🏵️ Anjali Deva is an Ayurvedic practitioner currently residing in the mountains of Southern California. Her private practice, Rooted Rasa, specializes in an integrative and trauma-informed approach to Ayurveda. Anjali founded Mādhya Way, a school for Ayurveda in 2020 to provide education in trauma-informed care. She is the co-author of “From Stressed Out to Stress Wise” published in July 2023. She is dedicated to sharing the Wisdom of Ayurveda for the benefit of all living beings.

Visit Anjali Deva at:

• RootedRasa.com
• MadhyaAyurveda.com
• Instagram @anjalidevaayurveda

🌸 Jiling Lin is a Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac) and herbalist in Ventura, CA. A clinician and teacher, Jiling is also a passionate traveler, artist, and adventurer. Visit Jiling at JilingLin.com, Instagram @LinJiling, and Facebook @JilingLAc. Get her free Nourishing Life (養生) template or Five Phases (五行) outline. Join her Substack here for experimental eco-somatic writings, and sign up for her monthly newsletter here!  

 

Join our community! Subscribe to the Mountain Rose Herbs newsletter Subscribe to Mountain Rose Herbs on YouTube Follow on Instagram Like on Facebook Follow on Pinterest Read the Mountain Rose Herbs blog Follow on TikTok Strengthening the bonds between people and plants for a healthier world. Mountain Rose Herbs www.mountainroseherbs.com

This week on Everything You Didn’t Know About Herbalism, we are joined by the Plant Priestess, herbal explorer, environmental steward, and founder of Full Circle Herbals, Erin LaFaive. Listen in as Erin and Thomas discuss looking beyond analytic perspectives to strength our understanding of plants, the benefit of blending scientific and intuitive ideas together, and how using our five senses can be indicators for what a plant species offers to our health and well-being.  

As always, we thank you for joining us on another botanical adventure and are so honored to have you tag along with us on this ride. Remember, we want to hear from you! Your questions, ideas, and who you want to hear from are an invaluable piece to our podcast. Email us at [email protected] to let us know what solutions we should uncover next within the vast world of herbalism. 

Learn more about Erin and Full Circle Herbals below!

🪷 Erin LaFaive is an herbalist and Plant Priestess, known for her deep connection with the Plant Beings. As the owner and founder of Full Circle Herbals, she brings a wealth of experience and wisdom to the world of herbalism.

Erin's journey with plants encompasses diverse roles, from working in greenhouses to serving as a horticulture educator, as well as hands-on experience in gardening and wildcrafting. Over the past 25 years, Erin has shared her knowledge with hundreds of people of all ages, imparting insights into herbalism, horticulture, and environmental stewardship.

Erin formalized her herbal studies with esteemed teachers such as Gigi Stafne (pronounced staff-knee) of Green Wisdom School of Natural and Botanical Medicine, and through Rosemary Gladstar’s Science & Art of Herbalismcourse. Her academic pursuits include a bachelor’s degree in Geography with a specialization in Natural Resources Management, complemented by a master’s degree in environmental studies. As a Certified Temple Guide with Priestess Presence Temple, Erin delves into realms of spiritual exploration and holistic well-being, enriching her understanding through ceremonies, rituals, and transformative practices. Her commitment to sharing the wisdom of the Plant Beings extends into all ways of knowing.

Find Erin on Instagram @erin_lafaive

Find Erin on Facebook @Erin LaFaive, Plant Priestess

Check out the Full Circle Herbals YouTube Channel!

🎙️ Check out Erin’s very own podcast, HERBS (Herbs with Erin – Remedies for Body & Spirit)!

📝 Check out the Full Circle Herbals Blog!

📚 Get your hands on a copy of Erin’s book, Learning Herbalism Workbook!

🌿 Sign-up for Erin’s transformative Grow Your Apothecary Plant Lessons!

🌸 Shop our website using Erin’s Herbal Affiliate link!

 

Join our community! Subscribe to the Mountain Rose Herbs newsletter Subscribe to Mountain Rose Herbs on YouTube Follow on Instagram Like on Facebook Follow on Pinterest Read the Mountain Rose Herbs blog Follow on TikTok Strengthening the bonds between people and plants for a healthier world. Mountain Rose Herbs www.mountainroseherbs.com

 

This week on Everything You Didn’t Know About Herbalism, we are sharing the part two special episode in acknowledgment of the annual Buy Nothing Day movement with the award-winning author of The Zero-Waste Chef, Anne-Marie Bonneau. Join us as Anne-Marie and Thomas explore what motivated her plastic-free journey, the ever-growing planet’s plastic pollution problem, where most of our day-to-day trash comes from, practical tips for decreasing waste in the kitchen, and the importance of continuing the conversation surrounding the Buy Nothing Day movement.

