Wild Medicine Residential is a brilliant course and I wish I could do it all over again. The experience of walking and sitting - and swimming! - with the plants in their different habitats was transformative for me, as well as being filled with learning on various levels. Becs and Annwen are highly knowledgeable and skillful both in teaching and holding space, sensitively supporting the group to connect and function. The course is great value for money too. We packed a lot in, including having time for relaxing and processing it all while staying in some wonderful places

 - Ruth

This course has sharpened my senses to the dense richness and wisdom living life on the edge. From coastal coves, to thorny hedgerows, to the unweeded outside edges of polytunnels, we were taken to wild places, where plants and fungi have chosen to grow. I now see medicine, life and discovery where the wild is.  Journeying with plants took me to the edges of my inner landscape, sometimes taking me to places I avoid going to, and coming out with a deeper understanding of myself and connection to plants. This is all thanks to the awesome teachers - Becs and Annwen - who weave together their extensive knowledge of herbal medicine, anatomy, botany, with historical context and nurturing of intuitive knowledge. The course is a wonderful combination of science and development of trusting our intuition, it's experiential, fun and history is taught and felt.

 - Nancy

I have studied both Wild Medicine & the residential course taught by Becs and Annwen and combined, these offerings were transformative for me. The experience of learning collectively and in nature under Becs and Annwen’s insightful, compassionate and expansive knowledge was an incredible deep dive into the wisdom and healing support of plants, trees and fungi. I loved their experiential approach, foraging, learning and dreaming amongst the plants we were learning about. Being relatively new to the South West, the course was also amazing for connecting me to beautiful places nearby. I can’t recommend Rhizome’s courses enough! If you are considering it, go for it!

- Celia

The Rhizome team is fantastic. The knowledge base and skillset of both Annwen and Becs as teachers is rich, diverse, and adaptable. Their combined knowledge and experience gives students an abundance of information, skills, methods and more. They are able to guide and hold students through courses and are valuable in bridging the gap between human life and 'herbal life'. The wild medicine course has been very valuable to me and prompted my own confidence and abilities in regards to foraging, harvesting, medicine making and much more.  ​​

 - Andy

We will mark the seasons by gathering over four weekends starting in early spring and running until the late autumn. Over the year we will visit several different ecosystems including meadows, ancient woodland, moorland, riverbanks, salt marshes and the rocky coast. 
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This course will enhance your identifying skills and ability to harvest native herbs in their natural habitats. As well as all the amazing plants, we will also cover other wild medicines such as trees, seaweeds, mushrooms, and lichens depending on the season. 

Three of the weekends will be residential, starting on Friday evening and ending on Sunday.  Accommodation will be included in the cost for three of the weekends, and we will all be using communal spaces to eat together and make medicines etc. The first weekend will be based around Bristol and the surrounding areas, for which you will need to find your own overnight accommodation. 

The course will focus on the concept of resilience. Each weekend will focus on supporting particular body systems and organs, explore how seasonal herbs can support those bodysystems and our general wellbeing.
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​What you'll take away:

• Detailed handouts for each weekend
• ​A medicine making booklet with all the recipes
• A Herbal Yearbook - a seasonal herbal foraging guide
• All the medicine we've made together for your herbal medicine chest

​How you learn
​The course is a mix of factual and hands-on learning. To deepen your experience you will also spend meditative time with the plants and ecosystems. This involves a range of different meditations, involving walking and sitting, to help you develop a much deeper experiential connection. We do this with at least 20 plants over the year, and many more plants will be introduced alongside.
​We will be outside for much of the time, experiencing the wild terrain of mountains, coasts and moorland.
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​Medicine Making
Making herbal medicines will also be an integral part of each weekend. We will ensure that your medicine making skills develop by making herbal glycerites, tinctures, vinegars, syrups, aromatic waters, medicinal stews and foot baths. By the end of the course, you will have built up a handbook of medicine making instructions and recipes.
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We look forward to welcoming you to this unique wild medicine experience.

