About Us
Bioregional Herbal Studies and Land Stewardship
Combining Field, Classroom & Experiential Herbal Education Since 2011
Albuquerque Herbalism is a bioregional herbal studies program that brings students into relationship with the medicinal plants of the Southwest through classroom discussion, hands-on remedy making, field trips, and native medicinal plant restoration.
Our program incorporates an interdisciplinary whole landscape approach that focuses on the interconnectivity between people, plants, and the Land. This approach is based in ecological herbalism, which highlights the eco-social interactions of plants, awakens our empathic experience with the entire living landscape, and promotes a better understanding of the dynamic biological and cultural worlds in which we live.
Classes include in-depth series and single-day specialty topics with herbalists, curanderas, and other traditional medicine practitioners, each bringing their own knowledge and experience. Students have the opportunity to engage in Land stewardship and native medicinal plant restoration, enacting repsonsibilites of mutual care and reciprocal relationship with the Land and plants along the banks of the Rio Grande.
Our Approach
Bioregional herbalism is the practice of working with plants growing where you live for the purposes of health and well-being. Using locally available plants creates an herbal practice that is more affordable and truly sustainable.
Learning how to work with abundant urban weeds, common plants from our surrounding wild lands, and crops from our cultivated gardens promotes a deeper connection with the local landscape. Empowerment grows as you get to know wild plants and places, grow and harvest your own plant medicine ingredients, and prepare your own custom herbal remedies suited to your health goals and lifestyle.
Our Philosophy
Ecological herbalism is a way of understanding where we live and learning about the plants around us. It is an interdisciplinary approach to herbal practice that includes learning about the natural processes unfolding in wild areas and how plants interact with each other and their environment.
By embracing an ecological herbalism perspective, we gain insights about how plant communities are changing and develop newfound clarity about the herbal actions of plants in the land and as remedies for people.
Dedication ~
The ongoing work of Albuquerque Herbalism is dedicated to the loving memory of Bert Norgorden. Bert’s love of plants, both as subjects of scientific research and as beings of exceptional beauty, made him one of the Albuquerque area’s most accomplished herbalists. His powerful plant medicine, his inspiring teachings, and his alluring plant portraits will be forever missed.
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