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.

Making natural incense is as easy as noticing the plants that grow around you. Students will utilize dried and fresh herbs, resins, barks and binders like honey to create a signature incense blend to take home.

It’s said that the first rose beads were made for rosaries. Dried powdered herbs crafted into beads add a certain zing to a wardrobe or lampshade and bring their medicine in a way that is unusual and timeless.

The role of elderberry as one of the most beloved and effective herbs for addressing many viral infections is well known, yet there are as many ways to utilize the berries as there are herbalists. Gain an understanding of the unique constituents of our native Elder, Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea, that make it such a valuable remedy. Students will make an elderberry honey OR tincture.

While bartenders use bitters in tasty cocktails, herbalists commonly use bitters to support the digestive system. Suzanne will discuss the anatomy and physiology of the digestive system and the roles that bitters play that go far beyond digestive health to weight loss, reversing chronic inflammation, supporting immune and nerve health and more. Students will use Oregon grape berries, pine needles, honey and alcohol to create a tasty and effective bitter.

Mushrooms may seem foreign to use in a healthy face and body regimen, yet they offer many benefits to the skin. The beta-glucans and ganoderic acids in reishi mushrooms stimulate immune and antioxidant activity, lower inflammation, help relieve stress-related skin reactions, and promote healing.

To make effective herbal tinctures, we need an understanding of constituent groups and their solubility. 80 proof. 100 proof. 151 proof. 190 proof. Does it matter which we use? Yes! Suzanne unpacks what the proofs mean and how to choose the correct one for powerful herbal medicine. Students will make an herbal tincture.

Let’s get natural! Much of what we put on our skin goes into our bloodstream. Given the choice between endocrine disrupting chemicals and natural ingredients, we’ll use the later to make an effective deodorant and tasty toothpaste without any sugars or sugar substitutes.

Intestinal health depends on over 500 different strains of beneficial flora known collectively as probiotics. Probiotics’ many health benefits include strengthening the immune and nervous systems, stimulating digestion and protecting against the spread of harmful yeast overgrowth, lowering cholesterol and guarding against cancer. Learn how to make cultured butter and fermented curtido.

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!

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!

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!

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.

Late winter and early spring may seem like a barren time with little to harvest, but it is actually the BEST time to harvest Cottonwood buds! These heavenly scented buds are incredibly medicinal!

Tea Blending: For Coughs, Colds and Anxiety Relief

Winter Skin Care: Moisturizing Evergreen Sugar Scrubs

Uplifting Herbs: To Alleviate Mid-Winter Blues

Alcohol-Free Medicine Making Basics

Culinary Herbs Are Medicinal: How To Get Them On The Table

Eating With The Seasons: Healing with Polysaccharide Rich Plants

Planting YOUR Herb Garden

Introduction to Herbal Tinctures