This course will expand on the learning from the first year course you’ve already taken with me, introducing some more advanced topics, and digging deeper with topics we have already explored. The course will be held 100% outdoors in various locations in Seattle, Duvall, Issaquah and in the I-90 mountains. There will be opportunities for research projects and presentations to deepen your studies outside of class and share them with your fellow students. 

 

What’s on the Curriculum:

• Research and Experimentation Projects

• Deepen plant ID skills (more plants! more plant families!)

• Deepen knowledge of existing materia medica

• review and expand knowledge of Chinese medicine

• Formulation skills

• Ancestral herbal practices

• Intro to toxic plants

• History of western herbalism

• Intro to phytochemistry

• Intro to clinical skills (legalities, ethics, charting, paperwork)

• Gardening and harvesting (eg. propagation by cutting)

• Land stewardship

• Organs from a western perspective

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Schedule: Two Saturdays a month from March to November (18 classes total), 10am-4pm

• See exact dates below

• Class will be held outside. Sometimes parks, sometimes a farm in Duvall, sometimes forest service roads. 

• we will have classes at my house in Bellevue at some point in the year, outdoors with access to indoor bathroom.

• Carpooling in groups of 2 or three (with masks in the car) may be encouraged for longer trips, such as to the east side of the cascades.

• We may also have a few hour-long evening classes held virtually with herbalist friends of mine. 

• The week of Jul 24-25th will be a weekend campout. Location TBA.

 

CLASS DATES: Every second and fourth Saturday from March to November 2021

March 13

March 27

April 10

April 24

May 1 (Note: this class is the only one that does not follow the 2nd and 4th Saturday pattern)

May 22

June 12

June 26

July 10

July 24-25 (Campout weekend)

August 14

August 28

September 11

September 25

October 9

October 23

November 13

November 27

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TUITION:

Tuition for the year will be $1900 per person. (there will be an extra $30 fee for the campout). Please ask about payment plans.

 

APPLICATION PROCESS:

1. Answer application questions in an email or document and email it to me.

2. I’ll reach out to schedule a short phone interview.

3. When you receive word of your acceptance, you’ll need to put down a deposit of $300 to reserve your spot in the program.

 

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

1. Please provide the following info:

   1. Name

   2. Preferred pronouns and anything else you think it's important to know regarding your cultural or gender identity.

   3. Phone number

   4. email address

   5. emergency contact

2. Do you have any allergies or health conditions I should know about?

3. Why do you want to take this program? How will you benefit?

4. What will you contribute to the group?

5. What is something about studying herbalism that really challenges you?

6. What topics in particular are you excited to dig deeper in?

7. If money, time, capitalism, or energy weren’t limiting factors, what would you do with your herbal education?

8. How certain are you that you will be able to take this program? Please explain anything that might affect your decision.

9. Will you be paying the program fee in full on the first day of class, or using a payment plan? If payment plan, will it be four or eight months, and when would you like to start?

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WORK TRADE:

There will be one work trade position available for this program at half tuition ($950). Priority to marginalized populations. Please write a paragraph explaining your need and how you would benefit from this. Please only apply for this if you are unable to take the course at full tuition.

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If you'd like to be considered, please answer these questions in a second section on your application. Decision will be made by January 1st, 2021.

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1. Describe your financial need for the work trade position.

2. Are you part of a marginalized group?

3. Will you be able to take the program without work trade?

4. How would you most like to contribute to this class as the "work" part of the work trade?

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SCHOLARSHIPS:

I will be offering BIPOC/ LGBTQ scholarships for this course as I have in past years. Ya’ll know the drill. But if you don’t, please reach out to me. If you’re interested in helping out in a fundraising effort for this, or donating, please LMK.

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What if I haven’t taken a first year course with Natalie?

You’ll be required to take a weekend “Intro to Chinese Medicine” intensive course (offered virtually on January 23-24, 10am-3pm), and have a phone convo with me to see if you’ve got the right skills already.

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Does your school offer accreditation or certification?

No, but you will get a pretty certificate at the end of class.

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