Herbal Studies: Introduction to Wildcrafting (Ages 12-16)

Hi there!  My name is Heather and I live on a 20-acre farm nestled in a valley between two mountains in western Maryland. It's a magical place where the Shenandoah meets the Potomac and the Appalachian trail meanders through lush deciduous forests. On our farm we have dairy cows and goats, chickens, and rabbits.  We love making our own cheeses and ice cream and growing lots of veggies and herbs too! I homeschool my 4 children who are ages 10, 12, 16, and 18.  I love teaching children about the natural world, especially PLANTS! 🌼 🌿

In terms of formal education, I hold a bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Visual Art from the University of Washington.  My education in botany and herbalism has been a combination of many years of self-study, various classes with other incredible herbalists, and in 2021 I completed an advanced clinical program in herbalism. However, my greatest teachers of all have been the plants themselves!  There is no substitute for getting outside and spending time with the plants, tuning into each of their unique energies, and having real experiences using and working with them! This year (2024) I embarked on a new educational journey - a Master's of Science in Nutrition and Integrative Health with a Herbal Medicine concentration through Maryland University of Integrative Health. Upon completion of my degree and clinical hours I plan to become licensed as a Certified Nutrition Specialist, which will allow me to help and serve more people in my community by bringing them guidance on nutrition and herbs.

In the past few years, I have had the joy of introducing over 1000 students to the wonders of wildcrafting!  I also have two groups of intermediate students who have been studying herbalism with me for 4 years now!

What is wildcrafting and why is it important?

Wildcrafting is the practice of identifying, ethically harvesting, and using wild plants for food and wellness.  This is what wildcrafting has done for my family and what I believe it will do for yours:

🌿 Reduces screen time & fosters connection:  It gets you outside!  I know we’re all a little stir crazy from spending more time indoors during the colder months and I’m willing to bet you’re tired of battling kids over screen time.  Wildcrafting inspires you to get outside as a family, get some fresh air, enjoy some quality time together, all while learning something awesome!

🌿 Encourages us to take responsibility for our own health:  Through learning about the plants we learn more about how our body systems work and how plants can work as our wellness allies. 

🌿 Fosters a sense of community: Allows children to learn about their local eco-systems.

🌿 Teaches a useful life skill: Most people don’t realize it, but there is wild food and medicine all around us!  Being able to identify wild edible plants is just plain cool!  

🌿 Might just save the world (no joke): In a world full of environmental challenges that are being met by more and more legislation and regulation we are forgetting a very important, the most important, part: education.  When children learn from a young age to respect and live in deep communion with the natural world they won’t need all the rules and regulations in the future to force them to make the right decisions about caring for the Earth.  As Socrates said, “All wisdom begins in wonder.”  Teaching our children about the natural world is the single most important thing that we can do for the future of our beautiful planet and teaching it through the lens of healing might just be the most important thing we do for the future of humanity.

You can also find me here: www.wildheart.farm