SAMPLE CURRICULUM 2006

Suggested Reading  These are not NECESSARY but will be helpful for the class:

Witches, Midwives and Nurses: A history of woman healers

The Practical Botanist-used also in Wildcrafting Class

Botany in a Day Used also in Wildcrating Class

Local Texas Field Guide of your choice  used also in Wildcrafting Class

Hoffman’s New Holistic Herbal

Anything by Matthew Wood

Anything by Michael Moore

Healing Wise by Susun Weed

The Herbal Medicine Maker’s Handbook by James Green Used also in Preparations Class

Not included are the plants I am going to go into depth on.  The list varies and I am still deciding whom we will be talking about.

Class One

Part One: Introduction to Herbal Medicine as a healing modality, oral tradition and history. How we got to where we are. Bioregionalism and using local weedy alternatives to popular market herbs. 

Part Two: Introduction to Botany and Plant Identification Part 1 Latin binomials and basic plant taxonomy. Flowers, leaves, and root parts.

In Depth With Plant Allies:

Class Two

Part One: How herbal medicines work(several perspectives).

Introduction to plant properties, basic medical action terminology.

Introduction to body systems.

Part Two :Who's Who and What's what in the herb world. Organizations, schools, herbalists, and companies. Botany Review Authors to look for..

Licenses and letters after people's names, what they mean and don't mean.

In Depth with Plant Allies:

Class Three

Part One: Wildcrafting Ethics and Plant Conservation

Plant Spirit Medicine and Flower Essences

Part Two: Introduction to Botany and Plant Identification Part 2

In depth with Plant Allies

Class Four

Part One: Levels of Healing: Working with nutritive tonics

Herbal First Aid

Safety(Dosage, Contraindications) and Legalities

Part Two: Buying for Quality.  Herbal Preparations, Plant Pharmacology

Fire Cider Workshop

In depth with Plant Allies:

Class Five

Field Trip and potluck at Heron’s next Herb Farm in Hill Country

Part One:Growing Medicinal Plants in Texas for the Market

Field Work:  Collecting and processing chickweed and cleavers.

Review of Wildcrafting Ethics

Part Two: Field Work: Plant Walk practicing Botany and Plant Identification Terminology  Plant Spirit Medicine Portion

In Depth With Plant Allies:

Cleavers

Shepherd’s Purse

Dewberry

Dandelion

Nettles

Henbit

Agarita

Calendula

Cottonwood

Yarrow

White Prickly Poppy

Vervain