Fields & Forest Project

Healing in the Fields and Forests

This was a four seasons project run for Forestry Commission Scotland. Contact Monica if you would like to run a special project in your community.

Summer walk for all ages at Vogrie

The Vision
An intercultural and intergenerational project with the Nepalese community to promote interest and share knowledge on British and Nepalese plants and their cosmetic and medicinal uses, and to inspire a life-long interest in and love of nature and the great outdoors.

Project Partners:
Creative Artworks – Joanna Boyce
Napiers the Herbalists – Monica Wilde
Nepal Scotland Association – Kishor Dangol
Gurkha Association Scotland – Tika Limbu
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh – Dr. Mark Watson
Albert & Fulmaya Harris

Project Summary
The Nepalese community in Edinburgh, like many ethnic minority urban communities, frequently does not venture out of the city and explore the native countryside.

Spring juicing in Redhall Walled Gardens, Colinton Dell

The Healing in the Fields and Forests project brought together scientists at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, medical herbalists from Napiers and professional community educators to work with the Nepalese community, taking them out into forests and rural areas to experience our botanical diversity and learn about our use of the plants around us.

Through guided walks participants learn about the plants and their uses, with links made back to related plants in Nepal and how they are used there.

Workshops focus on a selection of plants and their uses, with practical sessions preparing medicinal tonics, creams, soaps, tinctures and syrups. Elements of plant classification, physiology and phytochemistry are often woven into discussions as they underpin the connections between the British and Nepalese plants and explain the medicinal and other properties.

Four 2-day events were held in 2010, one for each season. These have been very well attended, with participants from the Nepalese community spanning all ages and genders. It was particularly encouraging to have an active and engaged participation from teenagers.

Picking Autumn haws in Middleton

 

 

 

Download our project booklets below:

Spring Booklet 2010
Summer Booklet 2010
Autumn Booklet 2010
Winter Booklet 2010

2 Comments

  1. If you could recommend me a herbalist training, which would it be?
    I m currently living in Belgium, but I am flexible.
    Do u know perhaps of any phytotherapy for animals training?
    Can also be online, if good
    Thanks a lot
    Kind regards
    Muwgli

    • Hi Muwgli. Sorry to answer so late. I missed your comment. In the Uk to train as a herbalist you are best to do the BSc Degree in Herbal Medicine so that you will be guaranteed to practice under the new regulation of herbalists in 2013/2014. There are three universities to do this course: Universities of Lincoln http://www.lincoln.ac.uk Middlesex http://www.mdx.ac.uk or East London http://www.uel.ac.uk . However, if you just wish to study herbalism for your own interest there is also a good Diploma courses from http://www.naturopathy-uk.com who also accommodate international students. Others like http://www.inst.org/herbal/index.htm will teach you but will not qualify you to actually practice as a herbalist under the new regulations no matter what their promises are. Regards Monica.

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