Did you know that a clump of nettles is a “powerhouse of nutrients?” You can learn how to identify the herbaceous perennial and several other plants – as well as their uses – during a medicinal plant walk class led by herbalist and Sundial Medicinals owner Emily Stock.
“Nettle is a really good nutritive tonic,” Stock said. “I use it a lot for cooking. It has a wide range of mineral content and protein – which is unique for greens.”
Moonflower Community Cooperative’s mission includes offering free educational presentations to the public. Participants will meet at the co-op, Wednesday, April 28 at 5 p.m., where they’ll be able to choose a complimentary beverage before walking a few blocks to the Resiliency Hub’s CommuniTea Garden, at the corner of 100 West and Walnut Lane. Masks are required.
In addition to nettles, Stock will identify mulberry, willow, monarda (also known as bee balm), lavender, clover, alfalfa, and culinary herbs like rosemary, thyme, and oregano. She’ll talk about how to harvest, prepare, and store plants, as well as discuss their various uses, and how to cultivate plants at home.
Participants are encouraged to bring a notebook for note taking, as well as a camera to take photos for identifying plants later.
Stock said it’s a longstanding tradition amongst herbalists to lead plant identification walks for their communities; she typically leads a walk a couple of times a year. Stock became an herbalist through apprenticeships and studying with the East West School of Herbology.
She grows and harvests plants that she uses to make an array of herbal tinctures and personal care products, plus tea blends. All Sundial Medicinal products are available at Moonflower co-op.
“A lot of locals like her products,” said Maggie Keating, the co-op’s marketing and outreach coordinator. “And so do tourists who like purchasing Moab-made items.”
Additionally, Stock’s herbal tinctures, teas, and personal care items are available by making an appointment for pickup at Sundial Medicinals Herbal Apothecary and Clinic, 550 N. Main St.
“If people want refills and bigger bottles, they can schedule a pickup with me,” Stock said.
The plant class will take place in the CommuniTea Garden, which was developed in 2016 after the land was donated to Resiliency Hub, a grassroots, all-volunteer nonprofit organization promoting permaculture, sustainability and resilience.
“This class will supplement the creation of an herbal and ethnobotanical plant guide for the garden,” said Resiliency Hub and garden co-founder Claire Core, in an email.
Core said that the project, called the “Public Plants Project,” will enable the group to label all of the plants growing at the CommuniTea Garden. The signage will direct people to a booklet with “more information about the various herbal actions, edible elements, and material functions such as cordage making or natural plant dyeing.”
“Emily’s class will help begin the process of compiling information for this project,” said Core, who added that she regularly takes Emily’s tinctures, salves, and teas because they are “beautiful, effective, and delicious.”
To make an appointment for pickup of products at Sundial Medicinals Herbal Apothecary, email Stock at: sundialmedicinals@gmail.com.
Event Information
What: Medicinal Plant Walk Class
When: Wednesday, April 28 at 5 p.m.
Where: Meet at Moonflower Community Cooperative (39 E. 100 North, Moab)
Info: moonflower.coop/event/medicinal-plant-walk/
