APPRENTICESHIP

WILD EDIBLES & MEDICINAL HERBS

cultivating resiliency, relationship, rituals and connection with the cycles of nature

Join me on my homestead in the hilltowns of Western Massachusetts to intensively study local medicine and wild edibles. We'll discover how each season correlates with the plants available for holistic health and eating what nature provides.

Beginning early spring we'll meet each month to learn about seasonally available plants and how to incorporate them into our home kitchens. Each class we’ll spend time as a group grounding into the sacred space of plants, wander the woods and gardens, and make medicines with what we forage on the land. Over the course of the eight months, apprentices will build their own apothecaries and fill their kitchen cabinets with tinctures, salves, salt scrubs, syrups, vinegars, oxymels, teas, medicinal ghee, fermented foods, wild mushrooms, elixirs and more.

This is a great opportunity to sink your feet into the Earth’s wisdom, slow down with a group of plants lovers in all the elements, and empower one another with the foundations of wild edibles and herbal medicine.

WHAT THIS APPRENTICESHIP INCLUDES:

Seasonal Eating + Cooking with Herbs / Wild Edibles
Cultivating Herbs for Home Use
Sustainable Wildcrafting
Creating Relationships with the Plant World
Materia Medica + Plant Identification
Plant Spirit Medicine Journeys
Flower & Water Essence Making
Building a Home Apothecary
Attuning our Bodies with Nature’s Cycles
Developing Intuition + Capacity to Listen to the Plant Spirits
In Depth Study of the Five Elements - Earth, Air, Water, Fire, Wood
Resiliency during Personal and Planetary Transformations
Field Trips to nearby farms & foraging locations
Certificate of Completion for the Wild Edibles & Medicinal Herbs Program

APPLY HERE

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REGISTRATION DETAILS

1) TULSI YEAR 1 CREATING YOUR HOME APOTHECARY - beginners (no prior experience necessary)

March-October

*8 classes. Cost: $1,200
* Space is limited to 12 apprentices
* Material fee + binder full of information included (jars and ingredients to take home products)
* $25 off herbal consultations and shamanic sessions

3) HAWTHORN YEAR 3 PRACTICING HERBALISM- for those who have apprenticed two years previously or comparable study elsewhere and want to learn how to have an herbal practice offering their services and/or products.
* One on One program with Hannah, Clinical Herbalist

* Cost: $150 per 2 hour session, schedule TBD based on your needs.

* Access to Hannah's apothecary to fill your own orders and formulas
* $25 off herbal consultations, shamanic sessions
* Learn hands on experience offering consultations and making custom formulas for clients
* Business support on how to grow and manage an herbalism company
* Learn the daily operations of running a small herbal business.

The focus of this 3rd year apprenticeship is to continue deepening your knowledge and wisdom with the plants while beginning to offer your services to others. We will review the materia medica of plants I often use in my apothecary for clients. There will be practice sessions as a group to learn the basics of a thorough wellness consultation that incorporates body, mind, heart, and spirit. We will custom formulate tinctures and teas based on a person’s constitution, health goals, and imbalances. Write wellness protocols that include herbal, lifestyle, dietary suggestions. There will be a review of plant energetics, qualities, and which herbs to reach for when supporting a client during various health challenges. Bi monthly practicums available as add-ons, see below for details.

This is a complimentary addition to any health care provider’s offerings. A certificate will be awarded upon completion of the course.

You are not alone in this calling to work with the plants and trees. This practice is ancient, it is in our bones and in our ancestors hands. Heed the call if you feel drawn to learning about how people and plants evolved together. The plants are our oldest ancestors and I believe they are whispering our names, calling us home in this time of great change in the world. I am humbled by them each day. They give me hope for the future in moments of darkness. They remind me why I am here, and I am grateful for their generosity.

Year 3 Curriculum Overview

The Art of Formulation: how to create individually-tailored herbal formulas, and when to consider simples rather than formulations

Plant Energetics: hot/cold, damp/dry; the medicinal qualities of taste, how energetics change with preparation, and more

People Energetics : via traditional Chinese, Ayurvedic doshas, western herbal, and allopathic lenses

Materia Medica: in-depth overviews of many medicinal plants, including preparation + dosages

In-depth Study of Body Systems: a comprehensive understanding of each, what can go awry, and how to address

Diagnostic Tools: face, pulse, tongue

Plant Identification: learn to recognize our local plant allies through the seasons

Sustainable Wildcrafting: the art and study of working with the wild medicinals throughout the year

Medicinal Herb Gardening & Food as Medicine: growing our own medicinals from seed to harvest; kitchen medicine

Preparation Skills: alcohol, vinegar, glycerine tinctures; tea blends; topical preparations, and much more, taught with specific ratios to allow for comprehensive dosing

Case Studies: real-life examples of common health issues and herbal protocols to support healing

Individual Projects: deepen your learning in an area that particularly interests you, either alone or in a small group

and more, as determined by the teachers, the students, and the seasons…

Choose from three levels:

Tulsi (Beginner Level) - no prior experience necessary, open to everyone. Named after Tulsi Holy Basil, an annual herb that is a wonderful ally for those new to walking the path of plants.

Dates:

March 29

May 3
June 7
July 5
August 2
August 30
October 4

November 1

Burdock (Intermediate Level) - some experience or prior trainings. Named after Burdock, a biannual herb with a long taproot.

Dates:

March 22
April 26
May 31
June 28
July 26
August 23
September 20
October 25

Hawthorn Year 3

March 15

April 12

May 17

June 14

July 19

August 9

Sept 13

Oct 18

APPLY HERE

More details:

Material fees included (jars and ingredients to take home products)

Sunday classes are from 10:30am-3:30pm at Sweet Birch Herbals unless a field trip is planned for the day.

Cancellation policy: if your cancellation is within 60 days prior to the class start date, you will receive a full refund. Receive 50% 30 days prior. No refunds within 30 days prior to the program's first date. This policy applies to the full cost of the program regardless of whether a payment plan has been agreed upon, you are expected to pay the full amount of $1200. Refund requests must be sent in writing to: sweetbirchherbals@gmail.com. When you register for a class, you agree to these terms. There are no refunds for missed classes.

Inclement Weather: If class is canceled due to inclement weather, a notification will be sent via email with the new date.

No prior experience necessary for Year 1 Program. This apprenticeship is open to beginners, intermediates, and advanced students who desire more connection with the plants and building community with other plant lovers. Please note which program you are applying for (Tulsi, Burdock or Hawthorn).

This program is a great addition to any wellness practitioner's toolbox.

Classes take place outside in the garden, fields, and woods, so please dress appropriately for all weather. There is an outdoor privy.

Bring you own lunch, snacks to share are always welcome, last day is a potluck.

What to bring for harvesting? A basket, clippers, scissors, small trowel and a fixed blade knife.

For more information, contact Hannah at sweetbirchherbals@gmail.com or 413-695-5968

Farm Apothecary Store is open for browsing herbal items, ghee, and farm artwork after class

" The Apprenticeship with Hannah bridged the huge gap I felt between book learning and doing and creating. It showed me an embodied example of how to relate to plants, and how to work with them respectfully and intentionally for healing. It helped hone my intuition for harvesting, which is in itself an art. It created a space for slowing down and tuning in." AC, Sheffield, MA

WILD EDIBLES & MEDICINAL HERBS

APPRENTICESHIP

More details:

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