Upcoming Plant Walks & Workshops
Join us for immersive plant walks and hands-on workshops exploring the medicinal and food uses of the plants and fungi of our bioregion!
Medicinal Plant Walks with Alex
2026 Dates Posted!
Acquaint yourself with the medicinal and edible plants of our bioregion – join myself and fellow plant lovers to explore all of the wonderful medicinal & edible plants at various locations throughout Chicago!
At these walks you'll have the opportunity to connect with plants, learn about ethical foraging and wildcrafting, deepen your ecological awareness of our unique and beautiful bioregion, and gain a better understanding of how to utilize our local plants and mushrooms for food or medicine from the perspective of a clinical herbalist.
We will discover different plants (and some mushrooms) at different times during the year and at different locations, so feel free to come to more than one, as you will learn new things each time!
❋ Guest Workshops ❋
Incantations & Invocations
June 2, 2026 • 6:00-8:30 pm
Write Love Letters to the Natural World!
A Writing Workshop by Sarah Kokernot
Plant ecology, herbalism, community, and writing all invite us to feel centered and happy in our bodies and minds because these practices help us relate to the earth itself – our larger body. Join writer Sarah Kokernot to observe and connect with the living world while it's in a cycle of renewal and growth, and write love letters in honor of this unfurling process.
Forest Bathing Immersion + Nature-based Healthcare
June 4 & June 11, 2026 • 6:30-8:00 pm both days
Engage in a Forest Bathing Immersion and discussion on integrating nature-based solutions into the healthcare system.
An immersive two part series by Jess Rodriguez
In the first session, particpants will engage in a forest bathing immersion, which is a practice of presence inviting participants to tune into their senses through the natural world. Through guided prompts, participants will have the opportunity to truly slow down and deepen their connection to nature. At the second session, Jess will introduce participants to the practice of forest bathing, health equity, understanding the benefits of nature with our health, and learn about a real world example of nature based practices being integrated into nontraditional healthcare systems.
Men’s Healing Circle
June 14, 2026 • 6:30-8:30 pm
Conversational Healing and Movement with LeRoy Gordon
Brothers and kin, when did you last feel truly held by the natural world? How has your conditioning as a man shaped your relationship to the Earth — for better or worse?
LeRoy Gordon invites you to an inclusive Men's Healing Circle, where together we'll explore what it means to leverage our masculinity to be in reciprocity with the land rather than dominion over it. This session will start with grounding via yin-style yoga and group reiki, followed by conversational healing exercises that help drive emotional intelligence, community, and mind-body connection. Please bring your own yoga mat, or reach out to Greenspell in advance of the event if you don't have one.
This is a trans-inclusive event, open to all gender expressions that identify with masculinity and/or maleness.
Flower Essences: A Hands-on Introduction
June 18, 2026 • 6:30-8:30 pm
Make your own flower essence with herbalist, krisi anthemum
Much like people have their own personalities and temperaments, plants, too, have distinct energetic profiles. Flower essences are the perfect vehicle for capturing those energies and leveraging them for healing - they tap into the spiritual realm, helping to heal our emotional or ethereal selves.
Join herbalist krisi anthemum for a meditative plant walk where we’ll choose plant allies and learn what it means to tap into a plant’s energetics. Participants will sample and learn the profiles of various flower essences before each crafting our own 2 oz flower essence blend to take home for personal use.
Suminagashi: Meditative Marbling
July 23, 2026 • 6:30-8:30 pm
Join in for an evening of suminagashi, the art of meditative marbling, at Greenspell with artist, writer and Odette Press founder, Kelly Odette Laughlin and explore this tranquil, inspiring, nature-infused process. Suminagashi is the ancient Japanese art of "floating ink" or "spilled ink" and in this workshop, you'll learn how to float colorful pigments on the surface of water and make a collection of marbled paper designs.
This mesmerizing process helps inspire connections to creativity (everyone is creative) and restore your sense of wellbeing through a simple, low-pressure art form. Kelly will guide you through a creative prompt to start, then highlight the basics of suminagashi along with a brief history of the process to ground down the evening.
Come curious, and leave feeling connected to nature with a collection of 10+ mesmerizing papers. All materials included in the ticket price.
Explore our multi-month in-person courses.
Greenspell currently offers two multi-month courses:
Year One: Foundations in Bioregional Herbalism Course is a 7-month, in-person course in Chicago, IL with an embodied, experiential, and bioregional approach to herbalism, focusing on actions & energetics in western herbalism, herbal medicine making, building plant relationships, and community engagement.
Year Two: Community Herbalism Intensive offers a deep dive into the practical applications of herbs across various body systems – intended for serious students of herbalism as a stepping stone toward becoming a full-time clinical herbalist, or to provide a solid foundation for aspiring community herbalists.
Generally, students take these courses sequentially over the course of two years, starting with the Year One course. But student who already have experience or who have taken introductory courses can begin at the Year Two course. Learn more about each course by clicking the links above.
Interested in having Alex offer a class, plant walk or workshop for your organization?
I'm always excited to explore new areas and travel to talk about the medicinal and edible uses of plants. I speak on a wide range of herbal and ecological topics, with classes ranging from a couple of hours to a full weekend. I also am happy to lead private walks for you and your friends or family. If you’re interested, feel free to reach out at alex@greenspell.org
Greenspell Studio Location, Details, & Arrival
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Greenspell Studio is located at N Oakley Blvd and W Fulton St. (333 N Oakley Blvd, Unit 101, Chicago, IL 60612)
5 minute walk from the corner of Western Ave and Grand Ave
10 minute walk from Damen Green Line Stop
6 minute walk from Western Metra Station
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There is plenty of free street parking available on Oakley. Please do not park in the building’s parking lot. This lot is reserved for building tenants only and your car may be towed if you choose to park in the lot.
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Please enter through the door by the loading dock in the parking lot, not through the front door. Ideally the door will be propped open, but the door is locked for any reason, ring the intercom for unit 101 to be buzzed in. Once you’re in, you’ll walk through the loading dock area and our studio is the first door on your left. I always try to provide as much signage as possible to direct you to our space :)
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There are several bathrooms in the common area just down the hall from our studio. These bathrooms are shared with other building tenants and are ADA accessible.
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Greenspell studio is located on the first floor and is wheelchair accessible. All surfaces are cleaned and sanitized before each workshop. We keep workshop size to a minimum to ensure enough space for each participant. Masks are available upon request.
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For the most up-to-date information regarding the workshop, please return to this webpage. You will also receive a workshop reminder prior to the date of the workshop/plant walk. Please add alex@greenspell.org to your contacts so emails related to the workshop/plant walk don't get sent to your spam folder.
