Herbalism
in Practice
An 9 month hybrid apprenticeship by Herb Club LA
A space for you to learn hands-on. Deepen your herbalism practice within community
through seasonal rhythms and sustainable practices that look to ancestral knowledge.
About the Program
“Where I sit is holy
Holy is the ground
Forest, mountain, river
Listen to the sound
Great Spirit circling
All around me”
—Native American Chant
Holy is the ground
Forest, mountain, river
Listen to the sound
Great Spirit circling
All around me”
—Native American Chant
I invite you to join our Herb Club LA Apprenticeship: Herbalism in Practice, a 9 month journey into community-centered, bioregional herbalism designed for those who want to build a meaningful relationship with nature and approach herbalism with depth, integrity & intention. Expect to spend 110 hours throughout the next 9 months deepening your herbalism practice.
Each month, we’ll study local plants, meeting them in the field whenever possible. You’ll learn how to identify, gather ethically & responsibly (when appropriate), and how to prepare herbs into teas, tinctures, oils, and nourishing kitchen medicine while also deepening your understanding of herbal differentials, qualities, seasonal rhythms, and sustainable practices that look to ancestral knowledge.
This is a hybrid program with both in-person and online components, focused on the nuances of herbalism you won’t get through just reading books on herbalism or taking online-only courses. Together, we’ll write 10 thoughtful monographs, develop a deeper understanding of foundational herbalism, practice medicine making, and step into our integrity as herbalists.
At the end of our journey together, all apprentices are welcome to participate in an optional group camping trip. A weekend of connection, medicine making, plant dying, and shared meals. This gathering will be optional, with sign-ups and full details provided later in the season.
Whether you’re just beginning or returning to your herbalism practice after time away, this offering is steady, practical, and rooted in living out herbalism in community.
About the Cohorts
Our Herbalism in Practice Apprenticeship runs from September 2025 to May 2026, with an optional closing camping trip.
Join us...
- Two Cohorts available
- Saturday Field day 10am-2pm
- 3rd Thursday of the month: Online lesson
- 4th Wednesday of the month: Monthly Zoom Q&A sessions
- Includes a Telegram group for peer and instructor support
-
Access to online lessons recorded & available for playback
- Limited cohort size to maintain intimacy and access
DATES WE WILL MEET:
In-person classes will be held in the Los Angeles area meeting 10am-2pmMugwort Cohort Meets...
September 6th (Field Day) & 18th (Online)
October 4th (Field Day) & 16th (Online)
November 1st( Field Day) & 13th (Online)
December 6th (Field Day) & 18th (Online)
January 3rd (Field Day) & 15th (Online)
February 7th (Field Day)& 19th (Online)
March 7th (Field Day) & 19st (Online)
April 4th (Field Day) & 18th (Online)
May 2nd (Field Day) & 14th (Online)
Wild Rose Cohort Meets...
September 13th & 18th (Online)
October 11th & 16th (Online)
November 8th & 13th (Online)
December 13th & 18th (Online)
January 11th & 15th(Online)
February 14th & 19th (Online)
March 14th & 19st (Online)
April 11th & 18th (Online)
May 9th (Field Day) & 14th (Online)
Both cohorts meet for Monthly Zoom Q&A sessions
Optional Camping Trip in May 2026
What You’ll Learn
The Herbalism in Practice apprenticeship follows seasonal and community-centered rhythms, offering you hands-on experience and foundational herbal skills rooted in integrity and reciprocity with mentor oversight. Here's an overview of our 9-month journey together:
Month 1: Stepping into Your Role
- Basic Botany
- Creating sacred space for your practice
- Plant spirit connection & integrating herbal teas
- When is it responsible to wildcraft & sustainable harvest practices
- Writing your first plant monograph
Month 2: Seeds of Relationship
- Understanding wellness through relationship with nature & self
- Deepening your botanical language and sensory observation
- Building your home apothecary & intention-setting
- Seed-saving & sharing as intentional herbal practice
- Final project assigned
Month 3: Language of Herbalism
- Aligning herbal practice with seasonal transitions
- Herbal energetics, qualities, and actions
- Holistic herbalism vs. allopathic herbalism discussion
- Lacto-fermentations & brews
Month 4: Going Inward
- The body as part of the ecosystem
- Nutritional foundations: micronutrients & macronutrients
- Crafting and refining Fire Cider
- Supporting your body through winter
Month 5: Kitchen Medicine
- Continued deep dive into digestive health
- Emotional, social & physical factors of digestion
- Nourishing herbal foods & bone broth preparation
- Personalized nutrition assignment
Month 6: As Within, So Without
- Movement, recovery & embodiment as medicine
- Beginning your own medicinal garden
- Seasonal altars & offerings to the land
- Deepening community herbal practices
Month 7: Math for Herbalists
- Foundational tincture-making techniques
- Percolation methods & advanced medicine making
- Math for herbalists
- Creating intentional and safe herbal preparations
- Understanding formulation
Month 8: Community & Self-Care
- Acute care & herbal first-aid basics
- Remedies for stress, sleep, wound healing, cold & flu
- Oils, salves, and balms for acute care
- Empowering self and community through herbalism
Month 9: Offering the Harvest
- Embracing personal limits & ethical boundaries
- Limitations of practicing herbalism in California
- Assignments due
- Final project presentations
- Closing circle & honoring community (potluck)
Throughout this apprenticeship, you'll build a personal materia medica with a total of 10 plant monographs, deepen your connection to the land, and become confident integrating herbal practices into your daily life and community.
