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AUTUMN SPLENDOR

The season takes a new turn as the vivid greens fade and the forests and the fields are touched with gold. Fruits and nuts that have been quietly growing all summer suddenly ripen into their fullness. The bounty of the harvest is all around. The tables at the Farmer's Market are heaped high. By the end of September the blazing orange pumpkins decorate our homes, and the sweet corn gives way to colorful squashes at the roadside stands. The ladies have their canning kettles going full steam as luscious tomatoes grace their kitchens, and the apple orchards are yielding their sweet increase.

I love this time of year........I think we all feel a quickening in our spirits as the progression of the seasons climaxes in beauty and abundance. I am reminded of the verse that says "Death is swallowed up in victory� as nature puts on her grandest display right before dying into the cold and silence of winter, and the blessed assurance of the certain resurrection beyond.

In the spring we saw a flush of edible greens, powerhouse nutrition to refresh and restore after winter stores begin to dwindle and our bodies crave something raw and fresh and filled with life. Summer gives way to the berries and fruits that give us energy for busy summer work and slake our thirst in the heat of the year. Then comes autumn, when the nuts ripen, laden with calories and fats and dense nutrition, perfect sustenance for the long winter months ahead.

It's always exciting to me that just when the year is winding down and the fields are mostly brown, there is a surge of tender new greens among the fallen leaves. I can harvest fresh Dandelion greens, Garlic Mustard, Violets, Watercress and more, just like I did back in April and May! It's like one final flush of super-nutrition before the cold sinks into our bones, and the land becomes hardened and lifeless.

It's impossible not to be drawn to the trees this time of year. Cold and flu season are just around the corner so I like to take some time to make cough syrups and winter tea mixtures. It�s time to harvest some medicinal barks before the branches are completely bare and all that good medicine is stored down in the roots. The sap is flowing downwards as the leaves die off, potentizing the inner barks and making them prime for medicinal use.

May we all be blessed by the glory and beauty of the season as we prepare to turn inward in the coming winter months. May the bounty of the harvest grace every table and fill us thanksgiving.

CRHI UPDATE

Attendance was low at the summer herbwalks scheduled by CRHI. The June prairie herbwalk in Winona was regrettably scheduled over Father�s Day weekend and the July herbwalk fell during a very intense summer heatwave. We�ll be discussing how to encourage attendance at our summer walks during our November annual meeting.

The 2^nd Annual Midwest Wild Harvest Festival at Beaver Creek Reserve was a great success with several CRHI members attending. We had an amazing wild foods potluck on Friday night, lots of plant walks, a wild food scavenger hunt and trivia game, and cooking and wild food processing demos. My favorite part of the event was all the wonderful conversations and connections with all the friendly, enthusiastic people in attendance. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much! Sam Thayer plans to continue this as an annual event. He would like to see it move into the Driftless Region if we can find a good location for it. A site would need to include overnight accommodations and a kitchen that we can use for demos and food prep.

We have three classes planned for the Autumn season. I will be holding a class on processing acorns in September. This will be an indoor class focusing mainly on shelling, leaching and grinding acorns into flour. In October we will have a mushroom walk in the LaCrosse area with guide and location to be announced. In November, Carol Jacobs and Sara Merrill will team up to explore the art of making herbal cordials and cocktails at the People�s Food Coop in LaCrosse. The November class will be preceded by a CRHI annual meeting to evaluate the current state of the Institute, envision its future direction and plan a calendar of classes and events for 2007. There will be no meeting in December. See the Calendar of Events in this newsletter for details on these classes.

I am looking at having some time during the winter to work on a website for the Coulee Region Herbal Institute to post regional classes and events, a ride-board, profiles of medicinal herb and wild food educators, and links to websites in the region. The website will serve as a directory of sorts to help network various herbal educational opportunities. We can decide at a future date if we want a printed version of a directory, brochures or other media to help promote the Institute.

Thank you to everyone who bought memberships for the 2006 season. I hope you find it a worthy cause and will consider renewing next year. Memberships and class fees for non-members covered all our mailing expenses this year.

PHYTO-ESTROGENS

I recently read an eye-opening book called �Our Stolen Future� by Theo Colburn. This book reads something like a �Silent Spring: The Next Generation� as it thoroughly examines and pieces together the newest cutting edge research on the intense reproductive hazards being created by the ongoing, unchecked chemical abuses happening all over the planet.

While most of the eco-research that has been conducted in recent decades has focused almost exclusively on cancer and carcinogenic agents, Theo Colburn makes a dramatic case for an even more alarming problem�the ability of chemicals to wreak havoc on the endocrine system which governs all of the body�s vital internal processes and guides critical phases of prenatal development. Cancer is, in proper perspective, symptomatic of a much larger, all-encompassing health crisis.

