Basytr University offers four days of free classes to honor HerbDay

As part of the sixth annual National HerbDay to raise the awareness of the significance of herbs in daily life. Bastyr University is offering four days of free classes, open to the public, on their campus in Kenmore.

Wednesday, April 27, noon to 12:50 p.m.: “Jungle Herbs,” presented by Jenn Dazey, ND, RH (AHG), in room 186 on the Bastyr campus.

The equator is where the highest biodiversity is found, but also where the majority of plants are being studied for potential development into pharmaceutical drugs. Just like in other parts of the world, the people who live in the tropics have their own traditional folk-medicine traditions that were passed down through the generations and are now at risk of being forgotten as pharmaceutical preparations of these plants dominate modern medicines. Learn a handful of tropical medicines, how to harvest them and how to prepare them. Next time you're faced with Montezuma's revenge, you'll know how to treat it to continue enjoying your tropical vacation.

Dr. Dazey is a core faculty member in the Botanical Medicine Department at Bastyr University and a practicing naturopathic physician. She regularly studies plants in Costa Rica, and brings along students from Bastyr University every spring.

Thursday, April 28, noon to 12:50 p.m.: “Local Alternatives to Exotic Herbs,” presented by Eric Yarnell, ND, in room 186 on the Bastyr campus

Myrrh, pau d'arco, cat's claw, pygeum, muira puama and all the other sexy rainforest/global plants that are seemingly marketed in waves to become perennial favorites come with an ecological price few take note of. Dr. Yarnell will discuss native North American alternatives to many endangered, threatened or just plain ecologically nonsensical herbs for clinical use.

Dr. Yarnell is a core faculty member in the Botanical Medicine Department at Bastyr University. He co-owns Heron Botanicals and has authored many botanical medicine books and articles. He maintains a naturopathic medicine practice with a special interest in men’s health.

Friday, April 29, noon to 12:50 p.m.: “Green Gods: The Phytochemistry of Entheogens and Mind-Altering Botanicals,” presented by Kaleb Lund, PhD, in room 186 on the Bastyr campus

The use of mind-altering plants is culturally ubiquitous and reaches back through the mists of time. Yet the mystery of how these little green gods can open up different realities continues to entice and frighten us. Devil’s trumpet, ayahuasca, diviner’s sage, angel’s trumpet and peyote are a few players in this pantheon. Dr. Lund will discuss the past and present cultural/evolutionary aspects of psychotropic plants and shed some light on the peculiar chemicals that facilitate this mystical adventure.

Dr. Lund is a researcher of botanical medicine and adjunct faculty in the Botanical Medicine Department at Bastyr University. His research focuses on the effects of botanicals on the mitochondria and hyperglycemia as well as the imaginative projects envisioned by his students. He is an always-learning herbalist and laboring alchemist, interested in the role plants have in developing our inward and outward ecologies.

Saturday, April 30, 11 a.m. to noon: “Herb Walk – Spring Tonics,” presented by Jenny Perez, in the Herb Garden on the Bastyr campus (meet in the gazebo)

Celebrate Herb Day at the Bastyr Herb Garden. Learn about a variety of spring tonic herbs and how to use them as both food and medicine. Tour is limited to 20 people. Please RSVP by emailing garden@bastyr.edu or calling (425) 602-3153.

Jenny Perez is the Herb Garden supervisor at Bastyr University, the director of Bastyr’s new Certificate Program in Holistic Landscape Design, an adjunct faculty member for the Botanical Medicine Department and a graduate of the University’s Herbal Sciences program.

The following workshop requires a $15 entrance fee and advance registration. Contact Chrissy Atkins in the Botanical Medicine office by emailing catkins@bastyr.edu or calling (425) 602-3287 to register.

Thursday, April 28, 6:30-8:30 p.m.: “Herbal Syrups to Delight the Taste Buds and Heal What Ails You,” presented by Crystal Stelzer, in the Botanical Medicine Lab (room 75) on the Bastyr campus

Springtime brings a lot of Pacific Northwest plants in bloom. Come learn how to turn your favorite herbs into delightful syrups that will be sure to please the taste buds. Syrups are the perfect preparation to use as a flavoring agent for cooking. They can be taken by the spoonful when ill, or one can add a splash of carbonated soda to create a delicious, frothy beverage. The workshop will include instruction on making a standard syrup and a sugar-layered syrup

Crystal Stelzer is a graduate from the Herbal Sciences program at Bastyr University, and an adjunct faculty member for the Botanical Medicine Department. She is also an herbal consultant, specializing in women's reproductive health and adrenal support.

Bastyr University is located in Kenmore, Washington, at 14500 Juanita Drive N.E., adjacent to St. Edward State Park. For more information as well as map and directions, visit the website or call 425-602-3287. Bastyr’s renowned award-winning dining commons will be open until 6 pm weekdays and at 2 pm weekends for those wishing to purchase an excellent meal in conjunction with any of the events. General information on HerbDay including national events, educational materials and more is available at HerbDay.