Required texts:
(Investment about 100 USD/EUR0, some may be found online in pdf form for free)
1. The Gift of Healing Herbs: Plant Medicine and Home Remedies for a Vibrantly Healthy Life by Robin Rose Bennett
2. Working the Root: Over 400 Years of Traditional African-American Healing by Michele Lee
3. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Recommended Herbal Books (not required)
Herbal books in English that I recommend for any student, but are not required for this course.
The first three listed have lots of color pictures & recipes. Free PDFs of many books exist online.
– Wild Remedies by Rosalee de la Forêt
– Backyard Medicine: Harvest and Make Your Own Herbal Remedies by Julie Brunton-Seal & Matthew Seal
– Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health: 175 Teas, Tonics, Oils, Salves, Tinctures, and Other Natural Remedies for the Entire Family by Rosemary Gladstar
Other books that I use a lot in my day to day herbal studies but also don’t have a lot of pictures:
–The Book of Herbal Wisdom, by Matt Wood
–Making Plant Medicine, by Richo Cech
–Energetic Herbalism by Kat Maier
–Medical Herbalism by David Hoffman
For those who can read in Portuguese, I highly recommend all the books by Fernanda Botelho, particularly relevant to this course are Uma Mão Cheia De Plantas Que Curam, Ervas Que Se Comem, and Fernanda’s 2020 agenda.
For at-home medicine making assignments that are part of this course:
1. Clear glass jars with metal lids (about 10) & and a few with plastic lids (about 3)
2. Cotton fabric squares measuring 40 cm x 40 cm (can be cut from an old bed sheet)
3. A set of metal mesh strainers of various sizes.
4. A digital kitchen scale and/or measuring spoons, cups & containers with metric markings.
5. Tape, paper & pens for label making.
6. 30 mL or 60 mL amber glass jars with dropper lids (at least 12 bottles, but you probably will want more)
7. Solvents: rubbing alcohol, honey, sugar, vodka, distilled or purified water, vinegar, olive oil, and beeswax or cocoa butter (vegan option).
8. Containers for collecting herbs and storing dried herbs, i.e. paper bags, baskets, and jars.
9. Bowls of various sizes, including one small clear glass bowl for making flower essences.
10. Small metal or glass containers for salve. Washed baby food jars can be used.
11. Plants, seeds, dirt & containers.
12. Herbs – this really depends on how many herbs you can access in the wild, or your garden, or how many you would like to purchase.
13. Some food items such as nut butter, nut milk, or other foods that you want to incorporate in your medicinal preparations.
14. Optional: a few essential oils, specialty oils (avocado, almond, etc) & grain alcohol.
