Jul 20, 2026

Workshops & plant walks this week + a tea blend to deal with the smoke

Hey there,

I know I've been a bit quiet on the newsletter the past few months, apart from teaching and seeing clients in my clinical practice, and filling compounding orders, I've mostly been showing my little guy all my favorite plants... and I'm happy to discover he's just as curious about them as I am! Gotta teach him the foraging safety basics a bit before we start nibbling on stuff... we'll get there!

Also, welcome to the primary perk of subscribing to this newsletter... little Julian is invited to the party!!! He'd like to say to you... "ALO!" (hello!) and "TODESTOO!" (toadstool – from his favorite book, which also happens to be an excellent primer on being a keen and observant naturalist...).

Anyway, I just wanted to float this email your way as a quick reminder of a few of the workshops + plant walks that are coming up this week and in the following weeks. But before that, I wanted to share a quick respiratory tea recipe I've been drinking non-stop since we've been hit with all the smoke moving in from Canada's Wildfires.

I snapped a screen shot when my weather app maxed out the AQI scale on Thursday, but really we hit 747 which is literally off the charts. And then readings of 1000+ in the upper peninsula.

Truly, wild times we are living in... Anyway, we do what we can, we stay indoors, we get to know our neighbors, we wear N95 masks, we mobilize our gifts to uproot the death cult of a culture / power structure / economic system that causes these wildfires in the first place, we grow a life honoring and celebrating culture in its place... and we drink tea:

Smoke Soothing Respiratory Tea Blend

Mullein* leaf (Verbascum thapsus) - 25% (5 parts)
Plantain leaf (Plantago spp.) - 25% (5 parts)
New England Aster flower (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) - 20% (4 parts)
Linden flower & bract (Tilia spp.) or Sassafras leaf (Sassafras albidum) - 20% (4 parts)
- Sassafras for a goopier blend
Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) - 10% (2 parts)

*please don't plant common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) if you live in the U.S., it is highly invasive – use it for medicine as you remove it from our ecosystem as an act of stewardship – when you remove it, plant something native to your region in its place.

Directions: Blend the herbs above and store in an airtight glass jar (I like to make ~ 100-200 g / at a time (1/4 - 1/2 lb) for a tea blend I'll be drinking for a week or two. Throw about a 1/4 cup into a quart of hot water and steep for at least 30 minutes covered before straining (this blend requires a coffee filter to strain as mullein contains irritating hairs that don't strain out fully with a mesh strainer). Drink 2-3 cups each day as long as there is irritation. Don't forget to resteep your tea to get more out of your herbs!

More Tea Tips Here.

Blend Considerations & Rationale: This blend emphasizes demulcent (moistening herbs) to soothe dry, inflamed respiratory tissue resulting from inhaling smokey air. Smoke is inherently drying, so not all 'respiratory' herbs would apply here – elecampane, for example, would be too drying in this instance and is more indicated for damp / wet coughs.

You can swap out the demulcent herbs in this blend (every herb excluding peppermint) for other demulcent herbs like violet, marshmallow, common mallow, and others.

The mint is offered for flavor and to diffuse and disperse any potentially stuck phlegm that accumulated from the inhalation of smoke.

The respiratory system is such a fantastic way to get a sense of how the energetics of herbs apply to and support the different tissue states that manifest from different conditions / ailments.

I learned the energetics of herbs from the herbal energetics master himself, jim mcdonald, who I highly recommend you take a class from or read some of his material. I also teach this approach in my multi-month courses, which you can sign up for the waitlist here (for Year 1) or here (for Year 2).

I will also be discussing the energetics of herbs encountered on my upcoming plant walk this week at Humboldt Park!

Workshops / Walks This Week:

The Humboldt Park walk is pending good AQI, but the forecast has us at a sweet breath of fresh air 35 AQI on Wednesday, so it may be the outdoor time we've all needed the past few days!

Humboldt Park Plant Walk

July 22 • 6:15-8:00 pm

A wonderful place to explore tons of Chicago Region natives that are typically found across diverse ecosystems within a very short walk. Prairie, wetland, and aquatic plants nestled underneath willows, alders, and cottonwoods. Much to explore here and likely very close to your front stoop!

Suminagashi: Meditative Marbling

July 23, 2026 • 6:30-8:30 pm

Join in for an evening of suminagashi, the art of meditative marbling, at Greenspell with artist, writer and Odette Press founder, Kelly Odette Laughlin and explore this tranquil, inspiring, nature-infused process. Suminagashi is the ancient Japanese art of "floating ink" or "spilled ink" and in this workshop, you'll learn how to float colorful pigments on the surface of water and make a collection of marbled paper designs.

Workshops Next Week:

Forest Bathing Immersion + Nature-based Healthcare (a two part series)

July 28 & 30 • 6:30 - 8:00 pm both days

Engage in a Forest Bathing Immersion and discussion on integrating nature-based solutions into the healthcare system with Jess Rodriguez.

In the first session, particpants will engage in a forest bathing immersion, which is a practice of presence inviting participants to tune into their senses through the natural world. Through guided prompts, participants will have the opportunity to truly slow down and deepen their connection to nature. At the second session, Jess will introduce participants to the practice of forest bathing, health equity, understanding the benefits of nature with our health, and learn about a real world example of nature based practices being integrated into nontraditional healthcare systems.

August Plant Walks / Workshops:

Co-led Plant Walk w/ Natalie Ann Evans

August 5 • 6:00 - 8:00 pm

A co-led plant walk led by forager & doula Natalie Ann Evans and herbalist Alex Williams.

For this walk, I am joined by the delightful Natalie Ann Evans, forager, educator, for a deeper exploration of the edible plants of our bioregion, with a little bit of the medicinal uses of plants from myself!

Incantations & Invocations - Nature Writing Workshop

August 20 • 6:00 - 8:30 pm

Wondering how you can connect more deeply to the natural world? Plant ecology, herbalism, community, and writing all invite us to feel centered and happy in our bodies and minds because these practices help us relate to the earth itself – our larger body.

We'll take a plant walk to observe and connect with the living world while it's at the height of its growth. Back in the studio, we'll write love letters and to our most adored landscapes, plants, and beings as a way to create a deeper rapport with the more than human, natural world.