Explore medicinal plants of the Chicago region, their virtues and applications for health and well-being, ethical foraging and wildcrafting, and safety considerations for utilizing the plants we encounter as medicine—all from the perspective of a clinical herbalist.
Participants will develop a deeper ecological awareness of our unique and beautiful bioregion, illuminating the relationship between the habitats in which plants grow and the medicinal virtues that arise as a result.
This program meets in person at The Morton Arboretum.
Instructor: Alex Williams, clinical and community herbalist
Age: 16 and older
Course number: N320
Instructor
Alex Williams, clinical and community herbalist
Alex Williams is a Chicago herbalist and founder of First Curve Apothecary and Greenspell School of Ecological Herbcraft. Williams works with clients to support them in cultivating rituals that emphasize rest and genuine self care, offering personalized herbal formulas in support of these goals.
In addition to working with clients, Williams offers herbalism classes, apprenticeships, and sliding-scale herbal supplements through First Curve Apothecary. Williams teaches sociology at Roosevelt University and at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. Every once in a while, he writes an occasional haiku.
Learn more on his website.
What to Know
This program meets outdoors. Check the forecast and dress for the weather.
Wear comfortable, sturdy shoes and plan to walk more than a mile on uneven terrain.
Bring a water bottle, pen, and notepad. Sunscreen may come in handy.
Program Schedule
Saturday, October 4, 2025, 10:00 a.m. to noon
Prairie Visitor Station (parking lot P-25), West Side
