Cedar Mountain’s apprenticeship programs put the WILD in Wildcrafting!

Our Wildcrafting Apprenticeship Programs in the Seattle area and Sandpoint, Idaho are field based, designed to expand students’ working knowledge of local medicinal plants, nutrition and plants’ effects on the body systems. The programs cover identification, materia medica, sustainable harvesting methods, medicine making, plant constituents, basic anatomy and physiology, formulations, and so much more. Apprentices gain a deeper understanding of the wild medicinal and edible plants of the Pacific and Inland Northwest, and acquire valuable experience in making and using herbal medicines for home or business.

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“It’s a big leap to go from making tinctures from purchased and pre-prepared herbs to making medicine with plant material you picked or dug yourself. Working with my hands while wildcrafting with Suzanne brought the knowledge from my head down to my fingertips. Touching, tasting, and truly noticing herbs took that tangible knowledge to my heart. Apprenticeship at CMHS integrated my head, heart, and hands in my endeavor to learn plant wisdom and develop herbal intuition.”

— Charis K. (2021 and 2022 apprentice)

“Suzanne’s Herbal apprenticeship is a must for anyone who wants to learn how to harvest herbs ethically and make their own medicine. She has a kind and generous spirit and is a passionate teacher. I’m very grateful for her teachings and time with her in the field. I’m looking forward to applying my new knowledge to my practice.”

— Sharona C., PharmD (2022 apprentice)

“I’m beyond thrilled with all I learned this year during my apprenticeship with CMHS. Suzanne’s passion for herbs, holistic health and education is infectious. I’ve taken several in-person and virtual herbalist courses in the past, but this program was unique in its focus on practical field work – learning where to find, how to ID and how to harvest the medicinal plants growing all around us – and finally, how best to prepare them to ‘get the medicine to the people.’ I can’t recommend CMHS highly enough to anyone seeking a well-rounded herbal education, while expanding their tribe of nature-loving friends along the way!”

— Kim H. (2022 apprentice)

Upcoming Apprenticeship Programs

North Idaho Apprenticeships

Herbal Apprenticeship Program 2023

When: May - September 2023
Location: Sandpoint, ID
Setting: In-Person
Instructor: Suzanne Tabert

The herbal apprenticeship program here in Sandpoint is for those who have a strong desire to strengthen their skills and fill their herbal tool belts and apothecary with plant medicine from both the wild and garden. CMHS delivers intensive in-the-field plant identification with hands-on harvesting, formulation, medicine making and holistic health practices.

Seattle Apprenticeships

Seattle Roots to Tips Wildcrafting Training Program 2023

When: March - July 2023
Location: Seattle, WA
Setting: In-Person
Instructor: Heather Bruno

The Roots to Tips Wildcrafting training Program in the Seattle area is an excellent weekend opportunity over a 5-month period, a perfect option for you to expand your herbal knowledge and skills and to go deeper in learning about the plants of our own unique bioregion!

Spring Botanical Primer 2023

When: May 12 - June 2, 2023
Location: Seattle, WA
Setting: In-Person
Instructor: Heather Bruno

Whether you are just getting started in the amazing world of herbal medicine or a seasoned herbalist desiring to go deeper in herbal studies with hands-on field work, the Botanical Primer is an excellent opportunity for a deeply rooted exploration of wild plants, with a focus on ethical harvesting practices, constituents and why knowing them is vital to making effective healing remedies, plant energetics, and the positive impacts plants have on our anatomy and physiology!

Summer Botanical Primer 2023

When: June 16 - July 7, 2023
Location: Seattle, WA
Setting: In-Person
Instructor: Heather Bruno

This is the time to get out in nature! Summer is such a bountiful time of year-with so many plants at their peak! Whether you are an absolute beginner or a seasoned herbalist desiring to go deeper in herbal studies with hands-on field work, the Summer Botanical Primer is for you!

self reliant herbs

Fall Botanical Primer 2023

When: September 22 - October 13, 2023
Location: Seattle, WA
Setting: In-Person
Instructor: Heather Bruno

Whether you are just getting started in the amazing world of herbalism, continuing with your studies, or a seasoned herbalist desiring to go deeper with hands-on field work, the Botanical Primer is an excellent opportunity for a deeply rooted exploration of wild plants, with a focus on ethical harvesting practices, understanding plant energetics, and the positive impacts plants have on our anatomy and physiology! We also cover plant constituents and why knowing them is vital to making effective medicine.

All About Our Apprenticeships

Apprenticeship programs are taught by Suzanne Tabert and Heather Bruno.

You’ll learn more about wild plants, the microbiome of your body and macrobiome of the world around you, how plants work in our bodies on a cellular/tissue/organ/system/total body level, and about yourself than you ever thought possible. Out in the world, where we sometimes feel excluded or looked at as that “weird herb person,” it can be hard to find our place. I’ve created a school where everyone is welcome! That means you! What we are told by so many of our students is that their lives changed for the better during their time in the programs, and they’ve finally found the community they’ve been searching for. Sometimes very surprising decisions are made, paths take turns, and new directions are found. We meet everyone where they are.

Begin to build a very impressive apothecary, standing at the ready for just about any issue that arises.