These hormone-disrupting chemicals are insidious and ubiquitous, persistent and cumulative. They are in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and the body care products we use. They leach into foods from plastic packaging and storage containers; they out-gas from synthetic materials used to build and furnish our homes and buildings. These chemicals are cumulative during the course of a lifetime since many cannot be leached from our bodies but rather store themselves in fatty tissues or circulate as free radicals in our bloodstream. It is estimated that most of us walk around with at least 250 chemical contaminants in our bodies, regardless of where we live. Even Inuit peoples in some of the most remote polar regions of the world are testing positive for high levels of chemicals that somehow manage to migrate to every corner of the globe.

XENO-ESTROGENS

The most �popular� of these endocrine disruptors is a class of chemicals known as xeno-estrogens. These are chemicals that have the ability to bond with estrogen receptor sites in our bodies and literally displace the natural estrogens produced by our bodies. This is a major cause of hormone imbalances because the true estrogen is blocked from doing its job properly and also because it creates a hyper-estrogen situation�too many estrogens and estrogen-mimicking substances in our bodies. Of the thousands of environmental chemicals out there, a good many of them are xeno-estrogenic. Estrogen isn�t the only hormone they mimic, there is plenty of indication that they can mimic progesterone, androgens, thyroid hormones and more, but xeno-estrogens are the most obvious and well-studied at this time.

Estrogen excess is a very common problem in animals and humans today. Estrogen excess is being implicated for all sorts of problems, especially concerning, but not limited to, reproductive health. PMS, infertility, low sperm counts, miscarriage and premature birth, menstrual difficulties, breast, uterine and prostate cancers, and premature puberty are just some of the problems caused by estrogen excess. Scientists are beginning to link the reproductive abnormalities and failures showing up in our wildlife with xeno-estrogens as well.

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all. ~Stanley Horowitz

Theo Colburn takes the research a step farther to show how xeno-estrogens are affecting the most vulnerable population of all�the unborn�by interfering with key developmental stages in utero. Since they tend to target the reproductive system, many of the defects don�t show up until the children exposed in the womb grow into their childbearing years. The DES daughters of the 60s and 70s are just one example of this kind of tragedy. The implications of environmental estrogen�s impact on future generations are disturbing indeed.

SYNTHETIC ESTROGENS

Not only do we get xeno-estrogens from our air, food, water and environment, but synthetic estrogens are routinely prescribed by health professionals for menarche problems, birth control, menstrual regulators, and especially for menopause symptom relief.

Synthetic estrogens are also given in abundance to meat and dairy animals to help fatten them up and stimulate their reproduction and milk production. We ingest these synthetic estrogens when we eat the meat and drink the milk from these animals.

PHYTO-ESTROGENS

Yet another source of outside estrogens is phyto-estrogens, plant-based sources of estrogen. I know from my studies in herbal medicine that herbs that have a reputation for being high in phyto-estrogens are often recommended for helping with hormone imbalances and fertility problems. There are all kinds of herbal phyto-estrogenic products showing up on the market today�creams, supplements, pills, tinctures and other herbal formulas. The question herbalists should be asking themselves in light of the increasing exposure to xeno-estrogens in our diet and environment is: Should we be promoting estrogenic herbs for reproductive health issues?

I never used to question the use of phyto-estrogenic herbs. I naively figured that since estrogenic drugs are prescribed by physicians, estrogenic herbs are the healthier, natural alternative to achieve the same ends, and much of the herbal literature seems to reflect this kind of thinking. The truth is that in an ideal state of health, our bodies produce all the estrogen we need. We may not need outside sources of estrogen at all to maintain a healthy reproductive system and a proper hormone balance. It seems that, on the contrary, our biggest concern should be reducing estrogen levels in our bodies. Deciding how or when to use estrogenic herbs has become something of a conundrum in light of today�s estrogen overdose. Today it is more important than ever to devote some time to study estrogen and estrogenic herbs against these relatively recent findings.

It�s interesting to look at why plants produce estrogen. It is an intriguing fact of nature that many of the phyto-chemicals produced by plants are not needed by the plants themselves, but seem to work in a symbiotic relationship with the human/animal kingdom, achieving a sort of homeostasis in the web of life. Others are produced as survival mechanisms, such as toxins and poisons. It has been suggested that phyto-estrogens are produced by the plant kingdom as a population control device and that the plants are attempting to ensure their own survival by controlling the fertility of their predators through estrogenic compounds, with questionable success.