About Your Teacher
Andrea Jimenez is an herbalist, naturalist, and the founder of Herb Club LA, a vibrant community offering hands-on herbalism, bioregional education, and land-based connection across Tovaangar (also known as Los Angeles). Since its creation, Herb Club LA has welcomed over two thousand participants to immersive events, including plant identification walks, wild tea crafting, self & community care workshops, seasonal rituals, and herbal medicine making.
Andrea’s approach is rooted in a deep love for the land and a belief that learning herbalism should be embodied and in rhythm with the seasons. She specializes in bioregional as well as Traditional Western Herbalism, weaving together clinical training, field observation, ancestral memory, and direct relationship with plants.
She holds a California Naturalist Certification, an AA in Art, and has completed extensive training in Field Botany, Community Herbalism, and is currently seeking to become a Registered Herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild through a Clinical Herbalism Certification with the Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine.
A passionate and intuitive teacher, Andrea has collaborated with respected institutions like The Getty Museum, The City of Los Angeles, and organizations like Green Latinos, USAL, Active Cultures, Test Plot and continues to build bridges between urban communities and wild spaces through her offerings. Her teaching style blends scientific inquiry, traditional knowledge, and spiritual reflection, meeting each student with grounded care and curiosity.
Through this apprenticeship, Andrea offers more than education. She offers a container to remember, reconnect, and re-root with the lands that hold us.
READY TO APPLY:
Enrollment for the 2025–2026 cohort will open very soon. Please read through the program details and FAQ to make sure this offering feels aligned for you. Once you’re ready, fill out this follow up form (takes all of 2 minutes)!
Payment plans, work-trade positions, early bird discounst, and BIPOC scholarships available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this apprenticeship for?
This apprenticeship is for anyone called to build a deeper relationship with plants, whether you're completely new to herbalism or looking to reconnect to your herbal path after some time away. It’s ideal if you're looking for hands-on experience, supportive community, and practical herbal skills rooted in bioregional wisdom.
When does the apprenticeship begin and how long is it?
The program begins September 2025 and runs through May 2026, spanning 9 months (approximately 110 hours total).
What’s the structure of the apprenticeship?
This is a hybrid offering, meaning you'll experience both in-person and online learning:- Two Cohorts avaiable (see cohort structure above)
- Monthly in-person field days (one Saturday each month, 10am–2pm)
- Monthly online sessions (one Thursday evening each month)
- Monthly online Q&A (one hour, last Wednesday evening of each month)
- Optional group camping trip at the end of the apprenticeship for celebration, connection, and integration.
What is the tuition, and what’s included?
Tuition covers all instruction (in-person and online) and a monthly apothecary herb kit you'll receive during in-person gatherings.- Regular tuition: $2,255 (payment plan available: $150 deposit + $175/month + 3% credit card fee for 12 months)
- Early-bird tuition: $2,111 (payment plan available: $150 deposit + $163/month + 3% credit card fee for 12 months)
- Work-trade: $1,850 tuition (payment plan available:with $150 deposit + $142/month + 3% credit card fee for 12 months). Work-trade requires assisting with class setup/breakdown (about 4 hours/month).
Payment plans availabe
Do you offer scholarships or financial assistance?
Yes! We offer a BIPOC Scholarship, covering 50% of tuition, intended for BIPOC participants navigating financial hardship. You'll have the option to apply during the application process.
Where will classes take place?
Our monthly field days will be held in outdoor natural spaces around Los Angeles County (parks, gardens, and local trails). Specific meeting locations will be shared upon enrollment.
How much outside-of-class work is there?
Expect approximately 6–10 hours per month for herbal study, monograph writing, research, personal plant observation, and occasional home medicine-making assignments.
Can I attend fully online if I’m not based in LA?
This specific offering is intentionally designed as a hybrid experience. While attendance in-person is strongly encouraged to fully benefit from the hands-on nature of the program, if you’re interested in an online-only option, let us know and we can keep you in mind for future offerings!
What are the main assignments or projects?
You’ll complete monthly plant monographs (in-depth profiles of each core plant we study), and a final project showcasing your herbal journey and knowledge, supported by mentorship. Final project could be hosting an event, creating a Field Guide, a Zine, or any kind of project that reflects care, attention and effort throughout our time together.
What if I miss a class?
No worries! Recordings of online sessions will be made available. If you miss an in-person day, you'll receive class notes and resources to stay connected. You're also welcome to bring questions to our monthly Q&As.
Tell me more about the camping trip?
At the end of our apprenticeship, you'll have the option to join a weekend camping retreat to celebrate, share final projects, and deepen community bonds. Will share more details mid-program.
How do I apply?
Complete our final interest form. Once received, we'll contact you about next steps, deposits, and further details.REFUND POLICY
No Refund Policy
Enrollment in our Herbalism in Practice apprenticeship is a significant commitment, both for you and for me as your facilitator. Our group size is intentionally small so that everyone can have a meaningful experience. Because of this, tuition is non‑refundableonce. Your spot is reserved with a deposit or full payment.
Depoist is also non-refundable.
This policy is in place to honor the energy and planning that goes into creating this apprenticeship. When someone drops after enrolling, it impacts the group and makes it difficult to offer that space to another person once the program has begun.
Please take your time to read through the program details and be sure that this is the right fit for you before signing up. I am happy to answer any questions you might have prior to committing.
If an excruciating emergency arises that prevents you from completing the program, I’m committed to approaching it with compassion and finding a respectful partial refund. Proof of emergency will also be requested to honor the energy and time it takes to creating the apprenticeship, and all other invisible labor. No full refunds will be granted.
with gratitude,
Andrea
© 2025 Herb Club LA • Reconnect with the Land