Wildness Within’S Foundational Herbal Apprenticeship
Embody Resiliency.
Heal with Intention.
Harmonize with Self and Place.
Wildness Within’s Foundational Herbal Apprenticeship is a program that encompasses a way of living. It is an offering based on Rachael’s commitment to regenerative living– empowering people to live with attention and intention– respecting and revitalizing land, plants, animals and ecosystems.
This course will provide you with the tools needed to take care of yourself, your family and community with plants that grow within your bioregion. It’s a course that intertwines your personal healing journey with the natural environment– allowing for beauty, magic and wellness to manifest within.
This is an opportunity to learn about botany, ecology, horticultural practices, and edible and medicinal uses of wild and cultivated plants in Western Washington. Students will gain hands on experiences working with plants in different ecosystems, gardens, farms, as well as the kitchen. We will follow plants through their life cycle– from seed to harvest. In this way, students will gain a deepened connection to place-based medicine.
Foundational Apprenticeship Objectives:
Hands on experience working and living with the seasonal cycle
Propagation, soil amendment, maintenance, harvest and uses of cultivated medicinal plants in Plant Hardiness Zone 8b (greater Seattle)
Strong understanding of wild plants in Washington through botany, ecology, ethnobotany, and edible and medicinal uses
Ethical and sustainable harvesting and wild tending
Foundation in botanical identification; plant families, latin names, morphology, poisonous plants and look- alike
Foundation in plant preparations; tea, tinctures, glycerins, vinegars, poultices, compresses, honeys, oils, elixirs, oxymels, salves, creams, hydrosols, essential oils, witch hazels, flower essences, salts, fermentations
Foundation in plant energetics, actions, and secondary metabolites
Foundation in administering herbs; herb/drug interactions, dosages
Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnostics and theories (Yin/Yang, 5 Elements, 8 Principles)
Strong understanding of personal constitution and place-based medicine (mental/emotional/social/biological/spiritual)
Who is this foundational apprenticeship for?
This herbal apprenticeship is for budding and intermediate herbalists looking to deepen their knowledge and experience with wild and cultivated plants. This is an ideal course for someone who wants to understand how to incorporate plant medicine into their life for personal use, for family and friends, or as an extension of their healing practice.
Rachael is a very interactive teacher– she tries to find ways for her students to know through doing and experiencing (hence, the focus of “hands-on learning”). Yet, there is a lot to learn about the energetics, actions and safety of working with plants. There will be didactic lessons surrounding materia medica, medicine making, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theories & diagnostics, as well as chemical compounds, actions and interactions of plants.
This is an in-depth foundational course in herbalism– it is a way to become self-sufficient, resilient, and grounded in holistic health. This course can be combined with online courses structured towards clinical herbalism. However, this is not a clinical herbalist course.
We will mainly be outside for majority of the course– please be prepared for all types of weather (we will have accommodations for weather permitting health/safety needs).
This is an application based course. The application process is designed to answer your questions and support you in discerning if this is the right fit for you at this time.
“Rachael’s (foundational) apprenticeship not only helped me expand upon my practical plant knowledge and herbal medicine making, but it was a place that I looked forward to going to every week. No matter what was going on in my personal life, the group, the teachings, the homestead, and the plants made my week. I loved how hands-on our learning was, and I appreciated how Rachael took into account how we all wanted to be taught. It was freeform enough to allow for changes as needed, but structured enough to feel like I was building upon the previous week’s teachings each time we met.
The regular ‘field trips’ were always valuable and as someone who loves variety, this apprenticeship fit my learning style spectacularly. I can’t recommend Rachael’s offerings enough. ”
Who is instructing the apprenticeship?
Rachael Witt will be the primary teacher of the course.
Rachael has over 15 years of experience working with plants in the garden and apothecary as well as studying plant ecology. She has a B.S. in Ecology and Evolution Biology with a concentration in Plant Ecology. While studying at UC Santa Cruz, Rachael worked at the Program In Community Agroecology– practicing agroecological and permaculture applications, growing and cooking organic foods and teaching garden education.