As always, we thank you for joining us on another botanical adventure and are honored to have you tag along with us on this ride. Remember, we want to hear from you! Your questions, ideas, and who you want to hear from are invaluable to our podcast. Please send us an email at [email protected] to let us know what solutions we should uncover next within the vast world of herbalism. 

What is Buy Nothing Day you ask? Well, please allow us to explain! 

Buy Nothing Day is our annually celebrated tradition in protest of Black Friday. In making this stand, we are joining tens of thousands of people across 65 nations for an international day of protest against mass consumerism and the throw-away culture that accompanies it. The Buy Nothing Movement has been growing since 1992 as overconsumption continues to consume our precious natural resources faster than we can replace them, putting our planet in real jeopardy.

If you visited our website last week, you likely noticed that our website was blacked out in protest of Black Friday. Although this “sale holiday” has since passed, it is crucial to continue the conversation surrounding the impacts mass consumerism has on our planet 365 days a year. We encourage our listeners to keep the buy nothing ball rolling by spreading acts of kindness, discovering new zero-waste kitchen tips from the Zero-Waste Chef Blog listening to your favorite podcast (bonus points if it’s this one!), or better yet, all of the above! The Buy Nothing Day movement is all about reaching for the meaning in our lives instead of stuff, and we thank you all for being part of the solution to reestablish a symbiotic relationship with our earth.  

Learn more about Anne-Marie & Zero-Waste Chef below!       

Anne-Marie Bonneau is an award-winning cookbook author, speaker, fermenter and sourdough baker who has lived a plastic-free lifestyle since 2011. Through social media, her blog and her book, The Zero-Waste Chef: Plant-Forward Recipes and Tips for a Sustainable Kitchen and Planet, Anne-Marie shows others how reducing their trash not only benefits the planet but also satisfies their taste buds, improves their well-being and boosts their bank accounts. As a Canadian transplant, Anne-Marie has two grown daughters and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and sourdough starter.

📚 Get your hands on a copy of Anne-Marie’s book, The Zero-Waste Chef: Plant-Forward Recipes and Tips for a Sustainable Kitchen and Planet!

👩🏻‍🍳 Check out the Zero-Waste Chef Blog!

 📰 Sign-up for the Zero-Waste Chef Newsletter! 

🌎 Check out Anne-Marie’s 50 Ways to Kick Plastic Challenge!

Find Anne-Marie on Instagram @zerowastechef

 

Join our community! Subscribe to the Mountain Rose Herbs newsletter Subscribe to Mountain Rose Herbs on YouTube Follow on Instagram Like on Facebook Follow on Pinterest Read the Mountain Rose Herbs blog Follow on TikTok Strengthening the bonds between people and plants for a healthier world. Mountain Rose Herbs www.mountainroseherbs.com

This week on Everything You Didn’t Know About Herbalism, we’re releasing a very special episode in acknowledgment of the annual Buy Nothing Day movement with the author, influencer, and Founder of Going Zero Waste, Kathryn Kellogg. Listen in as Kathryn and Thomas discuss what it truly means to be zero-waste, the problem with mass consumerism and its negative effects on environmental and mental health, and the importance and impact of the ever-growing Buy Nothing Day movement. Stay tuned next week for part two of this series where we are joined by another esteemed leader within the zero-waste lifestyle movement!

As always, we thank you for joining us on another botanical adventure and are honored to have you tag along with us on this ride. Remember, we want to hear from you! Your questions, ideas, and who you want to hear from are invaluable to our podcast. Please send us an email at [email protected] to let us know what solutions we should uncover next within the vast world of herbalism. 

What is Buy Nothing Day you ask? Well, please allow us to explain! 

Buy Nothing Day is our annually celebrated tradition in protest of Black Friday. In making this stand, we are joining tens of thousands of people across 65 nations for an international day of protest against mass consumerism and the throw-away culture that accompanies it. The Buy Nothing Movement has been growing since 1992 as overconsumption continues to consume our precious natural resources faster than we can replace them, putting our planet in real jeopardy.

