The Bioregional Herbalist Apprenticeship (BHA) is on hiatus for 2025
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My only scheduled in-the-field course offering for 2025 will be with my Tier III students in the Vitalist Herbalism Cohort.
BIOREGIONAL HERBALIST APPRENTICESHIP
This is your invitation to be part of a guided exploration of the wild plants of the Sonoran Desert bioregion,
and a journey into the Self on the path to becoming a Bioregional Herbalist
Experiential Learning
Recover your senses before engaging your intellect.
This is the path to reclaiming your ancestral heritage.
Allow Mother Earth to restore your heart-mind connection.
This is a path towards true personal growth and development.
Learning to heal with wild plants is bringing our hearts and minds into alignment with the natural flow of life.
This is the path of a Bioregional Herbalist.
My name is John Slattery and I’ve been helping people connect with the natural world through their senses for well over a decade. There is nothing more engaging about my work than to help facilitate this deeper sense of connection with the world around us and to witness people light up as they become attuned to the plants and the entire natural world through an awakened self.
John Slattery discussing creosote bush (Larrea tridentata)
ABOUT THE Course
Learn to Identify
nearly 200 wild plants for food and medicine
What you’ll encounter in the BHA:
Learn to Identify nearly 200 Wild Plants for Food and Medicine
Become familiar with the basic concepts and principles of Bioregional Herbalism
An introduction to Vitalism - Healing is present within us and around us
A deeper appreciation for the bounty and beauty of the natural world
Learn to engage directly with wild plants for healing & knowledge
Experience the principle of reciprocity through direct relationship with plants
Honor & Respect in all that we do and in how we relate to the world around us
Habitat Observation through the seasons as a means of gaining knowledge
An appreciation for the integrity of the organism
How Accountability and Acceptance open the Path to Healing
Become proficient at several herbal medicine making techniques
Extensive ethnobotanical knowledge from the Sonoran bioregion
Become a part of a living lineage of Sonoran herbalists which spans generations
An exploration of Plant Energetics that supports a lifetime of learning
Develop the Faculty of Discernment
A growing confidence in your ability to use herbs for healing
Deepen your personal relationship with wild plants
An introduction to the concepts of Botany, in the field
Discussion of practical applications of the plants we’ll see in the field
Affirmation of the Sovereignty of the individual; to realign with one’s true Purpose
Learn to apply the concepts and principles of Bioregional Herbalism wherever you go
An opportunity for personal Transformation
As we explore a variety of habitats - from low Sonoran desert to conifer forests above 8,000’ - over the span of seasons, we will encounter a variety of plants. Many of them in multiple locations, over different times of the year, affording us an opportunity to see and experience them from different perspectives, thus deepening and broadening our learning potential.
We can’t discuss all the plants we meet, but we will explore many of them in depth. Although our primary focus will be on plants as agents of healing, we will also identify several wild plant foods (eg. prickly pear, mesquite, blackberries, cholla buds, acorns) with some hands-on experience with acorns to wrap up our time together.
The emphasis is on quality of experience over quantity of information. That said, there will be ample information relayed. It will be each participant’s own mission to take what is most suitable for them to develop and make it their own. That is the beauty of experiential Bioregional Herbalism.
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Become skilled at Herbal medicine making
The in-person, hands-on Basic Herbal Medicine Making offered within this course will provide the foundation for exploration and development of these skills throughout the apprenticeship. We’ll explore making teas, tinctures, oil infusions, salves, syrups, oxymels, and honey infusions with fresh and dried plant material in the field throughout the apprenticeship.
Although wildharvesting, aka wildcrafting, is a fundamental aspect of Bioregional Herbalism, there is no reason to rush into it. So we will proceed slowly in this regard, acting only when appropriate, and/or necessary. These are basic tenets of the ethics of Bioregional Herbalism.
What is Vitalism?
