Wild and Weedy Wellness: Herbal Plant Walk and Workshop

Discover nature's apothecary with the Wild and Weedy Wellness Herbal series! In our modern age, we've become disconnected from the ancestral healing knowledge of the natural world. Now it’s time to reclaim the wisdom of the plants in the fields, wild places, and even in your own backyard.

Led by Alison Magill, herbal educator and ecological steward, these workshops help you to rediscover the ancestral art of herbalism. Guided by Alison's expertise as an herbalist, ecologist, gardener and seed-saver, you'll learn how to ethically wildcraft the local plants, flowers, and trees that have long been our allies in health and healing

Each session includes an immersive plant walk and hands-on kitchen session where, you'll learn to identify, harvest, and prepare these botanical treasures with appreciation and reverence. As you delve into the age-old practices of herbal medicine, not only will you you'll forge a deeper connection with the plant world, you'll also learn the identification ttricks and herbal preparation techniques to continue learning on your own.

Join one or all of the workshops offered this summer and gain the skills and knowledge you need to create your own home herbal apothecary. From soothing salves to healing tinctures, each workshop will send you home with a seasonal selection of herbal products. When we invite more plants into our kitchens, as food or supportive remedies, life truly does get better. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from Alison this season!

Plants:

The exact plants we’ll be collecting each month are not guaranteed! Why? Because although we know the general seasonality of the wild plants, every year’s growing season - rain and temperature - is different and plants may not be ready to harvest on a specific date.

Here are a few of the plants we will be looking for each month:

APRIL: Nettle, violet, dandelion, pine, dead nettle, knotweed.

MAY: Chickweed, nettle, dandelion, elder flower, clover, self-heal.

JUNE: Yarrow, plantain, self-heal, St Johns wort, elder flower, horsetail.

JULY: Comfrey, clover, mullein, raspberry, blueberry

AUGUST: Bee balm, goldenrod, jewelweed, black cherry, sumac, boneset

SEPTEMBER: Aster, elder berries, goldenrod, sumac, assorted seeds.

OCTOBER: Root harvesting! Burdock, yellow dock, dandelion, Japanese knotweed.

We will also be working with some of the common cultivated herbs found in the gardens.

Preparations:

To create a complete home apothecary, home herbalists follow the seasons to harvest plants when they are at their peak readiness. Each plant favors a different type of preparation: some are best dried and made into tea. Others have properties that are best extracted in oils or vinegars. Each session features one of these important plant preparation techniques so you will have the skills to continue harvesting and building your herbal pantry throughout the season.

Workshop Dates:

Dates for the 2024 workshops are

April 21, May 18, June 9, July 14, August 11, September 22 and October 13.

Workshop Format:

Each workshop starts with a 2 hour plant walk through the property of Tuckaway Farm in Lee NH. Over the course of the season, we will visit the different places where wild weeds are ready to harvest. Then we’ll return to the Emerson House kitchen to prepare what we’ve gathered for the remainder of the afternoon.

Each workshop will teach a different preparation method such as herb drying and storage, using beneficial plants as food or making different extracts or oils. Participants will take home a selection of herbal goodies each session. All supplies and materials are included in the cost of the workshop.

PLANT WALK ONLY OPTION is available for those who are not interested in making the herbal preparations BUT here's a warning: you will probably wish you'd decided to stay!

Workshop Participation:

The workshop cost is $70 single or $110 couple or family. Family tickets only include 1 set of preparations. If you wish to double the number of products you take home, please register as 2 adults. I recommend that children be ages 6 or entering 1st grade in order to participate. Contact me if you have any questions about your child participating at: thewellcultivatedlife [at] gmail.com

Plant walk only tickets are $30 single and $50 family.

I look forward to taking you on a plant walk this season!

Learm more about my other programs and workshops on my webpage at

https://www.thewellcultivatedlife.com