The Arctos Herbal Immersion Program is an invitation to those who want to steep themselves in the magic and medicine of plants and place. In this life-shifting 250-hour course, our time is split between the forest, kitchen, garden, and classroom as we gain hands-on experience and develop practical herbal healing skills to last a lifetime.
The course provides a thorough foundation in herbal materia medica, botanical identification, plant energetics, and medicine-making in a participatory, engaging setting. Our field trips comprise almost half of the classes: They will uncover hidden gems of the Pacific Northwest, showing off fancy flowers and marvelous mushrooms as we wildcraft and tend medicinal
and edible plants. Guest instructors expand the focus to include in-depth forays into special topics such as emergency first responder skills, community grief support, and ethical aromatherapy.
Our herbal journey will begin with the fundamentals: hands-on medicine making, herbal energetics, ecology, and botanical identification. From there, we’ll sprinkle in garden ecosystems, forest foraging, and different approaches to ethical wildcrafting and tending ecosystems as we explore the systems of the body, from digestion to circulation. At the peak of summer blossoms, we’ll go on a group camping trip, harvesting and creating medicine together. Acute herbal treatment and first aid skills will be covered, both in the field and in the classroom. We’ll engage with sensory experience and each person’s innate somatic wisdom, utilizing both knowledge and our senses to learn about plants and their phytochemistry.
As we transition into late summer and autumn, we’ll dive into kitchen witchery, explore the meaning of reciprocity in herbalism, delve into the wonders of mushroom hunting, and discuss generative organ health. We’ll talk about formulating herbs, case studies, and pragmatic skills for working with people. To put their herbal skill set to use, students will research and give an informal presentation on a health condition of their choosing. At the end of the term, students will have a strong grasp of herbal concepts, a deep knowledge of our bioregional materia medica, and the tools and the confidence to create their own apothecary and serve as a health and first aid resource for their community.
There are many approaches to herbalism; this course is designed from a feminist, queer perspective in which weeds are embraced and wild is wonderful. In the field, we cultivate a sense of place and a relationship with the land. In the kitchen, we home in on accessible remedies that can be made almost anywhere using what’s at hand. Our focus is deeply seasonal and bioregional, stressing sustainability, stewardship, connection, and reciprocity.
The Herbal Immersion Program is taught by Missy Rohs and features Gradey Proctor, Candace Larson, Silke Akerson, Abigail Singer, and other guest instructors. It meets Wednesdays and Thursdays, April through October, for a total of over 250 hours of class time.
The total cost of the HIP is $3175 with the early-bird registration plan (available before December 31) and $3500 after that. A payment plan is available at no additional cost. There is a modest scholarship available to BIPOC (Black people, Indigenous people, & people of color) students; inquire for details.
Herbal Immersion Program 2024 dates:
April 10, 11
April 17, 18
April 24, 25
May 1, 2
May 8, 9
-break-
May 29, 30
June 5, 6
June 12, 13
June 19, 20
June 25-27 (camping)
-break-
July 24, 25
July 31, August 1
August 7, 8
August 14, 15
August 21, 22
-break-
September 18, 19
September 25, 26
October 2, 3
October 9, 10
October 16, 17
Class is held from 10am-4pm Wednesdays & Thursdays. On field trip days, which are usually Wednesdays, we'll carpool to our destination, which will add additional time to the day.
Covid Note:
We care about our students’ safety. Masks are always welcome. Our indoor classes will normally feature multiple air purifiers, MERV-13 air filters, and improved air flow. We’ll happily elaborate on our pandemic protocols in the interview!
Herbal Immersion Program: Registration
Join us in 2024! We’ll set up an interview to answer any questions you have and to make sure it’s a great fit.