Wild Things Year 1 In Person Group Glasgow 2024

Our in person class is now full for 2024

You can check out the online & blended versions of our Wild Things course here or email hello@grassrootsremedies.co.uk to be added to the waiting list for this class, incase someone's circumstances change meaning they can no longer attend. Thanks

Wild Things Year 1 In Person Glasgow 2024

Closed

The fully in person version of our popular 8 month course exploring wild food and medicine is back.

Please note that we offer the in person Wild Things course on a sliding scale from £475-£850 which can be paid in 1 or 3 instalments - see below for how this works & optional in person add ons.

Please take time to read through all the info below & book your place here.

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Back by popular demand...our fully in person class

We are very happy to say that for 2024 we have 3 different ways you can study Wild Things with us!

This info & booking page is all about our in person class running in Glasgow March-October 2024.
If you are looking to book onto our online or blended version of this course please click here.

We give all our in person group students free access to our online version of the course full of videos & digital handouts. We hope that attended group students will fully enjoy meeting up for a day once a month, knowing that they have unlimited access to the online course to go over course content at their leisure in future years to deepen the learning.

Welcome to Wild Things - We can't wait to start learning with you...

The Wild Things course is an eight month exploration of British wild food & medicinal plants growing in a variety of habitats through the seasons.

It provides opportunities to gain confidence in low impact foraging, beginners botany & ecology, & to develop a sensory approach to using wild plants both as food & medicine. There will be a combination of theoretical & practical remedy making sessions in the classroom lessons and introductions to many different plant species on the outdoor herb walks.

Increasingly today our food & medicine is flown to us from far regions of the globe. Health food shops are stocked with ‘superfoods’ from rare and diminishing habitats, and we are commonly offered endangered species like Arnica & Echinacea.

We have lost our connection to our local bioregions, & with it all of the history & traditions that our landscape & the plants that grow there can offer us.

This course is about re-connection & about building sustainable, healthful practices through a deepening relationship with our local ecosystems. For this reason the plants that are covered on this course are those that are common & abundant in the Northern British Isles.

Course Outcomes

Develop an understanding of the ethics and practice of ecological harvesting and gain confidence in low impact foraging
Try out recipes and learn practical remedy making skills for home use
Learn about the edible and medicinal properties of some of our common British plants & when to harvest them
Develop a sensory approach to herbal medicine
Beginners botany & ecology & the ability to confidently identify common species
Gain an understanding of how to live more harmoniously with the seasons
Visit distinct habitats on our herb walks and see how the plant communities that live within them change over the year

Course Contents & Dates

All sessions will be on Saturdays 10am-4.30pm:

10am-12/12.30pm Herb Walk
Lunch 12.30-1.30pm (please Bring Your Own)
1.30-4.30pm Classroom Session

We have allowed an extra half hour in the morning for potential travel from different meeting points - we may finish earlier on days that we are in Pollok Park all day.

Saturday 23rd March 10am-4.30pm:
- Herb Walk 1 & mystery herb
- Classroom 1: course introduction, basic principles, sensory herbalism introduction & mystery herb
Saturday 20th April 10am-4.30pm:
- Herb Walk 2 & mystery herb
- Classroom 2: ecology & plant communities, sustainable foraging practice, spring tonics & mystery herb
Saturday 11th May 10am-4.30pm:
- Herb Walk 3 & mystery herb
- Classroom 3 - Friday 3rd May: herbal preparations introduction, harvesting, drying & storing, infusions & decoctions & mystery herb
Saturday 15th June 10am-4.30pm:
- Herb Walk 4 & mystery herb
- Classroom 4: herbal actions introduction, herbal tinctures & mystery herb
Saturday 13th July 10am-4.30pm:
- Herb Walk 5 & mystery herb
- Classroom 5: a sensory approach to plant chemistry, infused oils & mystery herb
Saturday 3rd August 10am-4.30pm:
- Herb Walk 6 & mystery herb
- Classroom 6: seeds, herbal ointments & mystery herb
Saturday 7th September 10am-4.30pm:
- Final Herb Walk 7 & mystery herb
- Classroom 7: preserving the bountiful autumn, herbal syrups, herbal infused vinegars & mystery herb
Saturday 12th October 10.30am-3pm:
- Classroom 8: foraging in the dark months, home medicine chest & mystery herb
- the final classroom session will include our end of year celebration, a chance to share remedies and food we’ve made from wild ingredients
- The structure of our final session together will be a little different including our final classroom activities & then an end of course celebration & bring & share (see below).

