Over the centuries, humans have counted on the shelter, fire, food, and medicine the woodlands have offered. Many have reciprocated with gratitude in prayer, dance, offerings, and care in harvesting. Bark and root, leaf and flower, fruit and seed, the trees and other forest plants offer a bounty of riches to those who spend time in their company.
Let’s journey through time and place, the fragrance of evergreens and spirit of the trees and other botanicals that can benefit from our help—even as they share their own gifts with us.
Throughout her life, the woodlands of the Northeast United States have invited Kate Gilday into relationship with trees and plants that dwell in wild places.
Here, the elements of earth, water, fire, and air reside in a myriad of forms. Magic, grace, beauty, healing, intelligence, and deep peace touch those who engage with the forest.
Long-term relationships with trees grow when we spend time together in the art of presence and attention. We can learn and share much about ourselves as we tune in with our senses and memory.
During our three arboreal evenings together, you will experience both visual and audible time with trees, shrubs, lichens, herbs, and mushrooms.
You will learn…
🍂 How to deepen your connection with nature, the land, and the woodland species we meet along the way.
🍂 The essence and medicine of these botanical treasures.
🍂 How to carefully gather and prepare your personal herbal apothecary.
Kate will share her joy of the woods and…
🍃 Well-known evergreens and hardwood trees of the Northeast
🍃 Shrubs that thrive in a variety of woodland environments
🍃 Mushrooms that grow on dead and live trees
🍃 Wild herbs that you can successfully grow in your shaded, wooded gardens
As you spend time in the company of trees, you may feel a resonance with some of these wise ones, a gentle nudge or memory of your own remembering—the language of the forest.
Learn how to recognize specific tree species, ethically harvest tree barks, carefully wildcraft native herb roots, and recognize when to gather and when not to take. We will also discuss plant rescues, how to plant trees that thrive in your area, and what to add to your day pack when you head out for your own explorations.
Friends you will meet along the way…
White Pine, Scots Pine, Balsam Fir, Eastern Hemlock, Sugar Maple, White Ash, Linden, Black Walnut, Witch Hazel, Spikenard, Crampbark, Goldenseal, Black Cohosh, Red Trillium, Chaga, Reishi, and more!
Join Kate virtually in the old-growth pines where the silence is deep and the resonance is palpable. Are you ready to wander and learn? The forest welcomes you!
This is a 3-Part Workshop!
About Kate Gilday:
Kate Gilday is a grateful grandma, clinical herbalist, flower essence practitioner and creator, Ayurvedic lifestyle consultant, and herbal teacher working and living in Adirondack Park. She is the founder of Woodland Essence LLC, a forest botanicals and flower essence company that she began in the 1990s with her partner Don Babineau. Connecting herbs and flowers with others is her delight and passion, along with tending her relationship with the gardens and woodlands she calls home. Well-loved for the clarity and clinical relevance gleaned from decades of experience in her teachings, Kate brings her love of the wild places, song, and healing to the workshops she presents.