very seriously her role as grandmother to her four adored grandchildren. website
Jess Krueger My life is grounded in nourishment, utilizing locally abundant plants and facilitating the accessible sharing of skills and knowledge. I work with people to cultivate wellness through nourishing and dynamic herbal education according to their individual needs. I love to teach people about plants: how to identify them, how to harvest them, and how to make home made remedies. Valuing nature connection through spending time immersed outdoors harvesting plants as food and medicine is an essential part of my work. I write herbal zines, co-run an herbal CSA and teach classes in and around Viroqua, WI.  website
jim mcdonald In 1996, jim mcdonald's life changed when he drank tea from a wild plant he harvested from the land he lived upon.  Since those first sips of strange tea, his life in the woods and meadows of southeast michigan has been centered on the plants & ecosystems of that land, and how he might share their virtues to restore wellness with those around him.  jim's approach to herbcraft blends traditional folk and indigenous influences with 19th century eclectic and physiomedical vitalism, which he conveys with story, experience, humour, common sense and lore to students, clients, random passersby and readers of his website www.herbcraft.org.  He's taught classes throughout north america and is currently alternately writing “Foundational Herbcraft” and the “A Great Lakes Herbal”, in addition to articles for journals and other publications.  jim is a community herbalist, a manic wildcrafter and medicine maker, and has been an ardent student of the most learned teachers of herbcraft… the plants themselves. 
Jo Feterle I’m a forever student of the plants , trees, bees and all the beautiful creatures of this planet.  Im a folk/ community herbalist and Honeybee caretaker.  I’m currently studying Herbal Clinical skills with Leslie Williams and Leslie Alexander.Jo Feterle    website
John Wright is a naturalist, teacher, herbalist, nurseryman and self-taught permaculture geek. He was formally trained as a horticulturalist at Ohio State. He has run community gardens for non-profits and faith-based institutions. He has managed large vegetable and herb growing farms. He knows from experience how to grow food anywhere: a tiny inner city plot, a windowsill, hidden public spaces, on acres and acres of rural land. He spends his days as a teacher, seed saver, plant-identifier, creative-thinker, and dreamer. He was born and raised and still lives on his education farm in Jefferson, Ohio. website
Kathleen Raven Wildwood is the founder and director of Wildwood Institute in Middleton, WI, providing health consultations and education in herbalism and holistic healing, including a comprehensive Herbal Apprenticeship Program.  Kathleen has studied and practiced in shamanic, scientific and Western herbal traditions for over 20 years. The former President of the Madison Herbal Institute, she has taught workshops at Meriter Hospital, UW Medical School, and Edgewood College. She has been in private practice and teaching herbalism since 1996. website
Kristen McPhee By integrating modern science with traditional wisdom, I provide holistic treatment tailored to each client's specific health and wellness needs. I hold a Master’s of Science in Therapeutic Herbalism from the Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH)—the only accredited university offering such a degree—and have completed Post-Master’s Certificates in both Clinical Herbalism and Nutrition, also through MUIH. I have had the privilege of studying under and collaborating with renowned integrative health practitioners from all over the country through participation in the American Herbalists Guild Supervisory Mentoring Program and Rebecca Snow's Mentoring Program. Although formally trained in a variety of areas, I specialize in Lyme disease and women’s health. I seek to empower clients by ensuring that they are fully informed of the healing process and their choices along the way. When appropriate, I establish open communication with primary care physicians, allowing a cross-examination of complementary and conventional perspectives. I have also undergone extensive training in the safe and effective use of herbal medicines, including potential drug-herb and herb-nutrient interactions. Prior to starting Kristen McPhee Nutrition & Herbs, I worked with vulnerable populations in nutrition education and urban farming. I spent several years developing and managing an educational farm for the Chicago Botanic Garden and later worked as a Nutrition Educator for the University of Maryland. My own difficult to diagnose health crisis and deep-rooted reverence for nature set me on the practitioner’s path to becoming a licensed nutritionist and herbalist. After a decade away, I have returned to my home state of Michigan in 2015 to begin my practice and set roots within the local community. 
