Herbalism and Ecosystems:
The Apprenticeship Program
Arctos is delighted to offer our program for the sixth year! Our intimate class starts with the verdant shoots of early Spring and continues through the fungal wonders of Autumn. Gathering every three weeks supports the unity of the class while allowing time for other pursuits.
Each Saturday we will be in the field visiting a new
Northwest ecosystem and interacting with the plants that live there. Along our journey, we will not only develop the
botanical skills necessary to identify the plants that we work with, but we will also leave the student with tools to identify plants found in the future.
Ethical harvesting will be discussed in depth, and each student will make
wildcrafted medicine and prepare
wild foods. Most importantly in our quest for self-sufficiency, we will learn to have a relationship with the land and deepen our
sense of place.
Sunday will be spent in the classroom, the kitchen, and the garden in Southeast Portland. We will learn the basics of Western
medicinal herbalism, drawing from wise woman traditions as well as contemporary constitutional herbalism. We will cover
herbs by body system, make plant medi-cines together, and
grow magical connections with the green world. Our
materia medica will focus on local remedies – classic garden medicinals, weeds, and the native plants of the Pacific Northwest. We’ll harvest and process herbs to make
tinctures, teas,
syrups, oils,
salves,
flower essences, and more. Formulating and contraindications will be discussed, as well as low-dose botanicals. At the completion of the term, students will have the
skills to create their own plant medicines and to
herbally support their community through health and illness.
