Herbalism & Healing Workshop at Ewhurst Park

About

Explore the healing power of nature in this exclusive workshop set within Ewhurst Park's sublime ancient woodlands.

This workshop will involve foraging seasonal medicinal and edible plants and fungi, alongside exercises for healing the body and spirit through nature connection and practical techniques.

About the Workshop

Learn how to see the natural world through the eyes of a herbalist and how to identify noteworthy plants and fungi. Our expert guide will showcase seasonal highlights at Ewhurst Park, from small plants and fungi to towering trees, and share insights into their potential uses for medicine, food, or craft materials. Guests will also discover where dangers lurk and how to stay safe exploring and foraging in the natural world.

Alongside identifying key medicinal species, this workshop will also help to foster healing from within through connecting with nature. Guests will have the opportunity to explore their perceptions of the natural world and how different areas make them feel. Visitors will learn how to harness nature through exercises and practical techniques that attempt to promote the healing and wellbeing of mind, body and spirit.

Foraged materials will be taken to our Forest Hub where guests will have the opportunity to make a salve or infusion to take home. There will also be a selection of pre-processed items made with wild ingredients for guests to experience. For example; tinctures, ferments, preserves, cordials, syrups, sauces, crisps, soup, dehydrated foods, craft items and natural fibres.

This workshop includes a simple lunch which will be cooked on an outdoor fire and feature ingredients foraged during the walk alongside produce from Ewhurst Park's Quality Meats range. Our farming methods don't include the use of artificial fertilisers or pesticides, and we are in the process of being certified organic by the Soil Association.

Overall, this workshop will serve as an introduction for how to approach the vast and truly ancient and instinctual human activity of being in and utilising nature in a safe and responsible manner. We look forward to you joining us!

About your guide

Our resident herbalist and nature connection practitioner, Simon Keith, grew up in a family of herbalists, and has a lifetime of experience foraging plants and fungi. Simon has helped many people through trauma, illness and difficult times with over 15 years' experience leading local nature therapy and connection sessions. His bushcraft and woodwork skills are second nature, and he's at his happiest tramping through forests in search of exciting mushrooms and plants.

What can guests expect each season?

Each workshop is season specific and will feature natural elements that are available at the time. If you would like to discover the wild medicine and food available in other seasons, check out our other Herbalism & Healing Workshops or book onto all three for a discount.

In spring, Ewhurst Park will be brimming with plants that are great for salads, and herbs for wild medicine or flavour in cooking. Tree bark and sap can be harvested and there'll be species of spring fungi to be found.

In summer, the park is alive with flowers blooming and ripe sweet berries. Medicinal plants in season include yarrow, borage and meadowsweet, and guests can enjoy the simple delight of snacking on wild berries.

Autumn is a fantastic season for nuts, seeds, fungi and roots. There'll be rosehips for herbal teas, burdock roots for herbal medicine, and sweet chestnuts for roasting on the campfire.