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. 

Wildroot Botanicals is proud to host amazing herbal teachers from across the country that come to teach specialty courses. As a student of the Herbal Foundations Program you will have the first opportunity to sign up for our guest teacher workshops.

Course Content

• Foraging Excursions

• Plant Identification Skills

• Ethical Wildcrafting Techniques

• Ways to Increase Plant Populations

• Drying & Processing our Harvests

Hands-on Medicine Making Skills

• Each class students will prepare their own herbal medicines to take home to build their home apothecaries

• Tea Making Methods: How to get the best medicine from plants

• Tincturing Methods: Folk and Ratio

• Herbal Vinegars, Honeys & Oxymels

• Making Herbal Syrups, Broths, Pesto & Salts

• Herbal Oils, Salves and Crèmes

• Liniments, Compresses, Poultices, Steams & Baths

• Distillation: Hydrosols and Essential Oils

• Medicine Making Supplies, Tools, Storage, Labeling & Organizing

• Resources for Sourcing Herbs

• Storage, Labeling & Organizing

Understanding Plants from an Energetic Perspective

• Western Energetics: Hot/Cold; Dry/Damp; Tension/Relaxation

• Understanding Action through Taste

• Plant Spirit Medicine: Trusting our own Ability to Listen

• Doctrine of Signatures

Understanding Plants through a Scientific Lens

• Organ Affinities

• Herbal Actions: when and how to utilize them

• Herbal Knowledge from Research and Time Tested Experience

• Land Stewardship

• Reciprocity

• Fostering gratitude, reverence & respect

Recommended Texts & Supplies

• Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants by Scott Kloos

• Body Into Balance: An Herbal Guide to Holistic Self-Care by Maria Noel Groves

• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

• Hori Hori

• Pruners – We recommend Felco

  *You will need to purchase medicine making supplies for your projects and harvests. A list of these items will be discussed at our first class. These items will include vodka, vinegar, and other medicine making supplies like a small cutting board, jars and knife.
  
  Instructor
  The course is led by Leslie Lekos, director of Wildroot Botanicals

Being Prepared for the Weather

We will be outside at our harvesting sites rain or shine.  It is important to always come to class prepared to be outside.  Good walking shoes are important as well as layers and rain gear for cold weather months.  Sun block and hats are important for summer months.  It can also be useful to bring something to sit on and a water bottle for the day.

Discover Pass & National Forest Pass

A Discover Pass is needed at some of the sites we will be traveling to.  Please consider purchasing one for the year. It is $35 for a year pass or $11.50/day and can be purchased at http://discoverpass.wa.gov. The pass supports our Washington State Parks. If you’d rather not buy your own pass, in past years some students carpooled. We suggest chipping in for gas money for the driver each day. 

There is one class in the late summer when drivers will need to have a national forest pass that can be purchased here.

Lodging for Out of Town Guests

Several of our students come from out of town. We are located between Bellingham and Burlington/Mount Vernon so staying in either location is where students often choose to stay. 

Cost
$1,200

(1) Regular price is $1,200 due before the start of class.

(2) Payment Plan – you have the option of a payment plan of $300 deposit, plus 4 payments of $250 (total of $1,300) After your $300 deposit is made, the next payments will be due on the first of each month for 4 months.

(3) Early Bird Pricing $1,100 is available if you register by January 1, 2025. Use discount code EARLYBIRD2025 at checkout.

(4) If you register for both 9 month programs (the Foundations Program and Wild Foods Connections Program), you receive a $100 discount. Use discount code TWOCOURSES2025 at checkout.

Scholarships are available for BIPOC students. Email us to inquire.

Adverse Conditions

Please note that if there are events beyond our control, such as illness, forest fire smoke, or extreme weather that compromise student safety then the school may reschedule a class to another date.