TESTIMONIALS FOR SEEDS OF HERBALISM

 While attending Wild Gather not only did I feel I was receiving an herbal education, but I was receiving care. I was guided to a higher vibration of myself while remembering the beginnings of my own herbal journey that started in my blood memory through the elder women in my family.  Mandana and Lauren so beautifully crafted our lessons with the ideologies of health justice and social justice in mind.  Through this lens, not only were we able to strengthen our connection to each other as students, but also with plants, trees, and the nature around us.  As teachers, I could not have asked for more. Mandana and Lauren administered compassion to specific aspects of herbalism I yearned for in my prior years of herbal education. The artistry and aptitude of these two magical beings allowed me to develop and master my skill set in areas of botany and plant identification without any patriarchal intervention.  I am forever revered by these two and the container they have built. ~Nadine, 2020

Seeds of Herbalism was an incredibly thoughtful, beautiful, and radical care space to engage with plants and medicine making, but also with larger questions of surviving and thriving during this harrowing time of a global pandemic and uprising. Lauren and Mandana seamlessly adapted all of their content into the digital realm to accommodate these circumstances, creating a super accessible and engaging online community for our cohort. each month felt like walking through an enchanted [digital] forest, taking the time to intimately meet plants through all stages of life and transition through the seasons. I feel so touched by Lauren and Mandana's heartfelt presence and care in facilitating seeds of herbalism, an experience i won't ever forget. Much love! ~Jes, 2020

Lauren and Mandana are like a plant power couple.  They are the absolute real deal and share so much depth and wisdom and knowledge with those around them.  These two adapt and respond to what's happening in the world (hello, pandemic! societal collapse! political uprising!) and bring it into class with such grace and radical acceptance.  I couldn't think of a better duo to learn from and with, and I would highly recommend this class to anyone who is looking to cultivate a deeper connection with the plants, the earth, others, and, most importantly, themself. ~Carly, 2020 

I came to Wild Gather to learn about plants and their uses, but left with a paradigm shift about my own role and responsibility when engaging with plants and the natural world, a shift that moves away from a model of extraction towards one of mutuality and love for all living things. ~Erin, 2020

I was floored by Lauren and Mandana each bringing such unique and powerful approaches to teaching this herbalism course. Each of them taught from a widely informed, and deeply personal place. A short walk could take a day for us to make our way through - introducing ourselves to plants and trees, both the ones that are often talked about and the ones that are often marginalized or stigmatized. Seeds of Herbalism covered technique, application, spirit, inclusivity, social justice, ancestral work, self care, and community practice. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to learn and be held in this space. ~Nellie, 2019

I can't recommend Wild Gather's Seeds of Herbalism Course enough. The months together built connection and provided a divine and engaging respite from my daily routines. Mandana and Lauren are incredible educators- they were so generous in sharing their years of plant medicine experience and critical perspectives. The curriculum is an evolving work of femme genius that engaged our collective multi-dimensional knowledge and left me feeling more whole, curious, and creative than before. Deeply grateful. ~ Ryan Pryor, Midwife, Family Nurse Practitioner, 2019

Wild Gather was an incredible experience that opened my eyes to working within the health system in a holistic, decolonized and inclusive way. Looking to only dip my toe into learning herbalism basics, I left learning how to responsibly care for all people and provide safe spaces for our LGBTQIAPOC communities. I hope to bring the skills I learned here to my own natural dyeing practice and create even a fraction of the safe space they created for us this past season. I can't wait to help support Lauren and Mandana in their practices and hope for more juicy classes in the future! ~Cara, 2018 

Wild Gather is the herbalism school that I longed to encounter for so long. Mandana and Lauren have created a program that is all at once radical, rigorous, deeply rooted in tradition, heart opening, and joyful. They ground each lesson in a framework of collective liberation and health justice, challenging white supremacy and cisheteronormativity, and shifting so many norms of the current western herbalism world- and it’s right on time! Mandana and Lauren are not only stunningly knowledgeable about the plants of this region and their applications, but also instilled in each of us real reverence and love for the plants we encountered. I also felt consistently supported to reach inwards to my own intuition and ancestral traditions in order to build a practice that is my own. I came away feeling immensely more confident in my ability to ID plants, ethically wild harvest, and make the medicine that I’m now sharing with my community. I’m so grateful and indebted to Mandana and Lauren for their fierce wisdom and transformative teaching! ~Jade, 2018

Mandana and Lauren bring such a deep well of knowledge. It's incredible and inspiring. They each bring their own flavor as well and have their own paths in the herb world which is great and provides a multilayered and richly educational experience. They are a joy and thrill to be around. I had such fun studying and learning from these amazing women! What a sweet sweet treat! ~Julia, 2016

The Seeds of Herbalism course touched my life on so many levels. I joined in because I wanted to know more about the power of plants, and I certainly came away with more than I expected on that front. The approach to botany and herbalism is scientific, as well as spiritual, and imbued with a real respect for the earth. But I also came away with a real sense of community that was created by our courageous and creative leaders. Smart, generous and empathetic, they're the perfect mentors for a serious journey into the subject of healing. ~Michelle, 2016

photo taken by Sarrah Danziger