Food & Medicine of the Wabanaki

Before there were vitamin supplements, protein shakes, and Western lifestyles focused on speed and convenience, there was an understanding of how plants and wildlife contribute to human health and nutrition. In this intergenerational class, Barry Dana (Penobscot) and Lori Dana will introduce the species and practices that vary throughout the ecologies of the Dawnland (Maine) and how the "People of the Dawn" have been sourcing food and medicine for centuries, whether through fishing, foraging, or cultivating. You'll learn about heritage flora and fauna under threat and the need for awareness to preserve their existence. After class, you'll be armed with the tools to incorporate native plants into your landscape setting, whether it's a community garden, a forest edge, or a wide-open field. Together, we honor Dawnland's natural resources and highlight nutritional sovereignty across Maine. Class level: all.

Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Multiple Instructors
Price: $64 / $80

Medicinal Plants: Herbal Salve Making

From harvesting to bottling, learn the steps to make a herbal salve! Salves are topical ointments created from plants used to heal a specific condition such as dry skin, burns, scars, splinters, or sore muscles. The class will begin indoors with a live demonstration followed by a walk through the gardens to identify plants that can be used to make a salve. Each participant will take home a tin of herbal salve.

Learn More
Location: Bosarge Family Education Center Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay
Instructor: Cristina Pellegrini
Price: $64 / $80

Forest Therapy Walk & Tea: Late Summer

Deepening your connection to nature through moving meditation offers enormous benefits for personal well-being. In this gentle and sensory-oriented class, students will experience the practice of walking mindfully through a forest to gain deep serenity and new awareness. Follow Susan Bickford, a certified guide in the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku also known as forest therapy/forest bathing, as she gives you the tools to begin your own meditation practice. The walk ends with a tea ceremony that honors the experience. Class Level: all.

Learn More
Location: Timber Frame
Instructor: Susan Bickford
Price: $28 / $36