I recently completed guiding a week-long trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon for our local university. As we happened to be hiking during the wettest and stormiest weather of the past several months, Water quickly became the theme of our trip. It got me thinking about how this all relates to the Element… Continue >>>
I had a nice surprise in mid-March during a hiking trip in the western end of the Grand Canyon. My group came across “Hesperoyucca newberryi” in full bloom. This was a first for me and quite special. This plant used to be (and sometimes still is, depending on the source) in the Yucca genus, where… Continue >>>
Our 10 month Foundations of Herbal Medicine program is full and registration is closed until registration for the 2020 session opens in August, 2019. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Many people begin using herbs in small steps – something for sleep, a cold or maybe a headache. As one continues on the herbal path of independent study, information is… Continue >>>
The coming of spring brings with it a renewed interest in the sprouts, buds and shoots of warmer weather and how they can be used to improve our health. Many people are motivated to not only learn the uses of finished herbal products found in the retail world; they are also inspired to connect with… Continue >>>
Botanical Name: Rumex hymenosepalus Family: Polygonaceae Common Names: Red Dock, Desert Rhubarb, Wild Rhubarb Part Used for Medicine: Tubers Habitat in Which it is Found/ Harvesting Season/ Special Considerations: It is found in sandy areas between 3,000’ and 6,000’. Common in the Verde Valley and the many sandy areas around Page, Arizona. The farthest north… Continue >>>
Book & Internet Resources for Herbal Field Study in Arizona and the Colorado Plateau Field Guides for the Southwest The focus of these books is plant identification rather than herbal usage. In general, books arranged by plant families and that use pen and ink drawings are considered more academic and geared to more experienced botanists. Books… Continue >>>
These are images of some of the medicinal plants encountered in the Sedona area during our plant walks and especially as part of the Foundations of Herbal Medicine course. Three Leaf Sumac (Rhus trilobata) is a common member of the Pinon – Juniper zone. Its leaves are astringent due to the tannic acid. The berries… Continue >>>
Changing elevation in the Southwest changes temperature, precipitation levels, evaporation rates and results in dependable and predictable changes in both flora and fauna. I consider these to be ‘normal’ places provide ‘normal’ flora. Keep in mind that even an undisturbed environment with average temperatures, water supply and sunlight for a given climate will provide many… Continue >>>
Mindful use of resources is rarely promoted in the consumer culture in which many of us live. If our resources come from a retail store, we take as much as we want, as often as we want. Even if the objects of our desire aren’t affordable, using the all too convenient credit card allows the… Continue >>>
Growing and wildcrafting the plants we use are beneficial in many ways. Simply being aware and in nature with the plant world is healing. It is the ultimate in quality control since you personally are overseeing the process from planting to picking to processing to medicine making to the actual use of the herb or… Continue >>>
Latest Courses
This is the itinerary for the optional field study trip offered to students enrolled in the Foundations of Herbal Medicine program for 2019. More details will be shared at the first class meeting in February. Students are responsible for food, lodging (camping or hotel) and transportation. The dates for the 2019 program are July 22-25.… Continue >>>
Our 10 month Foundations of Herbal Medicine program is full and registration is closed until registration for the 2020 session opens in August, 2019. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Many people begin using herbs in small steps – something for sleep, a cold or maybe a headache. As one continues on the herbal path of independent study, information is… Continue >>>
Educational Resources
There are many mushrooms used therapeutically in the herb community with Reishi (Ganoderma spp.) being the the best known. One of the challenges to effectively using these gifts from the fungal world is knowing how to process them. While plants have cellulose, mushrooms have chitin. This substance is extremely hard and makes extraction difficult. The… Continue >>>
Included below are the notes used during the Diet, Nutrition and Inflammation portions of our curriculum. It is a succinct look at how the foods we eat affect our internal inflammatory state. While the actual classes go into more detail, the foods listed here are good places to begin improving one’s health in this area.… Continue >>>
Botany: Usnea spp. (Parmeliaceae) Usnea is a lichen, not a plant. Looking closely at its structure, one sees the internal core to be a white thread which is a fungus while the bluish-green outer surface is algae. The algae of its outer skin enables it to utilize sunlight and carbon dioxide for food production. The… Continue >>>
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