Meeting Point: Sir John Stirling Maxwell Allotments, Pollok Park, 2060 Pollokshaws Road, G43 1AT - this will be the meeting point for most sessions, we will discuss possible different meeting points at the first session.

Transport: Pollokshaws West train station (5 minutes); First Bus stop (2 minutes); On-street parking nearby; Please ask about accessible parking

Facilities: Accessible, indoor and outdoor spaces and toilets.

Morning walks may be over rough terrain - please ask about accessibility

What The Course Includes

Handbook '40 Herbs By Season of Harvesting, Herbal Action, Body System & Suitable Preparations'
7 herb walks in or around Glasgow
8 Classroom sessions covering: Botany Basics, Introduction to Traditional Western Herbalism, Introduction to Sensory Herbalism, Ecology Basics, Plant Communities, Sustainable Foraging, Foraging & The Law (UK), Spring Tonics, Herbal Actions, Sensory Approach to Plant Chemistry, Introduction to Seed Saving & Invasive Species, Preserving the Bountiful Autumn, Foraging in the Dark Months, Home Medicine Chest Creation
Practical Sessions on: Exploring the Tastes of Herbs, Spring Tonics, Identifying Edible Weeds in Your Garden, Harvesting Drying & Storing Herbs, Infusions & Decoctions, Tincture Making, Herbal Infused Oils, Herbal Ointments, Herbal Salts, Raw & Cooked Herbal Syrups & Herbal Infused Vinegars
The exploration of 15 mystery teas through sensory herbalism followed by 15 in depth herb monographs covering Plant ID, Parts Used, Edibility & Nutrition, Constituents, Medicinal actions & Therapeutics, Uses, History & Folklore, Preparations, Growing & Harvesting
An end of course celebration on our last afternoon together
Free unlimited access to the online version of our Wild Things course worth £700!

Want to learn with us but unable to make it to our Glasgow sessions?

Have you seen our online & blended versions of our Wild Things course?

If you live elsewhere in the UK, or can't meet up for a full Saturday, why not check out the online & blended versions of our Wild Things course here.

How Much Does It Cost?

The Course has four options for pricing, offered on a sliding scale i.e. you pay a price in keeping with your ability to do so (see below for more information). They range from £475 to £850. We also have a limited number of subsidised places on offer. Course fees can be paid in 1 or 3 monthly instalments. Paying by instalments will include a small admin fee.

Option 1: £850 (choosing this price allows us to provide more subsidised places for those with limited funds)

Option 2: £700 (please use WT1ATTENDED700 coupon at the check out to deduct £150)

Option 3: £575 (please use WT1ATTENDED575 coupon at the check out to deduct £275)

Option 4: £475 (please use WT1ATTENDED475 coupon at the check out to deduct £375)

We have a limited number of subsidised places available at £320 as well (SOLD OUT FOR 2024)

How Much Should I Pay?

Below are some guidelines to inform which course fee is most appropriate for your situation. We acknowledge that there are many factors which determine how much expendable income and financial security folks have & we appreciate that everyone’s situation is different, so please refer to the below as guideline only. We won’t ask for any proof of your personal circumstances & trust each of you to judge which price feels right for you.

For example, if some of the statements below describe your situation you may choose to buy a low cost place for £475 or a subsidised place for £320:

- I have access to benefits or am employed but have very limited expendable income
- I have limited savings and/or limited access to any financial support from others
- I am a carer &/or have dependants
- I have no recourse to public funds
- I have chronic health issues which impact my financial security

For example, if some of the statements below describe your situation you may choose to buy a medium cost place for £700 or a solidarity place for £850:

- I am able to comfortably meet my basic needs, have savings & an expendable income
- any debt that I have doesn’t impact my daily life
- I comfortably rent a property or own my own
- I own a car & can comfortably afford fuel
- I am able to afford to go on holidays

Courses purchased at the solidarity price enable us to carry out our community work & offer subsidised places on the course to folks who would not be able to access it otherwise. We are trusting everyone to respect this model & thank you all for playing your part in increasing the accessibility of the course.

Why Do We Use A Sliding Scale?

Our core aim in Grass Roots Remedies Co-operative is to try & make herbal knowledge, skills & consultations accessible to everyone. As well as running herb walks, courses & workshops we also provide a community herbal clinic in Wester Hailes, South West Edinburgh which runs by donation to local people (as far as we know the only one of its kind in Scotland). We also run a free programme of community workshops in the neighbourhood.

