Herbmentor Radio

Tom Elpel is one of our “herbal author heroes” at HerbMentor.com. Besides penning Botany in a Day and Shanleya’s Quest for us herbal folks, here are a few other things Tom has done…* Founder of Hollowtop Outdoor Primitive School and Green University.* Author of Participating in Nature, Roadmap to Reality, Living Homes, and Direct Pointing to Real Wealth.* Producer of four wilderness survival skills videos.* Founder of Granny’s Store in Silver Star, MT with his wife Renee.* Founder of 3 Rivers Park.In this episode, John and Tom mostly discuss Botany in a Day, along with some other fun topics. Learn how easy it is to remember the plants of your bioregion.He’s got loads of websites, and you can access them all athttp://Hollowtop.com

Dr. Ryan Drum joins us from his remote location on Waldon Island, WA, where he lives in a cabin he built 30 years ago. We are lucky to have him since he is one of the few of the island's 40 inhabitants who get cell reception (there are no electric or phone lines on the island). It is on that island where he gathers, processes, and sells some of the very best sea veggies money can buy.Ryan is a practicing community-supported medical herbalist, herbal educator, and professional medicinal herb wildcrafter. He taught botany and other subjects for years at the university level, has written many scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals, and now teaches at major conferences and herb schools. Ryan specializes in seaweed therapies, thyroid issues, and men’s health.You can visit Ryan at http://RyanDrum.com. He has many wonderful articles on sea vegetables, other herbs, and much more. If you get to the Northwest this summer, make sure you catch one of his many seaweed walks.In this interview, we get a rare glimpse in

Paul Bergner is a medical herbalist and founder/director of the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism in Boulder, Colorado. The North American Institute of Medical Herbalism teaches in the vitalist tradition.He has been practicing and teaching natural medicine since 1973. Paul has edited the Medical Herbalism Journal since its founding in 1989 and has written many books on medical herbalism, nutrition, Chinese medicine, ethnobotany, and naturopathic medicine. He has also edited periodicals on clinical nutrition and naturopathic medicine.Paul has taught at the Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies, is on the adjunct faculty for Naropa University and the Tai Sophia Institute, and speaks at all the major herbal conferences.In this episode of HerbMentor Radio, Paul lays a wonderful foundation for learning about herbs as he gets to the heart of herbal medicine…nature. With wonderful stories and insights, Paul will teach you what needs to be at the core of all herbalists and healers.Visit: North Ameri

Raylene Ha`alelea Kawaiae`a is a long-time teacher of the Hawaiian way of life, has been a Kumu (teacher) hula for over 30 years. She teaches hula and Hawaiian culture as a way of life to people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. Her lineage has brought her an understanding of the traditions of her heritage.A practitioner and Haku (master) of Ho`oponopono, a spiritual practice to restore and maintain good relationships between the Divine, humankind, and nature, she comes forth to assist and to be of service to those in need of her skills. Raylene combines her gentle nature with a deep connection to the land and the Spirit of Hawaii to offer deep insight into the mysteries of life.I met Raylene after a class she taught at the International Herb Symposium. Her insights and culture have much to offer the herbal community. She was also featured in the film, Numen: The Nature of Plants.

Robert Rogers has been a student of native plants and fungi from the Canadian prairies for over 40 years. He teaches plant medicine at Grant McEwan University and the Northern Start College of Mystical Studies in Edmonton, Canada. Robert is a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild, and chair of the medicinal mushroom committee of the North American Mycological Association. He is also on the editorial board of the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms.Robert is the author of 14 books, including his latest, The Fungal Pharmacy, The Complete Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms & Lichens of North America.You can see Robert teach this July at the Montana Herb Gathering as well as the North American Mycological Association in December.You can visit Robert at http://www.selfhealdistributing.comIn this episode of HerbMentor Radio, Robert gives us a wonderful introduction to medicinal mushrooms, their ecological and human health importance, and shares the medicinal qualities of some of his favorites.