If you visit our website today, you will see that our entire website is blacked out in protest of Black Friday. Instead, we hope you will spend the day with your family and friends, sharing acts of kindness, discovering new zero-waste lifestyle tips from the Going Zero Waste Blog, listening to your favorite podcast (bonus points if it’s this one!), or better yet, all of the above! This is a day to reach for meaning in our lives instead of stuff, and we thank you all for being part of the solution to reestablish a symbiotic relationship with the planet we call home. So please, do not shop with us today Friday, November 29th, 2024.

Learn more about Kathryn and Going Zero Waste below!

🌸 Kathryn Kellogg is a leading voice in the zero waste movement known for her approachability and prolific speaking career. Kathryn is the Founder of the sustainable lifestyle website, Going Zero Waste, as well as the author of three books, including her most recently released book, 101 Tips for a Zero Waste Kitchen. Kathryn has amassed over 1 million followers across her social media platforms and is the Co-Founder of the sustainable women’s wellness company, Kayaness.

📚 Get your hands on a copy of Kathryn’s new book, 101 Tips for a Zero Waste Kitchen!

🌿 Check out the Going Zero Waste Blog!

Find Kathryn on Instagram @going.zero.waste

Find Kathryn on YouTube @Going Zero Waste

Find Kathryn on TikTok @goingzerowaste_

 

Join our community! Subscribe to the Mountain Rose Herbs newsletter Subscribe to Mountain Rose Herbs on YouTube Follow on Instagram Like on Facebook Follow on Pinterest Read the Mountain Rose Herbs blog Follow on TikTok Strengthening the bonds between people and plants for a healthier world. Mountain Rose Herbs www.mountainroseherbs.com

 

 

Austere Medicine (pronounced aw-steer) – the practice of remote field medicine in wilderness, post-disaster situations and emergency situations. 

This week on Everything You Didn’t Know About Herbalism, we are featuring the best-selling author, US Army and US Special Forces Medic Veteran, clinical herbalist, austere medicine specialist, wilderness survival expert, and all-around badass, Sam Coffman. Listen in as Thomas and Sam dive into an engaging conversation surrounding what austere medicine is, why this realm of study is invaluable to every survival-enthusiast and herbalist alike, and how a bit of herbal education, wilderness experience, and a survivalist mindset could very well save someone’s life someday–-even your own!

As always, we thank you for joining us on another botanical adventure and are so honored to have you tag along with us on this ride. Remember, we want to hear from you! Your questions, ideas, and who you want to hear from are an invaluable piece to our podcast. Email us at [email protected] to let us know what solutions we should uncover next within the vast world of herbalism. 

Learn more about Sam below! ⬇

🌲 Sam Coffman (MSAOM, L.Ac., RH[AHG], W-EMT) began his medical education in the US Army as a Green Beret Medic (18D) in 1989. Over the years that followed, he dedicated himself to being able to work with botanical medicine as a successful method to provide sustainable health care in remote and post-disaster regions for chronic, acute, and physical trauma care. Since that time, Sam has taught herbalism for over 30 years and has worked as a clinical herbalist for over 15 years. His herbal and acupuncture clinic/apothecary are now located in Taos, NM along with his school.  

In 2007, Sam founded Herbal Medics Academy (AKA The Human Path), which offers five primary herbalism programs – Clinical Herbalism, Austere Medicine, Advanced Medicine Making, Community Herbalism, and Family Herbalism. Sam has developed over 1200 hours of curriculum, in addition to other curricula developed by the 20 instructors working for his school part-time. As a few of the curriculum highlights of his school, Sam teaches the integration of herbal medicine with both functional medicine and austere medicine together with two medical doctors who also specialize in those areas. At the new Taos campus, Sam teaches many on-site medicine courses including WFA and WFR certification, CERT certification, wilderness survival, TECC certification, and a 12-day Herbal and Off-Grid Medicine Experience (HOME) course together with Dr. Steve Pehrson MD. Sam and his wife Suchil also co-founded Herbal Medics in 2011, which is an outreach organization that gives their students and interns an opportunity to work in the field while providing free health care and education to underserved communities. They have worked in Nicaragua, Mexico, and all over the USA to provide post-disaster relief and free herbal clinics, education, and sustainable medicine/food projects for underserved communities. 

Sam currently serves on the board of Taos Search and Rescue (TSAR) and is also part of the canine search and rescue team together with his Belgian Tervuren dog, Lucy. His book, Herbal Medic, has been in the top 3 best-selling books for Storey Publishing for the past 2 years. His new book under Storey Publishing is titled, Survival Gardening, and is being released in January 2025.

