REGISTRATION is closed.
Friday is full; sorry, we can’t accommodate additional participants.
Some Saturday only walk-in spots are available with onsite payment via Venmo/cash/check, $65-85 sliding scale.
Theme for this year: Remember and Return – a call to reconnect with nature through nourishing the earthly garden, ourselves and others.
This year we will be having a Friday evening workshop – before the workshop there will be a social time with herbal cocktails and noshes and a book signing with the Hawthorn teachers! Saturday we will have large group classes, and in addition we will be offering smaller “satellite” classes for those interested in a more intimate setting, the satellite classes will be pre-registered and you will receive links for registration via email after you register for your event. One other offering this year is the Individual sessions which are one on one sessions available at additional cost. Descriptions follow the visual schedule and are categorized. Please note, classes are subject to change and though this is a rain or shine event the schedule may be modified due to weather.
FRIDAY NIGHT WORKSHOP:
Creating Herbal Sanctuaries for Life: Refugia Gardening and Rewilding for the Future with Dana O’Driscoll – Many herbalists focus on bringing healing and support to nature, from which all of our plant medicines come. Thus, many of us are concerned and want to take action on the overharvesting of plants, increasing number of medicinal plants that are in peril, and helping address the challenges of climate change and degradation to our ecosystem. In our workshop, we explore how we can be herbalist-activist-land healers through a series of two related practices to support our ecosystems: through refugia herbal gardening and rewilding. The first of these practices focus on first creating a herbal refugia garden—a lovingly and intentionally created medicinal cornucopia that provides habitat, medicine, and seeds. A refugia garden is intentionally and intensely cultivated to support and preserve important plant species. We explore how to design or modify an existing garden using permaculture design techniques including setting intentions, selecting appropriate at-risk plants, gardening techniques that support fostering biodiversity and a healthy soil web, and exploring ecological succession. Once your garden is flourishing, it is time to give back—and for this we explore the second practice, rewilding, seed scattering, and wildtending. This practical workshop offers you an opportunity to learn key tools for your herbal practice including: designing a new garden or adding to your existing garden, considerations for creating plant and insect refuges, creating seed balls with medicinal plants, and exploring rewilding and permaculture for herbalists. All attendees will have the opportunity to create their own seed balls and seed starts for starting their garden and rewilding.
SATURDAY GROUP CLASSES:
Your Medicinal Kitchen- Utilizing the Gift of Taste with Susan Hess – What if we intuitively employed our taste buds, instead of a stack of books or the internet, to determine which foods or herbs to use for everyday illness? Once we understand the many physiological changes that occur when we ingest different foods and herbs, we can then use that knowledge to our advantage in our own medicinal kitchens. Playing with these tastes in cooking will help build your skill set as a first step to understanding all of your natural medicine-making choices. This class will offer a variety of taste samples to practice your new found kitchen skills!
The Plant Medicine Spectrum with Briel Beaty – Herbal medicine encompasses a wide variety of plants. These plants range from food plants to poisons. Come and learn about this medicine spectrum, where common medicinals fall on the scale and how that effects dosing and formulation.
Ancient Nomadic Romany herbal healing with Bill Russell Romani healing (formally called gypsy healing) combines herbs and metaphysical powers. Ritual, prayers, invocations, and communication with plant spirits are a common part of their methodology. These techniques are handed down from the most ancient shamans, mystics and and wise women. Although strange to our Western mindset, I have seen them work in astonishing ways. I will share what I learned long ago from my traveling Romani teachers.
Native Pennsylvania Medicinal Mushrooms with Dan OBrien. This class will cover: 1) An Introduction to the phylogeny of fungi 2)The three polypores varnish shelf, turkey tail and birtch polypore – where to find them and how to prepare them. Brief discussion on medicinals in general 3) Questions & answers plus a handout with information for people who want to follow up with medicinals. If time allows I will touch briefly on monatropa uniflora a fungi parasite that shows promise for dealing with nervous conditions
Plank Walk: Exploring the Medicinal Plants of Rhoneymeade. Join Dana O’Driscoll as we explore the medicinal plants and mushrooms of our beautiful location, Rhoneymeade. We will emphasize plant identification through observation and our five senses, discuss a variety of in-season medicinal plants that are growing, and briefly discuss plant preparations. This is a chance for a hands-on learning experience.
