News & Reviews
New Book Release
March 1, 2021
Albuquerque Herbalism Founder and Yerba Mansa Project Director Dara Saville’s new book, The Ecology of Herbal Medicine: A Guide to Plants and Living Landscapes of the American Southwest, published by University of New Mexico Press, features ecological/botanical story-telling and a detailed materia medica. Order your copy now.
HerbalGram Book Profile
February-April, 2022
HerbalGram is a quarterly journal of the American Botanical Council. Issue number 133 features a book profile for The Ecology of Herbal Medicine.
Read it here.
University of New Mexico Curanderismo Course
June 13-24, 2022 (In-person) July 11-29 (Online)
This course will provide information on the history, traditions, rituals, herbs, and remedies of Curanderismo, a folk healing tradition of the Southwestern United States, Latin America, and Mexico, amongst other countries. Dara is honored to be invited back again this year as a contributor to this program featuring healers and health practitioners from the Southwest, Mexico and the Albuquerque community to provide information on the history of Curanderismo (the art of Mexican Folk Healing) in the Southwest and Mexico.
Details coming soon here.
Good Medicine Confluence: July 28-31, 2022 (In-person)
Once again, Dara will be at the annual Plant Healer conference teaching classes along with a cadre of herbalists from around the country. Join her for:
- Anthropocene Apothecary (class)
- The Ecology of Herbal Medicine (class)
- Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Fort Lewis College Conference Site (plant walk)
Details and registration here.
Native Plant Society of New Mexico Annual Conference: August 5-7, 2022 (In-person)
Join Dara and other speakers for this weekend event in Albuquerque. Dara will be offering these sessions:
- Botanically-Based Environmental Education for Land Health and Human Health (Presentation)
-
Medicinal Plants and Land Stewardship in the Bosque (Field Trip)
- Herbalism Essentials (Workshop)
Details and registration coming soon here.
New Mexico Magazine
January/February 2022
Five Ways To Keep All Your New Year’s Resolutions by Maria Manuela: Dig deeper into the wonders of New Mexico’s natural surroundings with a class (or several) from Albuquerque Herbalism.
Read the article here.
Native Plant Society of New Mexico
Jan/Feb/March 2022
Read Hannah Eisenberg’s interview with Dara about the Yerba Mansa Project’s work and the importance of yerba mansa to its ecosystems and the people of the Southwest.
Read the article here (p. 5).
New Mexico Magazine
December 2021
Best Books for the Holidays by Mary Boyle and Kate Nelson:
The Ecology of Herbal Medicine by Dara Saville:
From native junipers to the toxic-vs.-healing interplay of sacred datura, Dara Saville explores the power of native plants to deliver botanical medicine.
Read the article here.
Native Plant Society of New Mexico
Oct/Nov/Dec 2021
Read Margaret Manache’s interview with Dara about her book The Ecology of Herbal Medicine, the Yerba Mansa Project, gratitude, and more.
Read the article here (p.7).
Cottonwood Forest Communique
Journal of Medicinal Plant Conservation, 2021
Read about the work of the Yerba Mansa Project in the most recent issue of United Plant Savers’ Journal of Medicinal Plant Conservation. See the article “Cottonwood Forest Communique” by YMP Director Dara Saville.
Read the article here.
The Paper Interview with Dara
July 20, 2021
Read about the Bosque, the Yerba Mansa Project, harvesting invasive species, and more in this piece from environmental reporter
“From Foraging to Cycling, Bosque Has It All: Yerba Mansa Restoration Project Helps Community Give Back to the Riparian Habitat”
Read the article here.
Urban Ecologies Outdoor Eco-Art Exhibit
April 22 to September 22, 2021
Visit this outdoor eco-centric art exhibit with works of relevance to the environment of New Mexico, created through a partnership of the Railyard Park Conservancy and Railyard Art Project. The Rootwalk by Hollis Moore features Yerba Mansa and a writing contribution from Dara.
Find out more here.
International Herb Symposium: June 10-13 (Online)
Join Dara at this year’s virtual conference for 2 sessions:
- Organizing & Implementing Native Medicinal Plant Restoration on Public Lands
- Anemopsis californica: A Plant’s Ecological, Cultural, & Medicinal Importance
Get the details and register here.