⛑️ Find out how you can get your hands on a copy of Sam’s best-selling book below!

Herbal Medic: A Green Beret's Guide to Emergency Medical Preparedness & Natural First Aid

🌾 Preorder a copy of Sam’s upcoming book releasing in January 2025 below!

Survival Gardening: Grow Your Own Emergency Food Supply, from Seed to Root Cellar

🏕️ Looking for gift ideas for the herbal survival-enthusiast loved one in your life?

Shop Sam’s Herbal First Aid Gear store!

Find Sam on his YouTube channel! @TheHumanPath

Find Sam on Instagram! @herbalmedicsam

 

Join our community! Subscribe to the Mountain Rose Herbs newsletter Subscribe to Mountain Rose Herbs on YouTube Follow on Instagram Like on Facebook Follow on Pinterest Read the Mountain Rose Herbs blog Follow on TikTok Strengthening the bonds between people and plants for a healthier world. Mountain Rose Herbs www.mountainroseherbs.com

This week on Everything You Didn’t Know About Herbalism, we are featuring the passionate writer, fellow podcaster, seed-saver extraordinaire, and owner of Small House Farm, Bevin Cohen. Listen in as Bevin and Thomas explore the art of growing plants from harvested seeds, and how this timeless practice can deeply enhance our relationship with the plant allies that surround us. If you want to dig deeper into Bevin’s work with us, check out his featured article on seed-saving in our latest Fall Journal release below!

As always, we thank you for joining us on another botanical adventure and are honored to have you tag along with us on this ride. Remember, we want to hear from you! Your questions, ideas, and who you want to hear from are invaluable to our podcast. Email us at [email protected] to let us know what solutions we should uncover next within the vast world of herbalism.

📖 Request to have a free copy of our 2024/2025 Fall Journal mailed right to your door HERE!

Learn more about Bevin and Small House Farm below!

🌱 Bevin Cohen is an award winning author, owner of Small House Farm and host of the popular Seeds & Weeds podcast. Bevin offers workshops and lectures across the country on the benefits of living closer to the land through seeds, herbs, and locally grown food. He's a food and garden writer whose work has appeared in many national publications and he's the author of more than ten books, including The Artisan Herbalist and Herbs in Every Season. Learn more about Bevin’s work at www.smallhousefarm.com.

🌾 Learn more about the mission of Small House Farm HERE!

🎙️ Tune in to Bevin’s very own popular podcast, Seeds & Weeds, HERE! 

📲 Join the Small House Farm family on Patreon HERE! 

Find Bevin and Small House Farm on social media!

Instagram @small_house_farm

Facebook @Small House

YouTube @Small House Farm

 

Join our community! Subscribe to the Mountain Rose Herbs newsletter Subscribe to Mountain Rose Herbs on YouTube Follow on Instagram Like on Facebook Follow on Pinterest Read the Mountain Rose Herbs blog Follow on TikTok Strengthening the bonds between people and plants for a healthier world. Mountain Rose Herbs www.mountainroseherbs.com

This week on Everything You Didn’t Know About Herbalism, we are joined by our long-time dear friend that will likely be no stranger to many of our listeners—Shana Lipner Grover! As a highly acclaimed clinical herbalist and educator, Shana joins us for a conversation on the upsides and downsides of plant identification apps, and the advantages of leaning on regional herbalists to gain knowledge on the flora, fauna, and funga surrounding us. Listen in as Shana shares an entertaining yet cautionary tale on the potential dangers of using plant identification apps, and why these apps should always be the beginning of your botanical research, not the end.

If you are interested in plant identification apps or actively use them, here are a few of Shana’s tips:

🌱 Shana’s plant identification app recommendation: iNaturalist

🔎 Be aware and follow all wildharvesting regulations and laws in your local area.

🗺️ Seek out plant apps specific to your bioregional area for better identification accuracy.

🌿 Regional herbalists are the only tried and true reliable plant identification apps out there!

As always, we thank you for joining us on another botanical adventure and are honored to have you tag along with us on this ride. Remember, we want to hear from you! Your questions, ideas, and who you want to hear from are invaluable to our podcast. Please send us an email at [email protected] to let us know what solutions we should uncover next within the vast world of herbalism.  

Learn more about Shana below! 