Everywhere from deep in the woods, to the mountain tops and over the passes, in fields, gardens, and urban settings, to the ocean and rivers….plants are here, vital and waiting to be introduced. They have so much to offer and are so willing to teach, heal, and nourish. Students will delve into creatively using herbs as medicine, in body care, meals, smudging, treats, and so much more! As the months progress, plants will easily become part of daily life in ways that are beautiful, healthful, and nourishing. At the Cedar Mountain Herb School, our motto is “Get the medicine to the people in ways that they’ll delight in taking so that healing can occur!”

We offer 3 different types of Herbal Apprenticeship Programs:

The Sandpoint Idaho Apprenticeship Program is in-person and in depth, focusing on both the wilderness plants and hardy garden plants of North Idaho. This program is structured with four 4-week modules with a week break between each module and meets on Thursdays. Taught by the Queen Bee herself, Suzanne Tabert

The Roots to Tips Wildcrafting Program is an excellent weekend option for those who wish to have a completely in-person herbal experience in the Seattle area. The dates are the 4th weekend of each month April – July. Taught by Heather Bruno in the Seattle area.

The Botanical Primer is a 4-week mini apprenticeship packed full of fun and learning for those who cannot commit to a full apprenticeship, yet want to get their hands in the soil and stretch their herbalist’s wings. Spring and fall sessions are taught by Heather Bruno.

Meet our instructors!

Make 2023 YOUR year by joining one of our apprenticeship programs! The time is now to kickstart your dream of herbal competency and independence from dream to reality!

Apprenticeship competencies & objectives:

Botanical Identification

100% correct identification is key to harvesting wild plants safely. Identify vascular plants in botanical Latin and colloquial terms using standard botanical identification methods and by closely observing plant identifying classifications such as leaf and flower structure, bark, growth patterns, inherent smell of the plants, and life cycles. Organoleptic method of identification is our specialty here at the Cedar Mountain Herb School – learn when it’s ok to put an unknown plant in your mouth and when it’s not!

Cultured Foods

Probiotics in cultured food and existing in nature replenish the microbiome in our small and large intestines, which lead to better digestive, immune, and nerve health. Students will gain an understanding of the gut flora/mental health connection, how consuming an overabundance of fermented foods can lead to inflammatory diseases.

Medicine in the Herb Garden

Culinary herbs are medicinal! Advance the ability to grow medicinal plants in gardens, pots, on acreage, and utilize their medicine in a way that everyone will enjoy.

Herbal First Aid

Preparedness for emergency situations. Integrate the best choice of plants and first aid techniques to use and correct applications in emergency situations – whether at home, on the road, or in the wilderness, to heal wounds, infections, muscle trauma; soothe rashes and stop allergic reactions, shock conditions, heat exhaustion. This comes in handy as the apprentices are out in a myriad of environments and conditions.

Herbal & Lifestyle Support

Students focus on eliminating the stressors of healthy immune responses such as stress, and emotional issues and their impact on the immune system, and discuss herbs and practices to strengthen and heal to create a robust immune system that can deal with what comes our way.

Support Strategies for Body Systems

Participate in discussions of the role of medicinal plants for building strong immune, endocrine, reproductive, respiratory, cardiac and digestive systems, and for health issues of each system. Included is basic anatomy and physiology.

Medicine Making

Prepare medicinal, edible, or technological plant products including —but not limited to— medicinal oils, tinctures, salves, elixirs, tea blends, herbal vinegar, poultices, liniments, herbal infused honeys, oxymels, and witch hazels. Distinguish appropriate applications and dosages for the remedies. Students will need to provide their own menstrua – including honey, alcohol, apple cider vinegar, witch hazel, jars, tools, etc for medicine making.

Plant Formulas

As students acquire knowledge of the medicine of individual wild plants, they will recognize the formulas plants create in living in community with each other. This will enable them to design highly effective herbal products for home and business.

Plant Monographs

The plant monographs are the start of an herbarium. An herbarium is a record of plants that is a useful resource when harvesting for reference, for adding to as students learn over the years, to pass down to future generations. It includes botanical and common name, habitat, description of the plant and samples, when to harvest, medicinal constituents, physiological effects, drug interactions, preparations and menstrua, tools needed to harvest, personal experiences.

Phytochemistry

Phytochemistry is the study of the constituents in plants that cause physiological changes in the body. Knowing the actions and needs of constituents to fully extract and preserve each group or individual constituent will give the medicine maker a clear view on pairing constituents with the correct mentrua to ensure high quality remedies.

Materia Medica

Describe the useful properties of at least 100 plant species with a working knowledge of making medicinal remedies.

Wildcrafting Ethics

Define and describe wildcrafting within the context of legal gathering, ethics, and sustainable harvesting. Students learn how to find and steward their own plant sanctuaries.

Field Trips

We’ll go to amazingly beautiful places to harvest wild plants for food and medicine. Getting out in nature is healing in and of itself, becoming comfortable in nature takes us even further in our mental, physical, and spiritual health.

Herbal Lore & Ethnobotany

Recognize the need for passing on the knowledge of how peoples of the past and present use/d local plants for food and medicine. Students accomplish this through stories, hands-on training, and using new skills to pass on to future generations.

Aromatherapy

Each plant has its distinct identifier scent, which is part of their medicinal value. Achieve a working relationship with essential oils, their healing benefits, appropriate usage. Hydrosol distillation class will be included in each program.

Forage a profoundly life changing relationship with nature and become a part of the community that you’re so welcome in. Our knowledge of plants and their medicines is based on a deep relationship to the land, place and home.

We welcome working with you on your herbal adventure! 🌿