Apply Now

First Weekend

March 29-30 2025
Bristol based and local surrounding areas.
​Not residential.

​Lungs, the immune system and the microbiome

As the herbs are starting to re-emerge, our bodies are in need of revitalising after the winter. Breath, the lymphatic system, immunity and the microbiome play an important part in this which is what we will focus on this weekend. Our lungs are part of regulating our nervous system as well as the immune system. We will teach about the immune system with a focus on the microbiome and its part in supporting our resilience.

Medicine Making:
We will harvest medicinal bark, roots and fresh plants for medicine
A decocted tincture
A herb juice glycerite
Fermented root drink
​Herbal ferment. 

Second Weekend

May 16-18th 2025 
Friday evening 6 pm to Sunday evening. 
Wern Watkins, Crickhowell, near Abergavenny​

Spring herbs in the Black Mountains

Spring is in full flow and we will explore the National Park for the late spring herbs on the slopes of the mountains. The theme for the weekend is the heart and the cardiovascular system. Using herbs and other approaches to become more aware of our heart rate and rhythms we can tune in to our bodies as a whole.

Medicine Making:
A distillate tincture
An aromatic ointment
Harvesting for teas

Third Weekend

July 4-6th 2025
Friday evening 6 pm to Sunday evening
The Gower

Summer herbs, coastal plants and seaweeds.

In this Welsh coastal weekend we explore the Gower from south to the northern part of the peninsula where there is a range of of coastal habitats from rocky shores to sand dunes and marshland. 

​Our theme is the nervous system and emotional self-regulation. and look at new tools to interact with this vital system.

We will spend some time harvesting seaweeds and coastal plants.

Medicine Making:
Herbal footbaths
Tinctures
Fermented herbal champagnes
Sun infused oils
​Seaweed foods

Fourth Weekend

October 10-12th 2025
Somerset

Exploring the circadian rhythm and our relationship to light and dark.

After the Autumn equinox, we are preparing for the approach of winter. This is a time to slow down and hibernate, which most of us find difficult.

We will look at ways to embrace this season using herbs that help regulate our body clocks and support deep nourishing rest and sleep.

We will also look at herbs that shine light on the darkness and are an important part of winter emotional and physical health.

Medicine Making:
Herbal syrups
Mushroom drinks
Herbal chest rub

Food

On the residential weekends, we will provide meals on Friday and Saturday evenings, and we will provide breakfast ingredients for both mornings to prepare together. You will need to bring your own packed lunches for each day.

Accommodation

 The cost of the course includes the price for the three residential weekends. Even if you choose to sleep elsewhere, that will not in any way affect the cost per person, as we have to book places that can accommodate everyone for communal eating, medicine making and indoor teaching in the evenings. The accommodation includes the teaching room and eating spaces required for the weekend, not simply beds. 

Residential venues will involve sharing rooms, usually in twos or threes. We have chosen places in beautiful locations, with as many rooms as possible to give plenty of sleeping options. Cost is obviously an important component to this and we have tried to keep this affordable with our venue selection.

Cost

This is the cost of teaching, materials, accommodation and food
£500 pounds of the course fee is to cover accommodation and food for 3 residential weekends.

These are very rough guidelines so please pay the tier that you feel comfortable with.
No judgement, you can make the right choice for you for whatever reason.
Get in touch if you have queries. We are striving to keep things affordable whilst making our living.
Top tier £1940
This is the tier that is appropriate if any of these apply to you: You have a full time well paid job, home/land owner, you are able to afford holidays and other luxuries.

Middle tier £1740
This is the tier that is appropriate if any of these apply to you. Low waged or part-time. 

Low tier £1540
This is the tier for those who are unwaged or struggling financially. 

Split over the course each weekend costs £260, £310, £360 depending on what tier you pay.

​A deposit of £400 will be needed to secure your place. The balance is then paid in one or two instalments. Other payment schedules are an option, please write to ask.

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