🐛Shana Lipner Grover is a clinical herbalist, health and nutrition educator, field botanist, ethical wildcrafter, medicine maker, and forever student of life and wonder is the director and primary educator of Sage Country Herbs School of Botanical Studies in North County San Diego. This 2-year program is a hybrid online and field-based ecology, botany, nutrition, and plant medicine school that guides students through weaving the study of plants and ecology of diverse environments into the practice of making and using herbal medicine. Through mountain hikes, plant walks, farm activities, and a bit of adventure we learn our roles within our local ecosystems. Shana and her husband, Brandon Grover, organize numerous events and herbal gatherings that bring the herbal and farming communities together. Shana writes for Plant Healer Magazine and Herbaria. She runs a clinical practice in North County San Diego that provides inspiration for the Clinical Herbal Formulations course. Beyond her field school, she has taught at a variety of outdoor education, including Art & Wilderness Institute and Solidarity Farm School, as well as writing and teaching 350 hours of herbal medicine and nutrition programs at Healing Hands School of Holistic Health.

 Find Shana on social media!

Instagram @sagecountryherbs

Facebook @Sage Country Herbs

Check out what else Shana’s been up to with us on YouTube!

🌲How to Identify Douglas Fir + Uses and Benefits with Herbalist Shana Lipner Grover

🌱Benefits & Uses of Plantain with Shana Lipner Grover

🌹The Energetics of Rose with Shana Lipner Grover

 

Join our community! Subscribe to the Mountain Rose Herbs newsletter Subscribe to Mountain Rose Herbs on YouTube Follow on Instagram Like on Facebook Follow on Pinterest Read the Mountain Rose Herbs blog Follow on TikTok Strengthening the bonds between people and plants for a healthier world. Mountain Rose Herbs www.mountainroseherbs.com

In this Tea Talks Roundtable, Jiling discusses Herbal Oracle Decks with herbalists Maia Toll and Jesse “Wolf” Hardin.

Listen in as Maia, Wolf, and Jiling explore:

• What oracle decks are, and how they might help deepen our relationships with plants, ourselves, and the world
• Maia and Wolf’s processes for creating their oracle decks
• Oracle cards as doorways into the collective unconscious
• Art as a layer-cake of meaning and symbolism
• Conversations with the land
• Bridging known and unknown realities through doorways to magical engagement
• Paying attention as a celebratory evocation

🌿 MAIA TOLL is the author of best selling, award winning books including Letting Magic In, The Night School, and the Wild Wisdom Collection. Her first book was her plant oracle, The Illustrated Herbiary. Maia is also the co-owner of the retail store Herbiary.

You can keep up with Maia’s writing on her Substack Tell Me Something True and visit her at MaiaToll.com

🌿 JESSE “WOLF” HARDIN has been a unique influence in the healing and spirituality communities for half a century, a voice for the wild, numinous and sacred. Wolf’s plant-hearted Hedge Guild Otherworld Oracle joins with the many books he’s written, to inspire and equip an alternate paradigm of empowerment, wonderment and healing.

Visit Wolf at PlantHealer.org

🌿 JILING LIN is a Licensed Acupuncturist (LAc) and herbalist in Ventura, CA. A clinician and teacher, Jiling is also a passionate traveler, artist, and adventurer– currently writing her first book!

Visit Jiling at JilingLin.com, Instagram @LinJiling, Substack @Jiling, and Facebook @JilingLAc.

Other resources:

• Sign up for the FREE Plant Healer Quarterly online magazine
• Visit the Plant Healer Online Bookstore to read Wolf’s books and find his oracle deck
• Check out The Plant Healer’s Path: Wolf’s video series on HerbRally’s YouTube channel
• Check out Maia Toll's fun new Wild Wisdom tattoos, based off the oracle deck
• Read Maia’s other books and oracle deck collection

 

Join our community! Subscribe to the Mountain Rose Herbs newsletter Subscribe to Mountain Rose Herbs on YouTube Follow on Instagram Like on Facebook Follow on Pinterest Read the Mountain Rose Herbs blog Follow on TikTok Strengthening the bonds between people and plants for a healthier world. Mountain Rose Herbs www.mountainroseherbs.com

This week on Everything You Didn’t Know About Herbalism, we are featuring a dynamic duo wife-husband team on a mission to enhance the human connection with the natural world, Allison Poklemba and Michael Kauffman. Allison and Michael are the Founders of Backcountry Press, an independent publishing company that explores books on natural history, ecology, and the western landscape. Today, Allison and Michael will be sharing their combined insights and knowledge on the vast ecology that surrounds our world, and how bettering our understanding of plants can help us to foster a better understanding of ourselves.

