Botanical Medicine in the Annapolis Valley-Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens
Connect deeply with the world of local edible and medicinal plants at the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens of Acadia University. Engage your senses to uncover clues about herbal uses in this hands-on experience. Embark on this embodied way to learn about plants and connect with them.
Begin your experience with some freshly foraged tea and feel grounded by the aroma and taste of the local plants while your host Benna shares the local story of the area. Benna will then guide you through the beautiful gardens and woodlands of Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens where you will move through your senses, meeting plants, learning about their medicinal uses and some of the ecology and history of the area.This way of learning about medicinal plants is an ancient and embodied way of connecting to the world of botanical medicine.
The group will be introduced to wild harvesting protocols and the practice of honorable harvest. With this gained perspective, you may respectfully and responsibly harvest plants to bring back to the 'potting shed' and create the age-old preparation of oxymels. This sweet and tart herbal preparation, made with local honey and apple cider vinegar will be yours to take home.
*As part of the agreement to use the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens for this experience, there are 2 pay-what-you-can (PWYC) tickets available to Acadia Students, please reach out to Benna, ramblewoodherbals@gmail.com for availability.
Learn about herbal medicine directly from the plants! Experience the ways that plants signal their uses through taste, smell, sight, touch. This is a great way to remember what you learned, much more impactful than book learning.
Spend the day with a Registered Clinical Herbalist, Biologist and 5th generation Nova Scotian. Benna is your guide, facilitator, and botanical curator. Tap into her knowledge, and ask the questions you would like to, to get better insights, knowledge or information about herbal medicines, botany, and forest ecology.
Plants are sentient beings. This experience helps to tap into this reality and helps us connect more deeply to the miraculous web of life all around us. This provides a healing experience and helps to make more conscious decisions when working with natural resources.
Spend time outside with like minded people! There’s power in numbers and having deeply connected experiences with nature alongside others is a potent medicine in its own right, helping us to feel more belonging.
Connect, harvest, prepare, and create medicine By making a simple yet versatile medicinal preparation from forest to jar, we are empowered in knowing how to care for ourselves and others.
We will meet at the entrance way of the Harriet Irving Botanical gardens. From there you will then be guided through the gardens, having opportunity to taste, smell, and touch the plants that are introduced to you as we go.
For the 3.5 hour experience, we will then share a herbal and wild food focused snack plate and wrap up the session making herbal oxymels in the potting shed or the gardens (weather dependant)
For the 2 hour experience, we move straight to making oxymels together in the potting shed or the gardens (weather dependant).
- Refillable water bottle
- Appropriate clothes for the weather
- Good walking shoes
- Appropriate clothing, including rain parka if needed.
- Sunscreen and bug spray (although the bugs aren't too bad in the gardens)
A sensory embodied herbal walk in the gardens and woods with tools to facilitate this process, including:
- plant identification
- a small sketchbook, pencil and pastels
- tasters of various herbal preparations
- herbal tea
- access to loupes, clippers,a trowel and sitting mats
A take home herbal oxymel made during the experience with a recipe card.
5% of your ticket price will be donated to [Save Old Growth Forests (SOOF)](https://saveouroldforests.ca/) and Friends of the Forest
Natural bug repellent spray will be available.
*A full lunch*
- While we will have a break with wild food based snacks in the longer (3.5 hour) experience, there will not be a full lunch provided. You could stick around for a picnic in the gardens or check out one of the many fantastic places in Wolfville and area to enjoy a meal. If the experience takes place on a Saturday, you could visit the lively Wolfville Farmers Market for plentiful local food and beverages before coming to this experience.
*Weather gear/outdoor shelter*
- we will spend some time in the conservatory, but while we are outside there will be no shelter set up. Please dress for the weather that day.
You will be sent a confirmation email 48 hours before the experience with details confirming the location, where to park, suggestions for weather and bug preparedness and extra information about the area.
If the participant number is below 4 for any of these experiences, you will be contacted within 48 hours of the experience and an alternate date will be arranged.
Children under the age of 18 should be accompanied by an adult.
Consider that we will be spending time in a public garden and trail system. Some of these trails are slightly uneven. There will be moments of sitting or even lying on the ground (mats provided).
This experience is not well suited for children under the age of 8. If interested in a sensory herb walk that is inclusive to families with younger children or those with special needs I would love to work with you. [Contact me (Benna)](mailto:ramblewoodherbals@gmail.com), to arrange a more personal experience.
Ramblewood Herbal’s Botanical Medicine discovery is also available as a mobile experience. If you have interest in a specific locale or would like an herbal experience closer to where you are staying, Benna can adapt the experience and suggest a location for the experience. Contact Benna directly to enquire about holding the ‘Botanical Medicine in the Annapolis Valley’ in a different location.
Guests will receive a full refund or credit when giving 48 hours notice of cancellation. Customers will also receive a full refund or credit in case of operator cancellation due to severe weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Contact the host by phone to cancel or inquire about a cancellation. No-shows will not receive a refund or be eligible to rebook their experience.