Living Earth School of Herbalism

Hi Everyone,

I hope that you are enjoying the sunshine!

Just an announcement that, due to a scheduling conflict, we have to change the date of the June 27th Herbal Field Studies workshop to Saturday July 4th.

If you are on the list of people who are attending some of the field workshops this year, please make a note of that in the schedule that was sent.

LESH 2026 workshops! 🌱 Visit the link in our bio for more information or email [email protected]

Our next Herbal Field Studies date is coming up this Saturday May 23rd!

All upcoming dates for 2026 are as follows:

Saturdays 10:30 am to 5 pm ~ May 23, June 6, June 27, July 18, August 8 and October 3.

To participate in any of the HFS field workshops, you must first complete the online Herbal Field Studies Introductory Class. Once you’ve completed the class, please notify Michael directly if you would like to register.

Please note: You cannot register for the field workshops through our website or in advance. Michael handles all workshop enrolment personally once you’ve met the prerequisite.

If you have any questions or would like to confirm your participation, feel free to reach out to Michael at [email protected].

Looking forward to seeing some of you out on the land this season!

We have a Making Natural Sun Care Products workshop coming up this Sunday! 🌞

In this fun and informative workshop, you will learn the art of making your own effective, natural sunblocks, SPF lip balms and after sun care products with no toxic compromises using only 100% natural and organic ingredients.

What you will learn in this workshop:

What is SPF?

An introduction to many different natural products such as base oils, essential oils, butters, teas, etc. that have natural SPF.

How to make light sunblocks for everyday use and stronger sunblocks for more intense sun exposure.
How to make SPF lip balms.

After sun care: how to heal your skin when you’ve gotten too much sun.

Facial repair serums: what natural substances can be used to reverse sun damage.
Equipment, storage and preservation.

This workshop will include both lectures and demonstrations. Participants will informative, detailed handouts including lots of recipes and the recording of the product-making demonstration.

Date: May 24th 2026 10am-5pm

Location: Attend in-person in Maple, ON or by Zoom.

Tuition: $80. There is a $20 material fee for those attending in person.

Instructor: Monika Ghent

Questions: [email protected]; 416-537-8842

Our Herbal Field Studies workshops are open for registration! Our next date is May 23rd.

All upcoming dates for 2026 are as follows:

Saturdays 10:30 am to 5 pm ~ May 23, June 6, June 27, July 18, August 15 and October 3.

To participate in any of the HFS field workshops, you must first complete the online Herbal Field Studies Introductory Class. Once you’ve completed the class, please notify Michael directly if you would like to register.

Please note: You cannot register for the field workshops through our website or in advance. Michael handles all workshop enrolment personally once you’ve met the prerequisite.

If you have any questions or would like to confirm your participation, feel free to reach out to Michael at [email protected].

Looking forward to seeing some of you out on the land this season!

Our Herbal Field Studies workshops are open for registration! Upcoming Dates for 2026 are as follows:

Saturdays 10:30 am to 5 pm ~ May 23, June 6, June 27, July 18, August 15 and October 3.

Location:  Various rural locations within an hours drive of Toronto.

Upon Completion of the Online Introductory Class you will receive information on the specific dates and locations for the current year.

Cost: $65 per workshop. For students who attend the first six workshops in the year that they first enrol, the seventh workshop is free.
Herbal Field Studies consists of a series of seven full-day workshops running monthly from April to October. You will learn how to identify, harvest and use many wild herbs that grow in Ontario, many of which are native or naturalized in other regions as well. At each field workshop you will also make different herbal preparations using herbs harvested during the workshop.

Topics include:  Identifying local herbs through the various stages of their life-cycle; introductory botany and plant anatomy; the ecology of wild harvesting herbs; harvesting instructions for different herb species; drying herbs; making herbal preparations from fresh plants; the medicinal properties and uses of local herbs.

The course begins with an online Introductory Class that establishes the theoretical foundation for the field workshops. The field workshops take place in various wilderness locations outside of the Toronto area. Whenever possible, carpooling will be arranged for participants who do not have vehicles.

Instructor:  Michael Vertolli.

Prerequisite:  Herbal Field Studies Online Introductory Class. It is necessary to complete the online Introductory Class in order to participate in the field workshops.

Required textbooks:  Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide (Lawrence Newcomb); Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America (Steven Foster, James Duke).

In this fun and informative in-person and virtual workshop, you will learn the art of making your own effective, natural sunblocks, SPF lip balms and after sun care products with no toxic compromises using only 100% natural and organic ingredients.

What you will learn in this workshop:

What is SPF?

An introduction to many different natural products such as base oils, essential oils, butters, teas, etc. that have natural SPF.

How to make light sunblocks for everyday use and stronger sunblocks for more intense sun exposure.
How to make SPF lip balms.

After sun care: how to heal your skin when you’ve gotten too much sun.

Facial repair serums: what natural substances can be used to reverse sun damage.
Equipment, storage and preservation.

This workshop will include both lectures and demonstrations. Participants will informative, detailed handouts including lots of recipes and the recording of the product-making demonstration.

Date: May 24th 2026 10am-5pm

Location: Available in-person in Maple, ON and on Zoom.

Tuition: $80 + $20 in-person material fee

Instructor: Monika Ghent

Questions: [email protected]; 416-537-8842

Making Medicinal Creams workshop coming up this Sunday! One of the many benefits of making medicinal creams is that you can include various water-based/soluble medicinal ingredients that you can't use in ointments and other oil-based only preparations such as herbal teas, tinctures, hydrosols, honey, flower essences, aloe, and so on . This opens up a whole pallet of possible ingredients for the formulation of creams to address specific concerns. We'll be going over all of the possible water-soluble and oil-soluble ingredients that you can incorporate in your creams in our Making Medicinal Cream workshop this Sunday, April 26, and also make several different types of creams together.

Our Making Medicinal Creams Workshop is coming up this weekend on April 26th! 🌿🌸 The focus of this workshop is on making topical creams for therapeutic use using herbs and other natural substances. Register via our website of email [email protected]