Our Popular Workshop Is Back! Autumn, 2018

Join us for the Galiano Harvest & Herbal Workshop – two amazing days of harvesting, preparing and learning about medicinal and edible herbs in a stunning coastal forest at the Millard Learning Centre on Galiano Island.

It’s an intensive, two-day, hands-on retreat, in a fun and supportive atmosphere with two talented instructors. 

“A beautiful place to learn”

Bring your friends, or plan to make new ones as you visit the Galiano Conservancy’s own cutting-edge Forest Garden, and harvest and prepare lacto-fermented sunchokes. Walk Galiano’s beautiful Douglas fir forest and discover the wild plants that live there, learning their roles in the ecosystem and their traditional medicinal uses.

Make kombucha, a lightly-fermented tea, and flavour it with herbs and native plants that you have gathered, and enjoy a fresh lunch that you’ve harvested together in the food forest.

Learn to make your own herbal salves and liniments with samples to take home, and experience  a red cedar steam.

You’ll leave with some of your creations along with the knowledge of how to recreate each of the weekend’s projects at home and a sense of how people and forests can work together, for each others benefit, in a sustainable future.

“I would recommend it for many reasons. My top three are: 1. Reed and Cedana are amazing facilitators. They work well together and are both very knowledgeable. 2. The information about plants and preparation was presented well. 3. The location of this facility makes everything work. Beautiful place. Love forest bathing—very special.” -Allison, Herbal Harvest Participant

Read about our successful 2016 pilot workshop.

We are looking for one or two volunteers to assist with this event. Learn more here. 

Instructors:

Cedana Bourne is Galiano Conservancy’s Agriculture and Nursery Coordinator, and a herbalist who grows or wildcrafts the plants for the formulas she creates for her apothecary. Cedana is also a Registered Holistic Nutritionist who appreciates a delicious whole foods meal. She is a passionate preserver and loves to incorporate wild foods into all kinds of tasty creations from baking to bubbly brews to fermented concoctions.

Reed Osler is the Galiano Conservancy Association’s Education Coordinator. She has been sharing her passion for parks and wild places with the public in a professional capacity for over 15 years. She studied herbalism at Pacific Rim College and is a certified Community Herbalist who is especially passionate about native plants, their edibility and their medicinal uses. She also loves music, theatre and art and incorporates these creative pursuits into her programs with children, youth and adults alike.

FAQs

Can I register for part of the course only?
You’re welcome to attend all or part of the course, but the ticket price remains the same, and covers the full two-day course.

Where can I stay overnight?
You can bring your own tent and stay overnight on the Learning Centre property, or book your own accommodations at one of Galiano Island’s overnight commercial lodgings. Or, you can take advantage of our camping gear combo.

How do I get there?
Galiano Island is easily accessible via BC Ferries, either from Swartz Bay (Victoria) or Tsawwassen (Vancouver). It’s generally a good idea to reserve your ferries in advance when traveling to and from the Gulf Islands. www.bcferries.com

The workshop is at the Millard Learning Centre on Porlier Pass Road. The site is well-marked by a carved wooden sign along the road.

The geo-coordinates for the site are 48.929832, -123.466053. If using Google Maps for GPS navigation, navigate to Galiano Learning Centre.

What should I bring?
You’ll need a notebook, good weather appropriate shoes for walking, sunscreen and/or rain gear, and a warm jacket. Optional: garden gloves, a basket, clippers/secateurs.

What do I do about meals?
We’ll provide lunch on Sunday that we will prepare together from the forest garden. You’ll need to take care of your own meals otherwise. There’s a grocery store and restaurants on Galiano Island.

Cancellation Policy
Refunds (minus the 2% Paypal fee) are available up to two weeks before the event. After that point the program is non-refundable.