Here is the lineup of classes, workshops, teacher bios and other info for the 2019 Maine Herbalist Gathering!
Find tickets to the gathering here: 2019 MHG Tickets
Classes & Workshops
- The Dark of the Moon – Addressing Anxiety & Depression with Andi Gaylor
- Herbal First Aid Plant Walk with Anna Fox
- Tincture Making 101 with Bob & Pettina Harden
- Herbal Remedies for Children with Eileen Patrick
- Herbal Allies for Cyclical Self Care with Gabrielle Jansen
- Plant Spirits and the Energy Body with Jillian Twisla
- Getting to Know Rhodiola with Melanie Rose Scofield
- Nourishment for our journeys: Herbal allies for emotional support during gender transitions with Rowan Walker
- Trauma, Ayurveda & Integrative Herbalism: A Wholeness In Healing Approach with Siri Temple
The Dark of the Moon – Addressing Anxiety & Depression
with Andi Gaylor
The moon is not always full, and sometimes we can feel lost and without Light. We can begin to believe that we are engaged in a long war against a dark sky, but I would like to invite folks to consider alternate perspectives on their anxiety and depression. We have many allies in the plant folk around us and many tools at hand that can aid in supporting our Entire selves – mind, soul and body – while relieving and releasing some of the dis-ease that often accompany us in times of stress and darkness.
We will meet eight gentle allies that address the stress responses of various body systems, as well as several floral essences that specifically address our emotional responses to stress, fear, anxiety and depression. I will have samples available as well as a printed handout for folks to take away with them outlining the material along with some of my favorite recipes and brews.
About Andi
I have a small holistic herbal practice in Augusta which supports my teaching and client work in the central and coastal areas of Maine. I work in the Vitalist/Eclectic tradition, focusing on local plant life and vibrational remedies. It is my highest hope and dearest aim to spark and support the connection between human-folk and plant-folk, always seeking balance and wholeness as well as the breaking away of the things that would keep us from living in our full, true purpose. I have been gratefully and joyfully introducing people to their plant allies for 10 years and have been offering classes to the public as well as private consultations for the past 3 years.
Herbal First Aid Plant Walk with Anna Fox
Take a walk to identify and connect with medicinal plants growing in Maine and our Bioregion. Learn how to identify them and use them in everyday first aid situations. We will discuss ways to use them externally and internally, in addition to common first aid preparations. Learn what essentials to have in your first aid kit and what wild plants to ally with that are growing abundantly all around us!
About Anna
Anna has traveled to and lived in many places including New England, New Orleans, Australia, Florida, Ecuador, and Costa Rica, developing her offerings as a Community Herbalist, Ayurvedic Health Educator, Birth Doula, and Permaculture Designer and Farmer. Her teachers and mentors include Mary Blue, Sarah Wu, 7Song, and Koreen Brennan. She teaches workshops, makes herbal products, does consultations, grows organic herbs, and creates personalized herbal protocols for individuals. She is passionate about empowerment, health care accessibility, integrative care, earth based wisdom, and regenerative living. She and her blood and soul sister Rebecca, cofounded Sister Fox (thesistersfox.com), a collection of offerings born from a passion and love for nature, nurture, and nourishment and focused on equal access to spiritual, mental, and physical wellness for all. When she’s not playing with plants and babies, Anna lives the life she loves and loves the life she lives, traveling and exploring, drinking tea, singing, dancing and hooping, hiking with her cattle dog, practicing yoga, catching rainbows and following the moon!
Tincture Making 101 with Bob & Pettina Harden
Don’t be intimidated, you can make your own herbal medicine! It’s easy, affordable and the best way to keep friends and family feeling their best. Please note, this class is offered to teach simple home tincture making for friends, family or barter, it is not a class that will delve into the complexities or requirements of offering your product for sale.
The class will cover the basics of sourcing plants (both fresh and dried), menstruum options, the folkloric method of tincturing and then the slightly more scientific method that involves a bit of math. We will also share some of our favorite reference books and herbal suppliers. We hope you leave this class with all the skills and confidence you need to start your own home apothecary.
About Bob & Pettina
Lovers of plants, honeybees, animals, really good food and life in the mid-coast of Maine. They spend their time tending their home/land and enjoying each other’s company Bob and Pettina worked together for many years at a local herbal apothecary.
Bob was the medicine maker and Pettina has been making herbal medicines in her kitchen for over 20 years so between the two of them, they’ve made a lot of tinctures! They cultivate their own medicinal herb gardens and wild-craft on their land and that of friends and neighbors. Pettina studied with Rosemary Gladstar and many other herbal teachers and both have attended numerous herbal conferences and classes such as the Women’s Herbal Conference & The International Herb Symposium.
Herbal Remedies for Children with Eileen Patrick
We can support our children through sickness with homemade herbal infusions, syrups and other time-honored preparations. I will discuss some gentle yet effective local plant allies for colds, ear infections, fevers, and more.
