June 05, 2020

An alcohol intermediary oil is a special kind of infused herbal oil that uses alcohol to pre-extract, resulting in a stronger infused oil. This is an oil making method that I have fell in love with over the last year and am so excited to share with you all. I've made deep green plantain oils and amazingly aromatic mugwort oil. Amazing! Join us for this live, virtual class that will be hosted on Zoom, so you can ask your questions, show me your work, and still practice social distancing.

In this two-hour virtual "make-along" class, we will cover:

- Making alcohol intermediary oils together (you'll be in your kitchen making your own!)
- What is an AIO and how does it work
- Ratios
- equipment
- what herbs work best
- ideas on how to use the oils.

DATE: Friday, June 5, 2020, 7-9pm
LOCATION: Zoom link will be sent prior to class.
TEACHER: Natalie
COST: $30.00


MATERIALS NEEDED TO DO "MAKE-ALONG" AIO:
Please gather these supplies and have them ready for class. If you are unable to find plantain leaf, you may sub rosemary leaf.

Alcohol Intermediary oil
- 7 oz olive oil (or other liquid oil)
- 1 oz dried plantain leaf or other herb (try lavender, mugwort or calendula for example)
- 1 oz everclear (you need the 95% kind)
- 16 oz jar (2 cup capacity)

EQUIPMENT:
- A kitchen scale
- a measuring cup with ounces
- a blender
- fine mesh metal strainer
- cheesecloth
- An herb and spice grinder or a blender would be helpful, but not necessary

June 09, 2020

Herbalists are strange folk: always dosing themselves with various potions and chomping on questionable leaves. This is largely how humans have learned about plants over the centuries. You will never learn something more thoroughly than through direct experience, and western herbalists really take that to heart. Throughout my learning journey about plants and, I have had a great many negative and positive experiences with plants.

In this class, I will be sharing specific stories about some of my most profound educational moments, and what they have taught me about the body and about how to use herbs successfully. I will be introducing some topics from Chinese medicine blending with western herbal theory.

This class will cover some of these topics through the lens of specific plants:
- how flavor can indicate action
- herbs that move up, and herbs that move down
- when not to use diaphoretics
- the complexity of dealing with dampness in the body.
- pro-inflammatory herbs and dose tolerance
- shifting cause vs symptomatic suppression
- moving blood and building blood

This class is perfect for people who have studied herbalism a bit. Know that this is an intermediate level class, but anyone is welcome. This class will touch upon many concepts in Chinese medicine, but no background in Chinese medicine is needed.

LOCATION: Zoom
DATE AND TIME: June 9th, 2020, 7-9pm
TEACHER: Natalie H.
COST: $30-$40
MAX STUDENTS: 15

June 16, 2020

If you'd like to forage in the wild, the first plants you should learn are the ones that kill you. With a healthy respect for these deadly plants, you can forage with more confidence and safety. This class will focus on the identification, toxic symptoms and background of the five most poisonous plants in Washington with ample visuals to back it up. The plants are: poison hemlock, Indian hellebore, water hemlock, larkspur and foxglove. We'll also briefly discuss some other toxic plants to watch out for including bittersweet nightshade and creeping buttercup. You'll come away from this class with a solid base of information and some tools to help you identify these plants when you come upon them.

This class will be taught live on zoom using a powerpoint for visuals. Come ready to take notes and ask questions. I'll send the powerpoint after class so you can have a good reference for the future.

Please note that when you buy your ticket, all confirmation emails and information will go to the email that your paypal account is connected to. Please check that email the morning of class, which is when I send out handouts and resend the zoom invitation.

DATE AND TIME: June 16th, 2020, 6:30pm-8:30pm PST
LOCATION: Zoom
COST: $30-$40
TEACHER: Natalie H.

July 20, 2020

Come join me for a summer hike on Cougar Mountain (where I grew up!). We will walk through patches of devil's club, among towering cedars, under black cottonwoods and through low Oregon grape on this very special mountain east of Seattle. We will learn plant ID, about the history of the area, and about the medicinal, edible and material uses of the plants we encounter.

This class is a good opportunity to get more connected with the land, see somewhere new (or old and dear), and learn about out native forest plants.

We'll spend all day walking, and probably a good amount of time stopped and observing.

LOGISTICS:

Class starts by meeting at 10am at the Sky Country Trailhead near the Newcastle golf club. We'll depart the trailhead at 10:15 sharp, and head into the forest.

Please bring a lunch that you can carry with you and eat on the trail, please bring ample water, a notebook, a camera device (for taking pics of plants) and dress for weather. Please also wear hiking boots or athletic shoes. If you show up in sandals you will be uncomfortable. There will likely be some mosquitos up there as well, so wear repellent if you choose. Please keep chemical scents to a minimum. There is a bathroom at the trailhead, and when once we're in the woods, you'll have to find a tree.

NOTE: This is one of the few classes I have ever taught where I am going to recommend some level of hiking experience and physical shape. We may walk up to six miles, which will include hills and uneven terrain. If that sounds like too much for you, I teach SO many other classes that are not as physically demanding, so please join me for one of those. Please see my website at www.adiantumschool.com

We will not be harvesting during our walk, and I ask that all students do not harvest during class time. As with most public natural spaces in the Seattle Area, harvesting is illegal and discouraged. We may be plucking a leaf here and there for learning purposes.

DATE: Monday, July 20th, 2020

TIME: 10:00am-3pm (Class starts at 10:005, depart trailhead at 10:15 sharp)

LOCATION: Sky Country Trailhead, Cougar Mountain Regional Wildlife Park.

https://goo.gl/maps/6i6Cr3TDKscKLHha9

COST: $100.00

MAX STUDENTS: 6

COVID safety guidelines:

- Wear a mask while students are in close quarters.

- If you have been sick in the 14 days prior to class, or are feeling sick the day of class please stay home. You will receive a refund.

- Practice social distancing with other students.

- bring hand sanitizer and use it throughout the day

- Cover coughs and sneezes

- Carpooling discouraged

- Susceptible populations please avoid this class and join us when things are safer.