Virtually everything we eat -- grains, beans, nuts, seeds, seed oils, berries, fruits, vegetables, and roots -- contains phyto-estrogens. Some foods have much higher amounts of estrogens than others. Soybeans, for example, are under the microscope as a major source of phyto-estrogens.

Susun Weed in her article �Phyto-estrogens: Friends or Foes� makes a distinction between food, food-like herbs (nutritives) and medicinal herbs. Most natural foods can be eaten freely in spite of their phyto-estrogenic content, whereas medicinal herbs that contain higher concentrations of estrogenic compounds should be used with caution, for very specific purposes, and for relatively short periods of time. Some of the popular estrogenic herbs common on the market include black cohosh, chasteberries, dong quai, ginseng, licorice, raspberry leaves, red clover, saw palmetto berries, and wild yam.

It is important to realize that there is a vast difference between plant-based estrogens and man-made chemicals that mimic estrogens. As humans, we have co-evolved with the foods and herbs we eat and our bodies are well-adapted to the estrogen inherent in a natural diet. Phyto-estrogens are easily excreted by the body, unlike chemical xeno-estrogens that persist and accumulate in the body. Xeno-estrogens have a half life of years or even decades, whereas phtyo-estrogens have a half life of mere hours.

Phyto-estrogens are considered �weak� estrogens. The body�s own estrogens will get first dibs on the receptor site over the more passive phyto-estrogens. However chemical estrogens are the bullies of the crowd and more aggressively insert themselves into the receptor sites. Some phtyo-estrogens are considered �precursors�, which means that they do not become fully active without being properly metabolized by the body. Scientists are busy trying to debunk the estrogenic effects of many of these herbs and there is a confusing assortment of scientific findings concerning phyto-estrogens on the internet.

The action of phyto-estrogenic herbs is fairly gentle if used properly. The problems come when the individual estrogens are isolated and removed from the matrix of the whole herb and used to synthesize drugs. But there are some cautions in using the whole herb as well. For example, while phyto-estrogenic herbs can help to prevent and protect from cancer, once the cancer is established, they can actually stimulate the growth of the cells. They can gently suppress fertility, but at the same time stimulate other reproductive processes that are not necessarily desirable.

Goldenrod! Goldenrod! Let down your hair!

Let it sweep through the meadows,

Let it wrap �round the trees!

Adorn it with aster, and pearls everlasting,

And brush it with the sweet autumn breeze!

~Rose Barlow

Phyto-estrogenic herbs might be helpful for someone who is trying to wean from HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) or looking for a natural alternative to HRT. But while we are seeing a slow trend away from prescription estrogens, estrogenic herbs are in increasing demand to �fill in the gap�. It would be more beneficial to be seeking ways to reduce a probable hyper-estrogenic situation, than to be recommending more albeit alternative, natural estrogen. Obesity, unhealthy diets( excessive dairy and meat, pesticide residues), ongoing exposure to estrogenic chemicals in the workplace, toxic home environment, body care products, and drinking water, as well as reproductive health issues and cancers are pretty good indicators of estrogen excess. Unfortunately this describes a lot of people these days. A little Dong Quai and Red Clover isn�t going to help much and may even contribute to the problem.

On the other hand, someone who is conscientious about diet and tries to minimize harmful chemical exposure as much as possible might benefit from hormone balancing therapy in very intentional and specific situations. Personally, I think a person with a natural foods diet gets plenty of estrogen.

Progesterone therapy with Wild Yam cr�mes is another popular herbal treatment these days for reproductive health issues. Estrogen and progesterone work together in the body in a set ratio. When estrogen levels get too high, the ratio gap widens, creating a �hormone imbalance�. The idea behind the Wild Yam cr�mes is that they help to increase the progesterone levels to meet the high estrogen levels and restore the ratio. I�m not convinced that tampering with progesterone levels is the solution to estrogen excess and am a little suspicious of the herbal progesterone craze. It makes more sense to try to reduce estrogen exposure to bring about the proper ratio balance.

I believe that we will hear more and more about the estrogen connection as science continues to monitor this sweeping health crisis and breakthrough research begins to make headlines. It is important for herbalists to also be progressive in this matter and simultaneously rise to the occasion by dispelling myths and misinformation about estrogenic herbs and what I call �fad-busting�. It is important for all of us to keep our eyes and ears open about these cutting edge issues and to be willing to re-think some of the �traditional�, standard or fad remedies on the market. We must respond appropriately to this unprecedented reproductive health crisis we are facing in these times. For the sake of our grandchildren, and for all of our relations.

