2025 WildCrafted Herb School
Registration Now Open!
With the unpredictable access to resources and sustainability concerns worldwide , knowing how to use the wild remedies that grows all around us provides comfort and is a big leap in the direction of our own security.
Through this course you will truly learn the Wild Craft of Herbalism.
We will connect with ourselves, each other, and our environment.
HOLD MY SPOT:
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What You’ll Learn at Wildcrafted Herb School:
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As the name implies, we at The WANDER School like to wander. And that’s exactly what we will be doing for much of our class time rather than sitting in a classroom. We'll gather together one Saturday and Sunday a month 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, May–October, at various locations within an hour radius of Asheville, NC, along with one Zoom meeting during the month.
*2025 In Person Dates:
Most SATURDAYS will be field trip days. We will get out into nature to see, touch, taste, and smell the plants, learning how to recognize them through basic botany. Then we will harvest them in a sustainable and ethical manner, and bring them back to school for hands-on experience making food, remedies, and crafts. Most SUNDAYS will be spent at the school, in the herb gardens, and beyond.
You will learn from different guest teachers on the following topics (subject to change)...
*2025 In Person Dates:
- April 12 (optional sample day)
- May 17 - 18
- June 14 -15
- July 12-13
- August 9 - 10
- September 20 - 21
- October 11 -12
- Make Up Dates: November 8 - 9, December 13 -14
Most SATURDAYS will be field trip days. We will get out into nature to see, touch, taste, and smell the plants, learning how to recognize them through basic botany. Then we will harvest them in a sustainable and ethical manner, and bring them back to school for hands-on experience making food, remedies, and crafts. Most SUNDAYS will be spent at the school, in the herb gardens, and beyond.
You will learn from different guest teachers on the following topics (subject to change)...
- Traditional Ecological Knowledge and how it is shared appropriately
- Reciprocity & Right Relationship in Herbalism
- Racism/appropriation in Herbalism
- Cherokee, various other Native American Nations, and African American/Black Herbalism
- Traditional Cherokee foods
- Plant Dyeing
- Folk Appalachian Herbalism
- Mycology/Native Mushroom Identification and Medicine
- Nature Connection
- Botanical Drawing
- Herbs and Formulas for Skincare
- Ecology and Habitat
- Tree Medicine
Here are our amazing 2025 teachers!
Abby Artemisia
Cindi Quay
London Newton
Marc Williams
Gina Rivers
Luke Cannon
Rebecca Beyer
*Stay tuned, Bios coming soon!
FIRST STEP TO REGISTER:
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What makes this Herbal School different?
An important part of this program is learning and practicing Right Relationship. Asking where the knowledge came from, as well as honoring those cultures, is a part of Herbalism that is often left out in American teaching. There are long folk herbal traditions here in Appalachia from Indigenous wisdom, descendants of enslaved people, immigrants, and beyond. Though this has created a wide and rich body of knowledge, the roots are not often acknowledged. This is a large part of why The WANDER School became a nonprofit: To acknowledge, honor, and give back to the first true herbalists on this land who we have undoubtedly acquired much of our current knowledge from. Over the course of this program you’ll become true Community Herbalists, giving back to Hurrican Helene survivors and our Cherokee neighbors and others with herbal remedies through our Herbal Aid efforts. We'll also learn what cultural appropriation is and how instead to practice right relationship in our developing herbal foundations. |
We will be learning and talking about subjects like racism, oppression, colonization, and health conditions/disability. If an issue(s) personally impacts you, we encourage you to take the care you need. If we are discussing something that is not your personal experience, we expect you to have compassionate, respectful, and open ears as well as tools to regulate yourself when feeling activated.
We as herbalists, teachers, and people are in a constant cycle of learning, growing, making mistakes and doing better next time. Be ready to come to us with any concerns, accessibility asks, and know that we are all doing our best being humans during a very polarized time in history.
As a participant in WildCrafted Herb School, expect to be uncomfortable sometimes, and be mindful of the difference between uncomfortable and unsafe.
We reserve the right to prevent any student from attendance, without a refund, who is harmful to another student or staff member through words or actions. The WANDER School will be responsible for making this decision.
All views are welcome that do not harm others. "Be kind, open-minded, and ready to grow" is our motto that we hope you will adopt as well.
We as herbalists, teachers, and people are in a constant cycle of learning, growing, making mistakes and doing better next time. Be ready to come to us with any concerns, accessibility asks, and know that we are all doing our best being humans during a very polarized time in history.
As a participant in WildCrafted Herb School, expect to be uncomfortable sometimes, and be mindful of the difference between uncomfortable and unsafe.
