The Forager’s Path offers many day long, weekend and extended courses of study in Community and Bio-Regional Herbalism. These scheduled offerings address topics that are both the most relevant and most commonly requested for developing herbalists and foragers.
In addition to the regular calendar of programs, the director, Mike Masek, is available to present individually tailored workshops to a variety of groups: university, community college, garden club, home school, yoga instructors, massage clinic and private group instruction.
Sponsorship and scholarships are available for these offerings.
Available Workshops:
Creating the Home Pharmacy
Herbal Skin Care: Make Your Own Herbal Oils, Salves & Lotions
This hands-on workshop guides you through each step beginning with the dried or fresh herbs to the finished products. After taking this workshop, students will have the ability to make herbal infused oils which are then used to create topical salves and nourishing skin lotion.
3 hours $35 per person 6 person minimum + travel expenses and class materilas if needed
Understanding the Foundations of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Indian Ayurveda from a Western Perspective
Traditional forms of health care from other regions of the world can initially feel overwhelming and lacking in scientific foundation. What do Five Elements, Yin, Yang, Chi, Prana and Doshas all mean anyway? This workshop is a combination of lecture and discussion with an opportunity to taste different herbs to gain first hand experience of these concepts from Asia. Connections to basic Western scientific principles will be emphasized throughout the workshop.
3 hours $25 per person 6 person minimum + travel expenses
Creating Your Home Pharmacy:
Making Alcohol Extracts and Cough Syrup
A combination of alcohol and water as solvents extracts more plant constituents than either one alone. The final product, commonly known as a tincture, is an effective and convenient way to use herbs.
This hands-on workshop guides you through each step in making tinctures at home. An added bonus is a recipe for using tinctures in making a time-tested cough syrup remedy that has been used in my practice for 20+ years.
2.5 hours $25 per person 6 person minimum + travel expenses and class materials if needed
Stay Healthy in the Snowy Season
A long time favorite! This workshop goes far beyond the simple “Use Echinacea” approach.
The workshop includes: Five time-tested steps to strengthen the immune system and prevent getting sick + Herbal strategies to use if the cold or flu virus gets you down.
2.5 hours $25 per person 6 person minimum + travel expenses and materials if needed
Using Aromatic Plant Medicine: the Science & Tradition of Essential Oils
A 2 day course that empowers students to safely and effectively use these aromatic plant compounds. This program emphasizes practical hands-on ways to use the oils, shares scientific validation of some uses and debunks some common myths.
2 days 9:00am -3:00pm $190 per person 6 person minimum + travel expenses and materials if needed
Plant Walks for Medicinal Herbs and Wild Edibles
The location can be as tame as your backyard or wild and remote. One of the advantages of living in the American Southwest is the rapid and dramatic change in topography, climate and plant communities. Travel time from the desert saguaro to the mountain aspen is surprisingly short.
Plant Walks introduce the flora from a variety of perspectives including: plant ID, safety issues & toxic look-a-likes, edibility, traditional therapeutic uses, harvesting methods, chemistry and ethnobotany. The specific focus can be tailored to the group.
Location & elevation of the Walk depends on the season, weather and fitness level of the group.
3 hours $25 per person 6 person minimum + travel expenses
Foundations of Herbal Medicine
Our flagship program is available for private groups throughout the Southwest. It meets one weekend a month for 9 months. Meeting dates are flexible for private groups.
6 person minimum + travel expenses
Complete details are here.
Many other topics are available. Let us know your interests.
If you would like to schedule a workshop, class or plant walk, email mmasek@theforagerspath.com or call Mike Masek at 928-890-7417.
