Thursday, August 22, 10:30 am – 12:00 noon – Creating Herbal Alchemy: An Introduction to Local Plants and Their Uses
The Massachusetts Horticultural Society will present a lecture at Elm Bank on Wednesday, August 22, from 10:30 – noon featuring Steph Zabel. We are surrounded by an abundance of plants that are both food and medicine. Some of these plants are considered “weeds,” some are purposely garden-cultivated, some are wild natives, but all have unique gifts to offer.
In this dynamic introductory class you will learn how many of the plants that grow all around us can be used in various ways to improve our health and add joy to our lives. We will discuss, taste, and create preparations such as herbal infusions, tinctures, oils, and wines. We will also identify some of the most under-appreciated yet prolific plants and learn how they can be used as nutritive teas, healing poultices or delicious wild edibles.
Knowing our local plants connects us more deeply to the landscapes we inhabit and increases our awareness of the botanical world. Come learn what gifts the herbs that surround us have to offer!
Steph Zabel is a community herbalist and educator based in Somerville, MA. She has always had an affinity for the plant world and studied horticulture, biology, and ethnobotany throughout her undergraduate and graduate years. Steph is a practicing herbalist and also works as a curatorial assistant at the Harvard University Herbaria. In addition to leading herbal classes, Steph offers individual holistic health consultations, hand-crafts herbal medicines, and runs her small business Flowerfolk Herbal Apothecary. She is also the founder and organizer of Herbstalk, a local educational event that teaches people about herbalism.
Cost – $20.00 for members, $25.00 for non-members. Register on line at www.masshort.org.