As always, we thank you for joining us on another botanical adventure and are honored to have you tag along with us on this ride. Remember, we want to hear from you! Your questions, ideas, and who you want to hear from are invaluable to our podcast. Please send us an email at [email protected] to let us know what solutions we should uncover next within the vast world of herbalism. 

Learn more about Allison and Michael below! 

🌲 Michael Kauffmann is an educator, ecologist, and author in Humboldt County, where he lives with his wife, Allison, and their two boys. Michael has also served as an ecologist mapping rare conifers across California and is the author of Conifer Country and Conifers of the Pacific Slope and co-author of Field Guide to Manzanitas, California Desert Plants, and The Klamath Mountains: A Natural History.

🌼 Allison Poklemba is a teacher, botanist, herbalist, environmental educator, Co-Director of Dandelion Herbal Center, Co-Founder of Backcountry Press, artist, mother, friend, and always curious student of nature. She has been concocting potions since childhood and teaching at Dandelion Herbal Center since 2002. Allison is a graduate of Cal Poly Humboldt with degrees in Botany and Science Teaching with a specialty in Environmental Literacy – she also carries a special place in her heart just for seaweed!

Check out these FREE eBooks from Backcountry Press! 

🌲 Sip The Forest: A Guide to Conifer Teas

🌊 Intertidal Zone Map  

🏕️ Guide to 5-Needle Pines of the Pacific Crest Trail 

📖 More free eBooks!

Use coupon code MOUNTAINROSE for 20% off Allison & Michaels’ new book/eBook and online classes!

🍄 Book/eBook: Mushrooms of Cascadia: A Comprehensive Guide to Fungi of the PNW

🌿 Online classes: Sea Vegetables of the Pacific Coast & Cooking With Sea Vegetables

 

Join our community! Subscribe to the Mountain Rose Herbs newsletter Subscribe to Mountain Rose Herbs on YouTube Follow on Instagram Like on Facebook Follow on Pinterest Read the Mountain Rose Herbs blog Follow on TikTok Strengthening the bonds between people and plants for a healthier world. Mountain Rose Herbs www.mountainroseherbs.com

In this Tea Talks Roundtable, Jiling discusses mobile herbal clinics with the Herbalists Without Borders | Healing Project Mobile Clinic Coordinator, Carolyn Jones, and Botanical Bus Co-Founder and community leader, Jocelyn Boreta. 

Carolyn and Jocelyn share how mobile herbal clinics work, how they can help increase access to healthcare, and what role education plays in their work. They share about the importance of partnerships, meeting people where they are, and the importance of culturally-centered care. Listen for stories about yarrow, other plants that have lit up their communities, and healing community wounds through sharing food, medicine, culture, and love. 

🌿 CAROLYN JONES is an herbalist, author, certified aromatherapist, reflexologist, flower essence practitioner, acupuncture detoxification specialist, and bereavement chaplain. Carolyn is also a faculty member with the Matthew Wood Institute of Herbalism, and the Clinic Coordinator for the Herbalists Without Borders | Healing Project Mobile Clinic. Carolyn is the author of Pick Up Your Bed and Walk: A Self-Care Guide to Improved Health and Incantations.

Visit Carolyn at BeHealed.info and on Instagram @thp_the_healing_project

🌿 JOCELYN BORETA is a community organizer, herbalist and the granddaughter of an Indigenous Farmworker. She is committed to health equity through culturally centered care, and is the co-founder of The Botanical Bus. Before co-founding The Botanical Bus, Jocelyn organized weekly bilingual, bicultural wellness workshops with Cultivando para Salud at LandPaths Bayer Farm and worked as a clinical herbalist at Farmacopia for four years. Her activism has roots in 10-years working as Program Director of the Global Exchange Fair Trade Stores. Jocelyn holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology from University of California Santa Barbara and certification in herbalism from the California School of Herbal Studies.

Jocelyn believes that “Herbalism is activism. It shows us that we are connected to the earth, that we know how to heal ourselves, our families and our communities with the plants that grow around us.”

