Wild Medicine of Late Summer: A Hands On Workshop

Date: Monday, August 31, 2026
Time: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM CT
Location: The Michael Scott Learning Center, 106 W Main St, Stevenson, AL 35772

Have you ever driven past a field of goldenrod, walked beneath an elderberry bush, or noticed poke growing along an old fence row and wondered if those plants had a story to tell?

Long before pharmacies and online shopping, people looked to the woods, meadows, and creek banks around them for food, medicine, and everyday care. Many of those same plants are still growing across the Southern landscape today ... we've simply forgotten how to recognize them.

Join us for Wild Medicine of Late Summer, an immersive herbal workshop exploring some of the South's most iconic medicinal plants and the traditional ways they have been identified, harvested, and prepared for generations.

In this class, we'll learn how to confidently recognize common late-summer medicinal herbs, discuss their traditional uses alongside modern herbal perspectives, and explore how they can become part of a thoughtfully prepared home apothecary before cold and flu season hits hard.

We'll cover:

• Identifying Elder, Goldenrod, Joe Pye Weed, Pokeweed, Boneset, Ironweed, Black-eyed Susan, and Bee Balm in the wild

• The habitats, harvest seasons, and key identification features of each plant

• Dangerous poisonous look-alikes and how to tell the difference

• Traditional Southern folk uses alongside current herbal perspectives

• Ethical and sustainable wild harvesting practices

• How to prepare tinctures, herbal teas, oxymels, infused oils, herbal honeys, and vinegars

• Practical ways to begin stocking your home apothecary for the months ahead

• Fresh plant specimens (when available), dried herbs, and finished herbal preparations to see, smell, examine, and even taste throughout the evening

Every participant will receive take-home reference materials including identification notes, preparation guides, and recipes discussed during class.

Whether you're completely new to herbalism or have spent years studying plants, you'll leave with practical, useful knowledge, greater confidence in identifying wild herbs, and a new appreciation for the medicine growing all around us.

Sometimes the most valuable plants are quietly blooming beside the roads we travel every day.

Seats will be limited for this workshop and we expect it to fill up quickly.

Each of our regular sessions includes:
• Educational lecture
• Herbal guidance
• Extensive Q&A with conversation
• Printed class notes to take home
• A nourishing, seasonally relevant buffet table, herbal tea, & spring water

Bring a notebook, a pen, your reading glasses, and your favorite mug if you want to taste tea in style. Come curious, leave prepared!
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Accessibility: Let us know in advance if you have any mobility, sensory, or other needs. We'll do our best to accommodate.

Photography: We occasionally take photos during class to share the good vibes online. Let us know before class if you'd rather not be included.

No refunds unless cancelled, however you may transfer your ticket to a future class or to another guest if you are unable to make it!