Sarah Cowell

UPDATE - We've Hit Our Target! Plus New Bonus!!

Woot! Yay! THANK YOU! This means that the project will now definitely be going ahead, you'll get all the rewards you've chosen and I will be going to America for Herbal Rewilding. On Friday (eek!). Because you are all so amazing, I'm adding a new stretch goal bonus; if we hit $5000 in the next 48 hours, then EVERYONE who chose a reward of $30 or more can get a little bonus herbal tea blend*. So that's an extra incentive to get your friends to pledge;  if we hit our next goal, you can both get the tea blend! And I'll get to cover bus fares instead of hitch-hiking, plus supplement my herbal foraging with some other food! Hurrah!

*Just in Australia. For my overseas supporters, I'll send you a bonus herbal video or interview. 

The Inspiration 

The seeds for this project have been slowly germinating for decades. I watched folks pull out chickweed, spray Roundup on dandelions and buy supermarket rosemary because they didn't know it was in their garden.. and I realised that in our modern lives many people are just not as familiar with plants as say, our grandparents were.

Luckily for me as a kid I got to trail around the garden with my father, learning all the plants and treasure-hunting for potatoes. I grew up to become a big kid who still gets a huge kick out of hunting for edibles to munch on. When it dawned on me that others are missing out on this skill and experience I felt sad and wanted to do something about it. Share what I know.

Herbal Rewilding - what's it all about?

This Herbal Rewilding project is about re-connecting us to that old plant wisdom; what our ancestors knew intrinsically. It's about re-learning lost skills in reading and relating to the natural world and understanding our place within it.

There is something thrilling and empowering about being able to forage medicinal plants and knowing how to harvest and make remedies with them. It can be as simple as making a sore throat gargle from the sage in your garden (or the neighbour's - call it urban foraging) instead of buying a chemical version in a plastic bottle. Revitalising yourself with herbs you previously thought were just good for pizza toppings.

And playing with the herbs is a heck of a lot of fun! Taste-testing your own rose and ginger herbal honeys, rosemary vinegars, spiced bliss-balls and chocolate body scrubs is really rewarding. (And delicious!)

Herbs are such a beautiful bridge to a deeper relationship with nature. Being with the plants, harvesting and making medicine with them is a powerful, ancient art waiting to be revived. Here’s to its revival!

Our modern lives separate us from nature. Depression, burn-out and ill health abound. Spending more time connecting with nature has been shown to enhance our wellbeing, boost creativity and help us feel more whole, vital and truly alive. It doesn’t need to be a week out in remote wilderness; it can start in your own backyard.

The Plan

Just before you go running off to the forest let me tell you about the plan! The US is where Herbalism and Rewilding has taken off so I want to immerse myself in that wisdom - and bring back all that richness, learning and inspiration to share with you here in Australia.

Your contribution will go towards the flights, the Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference, two courses on deepening connection with nature – and the materials to create your thank-you rewards; the herbal goodies, tea blends, workshops and more!

Thank you for considering supporting my project; I really hope you will join me in making this happen! I'm excited that together we can grow healthier, happier communities through the benefits of Herbal Rewilding. The plants are ready to welcome us with open flowers!

Please share this with your friends, colleagues, social media and any dandelions in your garden. From my heart to yours, thank you :-)

Sarah xx

PS. Special thanks to Ben Morgan who captured this essence so beautifully in his video and photographs, to CERES Environmental Park for letting us film in their gardens and to Rosie Cooper of Kindling Herbs, my co-conspirator in all things Herbs and Rewilding.

Your contribution will go towards the cost of the trip (flights, conference and courses) plus the materials to make your rewards (herbal tea sampler, herbal surprise box, workshop materials).

Costs:

Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference $200

Nature Connection courses

• The Art of Mentoring $ 960
• Soulcraft Intensive $380

Flights to USA $1200

Materials for rewards and workshops $500

Videographer for Pozible video $450

Pozible fee $160

Bank transaction fees $150

One challenge is going to be eeking my AU dollars out with the horrible US-AUS exchange rate making everything way more expensive! Luckily, frequent adventuring has taught me how to live off the smell of an oily rag (as my mother likes to say) and hence my experience as semi-pro couchsurfer, low-budget traveller and forager of wild edibles will stand me in good stead ;)

Another challenge I see is when leading the herb walks upon my return for the rewards. Being wild foraging, we are at the whim of nature and the seasons. And people with whipper-snippers. If Spring comes early I will need to adapt the walks to whatever plants and weeds are present. I'm fine with working around that. So I will check the progress of the medicinal plants with my peeps on the ground back home before I return and then again myself in the lead up to the walks, sussing out some back-up locations just in case.