Rose Barlow is an herbalist in the Viroqua area, specializing in using nutritive herbs and wild foods as preventive medicine. She maintains an educational website at www.prodigalgardens.info, is available for presentations, walks and workshops, and is currently acting as director of the Coulee Region Herbal Institute.

I had the pleasure of spending a sunny afternoon in July with Linda Conroy of Moonwise Herbs. She arrived with a basket of lacy white elderblossoms and a handsome buck rabbit for my backyard bunny operation. She gifted me with a private lesson on making lacto-fermented herbal sodas and an opportunity to interview her about her passion for herbs and her journey as an herbalist.

As with so many herbalists and plant enthusiasts I have met, her connection with the plant kingdom began in childhood and many of her early memories are entwined with favorite plants and trees. She was deeply blessed by her mother who helped to awaken her wise woman and inspire her relationship with the plants; a beautiful reminder of how our own time spent introducing children to the natural world can make an impress that helps to keep herbal traditions alive in such an industrialized, disconnected culture.

Linda eventually ended up in Seattle pursuing a career in social work, but as destiny would have it, her first job landed her with a co-worker who took her out wildcrafting and became a mentor for her in the ways of herbs, gently nurturing and bringing forth the seeds planted in her youth. A weekend workshop with Susun Weed in Victoria, Canada and her experiences there changed the course of her life and she began to seriously pursue the knowledge and wisdom of herbs.

For the next several years, Linda took on active self-study, apprenticeships involving live-in immersions in herbal wisdom and wise woman ways, and many workshops and intensives. Some of the herbalists who were very influential in shaping her beliefs were Susun Weed, Steven Buhner, Ila Burgess & Michael Moore. She found herself increasingly drawn to the Wise Woman tradition with its concepts of nourishment and relationship becoming the core of the herbal philosophy she was developing:

�My approach to herbalism is my approach to life. Connecting with the deep nourishment and wisdom of the feminine (the feminine being the non-linear, wise order of the natural world) is the foundation of my life and work. I am continually in awe of the perfect order of things when I do not intervene and let nature take its course. I believe that true relationship with the natural world invites curiosity and introspection. I often find myself asking profound questions that help to formulate my ever-evolving approach to life. A few years ago I found myself asking regularly, do I trust that life leans toward health? And the continual answer is yes, if it is allowed. So in the wise woman way, I like to allow health, by creating connection with the whole: whole foods, whole plants and people.�

Eventually, while she was working at an herb shop in Seattle, Linda took on her first apprentice and was soon teaching and operating as a full-fledged herbalist. She served Seattle as a community herbalist, set up regularly at the farmers market, and began to lead workshops, apprenticeships, and women�s intensives.

I couldn�t help but admire the amazing diversity of knowledge and skills that Linda has developed around her foundational theme of nourishment and relationship. She offers classes in wild food cooking, cheese-making, lacto-fermented foods, seaweed harvests, soap-making, skin and body care, pine needle basketry and so much more. Her early interest in social work evolved into a deep study of Marshall Rosenburg�s compassionate, non-violent communication, which she teaches as well. She also has a certificate in permaculture design, which has had a profound influence on her work with the plants. Linda holds a rich storehouse of valueable skills and wisdom for healthy, intentional living in a disconnected world. She also strikes me as very personable and easy to be around, a wonderful blend of lofty, visionary ideals and folksy, down-to-earth roots.

Linda moved to Sheboygan, Wisconsin a year and a half ago to join her partner, John, who complements her with his knowledge and skills in the areas of sustainability, alternative energy and artisan broom-making. They plan to one day move their whole operation to Coon Valley, where they recently purchased property and will eventually be part of the Coulee Region community. Meanwhile, she has a very full schedule, spending part of her time in Seattle teaching, part of it in Sheboygan running her home and small rabbitry, teaching classes and setting up at area marketplaces. Somehow she manages to squeeze in trips to Coon Valley to explore the new property, make plans for building their new home, and make connections with the local community.

Linda envisions her home in Coon Valley to be a place to gather around the herbs, to host women�s apprenticeships, and to model sustainable living. Together we were dreaming big about herbal gatherings and other ways to keep the herbal spirit alive and blossoming. We�ll all be blessed to have her close by and I�m sure she�ll receive a warm welcome into the area. Meanwhile you can visit her website at www.moonwiseherbs.com to see her class schedule and other items of interest. She also puts out an e-newsletter that you can subscribe to on the website that updates her classes and events regularly.

MEDICINES OF THE EARTH: PART 1

In my last article, I promised to share some of the great information I learned and how I applied it. What follows is part one of a series of four articles I will share with you related to the conference.