As natural beings, we are inherently vital. That is, we are connected to the Vital force that moves all around us and within us. It is only when this vital force is interfered with, obstructed, or overburdened by toxins or waste products, should we begin to fall ill, and this can happen in a multitude of ways.
This apprenticeship, through experience, serves as a foundational understanding of what Vitalism is. As autonomous individuals, we have both the responsibility and the right to exercise our sovereign will to activate and maintain our inherent vital force, the gift of our ancestors unto us.
We will explore how becoming present to what is right before us and embracing accountability can help us move into deeper knowledge of who we are, empowering ourselves to be more of who we truly are.
Through our relationship with the natural world we can recover our vitality, developing and restoring it, thus enhancing all aspects of our life: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
A Bioregional Herbalist is fundamentally a Vitalist through his, or her, relationship to the natural world. In this way, each individual can discover their own spiritual path… beneath the sun.
Vitalism is… our individual nature explored through the lens and cycles of the natural world.
Learn more about John’s view of Terrain (Tír Raon)
“Sit down before fact like a child, And be prepared to give up every preconceived notion. Follow humbly wherever and whatever abyss nature leads. Or you shall learn nothing.”
Course modules to accompany field study:
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The hands-on Basic Herbal Medicine Making module will provide the foundation for exploration and development of these skills throughout the apprenticeship. On several field outings we will be making tinctures, teas, and other preparations with fresh or dried plant material. A forthcoming recorded version of the Basic Herbal Medicine Making course will be available for access during the extent of the apprenticeship.
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The vital integrity of the cell comprises the integrity of the organism. In this module we look at what comprises the structure of the cell and what happens when that integrity is compromised, leading to illness. This module is presented during our first outing and is 2 hours in length.
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Building upon the basic principles of Vitalism, we explore some practices of detoxification of the organism which relate to plants and other elements of Nature. This module is held online and is 2 hours in length.
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This module is prefaced by the introduction of the vernacular of plant energetics through discussing our experiences with the plants in the field. The Plant Energetics module will be held online within the first half of the apprenticeship and is 4 hours long.
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We will explore the structure of the ancient language of Ireland, Ogham, and its cosmology. We will also visit 4 trees of the Ogham to experience their Nature directly. This module will be held in the field in September around the Autumnal Equinox.
What makes the Bioregional Herbalist Apprenticeship valuable and unique?
A return to learning with Nature and from Nature herself. Balancing the intellect with the heart-mind in tune with all of Nature.
A recognition that Nature is fluid and our learning with the plants is part of a dynamic continuum.
Respect for the individual as a sovereign being. To each their own path with respect to all living things.
Promoting an environment of respect, honor, and integrity in action as well as in word.
A traditional approach to learning that prioritizes personal accountability while providing a secure environment meant to facilitate deep learning and healing for the individual.
Knowledge preserved and passed down for generations becomes a living entity through our active and authentic engagement with the landscape.
Reflections from a an apprentice in the 2022 BHA, Sarah has this to say:
"The herbal apprenticeship was a rich experience that enabled me to form deeper relationships with plants, our native landscapes, other people, and myself. An unexpected highlight for me was how nourishing I found the intimate container of kindred spirits that accompanied me on my journey. I feel that John carries the wisdom and presence of an elder, yet can speak meaningfully to many different dimensions of herbalism, including that which spans from ancient to modern. I laughed, I cried, and was enriched by bountiful beauty, depth, and friendship along the way. " - Sarah B.
I spent close to 15 years with Doña Olga before she passed in 2020. I like to call her my “Mexican mom” as our relationship was always closer than colleagues, or fellow herbalists. Her knowledge of the natural healing substances of her home terrain spanned the great distances from the sea to the high mountains of the Sierra Madre which she traversed for several decades on foot, on cart and burro, or in her little truck throughout her final years.
Although she is no longer physically present with us on our outings, her spirit is with us in all that we experience on this journey and we continue to support the family she left behind.
