Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the Herbal Foundations Program suitable for?
The Foundations Program is suitable for all levels of students, from beginning herbalists to intermediate and advanced, including:
•Those who are interested in fostering and deepening a relationship with plants.
• Anyone wishing to improve their own health and those around them with herbal medicine.
• Professionals currently working in health care. A significant number of our students have been registered nurses, counselors, social workers, massage therapists, doulas and other health care professionals. Some students have had previous training in fields such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Naturopathy and already had significant herbal and clinicial knowledge. However, their feedback has been that our programs offered something different, which is direct experience interacting with plants in their natural state. Students reflected that this enriched their love, connection and understanding of herbal medicine and healing work.
•Students planning to develop their own herbal businesses. Past students have incorporated their knowledge into their caregiving fields, began herbal medicine farms, herbal product lines, or herbal consultations.
•People wishing to help themselves and their families, their community, and/or those who wish to incorporate it into their work.
What is the difference between the difference between the Wild Foods Program and the Herbal Foundations Program?
While both programs offer students rich learning opportunities to interact with plants and herbal medicine, there are differences.
In the Herbal Foundations Program we start out at Wildroot Botanicals in the mornings to learn about plants and their medicines. In the afternoons, we go out to selected outdoor locations for field studies and plant identification and have opportunities to gather herbal medicines.
In the Wild Foods Connection Program, the emphasis is on wild food as medicine and there is an invitation of a personal journey toward more connection with land, self and community. In this class we will spend most of each class outside harvesting, processing and sitting around a fire or in a circle.
Both programs provide ample opportunities for students to develop a direct relationship with plants and have an emphasis on experiential learning. The Foundations Program is structured so that students learn about theories of Western Herbalism, while the Wild Foods Connection Program focus is directly interacting with the plants and learning by doing.
The Foundations Program is held on Saturdays and the Wild Food Connection Program is held on Sundays on the same weekend, once a month for nine-months.
Many students have taken both programs, which are complementary to each other, either at the same time or in subsequent years.
Will I get a certificate for taking your program?
• Yes at your request upon completion. Please note that herbalism is not a certifiable profession in the USA, meaning that you are not required by a governing body to have a certificate to be an herbalist.
After I register for a program or workshop, will I be able to get a refund, either whole or partial, if I decide not to take your program, or if I cannot complete it, or if I miss a day of class, or for some other reason?
• We are unable to provide any refunds. Please read the program information carefully to see if the course and dates are a good fit. If you have any questions at all please contact us to discuss prior to registering and we will be happy to answer any questions you might have.