Programs

Program Description:

This series is for beginners, gardeners, and intermediate herb lovers who want to go a step further along the green path. We’ll focus on practical skills you can use at home—how to stay safe and know your limits, how to make and use common preparations like teas, salves, tinctures, extracts, liniments, infusions, decoctions, poultices, compresses, and aromatherapy, how to build a simple first-aid toolkit, and how to weave herbs into nutrition and daily living. Each class stands alone, so you can drop in for one or take all six, and together they build a clear, repeatable home practice grounded in safety, simplicity, and confidence.

Class 1:Foundations of Herbalism: Wise Use, Safety, and the Herbalist Mindset
A grounded introduction to what herbalism is, and what it isn’t, with a focus on the foundations that keep plant medicine safe, helpful, and respectful. We’ll talk about consent, doing no harm, and knowing your role—along with clear limitations and when it’s wise to pause or seek professional care. We’ll close with a simple overview of the main preparation types and how they’re used, so you know what’s coming and how they’re used for everyday health and wellness.

Class 2:Herbal First Aid, Safety, and Limitations: Smart Use Without Fear
A practical approach to home herbal first aid—how to think clearly in everyday “right now” situations while staying inside safe boundaries. We’ll cover cautions and limitations, extra caution for children, including dosing considerations, and how to recognize when herbs are not appropriate. You’ll also learn simple, clever tricks for common situational emergencies, plus how to know when it’s time to call a professional.

Class 3:Teas, Tinctures, and Extractions: Making Remedies That Last
This class is about building skill and consistency with the most common herbal preparations and understanding what makes them work. We’ll cover extraction pathways like water, alcohol, oil, vinegar, and aroma, and how to choose the right method for the job. We’ll also focus on the apothecary habits that make or break your results: clean kitchen technique, storage, labeling, shelf life, and keeping your remedies reliable over time.
*Take home items

Class 4:Topicals and Acute Care: Salves, Poultices, Compresses, Liniments, and Soaks
Hands-on herbalism for real life, with a focus on external support and comfort care. You’ll learn when to reach for salves versus poultices and compresses, how liniments and soaks fit into a home toolkit, and simple methods that are easy to remember. We’ll also cover best practices for cleanliness, safe use, and making topicals that hold up well at home.
*Take home items

Class 5: Medicine Making & Holistic Wellness: Getting to the Heart of the Problem & Aromatherapy
This class ties the craft to the bigger picture of health and wellness. We’ll explore how to think holistically, how to notice patterns and root causes in everyday life, and how to build supportive routines that actually stick. We’ll also introduce approachable aromatherapy and how to use scent thoughtfully and safely as part of a grounded wellness practice.
*Take home items

Class 6: Intro to Formulation: Recipe Making, Materia Medica, and Next Steps
This is where everything starts to come together. You’ll learn a simple way to think about combining herbs, writing repeatable recipes, and building a small, trustworthy materia medica of plants you truly understand. We’ll also talk about next steps for continued learning and real opportunities for budding herbalists who want to keep walking the green path.
*Take home items

Schedule:
• Tuesdays | July 14- August 18, 2026
• 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Fee:
• $275 (6 week series)- pay for all 6 classes and receive a discount.
• $50/ individual class

Location:
• Philip Heit Center- Classroom on the first floor