​website
​​
Kristine Brown Based out of Troy, IL (20 minutes away from St. Louis, MO), Kristine Brown, RH(AHG) is a traditional community herbalist and homeschooling mother of 4 children and 2 bonus (step) children. She has studied with Rosemary Gladstar, Isla Burgess and her mentors Leslie Alexander and Leslie Williams as well as spent countless hours in research and study. She offers an herbal product line, including her handmade herbal goat milk soaps, sees clients, teaches classes, hosts a study group focusing on the use of local herbs, and writes and illustrates the popular ezine for children, Herbal Roots zine. In the past Kristine has facilitated a summer herbal workshop out of her home for children as well as coordinated the kid's camp for 4 years at the Midwest Women's Herbal Conference. She has also taught both adults and children around the country at conferences such as Traditions in Western Herbalism, Montana Herb Gathering, Great Lakes Herb Faire, and The Midwest Women’s Herbal Conference. Currently she and Leslie Alexander co-facilitate the Herbal Activity Hub for kids at the annual AHG Symposiums. website   another website
Kyle Denton, founder and herbalist at Tippecanoe Herbs.  We are a Milwaukee WI based company that does a little bit of everything.  We forage, we make all our own products, we have been selling them to the public through farmers markets, events and now a full on herb shop stocked with our medicine, we teach, we do a fair amount of clinical work and custom formulizing for our clients over here at Tippecanoe Herbs.  My background began in Ayurvedic Medicine and expanded to Traditional Western Herbalism as I worked more and more within the local biosphere to find the plants to make medicine.  If you stop into the shop, you might find me writing a new zine, listening to garage rock n roll records, and plotting with urban and local farmers on how we can work together to create seasonally harvested medicine and build a healthier city. website
Linda M. Conroy (aka Linda Moon) dedicates her life to connecting with the green world. The plants are her primary mentors and never cease to amaze her. Linda is a practicing herbalist, providing herbal education, workshops and apprenticeships as well as individual consultations. She holds two master degrees: MSS (Master of Social Service) and MLSP (Master of Law and Social Policy) and is certified in permacultre design and as a wilderness first responder. She holds a birth doula certificate and was trained as a midwifery assistant at the Farm in Tenessee. Linda has studied extensively with Isla Burgess of the International College of Herbal Medicine, Susun Weed at the Wise Woman Center and has taken classes with many herbalists and personal growth teachers over the past 25 years. She is a lifelong student of nonviolent communication and is a vibrant women, committed to authenticity and connection. ​
Micah McLaughlin is a naturopathic practitioner specializing in the integration of the body and mind. Micah uses the traditional naturopathic tools of sclerology, muscle testing, holistic counseling, and facial/fingernail/tongue analysis to find the root of his clients’ health complaints. With an approach of curiosity and investigation Micah looks for the energetic and emotional blocks underlying symptoms, often requesting that these be “noticed” or “examined” by his clients. Herbs, flower essences, supplements, breath work, and energy work are used as Micah helps people connect to who they truly are. Through this process clients are able to shed their limiting beliefs and embodied patterns and find healing on a physical, emotional, and often spiritual level. Micah was trained at the Naturopathic Institute of Therapies and Education and founded Continuum Healing in 2008 and co-founded the Wellness Collective GR in 2015. He further studied Western Herbalism and the Enneagram, deepening his passion to treat the whole person. Micah  has written and taught his Survival Herbalism course at various primitive skills schools throughout the country. Micah deeply believes in the healing ability of the body and inspires his clients through hope and empowerment. website   another website
​Leslie Alexander is a practicing herbalist living on the shores of Lake Erie. In addition to seeing clients and teaching workshops, clinical skills and mentoring others, she enjoys exploring places less travelled. With her first book, Dental Herbalism behind her, she’s now exploring maritime medicine … pirate medicine and beyond. An exciting topic for any captain and all the crew! website
Leslie Williams I wander, but I’ve lived years in NE Ohio and I teach in Erie PA often, within site of the Great Lake Erie herself.  My kinfolk settled along Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie. I mapped the medicinal herbs and trees in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and volunteered in the Ohio Volunteer Naturalists training program while in Cuyahoga Falls, OH; I’ve volunteered in free clinics in Cleveland. I’ve been an herbalist for more than 40 years and probably forget a lot.  I’m interested in building new traditions and finding new ways of thinking about old ideas. 
