Wisdom of the Herbs is a unique Certification Program that focuses on local wild plants for food and medicine, sustainable living skills, healthy life-style, skillful use of intentionality, and profound connection with Nature. Eight full weekend meetings span the arc of three seasons, from April to November.

Our hands-on curriculum facilitates deep engagement with the plants through plant identification, plant spirit communication, sustainable wild harvesting, and preparing wild foods and herbal remedies. The daily rhythm includes herb walks, harvesting and preparation of herbs and wild edibles, nature adventures, lecture and discussion, and communion and play with wild Nature. Addressing health and healing, food as our first medicine, healthy life-style and skillful use of intention emerges naturally out of this rich fabric.

The profound challenges of these times offer profound opportunities as well. We believe the balance of experiences, knowledge and tools offered in this program are an excellent foundation for those who wish to play their part in the harmonious personal, community and planetary evolution that is currently emerging on the planet.

Dates: Classes meet eight weekends from April to November, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday.
April 23-24, May 21-22, June 18-19, July 16-17, Aug 13-14, Sept 10-11, Oct 8-9, Nov 5-6, 2011.

Tuition:Tuition is $1750. Early registration discounted tuition, fully paid by April 1, 2011, is $1650. Non-refundable deposit: $250. (See below for more information.)

Program Description

Local Wild Plants: Herb walks and extended nature adventures each day allow students to rapidly build their wild plant identification skills and relationship with the local trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants, combining scientific knowledge with intuitive connection with the spirit of the plant. Practice spiritual dowsing, an ancient art of inner knowing - a highly useful tool for communing with nature beings and much more. Become proficient at identifying plants using the botanical key in Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, the standard field guide preferred by amateurs and professionals alike. We offer perspectives on ecology, natural history, and the timelessness of communion between Nature and self.

Wild Edibles: Knowing the local wild edible plants is an important aspect of food security, and each month we harvest, prepare and eat wild foods.  Learn to identify a wide range of wild edibles, what stage to harvest them and how to properly prepare them. Practice the principles of safe and sustainable wild foraging.

Medicine Making: Over the course of the eight meetings, students will make tinctures, infused oils, salves, poultices, compresses, herbal steams, capsules, pill balls and smudge, working intentionally with the spirit of the plants. Students apply these skills to put together a customized first aid kit for their home.

Food as our First Medicine and Healthy Life-style Practices: Throughout Wisdom of the Herbs, we address and practice using whole, organic foods and supportive daily practices to nurture health and healing. Explore how to eat by blood type. Our Saturday potluck lunches serve as a laboratory to practice the essentials of using whole, organic foods, locally grown when possible. Learn principles of physical and spiritual cleansing and detoxification, and experience how thought, word and attitude affect cellular vitality.

Sustainable Living Skills: Primitive survival skills are highly valued tools in these changing times. Participants create their own bow drill kit and receive step-by-step technical and attitudinal instruction on fire making by friction. Learn to make cordage with local plant material.

The Inner Journey: Working joyfully with the nature beings and each other, a rich, safe, grounded container is created, allowing inner shifts and often life-changing openings for participants. Our eight meetings from spring to fall allow time for students to not only experience these profound spaces but also to truly integrate them into their daily lives.

Physical Demands of the Program: During Wisdom of the Herbs, we are outdoors much of class time – walking and hiking, sitting and lying on the earth. We are only able to accept applicants who are essentially healthy and able to accomplish moderately difficult hiking. Please feel free to contact Annie if you have questions.

Second Year Participation:We encourage participants to return for a second year to build upon the foundation of the first, growing and strengthening their knowledge and wisdom within the healing container of Wisdom of the Herbs and expanding into the limitlessness of inner and outer Nature. Second year participants may return as an Assistant, (See Assistantship Program), or as a regular student. Several students have attended for three years!

Who benefits from taking Wisdom of the Herbs?

• All who seek to live more sustainably on the Earth and foster deeper communion with Nature.
• Everyone who wants to take the next steps in his or her self-healing process.
• Everyone who wishes to gain greater knowledge of the local medicinal and edible plants who are our neighbors.
• Parents who want to raise healthy children naturally and pass on knowledge of edibles, healing plants and home remedies.
• Herbalists and alternative practitioners who want to meet the healing plants “in person” and spend quality time on their own healing process.
• Nurses and health-care providers interested in holistic healing through healthy life-style and herbs.
• Seekers who find personal and spiritual growth in communion with Nature.
• Gardeners who want to know who the weeds are and how to use them for food and medicine.

