A Year of Healing with West Coast Herbs

A little over a month ago Tony and I were at our local library and I noticed that there was a Herb Talk beginning shortly. The speaker was Heather Macleod, the wonderful teacher who I spent evenings with in her home last winter for a series of talks about the healing properties of herbs. Tony and I decided to stay for her talk. We had a wonderful evening and, before I knew it, two days later I was attending the first in a year long series of workshops designed to learn about, identify, harvest and process 50 wild plants of the West Coast of Canada.

One of my life-long dreams has been to connect more fully with the land and learn how to treat and feed myself, my family and later on, those in need. And here it was, opening up for me. And I remember: Good things take time... Great things happen like lightening.

 

Each month, we learn about new plants, go on a walk to identify them, learn when to harvest them for their strongest properties, and how to do so ethically to ensure their continued growth for future generations.

We learn to dry and store them for later use, making teas, infusions or decoctions.

 

During the month we harvest our own plants and then learn how to process them into tinctures, salves or creams at the next class.

The last week I have spent foraging to gather what I need for this weekend's class. I head off into the forest, savouring the fresh earth smalls all around me, the dappled sunlight on my body, the breeze in my hair. I marvel at the sheer glory that nature reveals when we take a moment to pause, and wander, and appreciate.  An hour or two passes. Unnoticed. I am where I belong. At home with myself.