For Adults
Duvall, WA and other Northwest Locations
$2495 – $3495
Primary Path – $2495 Advanced Path – $3495
March – October
3/16 – 3/17, 2024
4/13- 4/14, 2024
5/18 – 5/19, 2024
6/8 – 6/9, 2024
7/13 – 7/14, 2024
8/10 – 8/11, 2024
9/14 -9/15, 2024
10/12 – 10/13, 2024
Living in the Pacific Northwest is a botanist’s dream.
If the track you’re looking to register for is full, please email [email protected] to be added to our waitlist.
We live in a diverse and varied landscape that provides an incredible canvas to learn about the edible, medicinal, and utilitarian qualities of wild plants. Our ancestors had a deep connection with the plants and relied on them for survival. As modern humans, we’ve lost the need to integrate the plants around us into our lives – but many people today have a desire for re-connecting to these wild plants.
Wild Plant Intensive covers botanical intricacies on many levels. Through the course of eight weekends of plant exploration around the Northwest, you’ll learn:
- Confidence with plant identification, biology, and taxonomy
- Wild foraging practices and ethics
- Ecological context for locating and caring for wild plants
- Hands-on skills for making medicine, food, crafts, and more
- Wild plant nutrition and medicine
- An understanding and respect for ethnobotany, local tribes, and ancestral skills
- Sustainable growing techniques, plant cultivation, land stewardship, and permaculture
Beyond these skills, you’ll gain a deep sense of empowerment and connection with the plants that grow in your backyard, local parks, and in the wilderness.
8 Class Weekends in the Northwest
Many class weekends will take place at Linne Doran, the home of Wilderness Awareness School in Duvall, WA.
Other class weekends will also include travels to Eastern Washington, the Upper Skagit, and the Olympic Peninsula to explore the diverse ecosystems that the Northwest offers.
Hands-On Projects
Each class weekend will present opportunities for hands-on projects that could include:
- Baskets, hats, mats, cordage, clothing, etc.
- Wood carving – bowls, spoons, etc.
- Developing a home apothecary
- Wild teas, honey, and syrups
- Journal of plant profiles
- Plant/lichen dye projects
- Permaculture/Agroforestry project
- Botanical first aid kit
Core Connection Routines
Core routines are essential practices at Wilderness Awareness School.
Core routines set the stage and open our minds to deep connection and learning. Each weekend we’ll bring our minds together in gratitude and check-ins, as well as work through monthly plant family, ecozone, morphology and sensory themes.
Two Paths to Plant Connection
The takeaways that you’ll receive from the Primary Path of Plant Intensive are vast and rewarding. However, should you decide to go even deeper in your plant journey, you may embark on the Advanced Path.
Primary Path
This track is ideal for those who are new to the study of plants or have previously participated in a weekend class. We cover a broad range of skills including fundamentals and essentials. This path is designed for students with little or no previous plant experience. The cost of the Primary Path is $2495.
Advanced Path
This level is designed for students who have a significant amount of previous plant knowledge and is open to second-year students, or students with comparable skill/experience. The Primary Path and its certification are included in the Advanced Path, which will include 8 additional days of class, as well as deeper learning opportunities during the weekends. The cost of this Advanced Path is $3495 and additional class days will be 3/15, 4/12, 5/17, 6/7, 7/12, 8/9, 9/13, and 10/11.
Class Schedule & Topics
Below is an outlined schedule of the eight class weekends, some of this is subject to change due to weather, plant progression, and incredible opportunities that may arise.
March: Introduction to Plants
March 16th – 17th | Duvall, WA
During the first class weekend, we’ll get to know each other and welcome everyone into the group while getting oriented. We’ll cover plant kingdoms and phylogeny, identification 101. We’ll head out on a spring edible harvest, explore our core routines, and more!
April: Plant Medicine 101
April 13th – 14th | Duvall, WA
In April we’ll continue our intro to plants and their families while also diving into hazardous plant basics. We’ll explore herbariums and talk through our project plans for the year. We’ll dive into plant medicine essentials and begin making our spring medicines while learning harvesting practices.
May: Eastside Spring Foraging Trip
May 18th – 19th | Eastern Washington
On our first class trip, we’ll head off to Eastern Washington and have a wild edible feast! There will be a fun plant fiber project and we’ll learn about wild plant first aid and ethnobotany of the region. The plant medicine journey will continue with the plants in this more arid ecosystem.
June: Agroforestry & Organic Farming
June 8th – 9th | Upper Skagit
In June, we’ll travel to the Upper Skagit region of Washington, where we’ll harvest subalpine plant species for food, fiber, and medicine. We’ll embark on tours of organic farms and homesteads to learn about organic farming and agroforestry and work on a fiber project with a guest instructor.
July: Seaweeds & Subalpine
July 13th – 14th | Olympic Peninsula
As we journey to the lushest part of the state we’ll head out on an edible seaweed harvest. Our class will explore the ethnobotanical uses of cedar and other local plants of the region, and we’ll work through another exciting fiber project while learning about coastal plant ecology.
August: Plant Intuition
August 10th – 11th | Duvall, WA
In August we’ll go through the Plant Intensive Evaluation for certification. We’ll explore topics of plant intuition and deep connection and harvest cattails for another hands-on project.
September: Eastside Fall Foraging Trip
September 14th – 15th | Eastern Washington
For our last field trip, we will celebrate the bounty of late summer and fall harvests. We will harvest, process and make food and medicine to take into the winter months. Our class will learn about this unique ecosystem and the ethnobotany of this region.
October: Wild Food Celebration
October 12th – 13th | Duvall, WA
During our final class weekend, we’ll spend our time having fun foraging together. We’ll share our class presentations and celebrate together in ceremony. Friends and family are welcome for this closing weekend!
Payment Options
You may pay for this course in full, or opt to pay with the Quarterly Plan. The Quarterly Plan requires a 25% deposit that is due at registration. Three more payments of 25% will be due on February 15th, April 15th, and June 15th.
Meet Your Instructors
Lindsay Huettman
Lindsay has over 20 years of training and experience with plants of the Pacific Northwest. Studying plants has been a core focus of Lindsay’s life and passion. She has experience with native plant re-introductions, permaculture, organic farming/gardening, wildcrafting, landscaping with native plants, ethnobotany, arboriculture, plant intuition and is a plant science dork.
Lindsay holds a Bachelor’s degree in Ethnobotany, and a MA in Counseling Psychology (LMHC). The root of her knowledge comes from thousands of hours of “dirt time”, study and an intentionally cultivated relationship with the land. As you will learn, the best education is spent getting your hands dirty and connecting deeply with plants in wild places!
Rachael Witt
Rachael is a community herbalist, gardener, educator, and land steward. She is passionate about the traditional ways in which people have connected with plants. She incorporates ancestral skills and ancient technology into her plant-based practice. She has a degree in Ecology and Evolution Biology with an emphasis in Plant Ecology. Prior to living in the PNW she studied ethnobotany, horticulture and ecology in Ghana, Puerto Rico, Colombia and various places throughout the U.S. Rachael has accumulated her botanical experiences abroad into a niche practice of teaching people how to connect with place and their well-being through gardening, harvesting and producing food and medicine.
She is a Professional Herbalist at the East West School of Planetary Herbology and in route to becoming a Registered Herbalist through the American Herbalist Guild. Her path as a healer is weaving together the sacred and profane, hands on Earth connection, seasonal awareness, beauty, and the art of simple living. She lives and stewards the Highlands Homestead in Duvall, WA.
