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MEDICAL HERBALIST. WILD FLOWER & TREE EDUCATOR. NATURE PODCASTER
Nature has always been a constant companion for me; making enormous daisy chains as a child in my parents’ garden, and writing elaborate stories and making home-made magazines about the animals and birds that visited there and birdwatching through to my early teens. Little did I know then, that it would all lead me to working with nature in a way I hadn’t anticipated.
Starting out adult life, studying Geography at University, it wasn’t until my mid 20s that I discovered the word of Herbal Medicine and Medicinal Plants. This led me to return to University, to train as a Medical Herbalist. Qualifying with a first class BSc (Hons) Herbal Medicine degree from the University of Lincoln, and becoming a registered member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists.
I’ve worked as a registered Medical Herbalist, since 2010, running my own successful clinic; firstly in Lincoln, and now since the pandemic working via online clinic and home visits. In addition to this, I’m a qualified Educator, and work alongside schools, local interest groups, charities and corporate organisations, educating people about wild plant life and how nature can help our health and wellbeing. Every Spring and Summer, I also lead guided Herb Walks, taking groups of people out into nature for guided wild flower and tree identification walks, where we take a very slow wander, and talk about each plant we meet, as we go along. I share a little about their history, their current medicinal uses, how they can be used in the home, and we also taste a few as we go along, and make a flask of herbal tea to share.
My education work also encompasses talks for groups across the East Midlands. As a public speaker, I’ve spoken for hundreds of groups, from WIs, to Horticulture Groups and more. In 2022, I was a TEDx speaker, at TEDx Brayford Pool in Lincoln, where I spoke about wild flowers and their benefit for pollinators.
I have also been a Lecturer and later, Course Leader, for the BSc (Hons) Clinical Herbalism degree at Lincoln, training the next generation of Medical Herbalists.
My passion for “helping people to become excited about wild flower and trees” also let me to launch a self-produced and self-presented nature podcast, Edge of the Hedge. Which takes the listener on an audio journey with me, guiding people on awaking the senses, and making connection with the nature that surrounds us through field recordings and interviews with guests who find inspiration by spending time with nature.
About my Talks...
I love sharing my passion for wild flowers, trees and medicinal plants and with people. Quite often, I’m rekindling already-known knowledge that people may have simply forgotten about, and often, it’s sowing seeds of inspiration for people to make more contact with nature, through their own gardens, or out when walking in their local area. I like to keep my talks interactive, and in addition to using a projector to share images of what I’m speaking about, I usually bring plenty of props, and examples of medicines made from plants to pass around the room, to smell, feel, and in some cases, taste. For each talk, people have the opportunity of making their own herbal tea bags to take home with them, which is included in my talk fee.
As noted above, I am also able to provide short Herb Walks (more a saunter, than a walk), for smaller groups of up to 20 people, in the Spring and Summer months. These ‘walking talks’ and make for a delightful alternative to the seated talk. These work particularly well for gardening groups, growing/produce groups, as well as groups with an interest in nature. During these short walks, we see what is growing around an area, and we sample, forage and share how these plants can be used safely within the home, and also aspects relating to their history.
Bespoke talks about specific subjects can be created upon request. A different fee applies for such talks.
Fee:
My regular talk fee starts at £80 for an existing talk, including Q&A afterwards, and herbal tea bag making opportunities for all attending.
A mileage fee of 50p per mile, is applied in addition to each talk fee. I am able to easily calculate the mileage fee for your area, when you ask about booking me for a talk.
Herb walks fees are individually negotiated, depending on number of people attending, duration, and location. Please feel welcome to enquire for more details.
Bespoke subject talks, where a talk is created on request, about a specific subject, are charged differently to my regular talk fee, and negotiated individually. I welcome requests and enquiries about specific subjects, and I am happy to speak with you regarding your specific requirements.
