Rachel and Natasha have over 20 years of experience of working with both plants and people - On walks, workshops and in various clinics. Natasha has been in house forager for The Fife Arms Hotel in Braemar since 2018. We have created these online courses to reach and teach more people and create a deeper connection to nature.
The format of the course follows the seasons - connecting you to nature and the seasons in your local area. The heart of the course is from Scotland, where we explore the trees and plants that are found here, but have become naturalised elsewhere - likely where you live as well.
Each course is six weeks long with a break in between of about 1 or 2 weeks. Covered in your course fees is a material supply kit that we will send to you through the post. These materials can be used to create many of the recipes that are included in the course lessons at home. We estimate it will take you four hours to complete each week. On the weeks where there are live webinars, they will be held on a Saturday, and will be recorded for those unable to attend.
We will teach how to make cocktails ingredients such as bitters, shrubs and syrups. In the kitchen we will show you techniques for preserving such as fermenting, pickling, jams and chutneys. For your medicine cabinet we'll show you how to prepare tinctures, salves, infused oils and infusions. For your skin we have recipes for lip balm, moisturiser and deodorant.
Using the seasonal calendar we will celebrate various dates throughout the year and with each course such as the equinoxes and solstices. Each course culminates with us creating a cocktail with the course community via a live webinar.
You can sign up for each individual course or you can sign up for All Seasons and save £100. Our first course begins with Late Spring on the 20th of March 2021.
Course Descriptions
All Seasons 15th May 2021 to 30th April 2022 Click here to join
Save £100 when you purchase the All Seasons course over purchasing them individually.
Learn to connect to the seasons and outdoors throughout the whole year. We'll show you how to identify and forage plants for food, cosmetics, medicine and cocktails. Read each course description below to see all the details.
Enrollment cut off date for Early Summer course is the 8th May 2021 so we can send out the material supply kit to you in time. There is some flexibility.
Early Summer 15th May 2021 - 26th June 2021 Click here to join
Time to celebrate the Summer Solstice! We’ll celebrate with homemade cake and cocktails. This is an abundant time of year, we’ll show you how to make herbal syrups, savoury sauces and a delicious pesto. Explore the flavour wheel and understand more about how we perceive taste and foods.
Late Summer 10th July 2021 - 21st August 2021 Click here to join
Learn to relax into Summer time! Capture Summer in creating preserves and learning how to dry plants to see us through Winter. Learn how to make herb infused salts, salad dressings, chutneys, pickles and, of course, a Summer cocktail.
Autumn 11th September 2021 - 23rd October 2021 Click here to join
It’s time to preserve the autumn harvest! Learn preservation techniques such as pickling and fermenting. Make your own delicious chutney, punchy ginger beer, foraged berry syrups and vinegar shrubs. Learn how plants can help support your immune system to be ready for the quieter months of Winter. Celebrate Autumn Equinox with a seasonal cocktail and the preserves we have created.
Winter 27th November 2021 - 22nd January 2022 Click here to join
Winter is traditionally a time for feasting, celebrating and being with family, community and relaxing. No better time than Winter to practice self care and relaxing into the Winter Solstice. Learn the history and making of bitters for digestion and for cocktails. We will also review the basics of mixology of cocktails and construction with herbal ingredients.
Early Spring 29th January 2022 - 12th March 2022 Click here to join
The snow has finally melted and we look forward to seeing the plants emerge from their slumber. The foraging year begins and we will teach you some practical botany and the ethics of foraging. We'll look at some healthy Spring tonic recipes that help us adapt to the change of the season. How to collect silver birch sap and how to use and preserve it. We’ll also guide you through the idea that invasive species can be used as food and medicine.
Late Spring 26th March 2022 - 30th April 2022 Click here to join
Celebrate the Spring Equinox with making herbal chocolate truffles and a cocktail. We’ll guide you through how to make various infused oils that can be used in a homemade salve and a rich moisturiser. For Earth day, we’ll look at our various environments and our environmental responsibilities when foraging and being outdoors.
Educational Statement
Gathering Nature’s content is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice nor a substitute for medical treatment. Please consult your medical care provider before using herbal medicine. Make certain of your identification prior to harvesting any plant or mushroom as ingestion, application, or other use of some plants and mushrooms may cause illness or death.