(For the entire yearly curriculum and photo gallery, scroll to the bottom of the page)

Join a small group of people for weekly classes that focus on wild-crafting and medicine making. Held at a beautiful forest cabin, we meet for an entire year, focusing on the seasonal availability of wild plants. We hand-craft small batches of plant medicine and learn how to use plants for common ailments. You will learn the folklore and the traditions of the plants that have been handed down to us throughout history. You will begin by creating a home apothecary and as the season progresses you will fill your shelves and bottles with beautiful high quality medicines for yourself, family and friends. We spend time in the field, forest and in the kitchen. Each student develops a plant journal full of details and recipes about the plants.

This is a hands-on-series with the goal that each student finishes with an in depth understanding of many medicinal plants in the local area.

This is a program designed to have an open enrollment, which means that I teach it on an ongoing schedule and people can join at any point in the year and go for the entire year, provided there is space. Although I prefer that students take the program for a whole year, I know that not everyone will be able to. I do ask for a three month minimum commitment. The program officially starts every October. No experience is needed, only a passion for plants. If you are interested in the program, please contact me and I will let you know if there is a space available.

Tuition is $50/week, excluding the weeks of Christmas and also a few classes TBA on occasion due to my travel. You supply your own medicine making materials. Meeting time for class is held every Friday from 10am to 2pm, located about 30 minutes north of Olympia Washington. Class size is limited to twelve people.

Year at a Glance

This is a year-at-a glance curriculum for the apprenticeship. A detailed monthly schedule, which includes  materials needed for each class will be given out a month in advance to each student.

October: Introductions, Creating a Home Apothecary, Drying and Storing Herbs. Plant Study and Harvest: Yellow dock, Oregon grape, Blackberry.

November: Autumn Plant Walk, Making Infusions and Decoctions, Plants for Winter Health, The Lost Medicine of Poulticing and Using Compresses

December: Ancestral Foods, Making Fumigations/Incense Blends, Plants of the Winter Solstice

January: Making Herb/Fruit syrups, Winter Plant Walk, Making Infused Oils and Fats/Salve Making, Making Cordials and Elixirs

February: Making Folk Tinctures, Making Infused Wines, Plant Study and Harvest: Cottonwood, Red Alder twigs

March: Plant Study and Harvest: Violet, Willow, Pine, Dandelion

April: Spring Plant Walk, Creating an Herbal First Aid Kit. Plant Study and Harvest: Stinging Nettle, Plantain, Cleavers, Chickweed

May: Plant Study and Harvest: Hawthorn, Leaves of the Berries: Blackberry, Strawberry, Salal and Thimbleberry, Conifer Tips- Douglas Fir, Rose

June: Herb Garden Tour, Making Country Wine, Plant Study and Harvest: Yarrow, Self-heal aerial parts, Red Clover leaf and flower

July: History of Herbal Medicine Part One: Folk Medicine and Magic, Making Infused Honeys and Honey Medicines, History of Herbal Medicine Part Two: Plants of this Place and Ethnobotany, Plant Study and Harvest: St Johns wort, Fireweed

August: History of Herbal Medicine Part Three- Medicine of the Victorian Times, Plant Study and Harvest: Western Red Cedar, True Tansy, Mullein, History of Herbal Medicine Part Four: Plant Poisons

September: History of Herbal Medicine Part Five: Herbal Books, Plant Study and Harvest: Elder Tree, Rowan berries, Apples, and Rosehips