Frequently Asked Questions about the First Year ‘Foundations in Bioregional Herbalism’ Program
Is this a beginner, intermediate, or advanced program?
I believe that people of many experience levels (from never having taken an herb course before, to a seasoned practitioner) can get quite a lot out of it, despite the fact that it is called a ‘first year’ course. This is because of the program’s unique focus on bioregional herbalism, with plant walks introducing students to plants and mushrooms unique to the Great Lakes region. For those with more experience, you may consider the mentorship add-on which allows for a more individualized experience and along with additional learning opportunities and the occasional request to help out in the apothecary. For a more clinically oriented program focused on the practical applications of herbs, you may consider signing up for the Second Year Intensive, although priority is given to folks who have completed the First Year ‘Foundations’ program (.
Are there requirements?
In terms of requirements, I ask above all: Respect, Openness, and Humility
Respect - both for myself and my time, the space of the apothecary, and other students in the course.
First and foremost, show up. This is an engaging, hands on, and in-person program. This course is possible because you are here. If you are not here on time, and ready to go, this communicates a lack of investment in the program, which affects the dynamic of the class and impacts every other student present. Your presence and enthusiasm are important for a lively and fruitful dialogue and are important for learning to occur. If you do not show up on time for the class days, plant walks, and all other happenings, this impacts the overall quality of the course and negatively impacts both your learning and the learning of other students. If you must miss a class day for any reason, contact me at least 24 hours before wherever possible.
I ask that you refrain from using your phone during our time together, unless its use is course related (i.e. using a calculator for tincture math / blending, taking a photo, and others as they come up). Learning is an embodied activity. More often than not, phones and other ‘screens’ encourage us to disconnect from our bodies and environment, piercing the container that holds the subtle energies of focus, learning, and embodied engagement with the present moment.
I do understand that many of you have children or perhaps you are a birth worker and need to have your phone on and with you. This, I completely understand and accommodate. If you need to take a call or have your phone on during class, this is not a problem, just make sure to take the call away from the class to avoid disruption.
I invite discussion and dialogue at several key points throughout this course. Where discussion and dialogue is an aspect of learning, respect is key. Due to the nature of discussions that weave throughout this program, conflictual topics may arise. Conflict is OK, even crucial to the cultivation of strong dialogue and group cohesion. But sharing must always be respectful. Here are some guidelines I encourage for respectful dialogue:
‘Listening’ – Take the time to let what others share sink in. Try to imagine where they are coming from.
‘Responding’ – Ensure that other people feel that they are heard by responding to them. Share your own ideas but remember to respond to others’
No character assaults
Withhold judgement (if someone shares an opinion, it is not helpful to judge that person, but rather to unpack the origins of the opinion in order to achieve mutual understanding)
Dialogue is about exploration and understanding, not ‘winning’. In this way, it is possible for empathy, disagreement and conflict to coexist
In short, you need to be able to get along with, and be kind to other people whose opinions about politics, spirituality, culture, social issues, diet, etc. may be radically different from yours.
That said, I do not welcome folks into the course if I believe their political and social views engender harm. In other words, folks whose actions and perspectives are not oriented in:
Openness & Humility
Plants communicate clearly to those who are open. They communicate to those who understand that they are newcomers to this earth, and have much to learn from the nonhuman kin that have lived here much longer. If you lack humility, are closed, or are ‘too full’ of knowledge, there is no space for the wisdom of the green realm or human realm to enter, affect, and change you. Openness & Humility requires vulnerability, which requires risk – the risk of being changed, of allowing your very being to be the raw material of alchemy. What’s on the other side of this transformation…?
Is there homework?
I assign readings for classes, some of which is written by me, most of which is written by my teachers and other amazing herbalists, authors, poets, and visionaries. I ask you to read both required texts and those provided via the online portion of the course. You are also welcome to write informational and educational content for the zine, provided that there are students who are able and willing to put it together, work on your plant monographs throughout the course, and contribute any additional assignments related to the Open House that you volunteer to do.
Of course, there are no grades or diplomas. The assignments are offered to nourish your learning and challenge you to explore areas you might not have considered. They are also provided to ensure we are all contributing to the collective effort of community outreach and care.
What happened to the shadowing add-on?
The shadowing add-on was available in the early years of the course, when it was still simply called the ‘Greenspell Intensive’ and was the only course I offered (no two or three year programs yet). It gave students the opportunity to do more hands-on work in the apothecary with me through additional shadowing sessions. While I loved having students work with me in the apothecary, I was able to do this because at the time First Curve was more of a homespun business operating out of our kitchen, following cottage laws and guidelines. As First Curve has increased our reach and has become a core dispensary for herbalists and other practitioners nationwide, I have employed more stringent operating procedures to ensure the highest quality herbal extracts are produced in house. Now, I invite students to work with me one-on-one through the ‘mentorship add-on’ for individualized guidance and support. Mentees still have the occasional opportunity to work with me in the apothecary on simple tasks that don’t require the intensive training, supervision, or adherence to standard operating procedures that many apothecary tasks require.
