Connecting people to the natural world.

Connecting people to each other.

The Arctos School of Herbal and Botanical Studies offers classes in plant medicine, botanical identification, mushroom foraging, community herbalism, and more in and around Portland, Oregon. Our bioregional approach to herbalism grows from our commitment to social justice. We believe that empowered, caring communities are preventative medicine.

In our classes, you will learn to start seeing ecosystems: the ways that flora, fungi, and fauna live together and depend on each other in a dynamic environment. We introduce our students to plants that they can build relationships with, that can become their friends and allies for life.

Our students learn tangible, pragmatic ways to use herbal remedies every day for themselves and their loved ones. Providing practical healing knowledge about easy-to-obtain plants is one radical part of a multifaceted, ongoing struggle for a better world. Fostering a sense of place — a feeling of connection with and stewardship of the land — is another.