Whenever I go to a conference, I usually have a few questions on my mind that I would like to answer. One particular question this time was related to hormones and menopause. I had recently developed signs of perimenopause so I decided to have a cholesterol check. My total cholesterol was well over 300. My doctor, bless her allopathic heart, wanted to immediately put me on a statin drug to lower my cholesterol. I, of course, refused and said let me try my own thing for 3-4 months and then we will see. She agreed and I was on a mission.

I knew that estrogen, as a hormone, is intimately connected to the complex feedback system that runs the hormones of our bodies. What affects one affects all and often time�s hormones will elevate to compensate for drops in others. It is also known that as women enter menopause, estrogen drops but progesterone drops even more. As sex hormones, these are subject to the same feedback mechanisms as insulin, testosterone, cortisol, etc� With this in mind, I headed to my first lecture on �Cholesterol, Statins and Cardiovascular Disease� by Donald Yance.

Donald Yance is one of the most interesting herbalists I have ever met and certainly one of the most scientific. His intimate detail of pathophysiology is mind boggling for most but for anyone with a medical background, his knowledge is invaluable. While he discussed several valuable bits of information, I would like to focus on his discussion of cortisol and insulin and their relationship to cholesterol.

Basically, cortisol is know as the �stress� hormone. It is what helps activate the �fight or flight response� in our bodies when we perceive a danger. This was especially valuable for our ancestors who may have needed to run from a wild animal but our wild animals of today have a very different appearance. Our wild animals come as dead lines to fill for a nasty boss, bad drivers in bumper-to-bumper traffic, the fear of not enough money to pay bills and isolation from community. The fight or flight response was meant to be used sporadically not on a constant basis.

Part of the normal process of the �fight or flight response� is the activation of insulin. This helps the body provide fuel for the demands it may encounter. However, when there is constant stress, insulin is dumped into the system too often and eventually no longer works as it should. Left untreated this will eventually develop into Type II Diabetes. So where does cholesterol come in?

Cholesterol has been divided into two groups/types, HDL (high-density lipoproteins or �good� cholesterol) and LDL (low-density lipoproteins or �bad� cholesterol). Together these lipoproteins play an essential role in the body�s metabolism of such vitamins as A and E as well as many others. Without cholesterol, our bodies suffer. According to Yance, the real problem is the �oxidation of LDL caused by a lack of antioxidant rich foods, herbs and nutrients, and/or large intake of foods and chemicals that contain damaging free radicals.� When these free radicals are not broken down, they lead to inflammation and eventually, atherosclerosis. Yance says, �cortisol and insulin act as the dynamic duo causing all kinds of disruptions, including an increase in oxidative and inflammatory state.�

So essentially, when we place ourselves under constant stress, we elevate cortisol, which in turn elevates insulin. Stress unchecked promotes the release of free radicals and cholesterol responds with a mismatch between the LDL and HDL levels. It was beginning to become clear why my cholesterol was elevated. I will use my own lifestyle to illustrate.

At the time my cholesterol was checked, I was 2 weeks away from final exams at Winona State, my husband works out of town so I am essentially a single mother Monday thru Friday, I have two teenage boys (no explanation necessary) and I work in an emergency room as an RN rotating mostly 3-11 and 11-7 shifts. I try to eat healthy but my hours often leave little time for meal preparation. I often eat nothing all day and then a big meal at night and my only exercise was the 3 flights of stairs I walked each day at school. To add to the mix, I often have less than 6 hours of sleep a day. I do drink lots of water and green tea and I take my vitamins. Clearly, I was under too much stress.

To combat this problem, I immediately switched to a vegetarian diet. While I did not eat that much meat to begin with, maybe 2-3 times a week, I wanted to eliminate any factors I could. I focused on antioxidant rich foods such as almonds, walnuts and carotenoids such as those found in tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon, and the bioflavonoids such as cranberries, raspberries and blueberries. I used more turmeric, ginger and rosemary in my spices and only olive oils to cook with. Every morning I ate oatmeal with fresh ground flax seed and walnuts. I added those wonderful herbs. I began with the adaptogenic herbs like holy basil and licorice. However, for ease of use I decided to take a supplement Donald Yance makes called �Botanical Treasures� which had all the adaptogens I needed. I continued with my vitamins and green tea. Finally, I worked on exercise. I rode my bike to class or walked in addition to the stairs. 4 months later I had my cholesterol rechecked. I had dropped from 306 total cholesterol to 189. My HDL was up and LDL down and best of all, I took no meds at all! My doctor was amazed and wanted to know what I had done. I shared my plan and she is now recommending it to others.