Doña Olga Ruíz Cañez
Pajarera from Sonora, Mexico
Doña Olga’s presence guides and protects us in our movements across the landscape. She is a great part of our Sonoran herbalist lineage within this apprenticeship. May she forever rest in peace.
Oscar Ruíz, Eva Ruíz, John Slattery, Doña Olga Ruíz, Yolanda Ruíz, Cecilia Ruíz
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A seasonal exploration of the Sonoran Desert bioregion
“When you are in rhythm with your nature, nothing destructive can touch you.”
We will explore the plants in different locations throughout the apprenticeship and in relation to the change of seasons that occurs throughout the year. This flow of the elements is present within us as well as all around us. To be in tune to these rhythms is to feel whole, to be vital. The wild plants have many ways of showing us this, helping us restore balance within ourselves, and helping us to reassert our sovereignty amidst a world that often serves to distract us from these simple yet powerful truths.
Nature holds these truths in trust for us to return to. The plants hold the knowledge through the light they store within themselves, ready to transmit to us through their individual Natures as medicine for our minds, bodies, and souls.
This is what we seek to engage with throughout the Bioregional Herbalist Apprenticeship. Mother Nature and the plants are our teachers and I am the facilitator through the concepts and principles of bioregional herbalism.
Samples of previous field classes:
Listen to a recording on Estafiate (Artemisia ludoviciana), plant energetics, and thoughts on vitalism from a previous field class:
This recording follows our group meditation in the field with Phytolacca icosandra, poke root.
Listen to a recording on Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon angustifolium) from a previous field class (2015):
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2023 BHA SCHEDULE
This apprenticeship is comprised of 10 multi-day field courses throughout central and southeastern Arizona which will involve camping at both primitive and outfitted campsites. The full apprenticeship runs from March 4 through November 12. A detailed schedule will be offered to those accepted into the 2023 apprenticeship.
In preparation for the apprenticeship, a recorded Orientation will be provided to be viewed ahead of our first scheduled meeting, and its contents discussed at that first meeting. Some of the Course Modules (see above) will take place via GoToMeeting, online, others will be integrated into our listed field study schedule.
FIRST day of class: March 4, 2023
LAST day of class: November 12, 2023
In-Person & Online Class Dates
Course modules listed in parentheses
Mar. 4-5 - Field Study #1. (Medicine Making Part 1, Vitalism)
Mar. 24-26 - Field Study #2 (Medicine Making Part 2)
Mar. 29 - ONLINE (4-6p) (Vitalist Detoxification)
Apr. 15-16 - Field Study #3
Apr. 26-28 - Field Study #4
May 18-20 - Field Study #5
May 24 - ONLINE (4-6:30p) (Plant Energetics)
~Summer Break~
Aug 10-13 - Field Study #6 (Medicine Making Part 3)
Sep. 8-10 - Field Study #7
Sep. 20-23 - Field Study #8 (Ogham)
Oct 20-22 - Field Study #9
Nov. 11-12 - Field Study #10 (Oaks & Acorns, Class Feast & Finale)
2023 Bioregional Herbalist Apprenticeship
(BHA) Tuition
Full Tuition - $3,849
Early Bird Tuition Price* - $3,133
*Full tuition must be paid by December 31, 2022 to qualify for Early Bird Tuition (limited spots available)
NO Work-Trade Options are available, but limited Scholarships, based upon need and merit, are available. Simply indicate that you are interested on the application and you will be provided with a link to fill out an application.
Interested in being a part of the 2023 Bioregional Herbalist Apprenticeship Program?
Here’s the process:
1) Submit an application below & await response
2) If application is accepted, a phone interview will be scheduled
3) If accepted into the program, a deposit of 25% is due to reserve your space
4) Complete payment of remaining tuition by March 1, 2023
Interested in Foraging?? Check out the Foraging in the Sonoran Desert Foundation Course!