I think the first way the course benefited me was by giving structure to my learning process. I’ve been learning about herbs, on my own, through different workshops and classes, and with friends, for several years, but until doing this course, I hadn’t really organized the learning process in any way. So that is probably the biggest benefit. This is because it helped me appreciate the amount of studying I had already done and also showed me what areas I had little knowledge of, so I could begin to fill those gaps in my knowledge.
The second benefit was that being engaged in this course supported my interest in wild plant identification, and served as a continual motivation for me to not only learn to identify plants discussed in the lessons, but also to learn about common plants in my environment that I wasn’t knowledgeable about. This has been another interest of mine for many years, but the project of compiling the Materia Medica gave organization to all this information.
Thirdly, I liked how the structure of the course and the homework activities lent themselves to a lot of hands-on tasks, making many different types of preparations and documenting them. Combining the knowledge gained from reading/research with the hands-on activities made the learning process very rewarding.
I think the final thing I will mention is how the readings in the course, the additional recommended books, and other reading I did during this time opened my eyes to a lot of new topics and areas I want to learn about. It’s sometimes said that the best learning experiences leave you with more new questions than answers. I think that’s definitely the case with this course. Some of the topics I am interested to continue learning about are: bioregional herbalism, ancestral herbalism, turmeric, herbalism in Puerto Rico, Persian herbalism, the legal dimension of herbalism in different countries, making herbal shrubs, meadowsweet, Herbalists without Borders, herbal first aid, medicinal mushrooms, and more.
Thank you for a great experience!
Elizabeth G.
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!