About Eileen
I studied Community Herbalism at the Elderberry School of Botanical Medicine in 2008, completed a Plant Spirit Apprenticeship with Pam Montgomery in 2017, and am currently enrolled in the Vitalist Herbal Practitioner Program through the School of Evolutionary Herbalism. I homeschool my 8-year-old son and continue to learn from him and the living world around us. I love creating an apothecary to support my family and community with local plant medicine from backyard and forest.
Herbal Allies for Cyclical Self Care with Gabrielle Jansen
In this class we’ll dish the dirt on the five phases of the menstrual cycle, shed some light on how our cycles really work and discuss the herbal allies that support healthy menstruation and can easily be a part of your cyclical self-care.
About Gabrielle
Gabrielle Jansen BNat is an Australian Herbalist and Natural Fertility Educator who is grateful to call mid-coast Maine her home. Gabrielle is passionate about empowering women and menstruators by un-complicating menstruation and facilitating re-connection to our cyclical nature. Gabrielle holds a bachelors degree in Naturopathy from Southern Cross University and has completed post-graduate training in natural fertility education in Australia. Gabrielle offers consultations and classes on menstrual health, fertility awareness and holistic herbalism.
Plant Spirits and the Energy Body with Jillian Twisla
I will guide the class through a personal energy body assessment and a plant spirit attunement. We will discuss different methods for connecting with plant spirits. If there is time, we will also introduce the human energy body by outlining the 7 chakras briefly.
About Jillian
Jillian is an herbalist, health educator, permaculture gardener and mama. She has a background in clinical herbalism, naturopathy, permaculture and plant mysticism. She studied Naturopathy and traditional European herbalism at Southern Cross University in Australia and has been lucky to learn from many incredible American herbalists as well. Jillian lives close to the Earth on a permaculture homestead with her family in Hope, Maine. She is passionate about plant spirit medicine, holistic anatomy and folk herbalism.
Nourishment for Our Journeys: Herbal Allies for Emotional Support During Gender Transitions with Rowan Walker
This workshop will explore herbal allies for support and comfort during our journey to find our true selves – those friends who support us through the emotional transitions that always accompany gender transitions. While gender transitions bring so many new experiences to navigate and new ways of being to explore, sometimes we can forget to stop and check in with our heart. Gender transitions are powerful acts of becoming, and as with all major transformations, our hearts and tender places need care and attention to limit potential harm and trauma. Tending to our inner flames allows us to ensure that our transitions are more embodied, liberating, and aligned.
This workshop will be an intentional space specifically for folks who identify as transgender, nonbinary, genderqueer, Two-Spirit, gender blessed or otherwise gender diverse. Participants are welcome to bring information and/or plant medicines that they have personally found meaningful and supportive in their own gender adventures to share with queer community.
About Rowan
rowan walker is a herbalist, witch, bookworm, and full-spectrum doula. They are nonbinary and trans humxn of white Irish, Italian and Lithuanian trancestry. rowan provides compassionate support to queer & trans communities through herbalism and ritual, and splits their time between the Northeast and the mountains of Southern Appalachia. They are passionate about building queer community resiliency, vegan gluten-free baked goods, rolling around in the flowers on sunny days, and learning to how better to support each other as the world burns around us all.
Getting to Know Rhodiola with Melanie Rose Scofield
Join Melanie for a talk on a little plant that is an adaptogenic powerhouse. In this class we will learn about rhodiola’s history, how it works, how to grow it in Maine, and how to properly dose it to get the best results.
About Melanie
Melanie Rose Scofield is the director of the Earthwalk School of Herbal Traditions in Rockport, and has been a practicing herbalist since 2007. She earned her first two certificates through the Boston School of Herbal Studies, where she ended up teaching as core faculty for 8 years. Melanie has dedicated the last 20 years of her life to healing with plant medicine and spiritual growth. She feels blessed to be able to pass down the wisdom of her teachers thru the Earthwalk School’s apprenticeship programs. www.earthwalkherbalschool.com
Addressing Trauma and PTSD through Ayurveda & Integrative Herbalism with Siri Temple
Traditional Ayurvedic Medicine, Western Herbalism, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Native American or Indigenous Herbalism all tout the use of relationship to – and with – plants as harbringers of light. Oftentimes we turn to herbs to assist digestion or soothe a cough. But it is also entirely possible – and important – to look to these same plants for guidance during severe emotional difficulty. In this presentation, I will address five combined approaches (as well as specific herbal allies) for addressing trauma through nature and herbalism including:
- Nurturing Shen
- Supporting the nervous system / Vata dosha
- Building resiliency by nourishing Jing
- Promoting yin/yang balance
- Connecting with others in & through nature
This presentation will conclude with a hands-on demonstration of Ayurvedic Marma Point Therapy, an ancient technique to restore energetic flow following trauma.
