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I have been a student of herbal medicine since a child (even though I have a degree in Marine Sciences). That was a few (about 6) decades ago. My mother was from the Ozarks of Arkansas and grew up in the back woods, learning to survive off the land, how to care for injuries and health and look to the future for food and water storage. I learned a great deal growing up from her. But my love for nature and all she has to offer us came from my uncle.. uncle Ambrose. He was actually the uncle of my uncle and aunt who were adopted by my grandmother and raised since small children. They were Salish Native American and Uncle Ambrose was a Salish Medicine Man.
I remember growing up and tasting, touching, smelling and collecting to process the plants he taught me about. And yes, there were times I even getting sick from the plants he had NOT taught me about. "Did you learn to be patient and that not all mother nature has to offer is good for you?" I would hear him say as I'm sick in bed from eating a plant I shouldn't have. After watching me for a short time and allowing me to feel the full effect of my impatience, he would give me the plant remedy to take away that sickness. "Near every bad plant for us is it's good cousin." He would say.
As I grew, got married and had children, I continued to have an increasing desire to learn and to study in-depth what mother nature had to offer. My appreciation for the miraculous ways she can take care of those inhabiting her domain increased beyond measure. I turned to white-man's understanding of medicine and was able to combine indigenous with modern medicine... realizing that I preferred the knowledge and understanding of thousands of years of herbal medicine used by indigenous people of varying countries throughout the world.
I have always been a very private person, preferring to be on my mountain, away from the chaos of the city and all it brings. Now, more than ever, I see the writing on the wall and my attention has turned to helping those interested to learn to become self-sufficient and self-reliant. I came off my mountain to teach, to warn and to be available to any and all who want to learn what I have learned through the years.
Practical understanding without the high tech confusion and lingo. Common sense combined with critical thinking. Every person I have taught over the last many years has said the same thing. They just want to know how to take care of themselves and family members medicinally. Which plants do what. How to identify them in nature. How to collect them and process them and how to use them. Let me teach you so you can become the teacher.
CLASS INFORMATION AND REGISTRATIONEach day will begin at 8:00 a.m. so eat right, take your vitamins and get plenty of rest before hand. Typically the class will 'officially' end at 5:00 but I remain available until the last student leaves... even if that is 10:00 at night.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO BRING: Day 1: Lunch/dinner, snacks, water/soda. Writing pad & pencil.
Day 2: A day pack with snacks, water, paper bags for plants, scissors,
gloves, 1/2 pint canning jar w/lid and ring.
WHAT IS PROVIDED TO YOU: 1. You will receive a class study binder upon your arrival this is
copywrite material and duplication or distribution of the binder is not permitted without permission of the instructor). This binder will contain
the morning power point presentation I give and will allow you to make
notes on each page.
2. The alcohol for the tinctures.
3. Name tags.
DAY 1: There will be a 15 min break at 10:00 and 3:00. Lunch will be at noon. We will be eating our meals while we work to maximize our time. During lunch there will be an open floor for questions, etc. for 1/2 hr.
INTRODUCTION:There will be a power point presentation that gives an overview of Herbal medicine to wake up your mind before delving into a deeper understanding of what nature has to offer. You will learn important acronyms to understand and some medical phrases. We will be covering approximately 30-50 plants (maybe more), discussing which are the most important to have in your medicinal cabinet and why. Each plant we discuss you will learn:
0. Plant Identifications - defining aspects
1. A little of it's history - to the U.S.A. with love
2. What it does and why - illnesses and how it works
3. Where can you find it - zoning, soils, weather, etc..
4. When to harvest it - when is it most potent
5. Ways to harvest it - pluck, cut, de-leaf, de-flowered, rooted up.
6. Is it safe for pregnant women
7. Is it safe for children
8. Is it safe for animals
9. Is it edible
10. Shadow Plants
11. Warnings
12. Pharmaceutical Contraindications
13. And more....
How late we go will depend on how much you want to learn. We have 3 days of study to cram into 2 days. My time is available to you until you are either happy with what you have learned that day or it gets late and you fall asleep. Should the days scheduled instruction be completed earlier, we will do a walk-about where we will identify the plants in our immediate location. You will never look at weeds the same! ;)
DAY 2:This day will consist of a field trip where you will learn to identify, taste, touch, smell, draw, and gather the various plants/herbs available in the area. Returning to the classroom, you will learn how to process the plants that you have gathered. You will get hands on experience making tinctures (please bring a 1/2 pint jar w/lid. I will provide the alcohol). We will discuss various processing methods from salves, soaps, lotions, poultices, teas and tinctures, their longevity and storage methods.
REGISTRATION DEADLINES: You can register for the class as soon as the links are made available but no later than 1 week before class begins. This assures all the materials can be completed and provided for the number of students taking the class. If you have not paid or the deadline has passed and you still wish to take the class, please contact me personally.
CLASS FEES:
Each location will vary in cost dependent upon the distance traveled and the venue used. Rest assure I try to keep all my costs to a minimum so as many people as possible can afford to attend and get this life-saving information.
PAYMENT:
My primary method of payment is through Venmo. The total can be sent to my Venmo account using @olivia-garrison-16. Please note your class location on your Venmo payment. If you do not have Venmo, please contact me at (509)690-8867 as to alternative ways of payments. I do not take person checks (sorry.. have had lots of issues with personal checks being written and not getting to me until a couple days before the class and then not processing through and the person already took the class).
REFUNDS:
A full refund will be given if cancelled no later than a week before class begins. If cancelled in less than a week before class, a refund will not be available. If you are absent from class, a refund will not be available.
HERBAL IDENTIFICATION INDEX CARDS:
I will have available 5x7 Herbal Identification Index Cards at the class. They are 80# weight with a high gloss colored front and blk & wh back. There are 4 pics on the front in high definition color. One of the entire plant in it's grouping, one of just the plant, one of the pedal of the flower and one of the leaf. This is very important for correct identification as there are many shadow plants that can be mistaken for viable plants. There will be 50 cards in a deck (subject to increase as time goes on). A sample is at the end of this form.
Other Products:
I will have various dried plant and tinctures available for purchase. I harvest, process and store all these myself. I do not purchase from 2 or 3rd party locations. This is what I want you to learn to assure you get most potent and fresh medicine you can. I will have packages of my 'tea' available for purchase as well.
NOTE: Because we will be spending a great deal of time the 2nd day hiking on both flat and elevated locations, if you have health issues that may be intensified by this activity, please explain in the comments section and notify the instructor.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a Medical Doctor. I can only give herbal information. It is your responsibility to further research the medicinal plants, their benefits and side effects they may have that are discussed or shown in class. At no time will I advise you to go off doctor prescribed pharmaceutical medication. That will be for you and your doctor to discuss.
Coordinator Contact Information: Class Location:
Marsha Golgart Pearl Theater
Marsha@wildroseme.com 7160 Ash Str.
(720)635-5673 Bonners Ferry, Idaho 83805
