Length

3 hours 54 minutes

Class Description

Botany is the scientific study of plants and has many different facets that can be of benefit to herbalists of all skill levels. The skills and perspectives of Botany provide herbalists with a deeper insight into understanding plants, working with plants and what they have to offer in terms of food and medicine. This class will provide a broad look at many botanical ideas including plant evolution & naming, anatomy & physiology, terminology, plant identification basics, major groupings of plants & recognition of common plant families important to herbal medicine. It is understood that botany is a challenging topic full of technical jargon & endless details. This class is taught in a manner that seeks to make botany accessible and understandable with practical application. Attendees will have the opportunity to key out plants using the Field Manual of Michigan Flora. Several plant specimens will be provided and identified throughout the class. These plant specimens along with their identities will be kept on display throughout the Faire in order that Faire attendees can observe & learn these plants. Time and weather permitting this class will include a plant walk to put concepts & skills learned in class to the test.

About the Teacher

Cal Janae Wolfpack, is a clinical herbalist, botanist, farmer & plant educator located in the (formerly) prairie of the Midwest in the Raccoon River Watershed. They have been studying plants for their entire life: as a child they were led on plant and bird watching walks by their father before they could walk on their own. Later, they formalized their passion for the natural world and living sustainably in it with a degree in Ethnobotany from Drake University. Cal then studied and apprenticed with 7Song at the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine in Ithaca, NY where they then were employed and volunteered as a clinical herbalist at the Ithaca Free Clinic for several years. Cal currently works as an herb grower, a clinical herbalist & botanist in their private practice in which they offer sliding scale herbal consultations and provide herb kits to clients of Gentlyborne Midwifery. Cal is the creator of the herbal products line Profound Existence Herbs. In their free time Cal maintains a strong wanderlust and rapt interest in the botanical arts, bird watching & homesteading with their family.