Interested in hosting 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 can speak on a wide range of herbal and ecological topics, from a couple of hours to a full weekend class. I also am happy to lead private walks for you and your friends or family. See some of the workshops I’ve led over the past few years below. If you’re interested, feel free to reach out at [email protected]

Mythopoetic Mushroom Foray

  • September 29, 2019

In this workshop / mushroom foray, Alex got into costume to retell the myth of Odin's Eye and the Well of Remembrance to explore what it means to search for wisdom in unknown places.

Mushrooms and fungi provide so much wisdom for exploring the unknown connections between all things. Learning from the mushrooms, we can give up the ways we are accustomed to seeing the world, and open up to a new way of seeing that supports us in weaving webs of reciprocity and healing.

Bitters & Weeds for Spring Wellness

  • March 21, 2021

In this workshop, we learned how to support our bodies in the transition from Winter to Spring with different herbal remedies and practices. Alex shared an herbalist’s perspective on our body’s response to the shifting seasons, focusing on the incorporation of nutrient-dense ‘weeds’ and bitter herbs into our diet and routine. He also talked about ‘Bitters’, the go-to herbal ally for Spring wellness, including information around their use, and how to integrate them into our daily rituals.

At the end of the course, we whipped up some cocktails using some homemade bitters, and everyone brought home a bottle of bitters!

DIY Fire Cider Workshop

  • November 6, 2021

  • October 9, 2022

  • November 19, 2022

Every autumn, we like to invite our community to gather and share on on building immunity for fall and winter welness with pungent, aromatic, and warming herbs and spices.

We highlight Fire Cider as a unique wintertime remedy, discussing how it can support our health during the colder months of the year, and finish the workshop by making up a batch of Fire Cider together, for each person to take home to support them through the season.

Past workshops have been held at Patchwork Farms in Humboldt Park and the Comfort Station in Logan Square.

Plants & Fungi of the Otherworld Workshop

  • October 20, 2022

We gathered at Sideshow Gallery to sink deeply into the spirit of autumn by exploring plant allies and mythology connected with this ethereal season.

Celtic mythology provided a guide for understanding and developing a relationship with what is known as the otherworld, a parallel world that exists alongside our own–where the deities, ancestors, and fairies reside.

In autumn, this realm draws closer, and is separated by the thinnest of veils.

The herbs we explored have been historically used for their medicinal and spiritual benefits, while also offering a bridge into the hidden realms of the otherworld.

We sampled these otherworld herbs, explored their traditional use and folklore, learned approaches to meditation, Samhain rituals, and ended with a guided meditation and tea ceremony.

Herbal Medicine Making Basics Workshop Series

  • August 26, 2023 – Tinctures & Water Infusions

  • July 17, 2024 – ‘Shrubs, Switchels, and Oxymels - medicine making with herbs, honey, & vinegar’

  • August 14, 2024 – ‘Herbal Tinctures - alcoholic extracts for everyday herbalism’

  • September 18, 2024 – ‘Herbal Infused Oils - for skincare, wound healing, and pain management’

Hosted at Laila Studio for a workshop series covering the basics of herbal medicine making with local herbalist, Alex Williams.

We explored herbal medicine making through various preparation methods. We explored the fundamentals of herbal actions and energetics, equipping participants with a framework to select the most suitable herbs for a variety of circumstances.

Participants left the workshop with a jar of one of the preparations above, depending on the workshop topic, and a workshop handout to learn more and enjoy at home.

Foraged Cocktails & Mocktails Workshop

  • April 24, 2024

Hosted at Invenergy, this workshop explored crafting cocktails and mocktails with foraged ingredients.

We discussed the six basic cocktails as a foundation for making your own cocktails. I shared a bit about a cocktail that I premade for the class using foraged ingredients and my creative process in making the cocktail based on one of the six classics. We then talked about the foraged ingredients I used in the cocktail and why I chose those (considering seasonality and availability of ingredients). We rounded out the talk by discussing foraging basics and safety including some great foraged ingredients that are safe and easy to find in our region. We finished off the workshop by everyone shaking up and enjoying their own cocktail!