What if, due to ongoing concerns about COVID-19, or some other unforeseen pandemic, there are stay at home orders or other restrictions that prevent class from occurring in person?
If this happens, we'll migrate entirely to our online community forum to replace the in person class (hopefully temporarily). Classes will take place via zoom. I will figure out those situations as they occur and get you all the particulars as soon as I am able.
What if I do not believe in COVID-19, or some other unforeseen pandemic, and do not want to follow guidelines/recommendations like masking/distancing/not having in person classes because of the government's policies regarding it?
This topic has become quite polarizing in our culture, and it has become viscerally apparent the differing opinions and ideologies surrounding the virus. Your teacher trusts the CDCs recommendations and follows all protocols related to the virus and pandemic. If you don’t, perhaps I am not the teacher for you.
If I make a payment and something comes up and I can't partake in the program, are my payments refundable?
Program deposits are non-refundable. Please make sure you are certain you want to enroll in this program before submitting a deposit.
If you decide not to participate in this program after payment of deposit and before March 1st of the year you are participating, you are not obligated to pay for the remainder of the program beyond the initial deposit.
Refunds of all payments after the initial $400 deposit (either full payment of remaining balance or multiple installments through a payment plan) and before March 1st of the year you are participating will be offered minus any associated processing fees.
All payments made after the initial $400 deposit (either full payment of remaining balance or multiple installments through a payment plan) are non-refundable after March 1st of the year you are participating.
While I do not offer refunds after this time, I would, however, be open to applying any tuition paid as credit for an herbal consultation package with me, or for other one-off classes I may offer in the future. I do not offer non-refundable tuition paid as credit for enrollment in a future program.
If, for whatever reason, you need to drop out of the program, the above refund policies still apply, and I ask that you speak with me if you need to drop out so we can discuss these options. Such credits are offered at my sole personal discretion. I do my best to make things work for people, so make sure to be in open communication with me and we can likely work something out.
Are there any other expenses?
Other than the cost of the program, I ask that you purchase a copy of any required books (estimated at ~$50-75 for all books combined). Other than that you may find yourself spending money on basic medicine making supplies and herbs. This is not required, but I anticipate it is something you should account for, because once you start learning, you will definitely want to try making some potions at home. As a part of the course, I provide some recommendations for some cheap medicine making tools and supplies.
You should also account for travel expenses to and from classes and plant walks. Plant walks may be as far as 2 hours from the city driving and some parks may require entry fees (typically $5-15 for a day). For this reason I highly encourage carpooling to plant walks and splitting gas and entry fee costs.
What if I miss a class?
If you do have to miss a class for any reason, I highly encourage you to ask others in your cohort to meet and discuss course material, this might help everyone deepen their own understanding of that month’s topic! Presently, I do not offer recordings of my classes or lectures.
How do I know whether you’re the right teacher for me to learn from?
I’ve been a teacher in different overlapping capacities for over a decade now: 4 of those years as a small-group facilitator for an adult education non-profit, over 10 of those years teaching in a University setting, and 5 of those years in teaching herbalism, medicine making and ecology. In this time I’ve learned that I’m not here to reach everybody, and I am definitely not the right teacher for everyone.
In learning with me, know that I do my best to create the most engaging, participatory, and lively learning experience. I deeply encourage connection and collaboration between students and emphasize community engagement and a social justice awareness related to herbal medicine and land stewardship. I encourage those who tend towards quietness or withdrawal in group settings to share their voice more than they are typically comfortable, and I encourage those who tend to speak more or dominate the conversation to allow more space for silence / others to speak.
While I encourage an open and brave (as opposed to ‘safe’) space for dialogue, I also believe that any act of teaching and learning is inherently political, and that our political ideologies inform what we are able to learn and how we are able to participate in a group setting. Know that I do not identify as left, moderate, or right on the political spectrum. I find these labels limiting, and burdened with baggage. But that doesn't mean I'm apolitical. I am anti-capitalist, anti-racist, and anti-fascist and I have no patience for bigotry, hatred, or political social opinions that engender harm (some might consider these values to be left-leaning... I just consider these to be sane human values). I also have no patience for vitriolic ‘wokeness’ that silences genuine questioning and curiosity in the name of supposed social justice. I welcome disagreements and differing opinions, but all within the context of dialogue, mutual understanding, respect, care, humility, and love. If you feel that your political/social opinions are radically at odds with mine, I am likely not the teacher for you.
I have high expectations for everyone I work with and hold my students to their commitments.
I defer to my plant and non-human kin as the primary teachers, and emphasize rituals and practices that help attune our senses to the teachings the nonhuman realm offers.
Feel free to learn more about me and my experience here. You can also get a sense of my energy and vibe by attending a one-off workshop or watching my HerbRally Interview here. And if you have any questions or concerns about any of the above, feel free to reach out at [email protected]