Natural Skin Care Products: The Essential and Important Facts We Need to Know as Makers AND Consumers with Nancy Hook-Lee: Our health and well-being so important for all aspects of our lives. Whether it is related to the food we eat or the products we use on our skin, we want to choose products and ingredients that are safe, sustainable, nourishing, and better for the earth. This workshop will help you gain a good understanding of the important decisions that are made when natural skin care products are made. Together, we will examine The Six Essential Aspects of Natural Skin Care. You will be
able to make better purchase decisions, or you just might want to begin making your own natural
skin care products. Handouts with guidelines and information and references will be provided.
Plants: My Teachers – with Jennifer Tucker. In the early 1970’s I was introduced to three plants, Calamus Acorus calamus, Elecampane Inula helenium, and Comfrey Symphytum officinale, and through personal dis-ease and illnesses was taught practical applications of the plants to heal myself. The class will include many of the ways I was taught by these plants and my experienced human teachers. Participants will meet the three featured plants, taste, learn from their medicine ways to take home.
The Bitter Truth – with Yasoda Mensa – There has been much research documented about the affect that the bitter taste has on the physical body. What is less known is the affect that bitter has on the emotional and spiritual aspects of life. In this workshop we will explore the role of bitter, and understand how to allow it, to help us, in reaching our fuller human potential.
Nourishing Your Nervous System with Jennifer J: Inviting More Connection, Relaxation and Support into Everyday Life. We’ll discuss the nervous system, herbal nervines like oat straw and passionflower, as well as neuroregulating practices. Connect with yourself, each other and some amazing plant allies.
SATELLITE CLASSES ON SATURDAY – LIMITED TO 15 PARTICIPANTS – Pre-Registration required (Opens May 1st), no additional cost!
Botanical Perfumery, Crafting Personalized Scents based on your Temperament and Astrology with Sue Salves – In this class you will be guided to choosing the essential oils that best support you. This will be done through exploring the four temperaments (Choleric, Melancholic, Sanguine, or Phlegmatic), your astrological birth chart and by gaining an understanding of the temperament of the plants.
Nourishing Your Nervous System: What plants can teach us about resilience in changing times – with Jennifer Jourdan –
How to Make a Healing and Nourishing Skin Balm with Nancy Hopko-Lee – Join in on the journey of making a healing and nourishing skin balm from start to finish. I will
demonstrate and explain how I used The Six Essential Aspects of Natural Skin Care to make
choices of raw ingredients, herbs and other botanicals, that are used in the balm. Learn
measuring, melting, mixing, packaging and labeling techniques. The recipe, reference handouts,
and a sample to take home are included.
Sound Bath Session with Laura Sarge: Join certified Sound Healer and practitioner of energy wellness, Laura Sarge, for an hour of chakra alignment, opening, and healing. A Sound Bath uses crystal singing bowls and other high vibrational energy tools for a hands-off guided meditative, restorative, healing session. Come ready to relax, let go, and start your journey towards healing. For this session, participants should fill out the quick intake form to ensure that Sound Healing is appropriate for you.
Calendula Planting Project: Join us to learn about Calendula and plant some calendula seeds of your own to take home with you. Calendula is a beautiful and medicinal flower that grows well in our region. It can also be grown in pots for those with limited garden space. Limited to 20 people.
INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS: Saturday, One on One sessions during Free Thyme. Pre-registration required Opens May 1st. Additional Fee.
Astrological Plant Allies with Deep Earth Astrology with Robert Pacitti of Deep Earth Astrology Session Time: 20 minutes, Cost: Sliding Scale $25.00-40.00 Delve into the essence of your Sun, Moon, and Ascendant signs, exploring your primary cosmic energies and the direct connection between these planetary influences and the spirits of the plant world. Utilizing both ancient and modern herbal associations, we will build a deeper connection with the plant allies that resonate with your unique and personal cosmic fingerprint. No prior astrology knowledge is necessary, just provide us with your date of birth, birth location, and birth time (if known). Each participant will receive a personalized satchel containing their tree and herb astrological allies.
Scents of Self with Sue Salves. Session time: 30 minutes. Cost: $50. Create Your Own Scents of Self, a personalized botanical perfume. Includes a basic chart reading describing your temperament and a self tailored scent to take with you.