  Interview, Tuition, Registration, and Payment Options
(download our printable registration form)

Interview and Essay: Before you register, we require a phone interview to discuss your goals and why you would like to participate in Wisdom of the Herbs, as well as give you an opportunity to ask us questions. Please read the complete program description before you call. Phone Annie for an interview at 802-456-8122. The essay that we ask for on your Registration form may be a summary of this conversation.  

Tuition: Tuition is $1750. Enclose $250 non-refundable deposit with your registration. Full payment of the balance is expected on the first day of class unless arrangements for a Payment Plan or Grant have been made at the time of registration.

Early Registration Discounted Tuition:To receive the Early Registration Discounted Tuition of $1650, tuition must be received and fully paid by April 1, 2011. The early registration discount does not apply for participants receiving a VSAC non-degree.

Payment Plan: Arrangement for use of the Payment Plan must be made at the time of registration. Full payment of the tuition is expected regardless of attendance. Please inquire if you are interested in a customized Payment Plan. A printable payment plan form is available for download.

Grants: Qualifying Vermont residents may apply for Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) non-degree grants. You must be a Vermont resident for at least one year by the start-date of the program. VSAC awards grants on a first-come-first-serve basis while funds last. Applicants may apply for a VSAC grant for this program as early as June 2010.  Apply early, as funds tend to run out by the end of the calendar year. Please note that it is possible to secure funding by applying early for a grant, even before you are certain that you are taking the program, and then if you do not need the grant, simply inform VSAC.

VSAC application forms may be obtained from Wisdom of the Herbs School, or call Vermont Student Assistance Corporation: 1-800-882-4166 or write P.O. Box 2000, Champlain Mill, Winooski, VT 05404-2601.

Students who apply for VSAC grants are asked to submit $250 non-refundable deposit with the registration form. We will refund whatever amount of your deposit exceeds the tuition after the grant is issued to Wisdom of the Herbs School.   

Commitment at Registration: Attending Wisdom of the Herbs entails commitment to all eight meetings. We make every effort to assure that our participants and our program are a good match – indeed, we often witness a delightful synchronicity in the matching process. Submitting the Registration Form means commitment to attending the program and to full payment of the tuition, regardless of attendance and regardless of payment option.

The Details

Gear to Bring: Students are required to come prepared with hiking boots/shoes, rain jacket and rain pants, backpack, hat and water bottle and a hand trowel. A full list of items to bring will be supplied upon registration.

Small Class Size: The small group size allows each participant to see every plant and hear the instructors on our herb walks. Small class size facilitates sharing and discussion, an important part of our program.

Independent Projects: Participants are asked to engage in an independent project outside of class. Projects may include artwork, journaling, research, making herbal remedies, building a home apothecary, storytelling, or tending to your own healing journey. Participants present their projects to the group during the last weekend.

Certification: A beautiful watercolor Certificate of Successful Participation will be awarded at the end of the program. Certification requirements include active participation in a minimum of six out of the eight weekends, reading Wisdom of the Herbs by Annie McCleary, completion and presentation of the independent project, and full payment of tuition.

Lunch and Snack: Lunch and snack serve as laboratory time to practice using food as our first medicine and mainstay of our health and vitality. On Saturdays, students are asked to bring a generous, whole-foods potluck dish. We offer these guidelines for the potluck: use organic, vegetarian, whole foods, local when possible, and no refined sugar or white flour. Avoid tomatoes, peppers and other nightshades and dairy in the main dish – on the side is fine. For cooking oil, we recommend organic extra virgin olive oil or a good quality organic coconut oil. On Sundays, students are asked to bring a bag lunch. We provide healthy snacks as well as herbal teas, available throughout the day.

Resources: Each student receives Wisdom of the Herbs written by Annie McCleary. In addition, students are required to bring to class Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, Peterson’s Edible Wild Plants by Lee Allen Peterson and Peterson’s Medicinal Plants by Steven Foster and James Duke. An extensive list is supplied for supplemental reading.

Scents: For the comfort of all, please do not wear any scents, natural or otherwise. Thank you for your consideration.

Comments from Graduates of Wisdom of the Herbs:

I loved eating wild things and wildcrafting medicines. This is a huge part of it for me. Very hands-on. N.N.

I was amazed at how much my plant identification improved while I was in Wisdom. A.L.

Over the course of this class, my communication with plants has gone from almost nothing to strong impressions that affect the very core of my being. M.R.