Podcast Interview
The Garden Journal, May 8, 2021
Christine Salem interviews Dara about The Ecology of Herbal Medicine.
Listen here.
Radio Interview
KSFR Public Radio, April 6, 2021
Thanks to Georgina Hahn from KSFR 101.1 FM Santa Fe Public Radio for this uplifting piece of journalism. Listen to her interview with Dara in her garden (wearing masks): Earth’s Cycle of Community Fed by Positivity.
Land and Water Summit: An Evolving Climate (Online)
February 24-26, 2021
Dara will be presenting Native Edible and Medicinal Shrubs for Landscape Resiliency: Keepers of Our Biological and Cultural Heritage at this year’s Land and Water Summit. She will also be a panelist for a discussion on Plants and Pollinators for a Changing Climate. Find out more here.
Dara and the West Mesa by Asha Canalos
Seed Broadcast #15, Fall 2020
Interview with artist and environmental activist Asha Canalos: Read the story of Dara’s connection with place and her relationship with Albuquerque’s West Mesa.
Read or download here on page 34.
Yerba Mansa Monograph
Journal of the American Herbalists Guild, Spring 2020
See this in-depth and thoroughly referenced Yerba Mansa profile written by Dara Saville, published in the spring 2020 issue of the Journal of the American Herbalists Guild.
Read it here.
Podcast Interview with Dara
Of Sedge & Salt – Ground Shots: May 2020
Dara discusses yerba mansa, invasive species, restoring plant communities and land connection along the Rio Grande on the Ground Shots Podcast with Kelly Moody.
Take a listen here.
Podcast Interview with Dara
Growing Forward: December 2019
Dara shares her philosophy, work, and what motivates her on the Growing Forward Podcast with Bethany Aviv Latham.
Take a listen here.
Interview with Dara
Basmati.com
How are plants part of a systems or landscape approach and how do they work as medicines inside of us? What is herbal health and vitality? How does place inform health? Basmati.com sat down with Dara in 2017 to talk about love of nature, natural healing and herbalism.
Listen here.
The Yerba Mansa Project
Journal of Medicinal Plant Conservation, 2017
The Journal of Medicinal Plant Conservation published by United Plant Savers featured an article about The Yerba Mansa Project in the spring 2017 issue. Written by Dara Saville, the article entitled “The Yerba Mansa Project: Community-Driven Native Plant Restoration in the Rio Grande Bosque” outlines the project’s methodology including how to work on public lands, organize your community, and undertake restoration work.
Read the article here.
Museum Exhibit
Gutierrez-Hubbell House, 2016-2017
The Gutierrez-Hubbell House, a historic Camino Real family property and museum in Albuquerque’s South Valley, hosted the exhibit Folk Healing Traditions of New Mexico: Medicinal Plants of the Middle Rio Grande from November 2016 to April 2017. Co-created by Yerba Mansa Project Director Dara Saville and Herbalist Dianne Rand, the exhibit highlights the local curandera tradition and important medicinal plants from the Rio Grande Bosque, the Chihuahua Desert, the Sandia Mountains, and the agricultural/urban areas around Albuquerque.
A Tale of Two Plants by Keiko Ohnuma
Edible Magazine, June/July 2016
“Yerba Mansa and Osha owe much of their magic to their environments. However, the current fragility of these environments requires humans to intervene–both by cultivation and by managing native habitat–to ensure the plants’ survival.”
Read this piece featuring an interview with Dara here starting on page 72.
Albuquerque Journal
Albuquerque Journal’s Life in New Mexico Sunday Magazine, August 16-22, 2015:
La Montanita Coop Connection
Abq The Magazine
Albuquerque The Magazine, Going Green, February 2014:
“Herbalist Dara Saville digs up dirt on some of Albuquerque’s most useful and plentiful herbs.”
Edible Magazine Blog
Edible Magazine Blog, Weed Feast, June 4, 2013: Photo and blog post by Gail Guengerich.
Other Places
KOB/NBC 4, Good Day New Mexico, March 7, 2013
Daily Lobo, Do It Yourself Living…, Dec. 6, 2012
Alibi, Spice Up Your Sick Life, October 25-31, 2012
Albuquerque The Magazine, Bringing Back Bees, August 2012
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