Location: Raven's Roots Campus (Bellingham, WA)

• Growing season extension techniques

• Greenhouse construction and management

• Make paper using natural fibers

• Microgreens

• Plant propagation from seed (scarification, stratification and using compost teas)

• Hardwood cuttings

• Cottonwood bud harvesting

• Mushroom inoculation (growing your own at home)

Location: Raven's Roots Campus (Bellingham, WA)

• Composting methods (thermal and vermicomposting)

• Pruning

• Compost teas

• Sheet mulching

• Hugelkultur

• Permaculture principles and design techniques

• Swales and water harvesting

• Harvesting plants on the annual harvest schedule for November

• Winter tree and shrub identification

• Introduction to the Soil Food Web

• Studying soil microbiology using a microscope

Location: Raven's Roots Campus (Bellingham, WA)

• Hydrosols and essential oils

• Soap making using oils pressed from the previous class

• Lye making using wood ash

• Natural household cleansers

• Biochar and rocket stove making

• Biochar and it's role in building healthy soils (transitions into next class)

• Natural glues

• Advanced medicine making techniques

• More personal care products (toothpaste, deodorant, hair rinses etc.)

• Wild harvest of our perennial vegetables for potluck dinner on Saturday evening.

• Harvesting plants on the annual harvest schedule for October

Location: Raven's Roots Campus (Stanwood, WA)

• Basketry (using various willow, pine needles, English ivy and cattail). You'll go home with at least 1 basket.

• Fish hooks and fish baskets

• Making yarn from natural fibers

• Working with western red cedar bark (bracelets, jewelry etc.)

• Multiple types of natural cordage and techniques to make it

• Harvesting plants on the annual harvest schedule for September

Location: Mt. Baker - Heather Meadows, Hannegan Pass. Overnight camp.

• Travel to Mt. Baker - Heather Meadows

• Harvesting ethics

• Primitive cooking techniques (utilizing plants)

• Make a wild dinner harvested during the day at the evening camp fire

• Annual harvest schedule (outlining our harvests for the entire immersion course)

• Harvest plants on the annual harvest schedule for August

• Subalpine plant walks where we'll discuss edible, medicinal, wildlife attracting and utilitarian uses for plants

• Introduction to plant based medicine: Emphasis on safety

Location: Olympic Peninsula (Hoh Rainforest, Sol Duc, Hurricane Ridge and other locations). Overnight camp.

• Travel to Hoh Rainforest (Leave Friday evening)

• Harvesting plants on the annual harvest schedule for July

• Plant walks focusing on the old growth rainforest, supalpine and coastal ecologies

• Edible seaweeds

• Making medicines using harvested plants

Location: Southwestern Washington (Scatter Creek, Nisqually and other locations). Overnight camp.

• Travel south to Nisqually

• Plant walks covering edible, medicinal and wildlife plants as well as utilitarian uses. Focus on oak and prairie ecosystems

• Harvesting plants on the annual harvest schedule for June

• Making plant based, natural ink

• Processing and storing acorns

• Natural medicines: Understanding human physiology

• Introduction to plant/nature sit spots. Learning how to observe not only the plants, but how they interact with the ecology around them.

• Botanical terms and plant family identification tips

Location: Methow Valley (Mazama, Winthrop, Twisp areas). Overnight camp.

• Travel to the Methow Valley

• Wild harvesting foods and medicines on annual harvest schedule for May

• Plant walks in multiple ecosystems on the east side, covering edible, medicinal and wildlife plants as well as utilitarian uses. Focus will be on the foothill and shrub steppe ecologies east of the Cascade Mountains.

• Beneficial insects and pests (identification, the plants which attract them and their roles in the ecosystem.

• Making medicines using harvested plants

Location: Deception Pass State Park. Overnight camp

• Travel to Deception Pass

• Harvesting plants on the annual harvest schedule for April. (harvest not at Deception Pass State Park)

• Plant walks studying coastal ecology

• Edible seaweeds

• Phytoremediation/Mycoremediation

• Transplanting seed starts

• Harvesting wild mushrooms

• Microclimates

Location: Raven's Roots Campus (Bellingham, WA)

• Introductions and overview of the course

  1. Natural medicine making (tinctures, salves, syrups, lotions etc.)

  2. Teas, decoctions and infusions

  3. Comprehensive natural medicine cabinet. Using herbs and mushrooms harvested from the Pacific Northwest we'll build this cabinet for you throughout the course of the year

  4. Introduction to Permaculture

  5. Permaculture gardening strategies and techniques

  6. Introduction to plant identification and succession

  7. Grafting fruit trees

  8. Harvesting ethics

  9. Harvesting plants on the annual harvest schedule for March

  10. Wild foraging in the spring.