Rachael is a clinical herbalist. She’s certified as a Registered Herbalist through the American Herbalist Guild (RH, AHG) as well as a Professional Herbalist with the East West School of Planetary Herbology. She has worked as a practitioner for the East West Free Herbal Clinic and currently sees clients through her private practice.
Rachael combines her ecological and botanical studies with permaculture practices as a way of interacting with the natural world. Her studies in herbalism integrate Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda and Western Herbalism into a holistic approach to healing and wellness.
Some guest instructors include Lindsay Warshaw with Duvall Herb Farm, Jeffrey Davis with Duvall Food Forest, Erin Nussbaum with A Touch of Balance, and more!
“I cannot speak highly enough of the (foundational) apprenticeship program with Wildness Within. I’ve learned so much from my time with Rachael. It has deepened my understanding of plants, plant relationships and plants as food and medicine. ”
Dates and Time: Fridays, 10AM-3PM
2025 Calendar:
Spring: March 21, 28, April 4, 11, 18, 25, May 2, 9
Early Summer: May 30 June 6, 13,20, 27
Late Summer: July 18, 25 August 1, 8, 15
Autumn: September 5, 12, 19, 26 October 3, 10, 17, 24
PLUS Family & Friend Celebration– Saturday, October 18th 12-3PM
This is a four season commitment. We will take two week breaks in between seasons, yet continue to build upon the foundational curriculum.
Location: The Highlands Homestead, Duvall, WA- The Highlands Homestead consists of 20+ acres where Rachael and her land mates practice ecological design, subsistence farming, forest stewardship and restorative systems. Most classes will be held outside of Wildness Within’s herb kitchen and apothecary as well as other locations on the land.
Various places around King County and Snohomish County. Locations include Duvall Herb Farm, The Duvall Food Forest, a sub-alpine trip in the Central Cascades, riparian excursions by rivers, lakes and wetlands. Rachael will announce specific locations with the class syllabus.
Foundational Apprenticeship Costs: **Subject to change for 2025!
Choose a learning journey that best suits your needs and desires:
1. $2,885*
Obtain the weekly knowledge and hands-on projects
Access to online class hub-site with resources
2. $3,465*
Obtain the weekly knowledge and hands-on projects
Access to online class hub-site with resources
Medicine Making Starter Kit: 1-pack of mason jars, ½ gallon vodka, 1/5 Everclear, 1 pint honey, ½ gallon oil, ½ vinegar, painters tape, sharpie
Printed class binder with handouts, worksheets, resources
One initial herbal consultation with two 15 minute follow-ups (in person or zoom)
3. $5,010*
Obtain the weekly knowledge and hands-on projects
Access to online class hub-site with resources
Medicine Making Starter Kit: 1-pack of mason jars, ½ gallon vodka, 1/5 Everclear, 1 pint honey, ½ gallon oil, ½ vinegar, painters tape, sharpie
Printed class binder with handouts, worksheets, resources
One initial herbal consultation with two 15 minute follow-ups (in person or zoom)
Six 1-on-1 mentoring sessions with optional areas of focus including garden design, at-home apothecary, product formulations, product inventory, first aid kits, personalized gifts, etc.
Payments:
Once your application has been accepted, you have the option of paying in full or a non-refundable deposit of $200 to reserve your space in the apprenticeship. If you choose to put down a deposit then the full balance will be due on March 1st, 2025 (about 3 weeks prior to start of course). If you have concerns about completing the full payment by this date, please e-mail Rachael and we can further explore possibilities.
Cancellation Policy:
All cancellation requests must be made prior to March 1st, 2025 (3 weeks prior to start of course); any payments beyond the deposit will be refunded in full. Any cancellations beyond this date is not subject to refund.
Work Trade Consideration:
I am offering a few spaces for work trade– this would require 3 hours of work on Wednesdays or Thursdays during weeks of the Apprenticeship. Ideally, this would be someone who is willing to work on the land, tending the needs of the plants and also that within the herb kitchen. Please inquire directly to me and fill out work trade option of application.