We reserve the right to prevent any student from attendance, without a refund, who is harmful to another student or staff member through words or actions. The WANDER School will be responsible for making this decision.
All views are welcome that do not harm others. "Be kind, open-minded, and ready to grow" is our motto that we hope you will adopt as well.
Bonuses:
Because we don't want to spend so much time sitting in lecture in the classroom, as part of your tuition you'll receive Abby's book, The Herbal Handbook for Homesteaders, so everyone can start the course with a basic foundation of herbal remedy making.
The WANDER School is a United Plant Savers Partner in Herbal Education. That means you'll automatically get a student membership to United Plant Savers! Formed in the spirit of hope, United Plant Savers is a group of plant enthusiasts committed to raising public awareness of the plight of our wild medicinal plants and to protecting these plants through organic cultivation, sustainable agricultural practices, and the replanting of native medicinal species back into their natural habitats. Our goal is to ensure that these valuable medicinal plants will be preserved for our grandchildren and our grandchildren's grandchildren.
Members of UpS:
- Receive the annual Journal of Medicinal Plant Conservation
- Participate in Spring and Fall dispersals of seeds/plants for replanting purposes
- Access our directory of nurseries, seed sources, and farms that supply “at-risk” herbs
- Receive discounts to Planting the Future conferences and other herbal events
- Become eligible for community grants and other benefits
We will also share a Telegram group message for deeper connection throughout and past the program where you can share and ask questions with each other.
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Are you SO in?
Be prepared to create lasting relationships with other plant lovers. We will gather together in circle every morning to check in about where we are in our relationships with the world and the plants. Students from herb courses often go on to meet outside of and after school is over, becoming friends, learning from and with each other. Come ready to connect! You'll graduate with a certificate on Graduation Day, which will include a stone soup style fire cider making party and remedy show to celebrate all you've learned and share remedies with your herbie friends. Lodging is not included, but there are many local lodging options, including Inns, Airbnb's, and Campgrounds nearby if needed. |
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Tuition Investment:
Extra Early Bird Price (through December 31st, 2024): $2,299
Early Bird Price (January 1st through February 28th, 2025): $2,699
Regular Price (March 1st until Sold Out): $2,999
Payment Plans are available upon request (at the regular price).
We welcome all people into the Herb School, including BIPOC, Queer, single parents, and differently abled people (though you will need to be able to hike a mile at a slow pace). Please let us know your needs and concerns, and we'll do our best to accommodate you.
*Refund Policy*:
As we are a very small business, we cannot offer refunds, unless we cancel the course. If you have a family or health emergency, and need to drop out of the course before it starts, we will try to offer you a refund, minus a $500 administrative fee, IF you or we can find a replacement to take your place. Thanks for your understanding; the tuition supports our family and teachers.
*All prospective students are required to fill out the following form before enrolling to ensure that you are a good fit for the school, and the school is a good fit for you. You can expect to hear back in 1-2 weeks to set up a zoom interview with Abby before making your investment for Herb School.
Feel free to contact us with any questions, or leave them in the form.
Extra Early Bird Price (through December 31st, 2024): $2,299
Early Bird Price (January 1st through February 28th, 2025): $2,699
Regular Price (March 1st until Sold Out): $2,999
Payment Plans are available upon request (at the regular price).
- At this time, two Scholarships are available for BIPOC, Queer, and Single Mother applicants. They are available on a first-come first-serve basis. We will be fundraising with the hope of creating more scholarships to help survivors of Hurricane Helene be able to attend.
- Two partial Work Trade positions are available, on a first come, first served basis. You must be available every day of class, including before and after class, and the day before class (Friday) for preparation, apothecary, and gardening tasks. This is a very serious commitment! You will have more opportunities for learning than other students. Do not commit if you're not absolutely sure you can fulfill the whole commitment; we depend on you to run this program!
We welcome all people into the Herb School, including BIPOC, Queer, single parents, and differently abled people (though you will need to be able to hike a mile at a slow pace). Please let us know your needs and concerns, and we'll do our best to accommodate you.
*Refund Policy*:
As we are a very small business, we cannot offer refunds, unless we cancel the course. If you have a family or health emergency, and need to drop out of the course before it starts, we will try to offer you a refund, minus a $500 administrative fee, IF you or we can find a replacement to take your place. Thanks for your understanding; the tuition supports our family and teachers.
*All prospective students are required to fill out the following form before enrolling to ensure that you are a good fit for the school, and the school is a good fit for you. You can expect to hear back in 1-2 weeks to set up a zoom interview with Abby before making your investment for Herb School.
Feel free to contact us with any questions, or leave them in the form.
SIGN ME UP: