To Purchase Tickets online, *Click Here* to be redirected to our Eventbrite page.  If you would like to pay with cash or check, please contact williamritter@pattersonschoolfoundation.org in advance. 

Herbal oils and salves are two ways of preserving herbs for topical use. They can be used for skin irritations like cuts, burns, and splinters, or for massage or pain relief, along with many other uses. We’ll discuss which plants (including many wild local ones) are most beneficial in oils and salves. You’ll get to watch a demonstration of how an oil is made and then turned into a salve. We’ll talk about the best ways to do this to preserve the plants and keep the oils from going rancid, extending the shelf life of your formula. Then, try some out and take some home (after adding the essential oil of your choice), along with plenty of recipes.

Stay after class to see Abby’s handmade Appalachian herbal products for sale and get ideas about what you can make yourself at home from locally foraged herbs.

My interest in the botanical world first began as a child, climbing trees, hiking in the woods and tromping through the creek behind my house. I had my own herbal tea business for five years because it was a career I could have while still spending time with my young daughter. While this sparked my interest in medicinal plants, I missed being in the woods and having a direct connection with the plants. I herniated a disc in my back, leaving me immobile for months. My recovery included therapeutic walks in the woods. I started to take my field guide out into the woods and taught myself how to identify wild plants. I researched their edible and medicinal uses, and decided to go back to school at Miami University to get a degree in Botany. At Miami, I worked at the Botanical Conservatory and took my first and favorite botany class, Field Botany, which I ended up assistant teaching three times. My favorite thing is to take people out in the woods and teach them about the plants that grow all around them. I have been teaching myself about herbs and apprenticing as an Herbalist for years. My own journey (childbirth, recovery from an injury, etc) have taught me much about healing and given me empathy for others. In a world where we tend to be disconnected from ou​r bodies, depend on doctors, and spend a large amount of our resources on healthcare and medication, part of my mission is to empower people with their own healthcare and that of their families. I also believe that many of our modern ailments are a result of not enough time spent in nature. I believe in the ideas mentioned in the book, “Last Child in the Woods,” and that nature can be often be our best therapy. –Abby Artemesia