We use a sliding scale in our workshops and courses: a sliding scale is a mechanism where people pay different fees according to their income & access to resources, so that services can be made accessible to as many people as possible, & folk are less financially excluded. A sliding scale means that everyone pays a similar proportion of their income for the same service.

This increases access for people who are systemically excluded from participating in community activities such as people of colour, people with disabilities or health conditions, LGBTQ* & working class communities, immigrants & women-led groups.

By paying a higher rate on the scale if you can afford it, you are enabling us to carry out our core work of providing free and low cost education & herbal consultations in areas of deprivation. We really appreciate your continuing support.

Looking for our online or blended course?

If you live elsewhere in the UK, or can't meet up for a full Saturday, why not check out the online & blended versions of our Wild Things course here.

Frequently asked questions

You’ve got questions. We’ve got answers.

When do enrolments open & close?

We open enrolments for the course around October of the year before the course starts in March. If you'd like to be notified of when enrollment is available, sign up below or email us at jillian@grassrootsremedies.co.uk. We close enrolments at the end of April each year so folks coming across the course later in the spring won't miss out. We feel that folks joining after the end of April might not catch up with the beginning of the course & so may not get the most out of the learning experience. Get in touch with us to be the first to know when the course is released the following year.

I want to pay in instalments. Is there a charge for this?

Yes. We give the option of paying in one go when booking or to select payment in 3 monthly instalments. We increase the price to account for the bank charges & admin fees for paying in 3 instalments.

For example if you book onto the course on December 1st choosing to pay £700 you can either pay:

1 instalment: £700 on Dec 1st

3 instalments: £240 on Dec 1st, £240 on January 1st, £240 on February 1st totally £720.

I want to purchase a subsidised place at £320 but they are all allocated. Will any more become available?

We have 2 subsidised places at £320 per class. If you are trying to purchase a subsidised place and they are not available please email jillian@grassrootsremedies.co.uk to put you on a waiting list to be the first to be notified when bookings open for next years course by email.

What is your refund policy?

If you have booked onto the course but have changed your mind we can fully refund minus a 5% transaction fee up until 28th February 2024. No refunds can be given after this date.

I'm pregnant, chestfeeding or have a medical condition. Is this course safe for me?

One key component of the course is our guided sensory herbal tea tastings - we will post out 15 mystery herbs at the start of the course and provide you with guidance on meeting them with all of your senses. For each herb we will provide any contraindications in advance so you can decide for yourself if it is suitable for you to taste them or not. If you have any questions about this, you'll be able to check in with us, & there's no pressure to taste any of them. You can always sit with the herb & just smell it instead if that's what feels right. We provide full monographs on each herb to be downloaded after your tasting.

I live outside of the British Isles, is this course suitable for me?

We have an online version of the course suitable for folks living further afield. See our online course details here.

The plants that are covered on this (& the online) course are those that are common and abundant in the British Isles, with an emphasis on the North. While the theoretical elements and practical remedy making sessions will be applicable wherever you are, we suggest the online course will fit best for people living in the British Isles or in a similar climate.

I already have some herbal knowledge, is this course for me?

The Wild Things year 1 course brings together a diverse range of subjects (found in the course outcomes section above). The course also focuses on wild plants only, many of which may be new to you. The herbs covered are:

nettle, dandelion, garlic mustard, sticky willie, few flowered leek, wild garlic, chickweed, coltsfoot, birch, pine, white dead nettle, hawthorn, elder, comfrey, meadowsweet, horsetail, plantain, daisy, st john's wort, lime flower, sweet cicely, raspberry leaf, rose, yarrow, self heal, mugwort, sea buckthorn, burdock, blackberry, valerian, marsh mallow, wild cherry bark, cramp bark, willow, oak, birch polypore fungus, turkey tail fungus, old man's beard lichen.

Do I get a qualification for completing this course?

Wild Things is a self-led course for your own learning, enjoyment & skills. There is no formal qualification awarded as a result of completing the course though we will provide a Certificate of Completion.

Is there funding for this course?

We aim to keep Wild Things as affordable as possible through the use of a sliding scale, however, we know cost will still be a barrier for some folk. Wild Things may be eligible for funding from other sources, particularly vocational training funding. We have had a few students living in Scotland with specific circumstances receive funding from Foundation Scotland in the past: www.foundationscotland.org.uk/apply-for-funding/funding-available - - please contact them to find out more. You may also want to find out if your local authority offers vocational funding, or if you are available through any state benefits that you receive or from your employer. Please note that Grass Roots Remedies Co-op is not involved in the administration or allocation of any of these funds, so please enquire directly to the funder.