Sean Donahue is a traditional herbalist and poet. He has also worked as a freelance journalist, a political organizer, and a nonviolence trainer. He is proud to be a regular contributor to Plant Healer Magazine.While he has been blessed to receive amazing support and guidance from other herbalists, Sean’s primary teachers have been the wild and feral plants growing in the forests, fields, and swamps around him. He has trusted his own health completely to the plants since they first began helping him begin to heal asthma he struggled with since childhood.As a practitioner, he looks to plants as allies in helping people remember their own beauty, strength, and power and in guiding them to health.As a teacher, he encourages students to build their own deep, personal relationships with the plants around them grounded in the experience of their own senses and their own hearts. He identifies deeply with the traditions of the edge dwellers – those who live in the places where the human and wild meet, bridging the wo

Bevin Clare, M.S., LDN, CNS, RH(AHG), is a clinical herbalist and nutritionist with a deep love of plants. Bevin holds a M.S. in Infectious Disease from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, with her thesis research conducted at the NIA (National Institute on Aging) at the National Institutes of Health, and a B.S. in ethnobotany from Lesley University.Bevin has studied herbal medicine around the world and blends her knowledge of traditional uses of plants with modern science and contemporary healthcare strategies.She is the Clinical Division Chair of the Masters of Science in Herbal Medicine Program at Tai Sophia Institute in Laurel, MD, a 2.5-year clinical training program in Herbal Medicine. She also serves on the faculty of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, is on the board of directors of United Plant Savers, is co-director of the Herbal Clinic for All, and lectures nationally. Bevin is a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild, where she serves as vice-president.In this epis

Nome McBride is an herbalist, farmer, wildcrafter and medicine maker from Eugene, Oregon.He grew up farming in Indiana and was making tinctures in his parents garage before he could drive. Nome founded Pharmacopia Herbals in 2004, whose original name was Under the Yew Botanicals.You can find Nome’s book, the Herbal Preparations Books, along with hundreds of products Pharmacopia Herbals creates at PharmacopiaHerbals.comNome tells his story, from growing up on an Indiana farm to his extreme wildcrafting missions that make Pharmacopia Herbals remedies some of the best available. Nome also covers a couple of his favorite herbs, including pedicularis. Learning how Nome gathers, grows and processes herbs in addition to his vision of “people, plants and place” are truly inspirational.

Dr. James Duke is an ethnobotanist with a Ph.D. in botany from UNC, served with Missouri Botanical Garden in his earlier years, and for over 3 decades in several posts with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He was chief of the Medicinal Plant Resources Laboratory and chief of the USDA’s Economic Botany Lab. One of the most frequented parts of the USDA website is the ethnobotanical and phytochemical database he created before retiring.Dr. Duke has written more than 30 books including the best selling Green Pharmacy, Dr. Duke’s Essential Herbs, Herbs of the Bible, Handbook of Edible Weeds, Duke’s Handbook of Medicinal Plants of Latin America, and Peterson’s Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs: Of Eastern and Central North America. He’s also spent years exploring the ecology and culture of the Amazon Rain Forest.Dr. Duke is currently updating the third edition of Peterson’s guide. He mainly cares takes the Green Farmacy Garden with his wife Peggy and volunteers.In this episode of HerbMentor Radio, Jim co

Paul Bergner and Tania Neubauer, N.D. join me at the Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference for a special live edition of HerbMentor Radio.Paul has been practicing natural medicine since 1973, is the author of 7 books, and is the founder of the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism.Dr. Neubauer is a naturopathic physician, was a medical coordinator at the Berkeley Free Clinic, has worked extensively with Natural Doctors International, and has studied with Karen Sanders, Michael Moore, and Adam Seller.A “calling,” according to Paul, is something that “when you’re doing it, the universe conspires to make you succeed.”Paul and Tania, along with herbalist 7Song (Northeast School of Botanical Medicine), are leading a delegation to the island of Ometepe in Nicaragua. This trip is open to anyone, no matter what your herbal or language background. It is an amazing opportunity for those who want herbal clinical experience.Paul and Tania discuss this opportunity in great detail, however, this interview will

