Herb Mentor Radio

Heidi Bohan has over 18 years of experience working as an educator of native plants, horticulture, woodworking, ethnobotany, and traditional ecological knowledge of the Pacific Northwest. She has been a carpenter, fine woodworker, architectural designer, and as a teacher has taught classes in basketry, carving, weaving, edible and medicinal plants, and more. She has worked with many local tribes,...

Jessica Moore is a mom who has a passion for herbs. When her baby had a diaper rash, she whipped up an amazing balm that healed it. To make a long story short, she founded an awesome herbal remedy company out of that experience. Many who come to LearningHerbs  often wonder how to learn about herbs and take that passion into the world. We’ll see how Jessica did it, and we’ll also ask her some...

I have known Jon for over half my life. He has been a mentor and is a good friend. Jon is an amazing speaker. We’ll focus on how one learns about plants in their ecosystems, how to mentor young ones in nature and herbs, permaculture, health, and…well, get us two together and you never know what will come up! Jon also discusses native peoples' relationship to the plants.

“Weeds are in every country of the world, so it’s beyond me why there is world hunger. An entire civilization is walking on their food.” –Linda Runyon Linda Runyon’s knowledge and expertise come from years of wilderness living and learning on her own just what foods were safe to eat. She became familiar with medicinal herbs as well, as an offshoot of her friendship among members of an Iroquois Ind...

Peter Gail, Ph. D. has been studying, writing about edible and medicinal plants for half a century. Author of 13 books, including The Dandelion Celebration, he is an esteemed elder of botany and champion of weeds. He has had a big impact on awareness of pesticide use dangers through environmental awareness. USA Today called him the King of Dandelions. Good Morning America, the Wizard of Weeds. Man...

Karen Sherwood is a Northwest native who grew up studying the flora of the Pacific Northwest. While studying at the University of Washington, she was hired by Tom Brown Jr. to develop and expand the wild foods curriculum for the Tracker School. Karen gained a strong understanding of the traditional uses of wild plants while teaching there. Since returning home to the Northwest, she continues to te...

Aviva Romm began studying herbal medicine and midwifery in 1981. A Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) and herbalist, practicing since 1985, Aviva is recognized internationally as an accomplished specialist in the areas of herbal medicine for gynecology, obstetrics, and pediatrics. Her numerous books are now regarded as standards for mothers, midwives, herbalists, and other health professionals u...

Christopher Hobbs is a fourth-generation herbalist and botanist with 40 years of experience with herbs. Founder of Native Herb Custom Extracts (now Rainbow Light Custom Extracts) and the Institute for Natural Products Research. Christopher writes and lectures internationally on herbal medicine. He is a consultant to the herb industry and is currently practicing and working on a doctorate in biolog...

Dina Falconi is a practicing herbalist with a strong focus on food activism and nutritional healing. She is the author of Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair, owner of Falcon Formulations, a natural body care product business, co-creator of Earthly Extracts, a line of medicinal tinctures, and a founding member of the Northeast Herbal Association. She offers workshops and consultations throughout th...

Jim McDonald returns to HerbMentor Radio for a special episode on fevers and herbal energetics. What is a fever, why do they happen, and what are the popular myths? The difference between stimulating and relaxing diaphoretics as well as detailed descriptions of many herbs with diaphoretic properties. Diaphoretics are herbs that direct circulation, open pores, ventilate the body, and allow perspira...

Jim McDonald is a self-taught herbalist whose approach blends a folk and indigenous perspective of herb craft with the eclectic/physio medical approaches of 19th century American herbalism. If you ever spent time on Henriette’s forum or the Herbwifery forum, then you may know Jim. He also gives herb walks at many conferences, including the International Herb Symposium. He has a unique way of teach...

Linda Runyon is an expert in wild foods and has been teaching since the 1970s. Though she has a lifelong love of nature, she really learned her stuff when she spent 13 years with her family homesteading in rural New York State, without indoor plumbing, electricity, or running water. Linda has turned her amazing life story into many publications, namely her wild foods field guide called The Essenti...

Sandor Ellix Katz is the author of Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods and The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved: Inside America’s Underground Food Movement. Starting with sauerkraut, Sandor has been fermenting foods for over 14 years. As an avid cook, gardener, herbalist, and nutritional enthusiast, his interests have led to a life of spreading “culture” wher...

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 sk...

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 pr...

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 herbali...

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 mai...

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...

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 swa...

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 medici...

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 a...

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 phytochem...

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 wo...

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...

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...