fundamentals of community herbalism

Unlike some online learning opportunities, our Fundamentals of Community Herbalism program has a specific start and end date. Students should expect to be engaged with the program every week, and to keep up with videos and assignments as we go. The entire class will go through the program together, completing coursework on the same schedule, and meeting together for scheduled live sessions, all facilitated in real time by the Terra Sylva instructors. In addition to our Zoom sessions (every other week) students can expect approximately 4 hours of video lessons per week and another 3 - 4 hours on assignments and self-study.

There is an application and admissions process for this program. We will limit class size to ensure that we have a cohesive group and opportunity for student-teacher interaction. Everyone who applies will not automatically be accepted into the program. We are selecting a cohort of students who are a good fit for our curriculum and who will work well together as a group.

Dates: Our 2024 online Fundamentals of Community Herbalism program runs from February 26th to October 23rd.

Format: The 2024 Fundamentals of Community Herbalism program will consist of approximately 165 hours of instructional content that will include weekly video lessons, a 3-hour live video conference every other week, homework assignments, and peer-to-peer engagement between students. We are committed to bringing our emphasis on engaged, experiential herbalism to our program by facilitating embodied practices. Our core faculty (Jen Stovall, Dave Meesters and Janet Kent) will review assignments, give feedback, and hold biweekly live conference calls. Students who meet our attendance, assignment and exam requirements will additionally receive a certificate affirming successful completion of our Fundamentals of Community Herbalism training program.

Live classes will be held via video conference every other Wednesday (beginning March 6th) starting at 3pm Eastern Time, for a total of 17 live sessions.

In addition to the recorded and live course material, students will receive more than 60 detailed plant monographs. To ensure an embodied experience, each student will also receive a mini-apothecary of herb samples to taste, smell and experience when we discuss the plants in class.

Class dates: Live video conference classes will be held on the following dates: March 6th & 20th, April 3rd & 17th, May 1st & 15th, June 5th & 19th, July 3rd, 17th & 31st, August 21st, September 4th & 18th, October 2nd, 16th, & 23rd. There will be a break on the week of May 27th & August 5th. During those weeks, there will not be a weekly video lesson or homework.

Tuition: Tuition for the online Fundamentals of Community Herbalism Program is $2,150. Once you are accepted, a $250 non-refundable deposit is required in order to secure your spot, with the rest of your tuition due by January 15th, 2024. If you would like to arrange a payment plan, we can discuss options after you are accepted into the program.

Additional costs: two required textbooks, medicine making supplies. (Kitchen scale and measuring cup required for medicine making.)

Bioregional Intensives: For our students interested in hands-on learning, there is an in-person field trip component that can be added to the online program. You can find more information about the Bioregional Intensives here.

Accessibility: While an online program does allow us to include people who cannot relocate for herb school, it does limit accessibility in other ways. Students will need access to reliable internet and a laptop, desktop computer or tablet. The device and the internet bandwidth must allow full video-conferencing capability.

THE FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNITY HERBALISM ONLINE PROGRAM INCLUDES:

  • Minimum 165 total hours of course content

  • Weekly pre-recorded video lessons (approx. 4 hours/week)

  • Biweekly (every other week) video conferences for discussion, small-group exercises, and Q&A

  • Homework assignments

  • Peer-to-peer engagement with students and faculty via online forums

  • Ongoing embodied herbal practices

  • Mini-apothecary of herb samples

  • 60+ detailed printable plant monographs

  • 165-hour Foundations of Community Herbalism Certificate upon completion of all requirements

THE FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNITY HERBALISM ONLINE PROGRAM IS FOR YOU IF:

  • You want to learn an in-depth, systematic approach to holistic herbalism.

  • You have been studying herbs on your own or have attended a more general course but lack a cohesive system to apply your knowledge. OR you are beginning your herbal studies and want to start with a strong, comprehensive foundation.

  • You want practical skills for caring for yourself and your community.

  • You want to learn to make consistent, high quality plant medicine.

  • You want the accountability of learning with a group, on a schedule. (As opposed to self-paced solitary study.)

  • You like the idea of regular interaction with other students and group application of course material.

  • You want to learn embodied practices for working with plants.

  • You want to learn an approach to health that emphasizes collective responsibility and connection.

  • You are interested in the ways societal forces impact individual health, including various forms of oppression and their intersections.

  • You want to learn in an environment informed by feminist values and is not gender-essentialist.

  • You have reliable internet access and can participate in bi-weekly Zoom sessions and on our online learning platform. 

  • You can dedicate 7-8 hours every week to the course, including watching up to four hours of videos per week.