vernal virtues… a medicinal herb walk with jim mcdonald

Registration will go live in February.

Pre-registration is required to attend this program. Online registration closes at 12pm the day before the program. Please contact our Community Programs Coordinator, Camilla, at camilla@blandfordnaturecenter.org, if you are attempting to register after that time to see if there are spots available.

It’s spring and the plants are bursting with their viriditas (greening power)! Join herbalist jim mcdonald to explore the medicinal virtues, identification, folklore and preparation of many of the beauteous wild weeds surrounding Blandford Nature Center.  The information presented will be both specific and practical, based on jim’s 25+ years experience in gathering, preparing, and using herbal remedies, and provide a basis for participants to incorporate what they have learned into usable skills with which to maintain and restore health.

About jim: In 1994, jim mcdonald’s life changed when he drank tea from a wild plant he harvested from the land he lived upon. Since those first sips of strange tea, his life in the woods and meadows of southeast Michigan has been centered on the plants & ecosystems of that land, and how he might share their virtues to restore wellness with those around him. jim’s approach to herbcraft is deeply rooted in the land he lives upon, and blends traditional european folk influences with 19th century eclectic and physiomedical vitalism, which he conveys with story, experience, humor, common sense and lore to students, clients, random passersby and readers of his websites www.herbcraft.org & herbcraft.podia.com. He’s taught classes throughout North America, is one of the organizers of the Great Lakes Herb Faire and is currently alternately writing “Foundational Herbcraft” and “A Great Lakes Herbal”, in addition to articles for journals and other publications. jim is a community herbalist, a manic wildcrafter and medicine maker, and has been an ardent student of the most learned teachers of herbcraft… the plants themselves.

This class is intended for ages 18 and up.

Price per person:
Members: $36
Non-members: $45

Please Note: This program will take place entirely outdoors. We will be meeting at the main Visitor Center at 1715 Hillburn Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504.