bud, bark & branch
. : tree medicine : .
at Proud Lake State Rec Area
in commerce township, michigan

saturday, march 16th, 2024
saturday, march 23rd, 2024

from 1pm to 4pm(ish)
with herbalist jim mcdonald

(this walk is being filmed for an upcoming video offering)
 

While many plant people spend late winter eagerly awaiting the first sprouts of spring, there is indeed an abundance of medicine residing in the buds, barks and branches that at first glance may seem so bare. Join herbalist jim mcdonald one or another of these walks, where we'll be wandering around Proud Lake State Recreation Area to explore the medicinal virtues, identification, folklore and preparation of many of the region's common trees and bushes before they leaf out.

The information presented will be both specific and practical, based on jim's 25+ years experience in gathering, preparing, and using herbal remedies, and provide a basis for participants to incorporate what they have learned into usable skills with which to maintain and restore health. 

Please note that walks are offered walks rain, snow, sleet or shine; be sure to have clothes to keep you warm & dry.

location...

Click here for explicit directions to exactly where we'll be meeting at Proud Lake State Recreation Area in Commerce Township (down the main park road at the parking lot by the River Hawk Cafe).  While this link contains explicit directions to where we'll be starting, maybe the easiest, surest way to get there is to cut and paste these coordinates into whatever map app you use:  42.572278, -83.545982

cost...
The walk is $40, and includes extensive handouts on ethical wildcrafting, medicine making, and some of the plants discussed.

Though they don't always collect it, there is a cost for admission to the state park, if you don't have an annual pass/"Recreation Passport" (a small capital "P" on your license plate tab).  Day and annual passes can be purchased "self serve" style at the main park office.

to register...
To register, please either use the PayPal link below or contact me about sending a check.  Or, you can bring payment the day of the walk. Please note classes can fill up, and early registration ensures your spot.

Have questions about classes? 
I've got answers to frequently asked questions (like times, weather exceptions, missed classes and such) here. 

pay via PayPal or credit card

In 1994, jim mcdonald's life changed when he drank tea from a wild plant he harvested from the land he lived upon.  Since those first sips of strange tea, his life in the woods and meadows of southeast michigan has been centered on the plants & ecosystems of that land, and how he might share their virtues to restore wellness with those around him.  jim's approach to herbcraft is deeply rooted in the land he lives upon, and blends traditional european folk influences with 19th century eclectic and physiomedical vitalism, which he conveys with story, experience, humour, common sense and lore to students, clients, random passersby and readers of his websites www.herbcraft.org & herbcraft.podia.com.  He's taught classes throughout north america, is one of the organizers of the Great Lakes Herb Faire and is currently alternately writing “Foundational Herbcraft” and the “A Great Lakes Herbal”, in addition to articles for journals and other publications.  jim is a community herbalist, a manic wildcrafter and medicine maker, and has been an ardent student of the most learned teachers of herbcraft…

the plants themselves.

Have questions about classes? 
I've got answers to frequently asked questions (like times, weather exceptions, missed classes and such) here.