Sunday, April 19, 2026 | Coopers Island Reserve | 8am - 11am | Educational Experience | Suitable for all ages

Roots and Remedies: A Journey into Nature’s Healing"

Objective: To guide participants in connecting with nature, grounding themselves, and learning how wild edible plants can heal, nourish, and support sustainable living practices.

Introduction: "Setting the Intention"**

**Welcome Circle**: Gather the group in a circle to introduce the purpose of the experience: to reconnect with nature, rediscover the lost art of foraging, and experience the powerful healing properties of wild plants. -

**Mindful Grounding Exercise**: Begin with a short meditation to ground participants. Have them remove shoes and stand or sit on the earth, encouraging them to feel the energy of the ground beneath them. Guide them through breathing exercises, focusing on absorbing the Earth’s natural energy and letting go of stress. -

**Setting Intentions**: Ask participants to set an intention for the day—whether it's healing, reconnection, or simply deepening their relationship with the natural world. ---

Nature Walk: "The Forest as Pharmacy"** ** A natural area abundant with wild plants (forest, meadows, or along a stream). - *

*Plant Identification and Foraging**

Discuss their uses for nutrition, healing, and their medicinal properties. - **Key Points to Cover**: - Identification of edible vs. toxic plants - How to forage sustainably (only taking what’s needed, ensuring the plant continues to thrive) - The role of each plant in nature (supporting biodiversity, nourishing the ecosystem) -

**Tasting and Sensory Engagement**: As you encounter edible plants, encourage participants to try small bites of each plant. Emphasize the different tastes—sweet, bitter, sour, savory—and how each flavor correlates with the healing properties of the plant (e.g., bitter plants like dandelion support digestion, sweet plants like clover provide nourishment). -

**Plant Stories**: Share traditional uses of plants across cultures, highlighting their role in holistic healing and wellness.

**Plant Preparation Demonstration**: Provide tools and show how to harvest and prepare plants for food and medicine (e.g., turning nettles into a soup or tea, infusing oils with wildflowers, making tinctures, or crafting a salve from plantain for skin healing). -

**Serve a Wild Herbal Tea Blends**: Teach participants how to create personalized tea blends from the plants they’ve foraged. Discuss how to dry herbs and store them for future use. -Serve Samples of a tea blend.

**Wild Edible Recipes**: Prepare a simple wild food dish together, such as a salad made from plantain, chickweed, and dandelion leaves, or a wild garlic pesto. Demonstrate the preparation of wild medicinal syrups or infusions for colds and flu, showing the healing potential of what they’ve collected. -

**Healing Remedies**: Make a topical balm or oil with infused wild herbs to take home. Discuss how plants like Plantain can be used for skincare and wound healing. ---

** Integrating Knowledge: "Building a Sustainable Relationship with Nature"** Group circle, cozy spot in nature. - **Reflection and Sharing**: Gather participants to share their experiences. How did it feel to connect with the plants? What surprised them? Did they learn something new about the natural world or themselves? This creates an opportunity for participants to process the experience and reflect on how they can apply what they've learned.

**Discussion of Self-Sustainability**: Have a conversation about integrating wild edible plants into everyday life. Discuss ways to cultivate wild herbs in the home garden, how to be mindful of foraging, and the importance of self-sustainability in today’s world.

**Personal Action Plan**: Encourage each participant to set a personal goal for how they will incorporate wild food and healing plants into their life—whether it’s creating a wild herb garden, preparing herbal teas, or continuing to forage. -

**Closing Ceremony: **Gratitude Circle**: Before closing, guide the group into a circle and express gratitude to the land and the plants for sharing their wisdom. Encourage participants to speak one thing they are thankful for in their journey and one plant they felt particularly connected to. -

**Closing Grounding Exercise**: Return to the grounding practice, reminding participants of their connection to the earth and the nourishing power of nature. Encourage them to take a moment of silence and deeply absorb the experience. - **Gift of Seeds or Herb Kit**: As a closing gift, provide each participant with a small bundle of seeds from the plants they learned about during the day or a beginner herbal kit with dried herbs, recipes, and instructions. ---

**Additional Components:** - **Journaling**: Encourage participants to carry a small journal to write down observations, thoughts, and feelings during the experience. -

**Nature Sounds and Music**: During downtime, allow for the background sound of nature or calming music to enhance relaxation and connection.