Medicinal Forest Garden Trust Update October 2024
A quarterly update on medicinal forest gardening including online events, plant and herbal medicine resources, books and courses on medicinal trees in UK and North America
EVENTS
Online Forest Gardening Webinar hosted by the Irish Agroforestry Forum
8 pm, Friday 18 October 2024
Guest speakers Donal Chambers, Eugene Curran, Anne Stobart
Forest gardening is gaining support in Ireland. You can hear about available support, application process, forest garden design, management tips and medicinal agroforestry. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Registration for this Zoom seminar is free, here.
PLANT RESOURCES
Agroforestry Research Trust listing for 2024/2025 available now
The Agroforestry Research Trust in South Devon, UK, have a great range of fruit and nut trees plus loads of perennial vegetables, all ideal for filling out the forest garden. Many species have medicinal value, there are amazing varieties of fruit from blackcurrants to elder to raspberries. And you can find some hard-to-find species such as witch hazel and chasteberry. There are numerous herbs of interest including goldenrod, mallow, winter savory. Sales go fast so have a look at the price list sooner than later.
Hedge plants for sale
Planting time for trees is soon approaching. Are you looking to establish more than a few trees in the UK? Buying hedge plants often gives a good saving on the cost of trees! Various mixtures are available such as the 'edible hedge' with blackthorn, wild cherry, hazel, crab apple, dog rose. This mixture will establish and grow fast so will need regular cutting if space is limited. Habitat Aid is a good source for native trees ready for direct planting so long as you need quite a few, the minimum order is usually of 50 plants.
Identifying buds and twigs of British broadleaved trees
Somebody asked me recently if I could identify a shrub in their garden from a bare twig. I said it was unlikely if the shrub is an ornamental. But they might have a better chance of identification for a native shrub with this superb colour poster of Buds and Twigs of British Broadleaved Trees which can be downloaded for a very reasonable £2.60. A good range of species is included with identification tips. Most of the species included are native, some commonly planted non-natives are also included. Some of the larger shrubs are also included. There is an option to download further posters of bark and leaves for a bundle price.
Networks for resilience for small woodland owners in the UK
Check out this project initially in Southwest and East of England to develop networking and support amongst small woodland owners. It is a collaborative project between Smallwoods and other organisations concerned with woodlands. If you are managing a small woodland and are keen to maintain health through biodiversity and help develop forest-based industries then this may be a good starting point! This is a great project aiming to make forestry more sustainable through better management. Although focused on timber there is potential for other products. You can contact the Woodland Networks Officers to find out more.
HERBAL MEDICINE RESOURCES
Herbal Reality
Herbal Reality offer a very informative site with podcasts and articles about using herbal medicine. They share traditional, scientific and practical insights written by experienced herbalists and health experts from the world of herbal medicine and natural health. A recent podcast looked at diaphoretic herbs such as elderflower and yarrow.
‘Herbs for Colds and Fevers: The Diaphoretics’ with Dr Amparo Aracil
In this podcast episode, diaphoretic herbs are explored that can boost immunity and help manage seasonal infections. You can find out how these herbs regulate body temperature, improve circulation, and support the body's immune response. Amparo Aracil explains how the body responds to infections, detailing the role of fever and the immune system's mechanisms. Learn about the benefits of diaphoretic herbs like yarrow, peppermint, ginger, and elderflower, which help manage fever and have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. These are herbs worth harvesting and drying each year in anticipation of winter colds and flu!
American Herbalist’s Guild (AHG)
The AHG supports professional and other herbal practitioners in the USA. They have recently made available a seminar recording on pain management. In this recorded session, Duncan Lynch discusses 'Herbal Formulations in Pain Management: Topical & Internal Remedies'. He outlines various types of pain and potential herbal use. Some of the herbs are very powerful and potentially toxic and he discusses ways to achieve therapeutic effects with extremely low doses and safety considerations. Note that some of these herbs are not legally available in the UK and other countries. It is always advisable to consult a professional herbal practitioner for individually-tailored prescriptions, especially where other medications are being taken.
ARTICLES AND BOOKS
Research article on valuing treescapes
An interesting research study was published recently about the development of a new composite measure to quantify the social and cultural values associated with treescapes. The study analysed a set of 19 statements about the value of trees from a range of sources and formulated just 5 reasons for valuing trees. These are all great reasons for finding and planting more trees even if you don't plan to use them medicinally! It is worth noting that the reason for trees being associated with wellbeing is primarily to do with mental health. The five main reasons for valuing trees were identified as:
Natural landscape - Their importance for wildlife
Well-being - They are good for my mental wellbeing
Social space - They provide places to spend time with friends and family
Reflective and creative - They make me feel creative and inspired
Learning - They can help me learn more about nature
There is open access to the research study through the British Ecological Society O'Brien L, McConnachie S, Hall C, Forster J, Dyke A, Saraev V, and Jones G. 2024. Exploring the social and cultural values of trees and woodlands in England: A new composite measure. People and Nature 6(3):1334-1354. doi: 10.1002/pan3.10644.
African Folk Traditions
The Healing Tree: Botanicals, Remedies, and Rituals from African Folk Traditions Paperback available from 25 March 2024 by Stephanie Rose Bird (reissued and updated from 2009 'A Healing Grove')
A personal journey is recounted in this book, as the author Stephanie Rose Bird tells the story of the sacred wood: how to live in it, learn from it, derive spiritual enrichment from it, and how to preserve and protect it. This readable book offers functional, accessible recipes, remedies and rituals derived from a variety of African and African American traditions to serve mind, body, soul, and spirit. Many of the herbs mentioned are familiar to Western herbal medicine, demonstrating a mingling of traditional uses.
PLACES TO VISIT
NHS Forest Newsletter
The NHS Forest is an alliance of 432 healthcare sites located all across the UK that have developed green spaces and related activities on and around their grounds. You can find them throughout the UK, and you can add further sites to the listing. However, note that this listing seems to need an update and more details and perhaps that is something to look forward to!
COURSES
Gift a Medicinal Forest Gardening course!
You can now purchase a Medicinal Forest Garden Trust course as a gift for someone special. If you know someone interested in medicinal trees and shrubs then this is a great way to encourage and pass along the knowledge. They can learn online about the health benefits on the Medicinal Trees and Their Healing Properties course. The course costs £45 and is designed and taught by Anne Stobart, medical herbalist and author. To gift this course you can click on the course link below and then add the course to your cart by clicking on 'Enrol now'.
Medicinal Trees and Their Healing Properties Course!
At the checkout select the ‘This is a gift’ checkbox, and fill out the details of the lucky recipient — including a personalised note from you! Once you have made this purchase online then the recipient is sent an email and can enrol and start straight away! It’s a thoughtful way to inspire someone you care about to start their learning journey. If you have any questions or need help, get in touch with Anne at info@medicinalforestgardentrust.org
Healing Power of Trees and Plants course in the USA
Join Chanchal Cabrera for this 7 week program with live and video sessions. The course is designed to deepen understanding and application of tree and herbal medicines. It includes hands-on experience with making herbal medicines that provide anti-inflammatory relief and pain management for muscle and joint aches and pains. Further sessions involve participating in plant rituals, forest bathing, art therapy, and tea tasting. The course costs $349. Chanchal Cabrera is a renowned herbalist, author, and educator based at Innisfree Farm and Botanic Garden in Courtenay, British Columbia. All the details and course module contents are available through the Shift Network.
FINALLY
That's all folks, thanks for reading, the next issue of the Medicinal Forest Garden Trust Update in three months is in January 2025. If you have information to share related to medicinal forest gardening then do get in touch!