My question was more than answered at the conference. I am now convinced that the elevation in cholesterol we now see in so many people is more related to the stress we endure and refuse to treat. I continue to be amazed at how our bodies adapt to such situations and more importantly how simple changes in diet and lifestyle can make such a huge difference. I still take my daily adaptogens. The stress in my life is not going away anytime soon but I am working on it. Until then, I will keep trying. Now with a basic understanding of how hormones and stress work to elevate cholesterol, next time I would like to discuss the therapies Yance suggests to decrease blood lipid levels.

Your in greenness!

Lora Krall, Winona, MN

Yance, Donald. Medicines of the Earth: Official Proceedings. Gaia Herbal Research Institute, June 2005.

The Body Holds Eco-Memory

What does it mean to be tied to the spirit of the land? To feel the wind as breath, the soil as flesh, mineral as skeletal strength? Our bodies hold eco-memory of the land where we were born, the present place we call home, and we carry a deep sensory level memory of our ancestors, our true origins of space, of place. We are the elements, they guide our living. Our bodies carry an innate sense of how to live in balance�how to adapt and maintain a state of health and harmony. With the complexities of contemporary living, it is often hard for us to �hear� the voice of the land or the voice deep within.

Simplifying and living harmoniously with nature instinctively brings us into alignment. We have the potential to discover what foods and elements we truly need to stay in balance or to heal when ill, when we listen to this natural innate voice. Most of us must first intentionally cut ourselves loose from the many entrapments of our society. Consciousness, compassion, imagination and innate intelligence all become heightened when we abandon the dizzying �busy-ness� of our lives.

Nature has a way of drawing us in, if we allow her to. She will respond to our �attention�. She has a subtle way of teaching us all of the simple lessons that we need to know. Cross-culturally, there are oral stories that weave in the wisdom of nature that have been passed down for generations, gifted as lessons for humanity. When troubled, all that we may need as medicine is to take a walk, immerse ourselves in green space, then draw on the elemental energy of a tree or the liberating expanse of the sky. By meditating or observing while on a walk through the park, or while paddling a kayak through white water rapids, answers will be revealed in form, action and metaphor. The elements dance around us every day offering solutions to our daily dilemmas. Many of these answers are �simple�. We must quiet our cluttered minds first, in order to hear them.

In addition to spending more time in nature to restore true harmony, devotion to daily meditation, journaling or atonement walks, may be needed. Reflecting on ways to create true harmony in life is an important exercise. Consider the ways that you are spending your days. Are you engaged in meaningful work? Do you understand your natural abilities and spiritual potential? Is there enough love in your life? Are you extending daily love to those around you? Are you living a harmonious life full of compassion for earth and all her species? Reflect upon your relationship to community, culture and global community. In what ways do you contribute to living harmoniously with others�or are you experiencing conflict?

Move again, back to your relationship with nature��.Are you attuned to nature, or do you feel disconnection? Take the time to reflect upon your role in nature and the entire cosmos. Again, listen for messages about your natural and spiritual purposes for being here. Consider you elemental energy sources. What do you take in that creates energy, destroys energy? Is there a constant steady flow of The Source in your life?

Step outside of your home, your workplace, your school�walk into the nearest green space and find yourself today, everyday. Nature restores balance. Nature is harmony. Our bodies innately hold this sacred eco-memory.

Gigi Stafne is a writer, teacher and director of the Center For Healing Arts Herb & Eco School in Wisconsin, 2 hours east of Minneapolis-St. Paul. The school offers community workshops & intensive programs on natural medicine, herbalism & sustainability issues.

The Center is a �United Plant Savers� botanical sanctuary & affiliated with the national �Partners in Education� program and provides outdoor education. Contact: 715.967.2300,

fireweed@citizens-tel.net or the web link http://www.wcm1.com/centerforhealingarts/

Coulee Region Herbal Institute:

Autumn 2006 Classes and Events

Classes and events are typically held on the third Sunday of each month. Classes and events are free for members and cost 5$ for non-members. Some classes may request a nominal fee for cost of materials. Check details for location and contact number.

September 17 Acorns:From Field to Flour with Rose Barlow

Landmark Center Community Room, Viroqua 3:30-5:30

Have you ever bit into a hot, buttery acorn muffin? Rose will walk you through the techniques of processing acorns including shelling, leaching, drying and grinding to yield the nutritionally dense and surprisingly delicious acorn flour. You�ll also be treated to freshly baked acorn muffins with wild berry jam. Call Rose at 637-3074 with any questions.