About Siri
Siri Temple has been combining her love for plant medicine, nature and personal growth since childhood. She holds degrees in Creative Writing, Integrative Medicine and Ayurveda. When not seeing patients or wild-harvesting, she’s writing or illustrating – most often about plants. Her forthcoming book- Flowers In Her Hair – Plant Medicine for the Soul’s Darkest Nights – chronicles her personal plant healing experience following PTSD and trauma from life-threatening domestic violence/abuse.
An afternoon talk will be shared by John Palumbo
The Regenerative Movement… How activism, herbalism and self care are having a powerful impact in this time of The Great Turning.
About John
John Palumbo is Homesteader at Many Hands Farm in Thorndike, Maine. He is an anthroposophist, former Waldorf early childhood educator, permaculturalist, carpenter, and chef. John offers talks and workshops on working with the Spirits of Nature.
Gathering Menu
Catering provided by Many Hands Farm
Morning Snacks
- Local Apples
- Raspberry and Blueberry Muffins(Vegan/gluten free options)
Lunch
- Potato Leek Soup with Nettle
- Indian Split Pea (vegan)
- Carrot and Napa Cabbage Salad (vegan)
- Watermelon Radish Slices with Onion Butter and Hummus (vegan)
- Local Cheeses
- Wood Fired Sourdough Bread from Tinder Hearth Bakery
- Sprouted Nut and Seed Crackers
- Herbal Compound Butters (including vegan cultured)
Afternoon Snack
- Salted Maple Cookies
- Blueberry Ginger Shortbread Cookies (gluten-free)
- Sun Butter Cookies (vegan)
- Toasted Seeds with Laver and Alaria
- Local Fruits
Volunteering
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with us!
Volunteer tickets for the 2019 Gathering are $20. To volunteer with us you must apply via email at herbalistgathering@gmail.com. Please let us know which of the roles listed below you are applying for, and why you are a good fit as well as your phone number.
There are a total of 11 volunteer opportunities, and while you may be tasked with a specific role, we may also call on you for assistance as needed later in the day, and it is important that you are willing and available for this.
You will be emailed a coupon code to purchase your ticket when selected. Please apply by August 1st and if you have any questions please let us know, though spots may fill prior to this date.
- Friday Oct. 4th, 2019
- 10am-1pm: Set up of signs, tables, etc. – 2 volunteers
- Saturday Oct. 5th Gathering day
- 7:30am – 9:30am Parking Attendants – 2 volunteers
- 7:45am – 9:30am Greeter/Vendor Set up – 1 volunteer
- This position also requires at 15 minute check in/training phone call week of.
- 8am – Lunch: Tea attendant – 1 volunteer
- This volunteer is responsible for checking the air pots and brewing tea when necessary. Before the morning snack and lunch will be the most important times to do this which requires leaving classes a few minutes early. Must arrive by 8am.
- 5pm – 6:30pm Clean up Crew – 2 volunteers
- All Day – General Helper – 1 volunteer
- This position also requires at 15 minute check in/training phone call week of and arrival at 8am on the day of the gathering.
Additional Volunteer Opportunities
*If you are a graphic designer and want to donate your time to creating a logo for us we would love to talk to you! *We are also seeking additional support in posting flyers around the state. Please be in touch if you would like to help out.* Is there some other way you would like to lend your time, skills, or money? Please be in touch! herbalistgathering@gmail.com
Tickets
Tickets are on now sale! Purchase yours here: https://maineherbalistgathering.eventbrite.com
In an attempt to increase accessibility we have opted to use a sliding scale ticketing model. Prices range from $45 to $75. Ticket price includes lunch and snacks prepared by Many Hands Farm. Please select the highest level you can afford. By choosing a higher tier you are supporting a lower income attendee.
All folks Indigenous to North America are welcome to join us at no cost. Please select the Indigenous Attendee ticket through eventbrite so we have an accurate number for our lunch count.
Babies in arms are free. We will have kids programming this year, and there are limited number of kids tickets available. All children must have a kid’s ticket in order to attend – this includes the kids of our teachers & presenters. Thank you!
Volunteering
Volunteers make this event happen, and we are grateful for your help! Volunteer tickets for the 2019 Gathering are $20. Click here to learn more about how to apply for a volunteer position.
Scholarships
We are offering two full scholarships for a Maine based person who identifies as LGBTQAI, POC, and/or disabled.
Scholarship applicants should send an email to herbalistgathering@gmail.com that contains the following info:
- Name, gender pronouns, & contact info
- In 350 words or less, please tell us about yourself, and why this event is important for you to attend.
*Ticket sales generate the funds we use to pay our presenters and teachers, catering staff, tent and toilet rentals, advertisement, and all of the additional details that go into putting together an event of this size. We also make a donation to our host each year for allowing us to use their space.
If you would like to make a donation in any amount to help offset these costs, we welcome you to do so through our ticket page. If you would like to donate tea or another helpful item, or learn more about these needs please be in touch: herbalistgathering@gmail.com
Maine Herbal Gathering 