MOUNTAIN VIEW — The Ozark Folk Center State Park will host their annual Wild Herbal Field Trip & Medicinal Plant Symposium for students, practitioners and teachers of the herbal arts from October 18-20.
The symposium begins Saturday, October 19 with lectures and demonstrations about beneficial medicinal plants by specialists who know, conserve and use plants. Attendees will learn to use Yarrow, the Herb of the Year, for home remedies with other wild herbs and taste wild foods in herbal lunches throughout the day. The symposium is required for participation in either of the field trips.
On Friday, October 18 (or Sunday, October 20) visitors will board the Ozark Folk Center shuttle to venture into the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest to explore the forest’s diverse natural habitats with experienced guides during a trip to the Leatherwoods Wilderness. Bus transportation to field trip destinations, picnic lunch and water will be provided. The woodland trail ranges from easy to moderately difficult. The planners have selected trails ideal for people who can walk up to two miles on gently sloped, sometimes slippery, uneven terrain, with frequent stops for plant identification and usage discussions. A walking stick, hiking boots or shoes and weather-appropriate apparel are required.
Guest specialists and teachers during the Wild Herbal Field Trip & Medicinal Plant Symposium include:
Head gardener and herbalist at the Ozark Folk Center’s Heritage Herb Garden, Tina Marie Wilcox
Organic farmer, herbalist, and author of The Celestial Garden: Growing Herbs, Vegetables and Flowers in Sync with the Moon and Zodiac, Jane Hawley Stevens
Naturalist, forager and primitive skills teacher Bo Brown
Author, photographer and culinary artist Susan Belsinger
Heritage Herb Garden Staff and Gardener, Kathleen Connole
Herbalist, healer, and regional authority on wild plants and herbs of the Ozarks, Sasha Daucus
Transdisciplinary scholar and researcher, gardener, and Heritage Herb Garden staff member, Breath Alicen Valentine
Holistic health and triathlon coach, yoga instructor, and conservationist, Marisa Frazier
For a schedule of events during the Medicinal Plant Symposium on October 19, or during the Wild Herbal Field Trip on October 18 or 20, or to learn more or register, visit OzarkFolkCenter.Ticketleap.com. Pre-registration is required by October 3.
