Meet Nancy Scarzello
A Note from Rosemary
There are many ways to walk the path of herbalism. Some teach, some tend gardens, some craft medicines, and many weave their love of plants quietly into everyday life and community care. Each path is unique, shaped by relationship, experience, and the needs of the moment.
It is with joy that I introduce you to my dear friend, Nancy Scarzello. Nancy and I worked side by side for many years at Sage Mountain, where she served as my office manager and assistant, and later as the first office manager for United Plant Savers. In both roles, she brought a rare combination of organizational skill and deep herbal knowledge, helping guide countless people toward the support they were seeking.
Nancy’s gifts extend far beyond any one role. She is a talented teacher, writer, and medicine- maker, known for her engaging classes and her thoughtfully crafted herbal preparations. Her work reflects both care and experience, and her medicines, including her well-loved pain cream, continue to be a steady companion for many.
Nancy’s story is a beautiful reflection of a life rooted in devotion to the plants and a lifelong commitment to sharing their gifts in a personal and heartfelt way.
There is no part of the woman I am today, the lifestyle I choose to lead, or the relationship I have with Nature and the Green World that has not been informed, influenced, and inspired by Rosemary and The Science & Art of Herbalism.
From childhood, I found refuge in Nature, my “happy place” among the plants and wild things. Whether cooking with herbs, foraging, gardening, or dabbling in making homemade lip balm, the interest was always there.
Nearly 40 years ago, I was a young back-to-the-lander in central Vermont with a husband, two young sons, and no money for health insurance. I wanted to find ways to keep my family healthy and out of the doctor’s office as much as possible. I wanted to be more than a dabbler. I wanted self-empowered knowledge. I wanted health assurance.
Finding the Right Teacher
So I went looking for a teacher. I wrote to every correspondence course listed in the back of The Herb Quarterly, asking for information. There were five or six options, and strangely, only one responded.
Very soon, I realized that something larger had guided me. Rosemary had entered my life, and I was on my way to learning from what felt like a true fairy godmother of herbalism.
She sent her home study course, The Science & Art of Herbalism, a self-paced program designed to be woven into everyday life.
When Lesson One arrived, I dove in and immediately knew this was exactly what I needed. It was affordable, which mattered deeply at the time. It was self-paced, which fit the rhythm of raising children and tending a homestead. Most importantly, it offered a strong foundation. I was learning the best ways to approach herbalism from someone who truly lived it and was willing to share it.
From Student to Teacher
Over time, I discovered how much I loved teaching others. By the late 1990s, I was working at Sage Mountain as Rosemary’s office manager and teaching assistant in her apprenticeship program.
I had devoured every lesson of The Science & Art of Herbalism, and as the program grew, Rosemary invited me to help review student work. I was honored to be among those she trusted.
That work became a gift in itself. By guiding students through the lessons again and again, I stayed deeply immersed in the material. One of the most valuable aspects of the course is the way it builds a strong foundation while encouraging each person to find their own path, whether as a gardener, medicine-maker, teacher, practitioner, or grower.
A Life Shaped by Plants
For me, that path led to a deep love of medicine-making and formulation, especially with the plants and mushrooms growing wild near my home. The forests, fields, and gardens around me became both classroom and inspiration.
That love found its way into every corner of my life, and eventually grew into my herbal business, Forest Bay Herbals, born from a relationship with the plants themselves.
A New Chapter
In 2008, after 30 years on my Vermont homestead and 12 years working with Rosemary and United Plant Savers, I took a leap.
With my sons grown, I moved to Ticonderoga, New York, near my family’s summer home on Lake George. It was the first time I had truly been on my own. Once again, the plants became the foundation I built my life upon.
I continued making herbal preparations, many of which received recognition over the years. My Medicinal Mushroom Extract earned an Award for Excellence at the International Herb Symposium. Elderberry on Fire won the Fire Cider contest at the New England Women’s Herbal Conference and was later included in Rosemary’s Fire Cider book.
Alongside this work, I taught classes, led plant walks, and spoke for local organizations. I designed and installed a period Medicinal Herb Garden at Fort Ticonderoga. I also hosted an apprenticeship program from my home, all while continuing to craft and share my herbal preparations.
Listening to What's Needed
As always, necessity has been a powerful teacher.
A bulging disc in my back and arthritis in my hands led me back to the plants, drawing on everything I had learned to create a CBD Pain Relief Cream that has since become a favorite for many.
After a tick bite in 2009, I developed my After Tick Bite tincture for both internal and topical support. Over the years, despite more than 20 tick bites, I have not experienced infection, and the formula continues to serve others as well.
Keeping It Personal
Today, I continue to run Forest Bay Herbals as a one-woman operation, intentionally keeping it small. This allows me to give each product, and each person, my full attention and care.
I do not have a website, nor do I sell in retail stores or online. Instead, I work directly with people, often through phone conversations, to help guide them toward what may best support them. I ship products across the country and maintain a simple, personal connection with those I serve.
This approach keeps things affordable and allows me to stay in relationship, not only with the plants, but with the people as well.
If you’d like to connect, place an order, or receive a full brochure, Nancy can be reached by email at [email protected]. She also offers a 10% discount to students of The Science & Art of Herbalism and occasional seasonal offerings.
Always immersed in the Green World, Nancy continues to make medicines and share her love of herbs, always happy to connect and talk about the plants.
about herbs for over 50 years. It is my honor and joy to share what I have learned with you, and to introduce you to my fellow herbalists and plant lovers!
