Learn to forage wild medicines and craft your own herbal remedies
July 12-13, 2025
Join Julianne Peterson, herbalist and owner of Singing Springs Botanicals, for a weekend excursion in the beautiful San Juan mountains of Southwest Colorado.
Highlights
• Meet the magnificent medicines of this unique bioregion.
• Explore ethical wildcrafting practices in theory and in hands-on practical ways.
• Share in sacred harvesting practices that go beyond numerical guidelines.
• Make friends with kindred spirits inspired by love for the Earth and the Plantfolk.
the weekend’s
Overview
*If you are traveling from afar, plan to arrive in Ridgway or Ouray on the evening of Friday, July 11.
Our days will be spent largely outside learning to correctly identify the areas bountiful medicine plants and digging into all the practical skills one needs to wildcraft (harvest) these. The other part of the day we will be processing and preparing several medicines with our botanical bounty.
Participants will learn how to prepare the whole gamut of herbal medicaments: aqueous infusions and decoctions, poultices, tinctures, cordials, infused oils, salves, and more. Preparation skills will be honed and many recipes will be shared so you can return home and make your own herbal medicines. Material is appropriate for ages 12 and up.
We will visit a couple different beautiful settings with access to a large variety of the premier wild herbs of the region. Plants we are sure to meet include: Elderberry, Osha, Yarrow, Green Gentian, Arnica, Rattlesnake Plantain, Pink Elephants, Valerian, Cleavers, Nettle, Angelica and many more.
What to know
Class Price $300 includes:
7 hours of class time on Saturday and 5 hours of class on Sunday. All materials for demonstrations. Students will also get a few medicines to bring home and loads of medicine-making ideas, inspiration, and a skill set that will last a lifetime.
You will need:
Appropriate clothing for high mountain weather. It may be very hot and sunny or very cold and possibly rainy so everything from a sun hat, sunscreen and shorts, to long underwear a warm hat, raincoat and insulated jacket.
Also bring:
A personal water bottle
Snacks or lunch for Saturday and Sunday
A notepad and pen
Lodging and meals not included.
Saturday Schedule
Saturday July 12th
Herb walk, meeting the locals 9:00am-12:00pm
Lunch in the field 12:00-1:00pm
Class- Ethical and Sustainable Wildcrafting, Protecting Our Future 1:00-3:00pm
Break- Drive to Singing Springs Botanicals Apothecary 3:00-4:00pm
Class- Medicine Making Part 1 Herbal infusions, Decoctions, Poultices, Compresses and Fomentations 4:00-6:00pm
Sunday Schedule
Sunday July 13th
Harvest herbs for medicine making 9:00am-12:00pm
Lunch in the field 12:00-1:00pm
Class- Medicine Making Part 2 Tinctures, Cordials, Vinegars, Infused Oils and Salves 2:00-4:00pm
Closing Circle 4:00