In the early 1970s, disgruntled with straight medicine and an educational system where soldiers with big guns were posted on campus, Cascade Anderson Geller channeled her political activism into healing and started three food cooperatives across the U.S. Taking advantage of her love of the outdoors and her Appalachian family heritage of wildcrafting herbs and foods, she decided to pursue becoming an herbalist as a way to gather up her passions into one basket. In 1979, she was a founding member of the Everett House Healing Center in Portland, Oregon, where she saw clients and taught classes.She served on the faculty of the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, Bastyr College, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, and the California School of Herbal Studies and taught at many other institutions and conferences. She was trained by a host of people who walk their talk, including the late Ella Birzneck, Norma Myers, and Juliette di Bairacli Levy, as well as many others living in remote regions across

Charles Garcia is a third-generation curandero and practicing herbalist. He is the founder and director of the California School of Traditional Hispanic Herbalism.Charles has worked in law enforcement, special education, lectured at many schools and was a contributing author to the book, Wilderness Emergency Care. He taught herbal first aid to the Red Cross and also volunteers many hours helping the homeless population of his hometown of Richmond, CA.Chuck considers his style of teaching and philosophy of herbal healing as minimalist. If you can make a fire, get a pot of water simmering, find herbs in your back yard, your neighbor's lawn, a city park, an empty lot, in a mountain meadow, or in the middle of the desert, you can aid the sick. The unofficial motto of the school is, “Is est non silicis scientia.” (It is not rocket science.)This interview focuses on Charles’ unique brand of grassroots herbalism. His story is like no other.You can visit Charles at http://hispanicherbs.com

Demetria Clark has written one of the best books on using herbs with kids we’ve seen: Herbal Healing for Children: A Parent’s Guide to Treatments for Common Childhood Illnesses.Demetria is a North American herbalist specializing in herbals for pregnancy, birth, postpartum, nursing, and children. She is a traditional family herbalist. She has worked with families for over 20 years as an herbalist, aromatherapist, midwife, doula, and traditional medicine maker. She works extensively in the US and Europe, blending the two traditions. Demetria lectures extensively on herbal care for sexuality, pregnancy, and woman’s health.Demetria believes in families having options to self-empower and have health and wellness options.She is the Founder and Director of Heart of Herbs Herbal school and the doula training program, Birth Arts International.In this interview, Demetria discusses her top 10 choices her an herbal apothecary for kids, tells her story and answers HerbMentor member questions.Here is a link to “What are th

Isla Burgess, DipPE DipTchg DipHerbMed MNZAMH MNHAA, has been an educator for the past 40 years, currently, the Director of the International College of Herbal Medicine, was the founding Director of the Waikato Center for Herbal Medicine in New Zealand, and is a convenor for the International Research Group for the Conservation of Medicinal Plants.Isla is a graduate in Education of the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. She established the first four-year Diploma in Herbal Medicine in Australasia at the Waikato Centre for Herbal Studies and has been largely responsible for training medical herbalists at the Center over the last 10 years. She developed a practical, innovative course drawing on 25 years of practice and investigation in the field of medicinal plants and their therapeutic uses. She has presented papers at conferences and seminars both nationally and internationally and is the author of Weeds Heal: A Working Herbal. A gardener at heart, Isla continually delights in the potential of unopene

Jim McDonald joins us once again on HerbMentor Radio for a double-length episode focused on herbs for back pain. Jim covers nutrition and bodywork as well as the major categories of how to look at and treat back injuries, such as muscle pain, spasm, inflammatory pain, and nerve pain. Also, lubrication of joints and tissue, fluid stagnation, structural integrity, how to customize a treatment, and more. Jim adds a new section on topical applications as well. This nearly 2-hour presentation will bring to life his popular web article on herbs for back pain.Jim is an herbalist based in Michigan. He teaches many classes locally and also teaches at major conferences such as the Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference and Rootstalk.Visit Jim at http://herbcraft.orgHere is a direct link to his herbs for back pain article that this HerbMentor Radio is based on: http://www.herbcraft.org/backpain.html