Visit Jocelyn at TheBotanicalBus.org and on Instagram @Botanical.Bus

🌿 JILING LIN is a Licensed Acupuncturist (LAc) and herbalist in Ventura, CA. A clinician and teacher, Jiling is also a passionate traveler, artist, and adventurer– currently writing her first book!

Visit Jiling at JilingLin.com, Instagram @LinJiling, Substack @Jiling, and Facebook @JilingLAc.

 

Join our community! Subscribe to the Mountain Rose Herbs newsletter Subscribe to Mountain Rose Herbs on YouTube Follow on Instagram Like on Facebook Follow on Pinterest Read the Mountain Rose Herbs blog Follow on TikTok Strengthening the bonds between people and plants for a healthier world. Mountain Rose Herbs www.mountainroseherbs.com

This week on Everything You Didn’t Know About Herbalism, we are featuring the passionate leader of a non-profit organization that is very near and dear to our hometown, right here in Lane County, Oregon: Sonya Carlson of BRING Recycling. In this episode, Sonya and Thomas dive into how waste reduction goes far deeper than simply recycling alone, and by bringing communities together, we can all take hold of our collective and individual responsibility to care for our Earth. Through Sonya’s leadership, educational outreach, hands-on workshops, and community engagement, BRING understands that carving the path toward a sustainable future requires all hands on deck.

As always, we thank you for joining us on another botanical adventure and are honored to have you tag along with us on this ride. Remember, we want to hear from you! Your questions, ideas, and who you want to hear from are invaluable to our podcast. Please send us an email at [email protected] to let us know what solutions we should uncover next within the vast world of herbalism. 

Learn more about Sonya and BRING: 

♻️️ Sonya Carlson is a passionate leader dedicated to environmental sustainability and community impact. As the Executive Director of BRING, she spearheads strategic initiatives to advance the organization's mission to provide vision, leadership, and tools for living well on the planet we share. BRING, a pioneering nonprofit in the region, promotes sustainability through its core principles of “reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink.” Under Sonya’s leadership, BRING continues to foster a culture of environmental responsibility and sustainability across Lane County.

A significant part of BRING’s mission is its educational outreach, including the DIY Toolbox Tactics Classes, which offer hands-on workshops teaching skills in reuse, repair, and sustainability. These classes empower individuals and businesses with practical skills to reduce waste, conserve resources, and embrace a sustainable lifestyle. Additionally, BRING’s Planet Improvement Center serves as a hub for education, resource conservation, and community resilience, providing access to reusable materials and promoting waste reduction through community engagement.

Before joining BRING, Sonya served as Vice President of Operations at Earth Lab Botanicals and Wise Woman Herbals. Her career also includes extensive experience in policy-making, having served as Chief of Staff for State Representative Phil Barnhart, where she gained a deep understanding of legislative processes.

Sonya holds an MBA with a concentration in Sustainability from the University of Oregon, where she graduated as valedictorian, and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Lewis and Clark College. During her academic career, she conducted greenhouse gas emissions surveys and life cycle analysis. 

A dedicated advocate for her community, Sonya serves as a Commissioner on the Eugene Water and Electric Board and is a board member of the Lane Council of Governments and the Eugene Education Foundation. She is also an active member of the Eugene Rotary Club and was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Oregon Recycling System Advisory Council to implement the Recycling Modernization Act.

With a strong business background and a keen understanding of the challenges faced by local businesses, Sonya partners with them through BRING’s Rethink Business Certification Program to help navigate regulations, best practices, and sustainability efforts. She understands the financial pressures and staffing constraints businesses face and emphasizes the importance of incentives and valuable training to drive participation in sustainability programs.

In her free time, Sonya enjoys spending time with her family, camping, astronomy, gardening, and solving escape rooms. Her leadership and expertise continue to position BRING as a driving force in creating meaningful change for a sustainable future.

♳ For more information on BRING's DIY Toolbox Tactics Classes, visit BRING Toolbox Tactics.

♴ Check out upcoming BRING classes and workshop opportunities HERE!

♵ Learn how you can donate and help further BRING’s mission HERE!

Follow BRING on social media!

Facebook | @BRING

Instagram | @bringrecycling

 

Join our community! Subscribe to the Mountain Rose Herbs newsletter Subscribe to Mountain Rose Herbs on YouTube Follow on Instagram Like on Facebook Follow on Pinterest Read the Mountain Rose Herbs blog Follow on TikTok Strengthening the bonds between people and plants for a healthier world. Mountain Rose Herbs www.mountainroseherbs.com