 
Linda Diane Feldt A student of the healing arts since 1973, I have had a full time private practice that includes writing and teaching since 1980. I was one of Susun Weed’s early apprentices, spanning 1987-1989. I also did self-study beginning in 1982 and started teaching herbology with Bronwen Gates soon after. I have been a gardener since I was a child, and led wildflower walks as a Girl Scout Brownie beginning in fourth grade.
My private practice is as a Holistic Health Practitioner. In addition to herbal wisdom I primarily use Cranialsacral Therapy, Polarity Therapy, and am a licensed Massage Therappist. Over the years I’ve served on many national boards and commissions, including in leadership roles.
I have taught herbalism and foraging from grade school to graduate school including seving as an adjunct faculty member for the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy. I also taught herbalism as an elective for the Medical School for many years, focusing on having third year medical students make herbal preparations. With the popularity of the Harry Potter series, interest in that course also increased. I have been part of the annual herbalism day for The University of Michigan Faculty Scholars Program since 2003. And most recently, in July of 2018 ended 25 years of teaching a free monthly class on herbal wisdom, sponsored by the People’s Food Co-op. I love my work, and especially teaching and learning opportunities. I am profoundly grateful that this is how I’ve made my living for 38 years. website
Lindsey Feldpausch, RH (AHG), is a clinical herbalist, avid medicine maker and a nature-based mamma. An instructor at the Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine, she teaches materia medica and medicine making. Trained in the art of western herbalism, she believes in the healing powers of plants and our innate abilities to tap into this knowledge. Kindling this belief in others and showing people the way of the herbs, is one of her life’s objectives. 
Lottie V. Spady, Detroit Food and Media Justice Activist, has been studying herbalism formally for over 4 years although she has been an advocate and user of herbal supports for decades. She is currently hosting community herbal education sessions, plant identification walks, and medicine making workshops in Detroit. She also creates a variety of herbal products for health and wellness under the Detroit Elixir & Salve Company brand. Lottie blogs at Earthseed Detroit, which chronicles her evolution as an urban farmgirl as she learns about and adapts to the challenges of living a sustainable, healthy lifestyle. She can often be found outside in a field or forest wandering with her dog, Riley, and a camera.
website
Lynn Abbey-Zukowski ​My background includes a degree in biology, working at a natural history museum, doing infectious disease research at a medical school, being a certified addictions counselor and growing herbs as an organic gardener all my life. All these gave me skills that prepared me to be an herbalist. My teachers have included Aviva Romm, Cathy Skipper, Paul Bergner, Sean Donahue and all the wonderful herbalists who have written books or offered classes that I have been blessed to experience. The plants also teach me every day. website
Nicki Schneider My path as an herbalist began about a decade ago when i began to grow my own food. Looking at the plants that were already inhabiting my landscape, I thought, 'why remove something that is willing to grow here, to make room for something that didn't intentionally want to be here, like a tomato?'  It very quickly became my passion to learn about and utilize (if possible) all of the plants that inhabited my homestead. Prior to my current work as a sales broker within the natural products industry, I worked as an interpretive naturalist for the metroparks of Summit County, Ohio.  I also offer monthly herbal classes at Sat Nam Yoga Studio, as well as public and private weed walks.  I spend my free time in my garden, the kitchen, or foraging in my neighborhood.  I have a passion for local, seasonal and sustainable food and medicine as well as fermenting anything possible.  I have studied with Susun Weed, Leslie Alexander and Leslie Williams. in 2015, I completed the community herbal intensive under the instruction of Leah Wolfe at the Trillium Center. I have a B.S.. in biology from Baldwin-Wallace University, where I studied spiders and insects (my first love).  I am a member of the American Herbalists Guild, United Plant Savers, and the Native Plant Society of northeast Ohio.
