Class Descriptions & Teacher Bios
Sunday, August 18, 2024
Herbs for Menopause
with Elaine Sheff
Clinical Herbalist RH (AHG)
Green Path Herb School
In Western medicine, menopause is often thought of as a disease state, and hormone replacement therapies are often used. But menopause is not an illness and does not need, nor have a cure. It is an exciting time in one's life to explore herbal remedies for health and wellness. Join herbalist Elaine Sheff to take a deep dive into the common issues of menopause and how we can use herbs, diet, and lifestyle to thrive during this transition.
The author of several books on herbal medicine and healing, clinical herbalist Elaine Sheff has been passionate about sharing herbal knowledge for over 35 years. She is a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild, teaching workshops, and at conferences, both nationally and internationally. She is a graduate of the Rocky Mountain Center of Botanical Medicine and the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine. Elaine has an International Certification in Aromatherapy from the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy and is a certified Instructor of the Fertility Awareness Method. She is the Co-Director of Green Path Herb School, where she strives to inspire and empower students and clients to remember their connection to the earth, the plants, and their own healing process. An avid gardener, Elaine is also the president of the Montana Herbal Festival. You can often find her marveling at small flowers in mountain meadows.
How to Use a Plant Key
with Robyn Klein, MSc., Medical Herbalist
Want to learn how to use a plant key? Bring a 10x plant lens and your books. We’ll meander through the gardens to practice learning the four parts of a flower and how to key out plants.
Robyn Klein has been teaching plant identification to K-12 teachers and herbalists since 2004. A graduate of the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine (1995) and an adjunct instructor at MSU, and a member of the Montana Native Plant Society. Her gardens are a mix of native, Chinese, and European medicinal species, and the odd carrot.
Herbal Harm Reduction
with Anita Nuñez
Harm Reduction Health Educator
The Herban Apothecary
Harm Reduction is a philosophy that prioritizes meeting individuals where they are at. It seeks to create safety and trust by not stigmatizing self-harming behaviors, and creates new avenues into healing by tailoring the therapeutic approach to the needs of clients. Harm Reduction sees us as we are in each moment, and asks us what are the next and most basic steps that can move us closer to balance and improve our sense of wellness. These strategies are great whether we are dealing with someone suffering from substance use disorder or just dealing with a client who won't take the time to drink tea no matter how many times we might try and remind them.
Anita Nuñez is a fourth generation gardener and herbalist with a strong connection to her community and the land of Central Florida. She centers decolonization and harm reduction in approach to herbal medicine and agriculture. She is co-founder of On-Po!nt, a QTBIPOC led harm reduction group, as well as co-director of Neighborhood Fridge, a QTBIPOC led food justice organization. She maintains a big garden with over 30 species of medicinal plants and is passionate about health education.