Author and naturalist Jon Young takes you behind the scenes of Wildcraft! and LearningHerbs.com in a special episode called “Mentoring Kids & Nature Connection.”Why are relationships with nature more important than information? What is Nature Deficit Disorder? Does your child have it? What is the number one secret to nature's connection? How do you share curiosity with kids? What are “kid trails,” and how can we bring them back?This interview covers how to discover your child’s passions and connect with them in nature. Jon’s world-acclaimed Art of Mentoring curriculum is the engine of LearningHerb’s teaching methodology. You get a first-hand glimpse under the hood to not only see how and why we do what we do but also how you can empower yourself to mentor others.Jon Young is the author of Coyotes Guide to Connecting with Nature, Animal Tracking Basics, Advanced Bird Language, Seeing Through Native Eyes, Reclaiming our Natural Connections, and the Kamana Naturalist Training Program. He is also the founder

J.T. is a Seattle-based herbalist and mom. She’s an old friend of mine who started the same herbal apprenticeship that I did in 1998 before my son Rowan was born.Since she started learning about local plants and how to use them, J.T. has come up with creative ways of gathering herbs and using them to nourish her family. Like myself, J.T. is a family and community-centered herbalist. Not only does she keep her family healthy and help them when they are sick, she also shares her knowledge of herbalism with others in her community. This has led to her teaching classes at local herb shops.I join J.T. in this interview live at the Northwest Herbal Fair. J.T. had just finished teaching a class on tincture making. This fair was very special since LearningHerbs sponsored it, J.T. was teaching, and our mentor Eaglesong was even teaching there and was honored at the event as a local herbal elder. We all had come a long way since our journeys began together nearly 13 years ago.There is often talk on the HerbMentor forum

Karta Purkh (K.P.) Singh Khalsa, L.M.T., N.C.T.M.B., D.N.-C., R.H., C.C., is one of the foremost herbal experts in the field today. He is one of the very few practitioners with over thirty-five years of experience in the natural healing field. He is a senior editor for The Harvard University Natural Standard and a professor at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and Bastyr University’s College of Naturopathic Medicine. K.P. Khalsa is on the Board of Directors of the American Herbalists Guild. He has spoken in hundreds of venues, including many professional herb conferences.With a long career as a consultant in the natural foods sector, he is employed as Senior Research Scientist for the Yogi Tea company and is the principal formulator for Yogi Tea products.Khalsa is the author of over 1,500 published health articles. He has authored or contributed to more than 30 books. His most recent book is The Way of Ayurvedic Herbs, which completes the “Way of” trilogy, started by Michael Tierra with th

Todd Caldecott is a Medical Herbalist and practitioner of Ayurvedic medicine, author of the textbook Ayurveda: The Divine Science of Life, Food as Medicine: The Theory and Practice of Food and an editor of a text on Nepalese ethnobotany called Ayurveda in Nepal.Todd teaches and practices in the Vancouver, BC area in Canada. He also works as a consultant in the natural products industry. Todd was also the Director of Clinical Herbal Studies at Wild Rose College and is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild.Todd’s practice integrates Western Clinical Herbalism with Ayurveda and the synthesis results in an insightful look at Western herbalism from a unique perspective.In this interview Todd and I discuss Ayurveda, the state of traditional medicine in modern times, food as medicine, and he answers member questions.You can visit Todd at http://toddcaldecott.comFood As Medicine is available on Amazon or http://foodasmedicine.ca

Phyllis Light is a fourth-generation herbalist and healer and has worked with herbs and in natural health for over 30 years. Her studies began in the deep woods of Northern Alabama, and now Phyllis lectures in herb schools, universities, medical schools, hospitals, and health conferences. In addition to Traditional Folk studies, Phyllis has studied Traditional Western Herbalism, Nutrition, Exercise Science, Body Work, and Energy Medicine. She continues to maintain an active herbal practice.Phyllis is also a consultant to business and physicians, a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild, director of herbal studies at Clayton College, and is working on a new book The Geography of Health: Southern Appalachian Folk Medicine, which explores the medicine that is at the heart of her personal herbal traditions.You can visit Phyllis and learn about her herbal studies programs at http://phyllisdlight.com