The American Herbalists Guild - Herbal Study Hall

Business Protections for your Herbal Legacy with Christina Lynch

Description: This session reviews various approaches to protecting and preserving your lifetime's work. In continuing the preservation of your herbal legacy and contribution to the community, there are several measures that can be adopted to ensure that recognition and accessibility to information is maintained. Christina will review such protections including business and organization formation, trademarks, copywriting, and succession planning. 

Bio: Christina Lynch is a community herbalist, teacher, and cultivator who delights in reconnecting with the earth, partaking in spiritual practices, and carrying on ancestral traditions. Christina created The Ginger Tea Company, a small business focused on creating herbal products and services, and since transitioned her focus to the establishment of Black Herbalists Alliance. She is a board member of AHG, Florida School of Holistic Living, Red Hills Small Farm Alliance, and Herbalists Without Borders–North Florida chapter. She is a first-generation American of Barbadian descent who desires to share her knowledge of and passion for herbaceous plants with her community through herbal consultations, classes, and tea blends.

Poke, Mistletoe, and More! Southern Appalachian Ways with Lucretia VanDyke 

Description: Lucretia discusses folk uses for low-dose herbs with true Southern roots. Learn about the ole-time Poke remedies like “Poke Salat” and other traditional Poke uses. What is it? Is it safe to eat it? How do Southern folk herbalists work with Mistletoe? Listen to the enchanting herbalist tales of Appalachian folklore and their beloved plants. 

Bio: Lucretia VanDyke has been in the wellness industry for over 25 years and has had a lifelong connection to the plants that began in childhood. Her quest for knowledge and storytelling has led her all over the world to learn about preparations, traditions, and ceremonies from Indigenous healers. One of the foremost experts on Southern folk healing arts, Lucretia integrates rituals, plant spirit meditation, holistic food/herbalism, and ancestor reverence into people’s practices. Lucretia is the author of African-American Herbalism: A Practical Guide to Healing Plants and Folk Traditions. 

Low-Dose Antineoplastic Herbs with Eric Yarnell 

Description: Taxus brevifolia, Catharanthus roseus, Dicentra formosa, Asclepias spp., Larrea tridentata, Podophyllum peltatum, and Trichosanthes kirilowii and other low-dose anticancer herbs will be discussed. Besides a presentation of what is known about the chemistry, molecular actions, synergy, efficacy, and safety of these herbs from the literature, Eric will present on his 26 years of clinical experience using these herbs, primarily in patients with urological, renal, and gastrointestinal cancers. 

Bio: Eric Yarnell, ND, RH(AHG), is CMO of NW Naturopathic Urology. Dr. Yarnell is a noted authority specializing in men's health, urinary tract problems (in men and women), and kidney problems (in men and women). 

 Heritage Medicine: Prickly Pear, Sunflowers, Cacao and Hibiscus

Description: Mimi showcases traditional kitchen herbs from her Latin American heritage, including Prickly Pears, Sunflowers, Cacao, and Hibiscus. This materia medica presentation illustrates their rich diversity and medicinal properties through anecdotes and enticing recipes. Mimi introduces you to the fascinating world of ethnobotany integral to Latin American kitchens, with valuable insights into the clinical applications of these common ingredients. 

Bio:Mimi Prunella Hernandez, RH (AHG), is the author of the soon-to-be-released National Geographic Herbal. With her wealth of knowledge, unwavering dedication, and genuine love for all things herbal, she has significantly impacted the craft of herbal medicine. For over a decade, Mimi has served as the executive director of the American Herbalists Guild, where she has worked tirelessly to ensure that herbalists have a strong professional community to support their work. In 2023, Mimi received a Botanical Excellence Award from the American Botanical Council, a testament to her outstanding contributions to the herbal community. www.theponderland.com

Phytolacca Revisited: From Root to Berry with Lisa Ganora 

Description: Pokeweed is a low-dose medicinal plant with great potential for use in contemporary clinical herbalism. While most familiar as a lymphagogue, this herb has a diverse set of actions and energetics depending on parts used and how they are prepared. Using Appalachian and Eclectic traditions along with phytochemistry, we'll explore the energetics, actions, constituents, toxicology, and beneficial potential of the root (in various forms), the potent berries, and the edible shoots as cooked "sallet."

Bio: Lisa Ganora specializes in herbal constituents (pharmacognosy and phytochemistry) in the context of Western clinical herbalism and Vitalist practices. In addition to founding and directing the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism from 2012-2020 and managing Elderberry’s Farm, Lisa is the author of Herbal Constituents, 2nd Ed., and teaches online classes including  (Make Better Medicine and Herbal Constituents).

Baneful Balms: Topical Low-Dose Herbs in Clinical Practice

Description: This presentation will address the topical application of low-dose herbal preparations in clinical practice. Botanicals discussed will include Aconitum napellus, Corydalis yanhusuo, Atropa belladonna, Hyoscyamus niger, Datura stramonium, Veratrum viride, and Arnica montana, among others. Chemistry, actions, traditional use, dosage, application forms, and case examples will be reviewed.

Bio: Duncan Lynch, ND, RH(AHG), is a naturopathic physician. He completed his naturopathic degree at Bastyr University in 2021 and his residency at the AIMS Institute in 2023. Dr. Lynch employs a variety of potent herbal preparations in an evidence-based approach, with a goal of developing reliable methods for clinically applicable botanicals both topically and internally. He draws on traditional and modern medicine, utilizing a variety of beneficial plants and types of applications.

Clinical Trials Using Full-Spectrum Herbal Formulas 

Description: This presentation will dive into the design and findings of clinical trials sponsored by Gaia Herbs that have recently been conducted using full- spectrum herbal formulas.  This research is exciting as the majority of published herbal research is focused on single ingredients or purified extracts.  Learn about the process of designing a clinical trial for complex herbal products and be introduced to real life examples of full- spectrum herbal extract research. 

Bio: Erin McKinney, MS, is a skilled professional with over 13 years of specialized experience in the herbal supplement and wellness space. In her current role as the Clinical R&D Manager at Gaia Herbs, Erin is committed to raising the standards of clinical trials across the herbal supplements industry. Prior to managing Gaia Herbs' clinical R&D efforts, Erin was a leader in Quality Control across the company for seven years.

Microdosing: An update on the Clinical Possibilities 

Description: Could microdosing be the ultimate low-dose clinical? Clinicians across the globe are opening to the possibilities microdosing may have in the realm of neurological health, creativity, mood, pain, addiction, and more. In this exploratory presentation, we will discuss how sub-intoxicating doses of psilocybin, combined with other allies, can influence neurite outgrowth, nerve regeneration, and re-myelination of nerves. 

Bio: Gina is an herbalist, formulator, and an educator. Through her work with the indomitable and world-renowned mycologist, Paul Stamets, Gina has traveled internationally training practitioners and the public on the health benefits of beneficial mushrooms. She has served as a community herbalist throughout the Southeast, and currently resides in the Southeastern Appalachian Mountains. When not traveling and teaching, she focuses on cultivating herbs and mushrooms on her organic farm.