A 6-Month Bio-Regional Herbalism Program

The Community Herbalist Program is a six-month immersive course focused on learning how to identify, forage, prepare, and work with the plants and natural medicines of your local bioregion.

This hands-on program combines botanical medicine, field study, herbal preparation, anatomy and physiology, naturopathic principles, and traditional approaches to healing. Participants will learn directly from plants in their natural environments while developing practical skills in making their own herbal medicines.

The program emphasizes the idea of bioregional herbalism—learning to understand and work with the plants that grow in your own backyard and surrounding landscape.

Throughout the course, students will participate in plant walks, foraging trips, discussions, herbal medicine making, case studies, botanical identification, and hands-on preparation of a variety of herbal medicines.

Program Details

Program Dates:

• April 3rd & 4th, 2027
• May 1st & 2nd, 2027
• June 5th & 6th, 2027
• July 10th & 11th, 2027
• August 7th & 8th, 2027
• September 4th & 5th, 2027

Time:
Saturday & Sunday, approximately 12:00 PM–6:00 PM
Times are subject to change.

Cost:
$1,300 per individual

Pay in full upon registration or select the payment plan of four installments over 4 months. Additional expenses may include books, tools, herb supplies, and travel expenses for field trips.

Focus on Bioregional Herbalism

Bioregional herbalism is the practice of learning to recognize and work with the plants that grow naturally around you.

Rather than relying exclusively on herbs imported from around the world, this approach encourages students to understand their local ecosystems, seasonal plant cycles, and the medicinal plants growing within their own region.

Students will learn how to:

• Identify local medicinal plants
• Develop responsible and ethical foraging practices
• Understand seasonal plant cycles
• Build seasonal materia medica lists
• Work with plants growing in their own backyard and community
• Develop a deeper relationship with the local landscape

Hands-On Medicine Making

A major part of the Community Herbalist Program is devoted to hands-on herbal preparation.

Students will gain experience making and working with a variety of traditional herbal preparations, including:

• Infusions
• Decoctions
• Water-based extracts
• Herbal oils
• Liniments
• Salves
• Herbal vinegars
• Hydroethanolic extracts
• Solid extracts
• Spagyric preparations
• Nebulizer solutions

Students will also explore the principles behind formulation and learn how different preparation methods influence the extraction and application of botanical medicines.

Beyond Herbalism

While herbal medicine is the foundation of the program, the curriculum also explores related subjects that support a broader understanding of natural medicine.

Topics may include:

• Naturopathic medicine
• Anatomy and physiology
• Functional approaches to body systems
• Live blood analysis
• Manual therapy
• Alchemy
• Phytochemistry
• Functional assessment
• Case studies
• Botanical formulation

The goal is to help students understand not only the plants themselves, but also how herbal medicine can be considered within a broader framework of health and healing.

Field Trips & Plant Walks

Learning takes place both inside and outside the classroom.

The program includes plant walks and field trips to local natural areas and farms, giving students the opportunity to learn directly from living plants and ecosystems.

Potential locations include:

• White Pine Wilderness Academy
• Rocky Ripple
• Eagle Creek Park
• Starkey Park
• Lake Monroe
• Local regenerative farms
• Other local natural areas

Students will learn plant identification, habitat observation, responsible harvesting, and how to build relationships with the landscapes where medicinal plants grow.

Class Outline & Learning Objectives

April 3rd, 2027

Intro to Botany, Foraging & Vitalistic Herbalism

The first class establishes the foundation for the program. Students will be introduced to one another, review the structure of the curriculum, and begin exploring the principles of vitalistic herbalism and botanical medicine.

Topics include:

• Participant introductions and program orientation
• Foundations of vitalistic herbalism
• Introduction to alchemy and foraging
• Basic botany and plant identification
• Botany of leaves
• Starting seeds as a class

April 4th, 2027

Foundations in Terrain Theory, Immunity & The Lymphatics

This class explores the relationship between the body’s internal environment, immunity, and the lymphatic system.

Topics include:

• Plant walk at White Pine Wilderness Academy and Rocky Ripple
• Introduction to terrain theory
• Exploring different perspectives on health and the internal environment
• Spring wildcrafting list and materia medica
• Functional approaches to the immune system
• Functional approaches to the lymphatic system

May 1st, 2027

Topical Preparations & Skeletal Muscle System

Students will explore herbal preparations designed for topical use while studying the relationship between plants and the skeletal and muscular systems.

