This fieldtrip and symposium is for students, practitioners and teachers of the herbal arts. Walk in the woods with experienced guest specialists who know, conserve and use plants. Taste wild foods in the lunches that are included in your ticket. Get out in the forest with like-minded adventurers to see Three-Springs Waterfall and the diverse natural habitats of the St. Francis Ozark National Forest. On Saturday, learn to grow and use Ginger, Herb of the Year™ as well as how to create gourmet dishes and home remedies with wild herbs.
Field Trip & Symposium Ticket Facts: *You may select tickets for either the Friday Field Trip and Saturday Symposium or Saturday Symposium and Sunday Field Trip. One Field Trip is offered only to those who attend the Symposium. The same Field Trip is offered on two days to minimize our impact in the forest and to improve teacher-to-student ratio.
Bus transportation to field trip destinations, picnic lunch and water will be provided. The woodland trails range from easy to moderately difficult. Participation is limited to physically fit people who can walk independently for up to three miles on sloped, slippery, uneven terrain. Wear hiking shoes or boots. Bring a walking stick and weather-appropriate apparel.
The symposium will take place on Saturday. Bring a wrap to be comfortable in the air conditioning of the White Oak Theater.
Schedule, Topics & Teachers
Wild Herbal Field Trip Friday, May 12 or Sunday, May 14, 2023*
8:00-8:45 Breakfast available, on your own, at the Skillet Restaurant
8:45 Orientation in the White Oak Theater inside the Visitor Center
9:00-6:00 Wild Herbal Field Trip Destination: Leatherwood Wilderness Water Falls & Ozark-St. Francis National Forest Trails (picnic lunch included)
Saturday, May 13, Medicinal Plant Symposium (*required for Field Trip participation)
8:00 Breakfast available on your own at the Skillet Restaurant
Meet in the White Oak Theater inside the Visitor Center
9:00-9:15 Welcome Announcement
9:15-10:00 The Ozark Folk Center State Park Celebrates its 50th Anniversary—My 1986 Committee of 100 Apprenticeship with Billy Joe Tatum, Jim Long, Steven Foster & Clarice Chitwood--Tina Marie Wilcox
10-10:30 Break and Stage Change
10:30-11:30 Ginger Medicine-Herb of the Year™ 2023 —Susan Belsinger
11:30-1:00 Herbal & Wild Foods Luncheon (included in workshop fee)
1:00-1:30 Visit Herbal Merchants, Plant Arbor & Craft Village
1:30-2:30 Wild Culinary—Rachel West
2:30-2:45 Break & Stage Change
2:45-3:45 Wild Plants for Gourmet Seasonings and Beverages—Bo Brown
3:45-4:00 Break & Stage Change
4:00-5:00 The Wonderful and Mighty Works of Plantain--Wendy Fargo
About Our Teachers
Bo Brown is a self-taught naturalist that has been teaching foraging and outdoor skills for over thirty years. He has worked as an avian field biologist since 1985, and is the founder and director of First Earth Wilderness School on the Niangua River in the Missouri Ozarks. Bo regularly leads courses on foraging, stone-age wilderness survival, and nature education throughout the Ozarks region, including weekly foraging walks and primitive skills demonstrations at Johnny Morris’ Dogwood Canyon Nature Park near Blue Eye, Missouri. His book Foraging the Ozarks was released by Falcon Guides in 2020, his second book Foraging Central Grasslands will be released in 2023. Follow his various outdoor activities at www.firstearth.org.
Susan Belsinger teaches, lectures, and writes about gardening and cooking, and is a food writer, editor and photographer who has authored and edited over 25 books and hundreds of articles. Referred to as a “flavor artist”, Susan delights in kitchen alchemy—the blending of harmonious foods, herbs, and spices—to create real, delicious food, as well as libations, that nourish our bodies and spirits and titillate our senses. Susan is a member of the International Herb Association, the Herb Society of America and was Honorary President of the HSA for the 2018 to 2020 term. Susan delights in each new Herb of the Year™: doing research, growing the specimens, taking photos, creating recipes, sharing her findings and celebrating the plants. Her latest book about flavor, The Perfect Bite, was released in 2022. Find Susan online at: www.susanbelsinger.com, https://www.instagram.com/cookinwithherbs/, https://www.facebook.com/susan.belsinger, and https://www.facebook.com/CreativeHerbalHome
Wendy Fargo Ed.S., M.H. works her ranch near Alpena, Arkansas and owns Crooked House Herbals. This is her story:
"After my husband died of cancer in 2009, I was diagnosed with cancer and decided on a natural protocol. I was teaching school at the time and took my plant juices with me every day, never missing a day of work. In six months, the cancer was completely gone and I have not had any physical ailments since that day. What that experience did for me was show me the true desire of my heart--which is to help others realize that life is NOT something you need to be afraid of, but rather we have been provided with everything we need to live healthy, strong, vital lives. My journey took me to Oregon for almost a year, where I became a Master Herbalist. I chose training from Dr. Christopher’s School of Natural Healing in Utah. I then returned to Arkansas to my ranch and began growing and working with herbs. That was 11 years ago. I started Crooked House Herbals and have developed an effective line of herbal formulas, offer consultation, classes, workshops and guest speaking appearances. I have had the pleasure of helping many people on their wellness journeys and look forward to Living with Herbs until the day I leave this earth."
Rachael West is the owner, lead instructor and founder of Eating the Ozarks. She is an expert forager, wild foods chef, certified herbalist and author of Wild Foraged, an educational culinary cookbook. She has taught wild foods in the Ozarks for the past decade working with television station KOLR-10 (biweekly Wednesdays), the Missouri Master Gardeners, various herbalist societies, homeschool groups, private land owners, local libraries, Springfield Community Gardens, Springfield Art Museum and more.
Tina Marie Wilcox has been the head gardener and herbalist at the Ozark Folk Center State Park’s Heritage Herb Garden in Mountain View, Arkansas since 1984. She cultivates the gardens, coordinates annual herb events and facilitates the production of herb seeds and plants for the park. She co-authored the reference book, the creative herbal home with Susan Belsinger. Tina's philosophy is based upon experiencing the joy of the process, perpetrating no harm and understanding life through play with plants and people. https://www.facebook.com/OzarkFolkCenterStatePark/