October 15 Mushroom Identification Walk

The autumn rains bring a rich variety of mushrooms to the forest floor. We�ll be taking a walk in the LaCrosse area to learn to identify and deepen our appreciation for the magical, mysterious world of mushrooms. More information forthcoming.

November 19 Herbal Cordials & Cocktails Sarah Merrell/Carol Jacobs

People�s Food Co-op, LaCrosse 3:30-5:30

Carol Jacobs and Sarah Merrell will be teaming up to explore the art of making herbal cordials and cocktails, just in time for the holidays! We will also hold our annual meeting to brainstorm a calendar of events for 2007 and discuss any other CRHI business that needs discussing. There will be a small fee for use of the co-op classroom.

December--No CRHI Meeting Happy Holidays!!

Giving Ground Wilderness Herbal Retreat Center

Superior National Forest, Brimson, MN (60 miles north of Duluth)

Pam Thompson 1-888-276-1336

September 22-24, 2006: Fall Harvest: Roots

Oct.7-9, 13-15, 20-22; Dec. 1-3: Tree Resins, Holiday Gift-Making

www.givinggrnd.com

North Country Herbalist Guild

Holistic Health and Herbal Education Festival

September 30, Cannon Valley, MN (40 minutes south of Twin Cities)

http://nchg.org/classes/Media/HolisticFestival.pdf

Medicinal Plants at Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary, Minneapolis Cynthia Thomas, Herbalist

Thursday, September 21, 6:00-8:00 cost: 12$

Pre-register at 612-370-4903

Herbal Medicine Making Classes, Twin Cities Area

Tinctures: Traditional & Percolation

Cynthia Thomas, Saturday September 16, 10am-4pm

Medicinal Oils: Lotions, Salves and Essential Oils

Cynthia Thomas, Saturday, October 21 10am-4pm

http://www.nchg.org/classes/index.html

Nature�s Acres Farm

North Freedom, WI (Madison Area)

Ritualistic Uses of Herbs

Saturday, September 23 9am-2pm Lunch included 50$

Learn about the herbal traditions of using herbs for ritual. We will cover white sage, holy basil, cedar and rue for starters. Together we can make a smudge stick to take home.

www.fourelementsherbals.com

Lost Nation Medicine Ways

Julie River McIntyre 505-538-5498

September 30-October 1 Decorah, Iowa

Day 1��Restoring the Indigneous Heart�

Day 2��A Deep Ecology Intensive�

Center for Healing Arts Herb & Eco School

Eau Claire/Chippewa Falls Area

September 23-24, 10am-3pm each day,

Jason Faunce from Teaching Drum, 50$

�Plants Who Provide Your Every Need�

�Tracking, Reading the Land, Seeing the Unseen�

Plant Spirit Medicine Healing: An Intensive Training

October 28-30 Gigi Stafne

For those of you who are interested in the sacred teachings and esoteric lives of plants as medicines and sacred healers, this immersion course may be for you. Discover the secret language of plants, engage in Earth Awareness, and learn about important ecological connections between humans and plants. This is a magical course that involves meditation, ritual, ceremony, outdoor experiences, plant totems and allies, shamanic journeying and ancient intuitive plant wisdom.

Clincal Herbalism for Healthcare Workers

Beginning Sept 26, Eau Claire/Chippewa Falls area

This course is designed for those working in healthcare or allied health professions who have a strong interest in learning more about complementary natural medicine modalities, and are considering integration of herbalism into their present practices. The course will cover current professional and political issues surrounding complementary alternative medicine, as well as introduce 70 most common herbal plants, their clinical applications & contraindications. This is an intensive 20-hour course, consisting of 7 weekly sessions beginning 9/26/2005. Classes begin at 5:30pm and run 2.5-3 hours.

fireweed@citizens-tel.net 715-967-2300

http://www.wcm1.com/centerforhealingarts/

Madison Herb Society Herb Fair 2006

Saturday, November 18 8:30am-4pm

Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Madison WI

Browse through displays of herbal treats & teas, crafts, free presentations and books for sale. Admission free.

Prairie Roots, Prairie Patterns, Prairie Communities:

A Traveling Interpretive Photography Exhibit

Sept 13-24

Kickapoo Valley Reserve Visitor Center, LaFarge

Opening Reception: Sept. 16, 5-7pm featuring a presentation by Dr. Damian Vraniak entitled �Prairie Legacy: A Reunion of All Our Relations�.

The exhibit will feature over 80 works by nationally and regionally known professional and amateur photographers whose photos illustrate human interactions with prairies, the impact of prairies on history and culture and the prairie itself: its plants, insects, birds and animals.

