Adaptogens and Nervines for Healing, Stress Relief and Peace
Jan
11

Adaptogens and Nervines for Healing, Stress Relief and Peace

January 11, January 25, February 8, February 22
From 10am to 3pm on Saturdays

In this 4-part series, we will explore plants that are adaptogenic and nervine to support mental well-being and promote more peace in our daily lives. Adaptogens support a variety of body systems allowing us to respond to stresses in our lives with more ease. Nervines specifically support and nourish the nervous system. Both of these categories of herbs help reduce anxiety, improve focus and promote a sense of calm and resilience. In this class we will explore how to use them for mental clarity, stress relief and deeper rest.

Each class includes hands-on opportunities to sample herbs, craft medicinal blends and learn ways herbs to promote healing, stress relief, and foster more peace in our lives. All 4 classes are offered as a series or you can sign up for each individually.

We will be crafting herbal blends for each specific class for students to take home to enjoy and experiment with between class sessions.

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Foundations of Herbalism 2025
Mar
22

Foundations of Herbalism 2025

March 22, April 26, May 17, June 21, July 19, August 23, September 20, October 18, November 15

All classes are on Saturdays from 10 am – 4 pm.

Foundations of Herbalism is an immersive nine-month program that provides students with a foundation in bioregional and western herbalism. Our teaching method for this course centers around the importance of experiential learning and spending time in the field with the plants.

We believe the very best teachers are the plants themselves and we strive to guide the building of your relationship with them in a way that suits each student. We blend this method of learning with the stories of our personal experiences and the knowledge that has been gathered from scientific understanding and people’s first-hand experiences who have long herbal traditions and practices. Our weekends together are a blend of in the field, and classroom style learning.

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Foraging Wild Foods Course 2025
Mar
23

Foraging Wild Foods Course 2025

March 23, April 27, May 18, June 22, July 20, August 24, September 21, October 19, November 16

All classes are on Sundays from 10 am – 4 pm.

Over these nine months we will explore how harvesting food from our landscapes fosters a deep connection to where we live, the people we are in space with and with ourselves.  Classes will consist of wild harvesting excursions, simple gathering times around a fire to explore topics around ethical harvesting, building community and self care methods.  We will also be creating and installing harvesting spaces to support the abundance of the plants we love for the future and as a way of reciprocity.

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Herbal Medicine Making and Formulation
Nov
23

Herbal Medicine Making and Formulation

November 23rd from 10am - 3pm on Saturday

This class is for those that would like to develop and deepen their confidence with herbal medicine making skills. Class will be hands-on and experiential so that each student will gain experience in the preparation process.

The class will teach you how to craft herbal formulas for yourselves, your friends and family. It’s also an excellent class if you desire to have a herbal product business. We will design products from concept to learning how to test out your formulation to fine tuning the herbal remedy you desire to create.

Preparations will include preparing teas, fresh and dried plant tinctures, syrups and salves. Students will be able to take home creations that we prepare in class.

The class is suited for total beginner to intermediate students. No prior experience is needed.

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Wild Mushroom Foraging
Nov
3

Wild Mushroom Foraging

October 26th from 10am to 3pm on Saturday

Foraging food from our landscapes fosters a deep connection to where we live, the people we are in space with and with ourselves.  This class will consist of a wild foraging excursion and conscious and sustainable foraging practices. 

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  • “If you are looking for a deep connection to plants and self, this is a great course to explore the nuances between our natural world and how we not only relate to it, but how we can learn to thrive with our plant ally’s.  Leslie is a gifted instructor who shares her deep knowledge of plants while grounding us in ceremony and reverence for all those who walk this earth.”

    Cate, Student in Foundations of Herbalism 2022

  • “Leslie’s approach to the health and well-being of the whole person has permeated everything I do now. I have met some great friends and herbal medicine is a part of my everyday experience. Making teas, tinctures, salves, and other herbal medicines that provide for the health and well-being of my family give me tremendous joy. Taking classes at Wildroot has truly been life changing.”