Topics include:

• Open discussion and herb monographs
• Demonstration and preparation of liniments, oils, and salves
• Functional approaches to the skeletal and muscular system
• Botany of flowers

May 2nd, 2027

Formulations for Pain, Cannabis & Sleep

This class focuses on botanical formulation for common concerns related to pain, rest, and sleep.

Topics include:

• Plant walk at Eagle Creek Park
• Anatomy and physiology
• Functional approaches to cannabis
• Case studies
• Botanical formulation for pain and sleep

June 5th, 2027

Water Extractions & Summer Materia Medica

Students will learn traditional water-based extraction methods and explore medicinal plants available during the summer season.

Topics include:

• Open discussion and herb monographs
• Infusions
• Decoctions
• Water-based extracts
• Organoleptic assessment of plants
• Tea tasting
• Summer foraging list and materia medica

June 6th, 2027

Herbal First Aid & Case Studies

This class focuses on practical herbal first-aid skills and the application of botanical knowledge through case studies.

Topics include:

• Plant walk at Starkey Park
• Herbal first aid
• Diagnostic and assessment skills
• Case studies
• Botanical formulations for first-aid applications

July 10th, 2027

Hydroethanolic Extraction & Phytochemistry

Students will explore the chemistry of plants and learn methods for preparing concentrated botanical extracts.

Topics include:

• Open discussion and herb monographs
• Introduction to phytochemistry
• Extraction ratios
• Concentrating botanical medicine
• Hands-on hydroethanolic extraction

July 11th, 2027

Respiratory System: From Smokes to Nebulizers

This class explores traditional and modern approaches to botanical preparations for the respiratory system.

Topics include:

• Plant walk at a local regenerative farm
• Functional approaches to the respiratory system
• Respiratory herbal formulations
• Case studies
• Traditional herbal smokes
• Preparation of a nebulizer solution

August 7th, 2027

Herbal Vinegars, Fall Materia Medica & The Digestive System

Students will explore vinegar-based herbal preparations while studying plants and formulations traditionally associated with digestive health.

Topics include:

• Open discussion and herb monographs
• Functional approaches to the digestive system
• Fall foraging list and materia medica
• Herbal vinegars
• Botany of roots

August 8th, 2027

Cardiovascular System & Solid Extracts

This class focuses on botanical preparations and plants traditionally associated with cardiovascular health.

Topics include:

• Plant walk at Lake Monroe in Bloomington, Indiana
• Functional approaches to the cardiovascular system
• Case studies and botanical formulations
• Preparation of a hawthorn berry solid extract

September 4th, 2027

Fall Materia Medica, Reproductive System & Urinary System

Students will explore fall plants while studying functional approaches to the reproductive and urinary systems.

Topics include:

• Open discussion and herb monographs
• Functional approaches to the reproductive system
• Functional approaches to the urinary system
• Fall foraging list and materia medica

September 5th, 2027

Advanced Botanical Extraction & Alchemy

The final class brings together advanced extraction techniques, botanical formulation, and introductory concepts in alchemy and spagyric medicine.

Topics include:

• Alchemy and the spagyric process
• Solid extraction techniques
• Final student presentations
• Graduation celebration and wild food potluck

Graduation

Graduation is contingent upon:

• Attendance at 90% of the program’s class hours
• Submission of monthly plant monographs
• Completion of a final project

Once these requirements are met, participants will receive a certificate of completion.

Enrollment

Sign up by March 15th, 2027

Class size is limited.

For questions or enrollment information:

aron@whitepinewilderness.org

Ora et Labora

Pray and Work

The Community Herbalist Program is designed for people who want to move beyond simply reading about herbs and begin developing a direct relationship with plants, landscapes, medicine making, and traditional knowledge.

The emphasis is on learning by doing—walking through the woods, identifying plants, tasting teas, making medicine, studying anatomy, discussing cases, and building practical skills that participants can continue developing long after the program has ended.

Address: 841 W. 53rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46208

Date: April 3-September 5, 2027

Cost: $1,300

Ages: 16 and up

Participants: Open to 10 participants