For more information about the photo exhibit:

http://www.theprairieenthusiasts.org/Photo%20Exhibit/roots.htm.

Moonwise Herbs: Linda Conroy

Fall Herbal Series Oct 11,18,25 & Nov 1 6:30-9:30pm

University of Wisconsin, Sheboygan

Fall is the time to harvest seed, roots, berries and other herbs for winter months. This four week series will offer participants the opportunity the learn about the lore and history of herbs that promote health, provide relief from winter ailments and promote healing of cuts and scrapes. We will go on plant walks, make herbal salves and poulitices and learn to make nourishing herbal beverages. You will take home some of our creations as well as recipes for future use.

To register call 920-459-6617

Making Fermented Food and Beverages at Home: Miso, Kefir, Cultured Butter, Sauerkraut, Pickles (lacto-fermented), Healthy �Herbal Soda� and more!!

October 14 1-5pm 35$, Sheboygan

Learn to promote health through these time honored food preservation practices. Fermented foods are made by a technique that relies on the breakdown of carbohydrates and proteins. The results are delicious food that is beneficial to overall health You will be offered recipes, resources, inspiritation and a culture that will start you on your journey at home.

Elderberry Wine and Soda making

October 15 1-5pm 40$, Sheboygan

Elderberries are a nutritious and often overlooked berry found in abundance in the fall of the year. We will follow favorite old recipes creating our own elderberry wine and lacto-fermented soda. Participants will learn all the steps of this lengthy process starting with berry identification and collection, then finishing by bottling previously prepared wine. Fun labels will be available to put on a bottle that you take home.

Fall Frenzy Wild Eats Meal

October 29 6-9pm 20-30$ donation suggested, Sheboygan

Join us as we enjoy the last of fall foods and begin to sample what we put up for the upcoming winter. You will delight in saut�ed burdock patties, dandelion pesto, sauerkraut with juniper berries and other nourishing foods.

Herbal Nourishment for Winter Blues

November 14, Maywood Environmental Center, 920-459-3906

The Winter blues affects many people. The long winter months can bring exhaustion and fatigue. Herbalist Linda Conroy will share about herbs and foods that can support the body during the winter months.

www.moonwiseherbs.com

Tracks and Trees Learning Center

Black River Falls, WI

Harvesting Fall Wild Edibles w/ Sam Thayer & Doug Gaulke

October 7&8 9am Saturday-4pm Sunday, all meals included

During this fall workshop we will spend the weekend identifying, collecting, processing, and cooking wild foods of the Black River Falls region. Our focus will center on instilling a complete process within each student that will allow him/her to return home and continue his/her study of wild foods on his/her own with confidence.

http://www.tracksandtrees.com/Classes/adultprograms.html

Northhouse Folk School

Grand Marais, MN

Herbal Healthcare for Winter, Gigi Stafne

November 17 9am-4pm

Discover holistic ways to deal with ills and chills that accompany "Old Man Winter" � the old herbal apothecary. Create your family's own natural medicine cabinet to assist with basic health needs through the winter. Learn the art of making herbal tinctures, poultices, decoctions and more.. The focus will be on prevention, utilizing garden and native plants for basic healthcare needs.

www.northhousefolkschool.com

Sunday Prairie Walks on LaCrosse River State Trail�s Rockland Prairie

September 17, October 1

1:30 PM, Rockland, WI (between LaCrosse & Sparta)

Local naturalist/columnist Bob Lee

Meet at trail crossing on Commercial St. (Cty J) in Rockland.

Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather. These are leisurely walks on level terrain.

Wildcat Mountain State Park Work Unit 608-337-4775

Wildwood Herbs

Kathleen Wildwood, Madison, WI

Herbs in Autumn

October 14 10:00-4:00

Workshop includes Herbwalk with focus on fall plant identification, fall harvesting and intro to medicine making, and fundamentals of herbal medicine. Class counts as credit for those in the Beginner�s Herbal Certificate Program.

New Moon Manifesting Group, 2006-2007

Class Begins Oct.23. Please register by Oct. 9

This monthly class meets at each New Moon for a year to bring our heart�s desire(s) into reality.. We will use ceremony, writing, music, art and herbal allies to wisely craft our intentions, work through blockages, and transform old patterns to create a better life. All classes on Moon-days, always within three days of the new moon.

Herbalist Apprenticeship Program � Fall/Winter 2006-7

Applications due October 16. Classes begin October 24.

In this eight month certificate program, students attend class twice monthly, with three levels of apprenticeship offered.

Kathleen@wildwoodherbs.com or 608-663-9608