Wild Harvesting Adventure ~ Devil''s Club
- WHEN: June 17, 2023
- TIME: 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
- FEE: $115.00 USD
- INSTRUCTOR: Suzanne Tabert
- SETTING: In-Person
- LOCATION: Sandpoint, ID
(details & directions provided after enrollment)
Devil’s club’s super powers of pain relief, immune modulation and respiratory health helper make it a must-have in any home apothecary. We’re heading into the mountains near Clark Fork to explore and harvest this prickly plant!
Devil’s Club, Oplopanax horridum, is our Pacific Northwest powerhouse ginseng. Panax is Greek for all healing and Devil’s Club certainly seems to fit that name. In addition to it being traditionally known for pain relief, the bark of the recumbent stems and roots are also used as an adaptogen, endocrine modulator, pain reliever, blood sugar normalizer, all-over strengthener to our immune system and adrenals.
Devil’s Club helps relieve the cravings for alcohol, caffeine, drugs, junk food, and other unhealthy substances. It’s an important herb for those trying to recover from addictions. It can help with mental clarity and focus for those dealing with ADD, ADHD, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, and “chemo brain.” Devil’s Club helps clear the lungs during cold/flu and allergy seasons.
More info will be shared on the mountain! As always, Suzanne will share lots of stories and how the constituents in Devil’s club affect the body. Knowing when to harvest is key – parts of the plant are psychotropic. Come to the workshop to learn more!
Students will harvest the roots and recumbent stems of Devil’s Club. Very prickly work – heavy leather gloves and appropriate clothing is required for this work. See “what to bring” for details. The scent of Devil’s Club in unmistakable as is the boost you’ll get while harvesting and processing it. Much of what we put on our skin can easily go into our bloodstream. This most definitely includes the terpenes and other constituents present in the bark of the recumbent stems and roots, which is why we always wear gloves when harvesting and processing this plant.
As one of our mottos is “Get the medicine to the people in ways they’ll enjoy taking, so that healing can occur,” Suzanne will share recipes for how to make devil’s club accessible plus a how-to tutorial on making medicinal oil and then how to turn the oil into a pain relieving salve.
To prepare in advance for the wildcrafting intensive, read Suzanne’s devil’s club article on the blog.
What you’ll need:
- 2 half pint jars with lids
- A half pint each of honey and 100 proof alcohol (brand of choice). Omit the brandy and bring apple cider vinegar if not using alcohol.
- Cutting board, chopping knife, and paring knife
- Clippers – small heavy duty and/or large clippers
- LEATHER GLOVES – Not light gardening gloves, not the gloves that are cotton on the top and blue latex on the palms. Devil’s club’s spikes shred in the skin and fester easily. If you don’t bring heavy leather gloves, then you will miss out on the harvest. Make sure the leather gloves actually fit you. Big unwieldy gloves such as welding gloves are inappropriate. Also, bring kitchen or gardening gloves for use during processing.
- Lunch, camp chair, water, notebook, etc
Dress appropriately. Devil’s club harvesting is serious business and you don’t want to get the spikes in your legs because you’re not wearing proper clothing. Long sleeves, heavy jeans and sturdy closed toed shoes are a must.
WHERE TO MEET:
We will meet at Suzanne’s farmlet in Sandpoint and carpool to our wild harvest site (address and directions will be emailed after enrollment). The workshop is open to registered students only. Please do not bring unregistered guests, pets or children.