    Amy, Student in Foundations of Herbalism 2018 and Intermediate Herbalism 2019

  • “My time in Leslie’s Foundations of Herbalism class has been such a transformative experience for me. My eyes have been opened to a whole new world and perspective. Not only do you learn the very basics of herbalism, but in every class youre reminded of the deep-rooted connection we have to this Earth. I felt like I was being called home this year as I stepped into the world of herbalism with Leslie’s class. Leslie’s teaching style is patient, informative, respectful, personal. I feel like the foundation (haha) has been laid out well to where I feel confident in moving forward with my learning”

    Ariel, Student in Foundations of Herbalism 2022

  • “Anytime Leslie is holding the space, the feeling is palpable. Body and mind are calmed, sensing the safety and an invitation to bring one’s whole self to class. She has impeccable intuition for when it’s time to draw boundaries, and when it’s time to dive into issues. There are few spaces, and few teachers like this. Even entering her classroom feels like ritual. There is a warmth and deep, genuine kindness that radiates her home, carried into the physical realm by the blended sweet, earthy smells of drying herbs all around you. And of course, no one makes a cup of nourishing tea like Leslie. ”

    Emmy, Student in Intermediate Herbalism Program 2018

  • "Classes are held in places Leslie has frequented for years, which foster a sense of intimacy among teacher, plants, and students... Leslie’s teaching is deliberate, intentional and intuitive. The knowledge that I gained from sharing space with her has enabled me to progress exponentially as an herbalist. I feel a connection to place, an understanding of what modern western herbalism can look like, and also a sense of the endless possibilities ahead.”

    Gabe, Student in Foundations of Herbalism 2020

  • “Leslie is an amazing teacher. After 3 years of learning with her, I find myself coming back for more. I am now confidently preparing my own plant medicine as well as offering herbal support for friends and family. Most importantly, I have learned how to deeply care for myself, my community, and the Earth. I’m forever grateful to Leslie continuously sharing her wisdom.”

    Meghan, Student in Foundations of Herbalism 2017, Intermediate Herbalism & Apprenticeship 2019 & 2020

  • “Wildroot Botanicals was such an enlightening and informative program for herbal instruction. Leslie took me down a path – building on my previous herbal knowledge, equipping me for more practical clinical applications, and literally lightening my spirit, through the special times of healing that came from the shared connections and experience our group cultivated together. I found synchronicity in the like-mindedness of treating the plants and the earth with love and respect- and our places as healers working what is around us was supported through her program. I am thankful for the opportunity of learning I had by choosing her Herbal Immersion Program (for 2 years), as well as the classes she offered with other amazing herbalists. The love I have in my heart for the people and what I learned I carry with me always.”

    Jenna, Student in Foundations of Herbalism 2017 and 2018

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FAQs

  • The Foundations Program is suitable for all levels of students, from beginning herbalists to intermediate and advanced, including:

    •Those who are interested in fostering and deepening a relationship with plants.

    • Anyone wishing to improve their own health and those around them with herbal medicine.

    • Professionals currently working in health care. A significant number of our students have been registered nurses, counselors, social workers, massage therapists, doulas and other health care professionals. Some students have had previous training in fields such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Naturopathy and already had significant herbal and clinicial knowledge. However, their feedback has been that our programs offered something different, which is direct experience interacting with plants in their natural state. Students reflected that this enriched their love, connection and understanding of herbal medicine and healing work.

    •Students planning to develop their own herbal businesses. Past students have incorporated their knowledge into their caregiving fields, began herbal medicine farms, herbal product lines, or herbal consultations.

    •People wishing to help themselves and their families, their community, and/or those who wish to incorporate it into their work.

  • While both programs offer students rich learning opportunities to interact with plants and herbal medicine, there are differences.

    In the Herbal Foundations Program we start out at Wildroot Botanicals in the mornings to learn about plants and their medicines. In the afternoons, we go out to selected outdoor locations for field studies and plant identification and have opportunities to gather herbal medicines.

    In the Wild Foods Connection Program, the emphasis is on wild food as medicine and there is an invitation of a personal journey toward more connection with land, self and community. In this class we will spend most of each class outside harvesting, processing and sitting around a fire or in a circle.

    Both programs provide ample opportunities for students to develop a direct relationship with plants and have an emphasis on experiential learning. The Foundations Program is structured so that students learn about theories of Western Herbalism, while the Wild Foods Connection Program focus is directly interacting with the plants and learning by doing.

    The Foundations Program is held on Saturdays and the Wild Food Connection Program is held on Sundays on the same weekend, once a month for nine-months.

    Many students have taken both programs, which are complementary to each other, either at the same time or in subsequent years.

  • Yes at your request upon completion. Please note that herbalism is not a certifiable profession in the USA, meaning that you are not required by a governing body to have a certificate to be an herbalist.

  • We are unable to provide any refunds. Please read the program information carefully to see if the course and dates are a good fit. If you have any questions at all please contact us to discuss prior to registering and we will be happy to answer any questions you might have.