Rachel Mifsud is the founding member of Will Forage for Food, a community that promotes knowledge of wild foods and other wilderness, off-grid, and homesteading skills. As a child Rachel often camped, hunted, trapped, and harvested and preserved foods with her family. Through years of practice, her family has learned to gather, process, produce, and preserve a large proportion of the foods, medicines, and household products that they need. In addition to her life experience, she has formal education and work experience. She has a BS in Environmental Biology and an MS in Ecology, and has worked as a biologist, ecologist, and instructor throughout the Great Lakes Region. She is a lifelong student of the environment and traditional skills, with a special interest in understanding why nature creates those characteristics that give plants and animals their unique and useful qualities. ​website
Sara Evans has been offering local Harry Potter inspired funshops for almost 8 years now. She started when her oldest child was nine, finding creative ways to incorporate herbalism and apothecary skills into their homeschool. Learning about plant uses is something that Sara has found valuable her entire life. In addition to learning new things with her family, she enjoys photography, building, and magical creating things with mixed media.
Talal Al-Hamad is an arabic herbalist who uses an East meets West approach with great efficiency. He has been a student of many various modalities incluing classical homeopathy, ayurveda, flower essence, traditional western herbalism and more. Herbalist and jazz/funk musician by night, Talal has dedicated his life to developing his treatment protocols. website
Talitha Johnson  Combines both culture and health in the center of her herbal practice, as she studies Western Herbalism and incorporates Caribbean and indigenous techniques. An avid learner, she has studied with Wildflower Herbal School of Botanical Medicine, herbalist Jim McDonald and Sam Coffman. She has facilitated skill share workshops for youth, organized holistic health events like the Detroit Healing Tour, the Urban Apothecary and founded Amour All Naturals. While exploring the world through a continually blossoming herbal lense, she includes LOVE at the center of her work. With love, she empowers others to join her in exploring herbalism and connecting to one's immediate bio-region. She creates natural body care products via her company Amour All Naturals, and blogs about her herbal adventures, discoveries and learnings.
website
Tracy Mangold is honored to serve her community as an herbalist. Her studies began 15 years ago, with beloved teachers and treasured time working with and learning from the plants. From caring for her own family's health needs to providing consultation and herbal medicine to others within the community, she joyfully endeavors to connect plants and people. She was a coordinator and teacher for the kid's herb camp at the Midwest Women's Herbal Conference for 3 years.  As a member of the Threshold Care Circle, Tracy incorporates herbal knowledge into workshops that educate about the home funeral movement and grief. She is co-owner and operator of Owl and Crow Herbal CSA of Viroqua, Wisconsin.  website
Tricia Bellew is a traditional Naturopath and Western folk herbalist. She is a graduate of the Naturopathic School of the Healing Arts and has studied with the likes of Jim McDonald, Margie Flint, and Darcey Blue. A homeschooling mother of two young wildflowers, Tricia is passionate about empowering others to take charge of their health. She champions the cause of helping the sacred healing traditions take root once again by planting seeds of knowledge within her community as she tends to her own spiritual herbal garden of life and love.
Deanne Bednar taught art & sustainable futures at the middle school level for 28 years, then retired, took a 3 week building course from Cob Cottage Company, and fell in love with the process! Since 1996 she has helped design and construct small natural buildings out of strawbale & earth plasters, with thatched / living roofs, sculpted fireplaces, benches and illustrated 3 books on natural building (Hand-Sculpted House+). She lives, coordinates / teaches at Strawbale Studio outside Oxford Michigan since 2003. Internships, Worktrade. Loves whittling, cording, lashing and foraging !!!  Masters in Social Ecology. www.strawbalestudio.org