Can I access the meeting point by public transport for each session?

Yes. Pollokshaws West train station is 5 minutes away & there is a First bus stop 2 minutes away.

Can I bring my dog along?

Although many of us in the co-op love dogs & hang out with them in our homes too, we ask you to leave your furry friends at home. There is always so much to talk about on herb walks that we often don't walk very far. This can lead to dogs getting frustrated at us silly humans. We also don't know how other people in the group feel about dogs.

Can I bring my baby/kids along?

The Wild Things course material and its herb walks are pitched for adults, and can be boring for kids. We are also limited by venue space.

We ask you to leave your loved ones at home wherever possible, and ask us in advance by emailing catriona@grassrootsremedies.co.uk before booking to discuss options.

What happens if a session can't go ahead due to unforeseen circumstances?

Wherever possible we will look to reschedule sessions if they are disrupted by unforeseen circumstances such as severe weather conditions or covid 19 restrictions. If you are unwell & miss a session you can catch up with the digital version & we will see you in person at the next one.

I get free access to the online course too! How long do I have access for?

You will continue to have access to the online course after the course ends. Once the course finishes we will no longer be answering queries in the comments section, but you will have all the course material at your fingertips for years to come, so you can revisit our lessons again and again. We have done this as we feel that you will get the most out of the course material this way & trust that you will respect this & not share our Wild Things resources with others (even your bestest of friends). The educational arm of our co-op allows our community herbal medicine clinics to exist & we are trusting everyone to respect this model to sustain them & provide this health service to folks in the future. Thank you for playing your part in sustainable community herbalism!

I still have a question, how can I contact you?

We are happy to answer any questions you might have. Send us an email at jillian@grassrootsremedies.co.uk.

About Grass Roots Remedies Co-operative

We are an Edinburgh & Glasgow based workers' cooperative whose central philosophy is that herbal medicine is the medicine of the people and should be accessible to everyone. We offer a series of practical courses and workshops, run the low cost Wester Hailes Community Herbal Medicine Clinic, the North Edinburgh Community Herbal Clinic, and produce simple resources to enable folks to practice herbalism at home. We also run Plant Medicine School Scotland, in collaboration with The Plant Medicine School over in Ireland.

For more information check out our website here: www.grassrootsremedies.co.uk

You can read about our co-op members who are also the Wild Things course facilitators here: https://grassrootsremedies.co....

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What have previous students said about the course?

- Wild Things 1 Student 2019

"I loved learning about herbs throughout the year, and particularly enjoyed noticing seasonal change during the course. Each session was delivered with an enjoyable mixture of botanical science, folklore and practical activities. There was a good balance of the local and the global, and each session left me wanting to explore more. The facilitators shared their knowledge and experience expertly – making it accessible and understandable, but always able to answer more in-depth questions. I would highly recommend this course."

- Wild Things 1 Student 2019

"Grass Roots Remedies encouraged us and ignited interest and passion for the wonderful world of plants, herbs and the magical properties that they contain. Now, I am often exhausted by travelling through nature as (even more so than previously) I want to stop and examine every growing thing and wonder what family it belongs to, what properties it has, the medicine it can provide for us and the connection it provides us to our ancestors of the past."

- Wild Things 1 Student 2018

"Wild Things should be mandatory to everyone in the country. It’s honestly that good.

Ally and Soraya care so much about what they do. Their classes are both inspiring and rewarding, starting at the bottom and connecting the dots that so many people miss."

- Wild Things 1 Student 2018

"One of the best courses I've ever taken – I took the course on impulse because it sounded interesting, but it's definitely made an impact on my life. I'd recommend it to anyone who is toying with the idea of signing up."

- Wild Things 1 student 2018

"Thank you so much for providing me with this opportunity to learn about native herbs and plants in a wonderful setting with great people. It was informative, inspiring and just overall great vibes."

- Wild Things 1 Student 2017

“Excellent course for bringing on confidence with identifying and using wild plants in a practical way. Its inspired me to continue researching, reading, foraging and making. Loved it. Thank you”

- Wild Things 1 Student 2017

“A fantastic course as an introduction to herbal medicine. Has been eye opening and all a wonderful way to spend the year - I’ve been raving about it to everyone”

- Wild Things 1 Student 2017

“the course was fascinating and fun: loved the balance of class learning and outdoor foraging”