“The Dandelion Seed Conference: Herbs for Community and Social Healing”
The Dandelion Seed Collective is a community-based organization in Olympia, WA. Our mission is to encourage holistic health on a personal, ecological, and community level.
We at the Dandelion Seed Collective see community herbalism becoming an increasingly powerful social force. This conference is intended to catalyze this work and contribute to the emerging conversation on social and ecological health by conducting workshops, sharing stories and experiences of community projects and programs, as well as offering a foundation of support to help move this work forward.
We see community herbal practice as something that empowers and inspires both social and ecological health. Community herbalists everywhere help people learn practical tools for self and family care, as well as help mobilize community health resources. In these times where many people are losing the social safety nets that they’ve relied on, this kind of community-based health care helps us take care of our own again. In this way, it strengthens the social fabric.
In addition to providing people with practical, accessible tools to maintain health and prevent disease, community herbal practice broadens our ecological awareness. When we learn about plants–be they in sidewalk cracks, our backyards, or an old growth forest–we learn to recognize diverse forms of life, their contributions to the planetary ecosystem, and the importance of biodiversity. Herbal education and practice reconnects us to our place, and calls us home.
This is what we intend to support with the conference: community-based action, social justice, and herbal education. But most of all, we empower herbalists to pursue positive, creative social change and bring herbal practice to the next level.
Presenters will include:
- Paul Bergner
- Elise Krohn
- Corinne Boyer
- Erico Schleicher
- Joyce Netishen
- Heron Brae
- Sean Donahue
- and more!
Come enjoy a weekend of talks, plant walks, and herb swaps. We will be focusing on how and why we use herbal medicine, in our lives, at this point in time, for comminity and social healing.
Classes will be Friday evening through Sunday afternoon. Saturday night will feature an evening event with music, cordials and desserts following the keynote presentation. Sunday after the final presentation, we will gather for an herb swap.
This is a great opportunity to connect with herb-enthusiasts and help spread the seeds of this ancient and vital knowledge of plant medicine.
DATE: September 21 – 23, 2012
LOCATION: The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA
REGISTRATION: Click here to find out more about registering for this event!
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It was his encounters with the Reishi mushroom that inspired James to explore the rainforests of Washington. Lucky for us he never left! James is an explorer of all things wild. Wild water, wild food, wild medicine and wild nature! He is the manager of our Community Map and Social Media team on Poppy Swap.
Kiki is an East Coast transplant living in the deep cedar forests of the Pacific NW. In her life long study of Chinese Medicine, she has studied with herbalists all over the world but it was her love affair with the local Mugwort growing on her small island that brought her to her passion for local herbalism. She is the Creative Director for Poppy Swap and shares her hand~spun moxa and mugwort products through her Poppy Swap shop Moxa NW.
Originally from Northern California, Kristie moved to Westcliffe, Colorado to LIVE her dream life. Cultivating a garden in the Rocky Mountains, sharing her fields with her horses, dogs and feline friends she stays constantly inspired to learn and grow. Kristie is the social butterfly of Poppy Swap, as the Marketing Director and Event Coordinator. She is currently studying herbalism with Aviva Romm and offers her own line of herbals through Spirit Horse Herbals on Poppy Swap!
Natalie is a Traditional Herbalist whose roots are firmly planted in the South. Although she was born and raised in Tennessee, Natalie has spent the past 24 years living and loving life in North Florida. Natalie provides consultations as well as classes and is one of the founding members of the North Florida Holistic Network, a Non-Profit organization which is dedicated to promoting holistic and sustainable practices. She sells her herbal products on Poppy Swap as The Family Herbalist.
Rebecca is a Scottish girl who lives in the wilds of Los Angeles. She spends her time cooking wild foods, concocting magic healing potions, painting, and running her herb business, 
After years of activism in Vermont, Susan moved to her family's home in Fryeburg, Maine with views of her beloved White Mountains where she grew up, to dig in the Earth, learn from the healing plants and trees, and replenish her spirit. The first thing she did was put in a large, organic garden that has grown and evolved over the years into a beautiful and enchanted space, a mix of flowers, healing herbs, veggies, "weeds", rocks, crystals, and many surprises. Her land is bordered by huge white pines, large maples, and the old course of the Saco River. After years of sharing her creams, salves, and other herbal creations with family and friends, she created Gaia's Garden Herbals to offer them to the public. Everything is made in very small batches with only the best ingredients, often from her garden or wild-harvested nearby, and lots of love.
Would love to sign up for this one. Can you tell me what the cost is? Didn’t see anything on the flyer.
Yes Meg! The cost of registration is $200 before August 15, and $250 after August 15. Here’s the link to their flyer…
http://www.oly-wa.us/DandelionCollective/images/f20120921.jpg
I would have loved to attend this since it is in my neck of the woods but I will be returning that week from the Traditions conference. If you do it again, I hope you can consider a different month.
Good luck!