Wild Herbs with April

If you want to learn the medicinal and edible wild plants in season each month, and how to bring them into your kitchen, join the Wild Herb Academy Membership: https://www.wildherbacademy.com/learnwildherbs

Every mushroom you see is only the fruit. Beneath it lives an entire underground network holding the forest together. In this episode, recorded live at the Good Medicine Confluence in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I’m joined by Michael Wilson, forager, mycologist, and founder of Harmony Acres.

Michael shares the day a Reishi mushroom led him to it, and how fungi support the body’s own immune system. He also walks through his step-by-step approach to identifying Amanita muscaria and its relatives, and explains why he calls Amanita a slow burn relationship. That relationship opens only when you come with reverence, patience, and knowledge. You can watch this episode on Youtube!

👉 Amanita tinctures and oil infusions
Use the code WILDHERBS10 for 10% off your first order: https://www.harmonyacres.love/wildherbs

About the guest:
Michael Wilson is a forager, mycologist, and the founder of Harmony Acres in Pennsylvania. He has been foraging wild mushrooms since 2016, after years as an organic farmer, landscaper, and lifelong meditator. In 2021, a series of synchronicities led him to Amanita muscaria, and the healing he experienced turned his part-time passion into his life’s work. Today, Michael makes small-batch mushroom extractions and teaches about Amanita across the country, including at the Good Medicine Confluence.

Follow Michael Wilson:

• Website: https://harmonyacres.love
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harmony_acres
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeAreOneInHarmony
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@myco_miguel

About the host:
Hi, I'm April Punsalan — a botanist, ethnobotanist, herbalist, and the founder of Wild Herb Academy, dedicated to teaching people how to heal with plants. I want you to heal yourself and your family with the wild herbs that grow beneath your feet.

Connect with April:

• Website: https://www.wildherbacademy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildherbacademy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildHerbAcademy
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WildherbswithApril

Disclaimer:
This episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Some of the links listed above are affiliate links and I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

Thank you for listening! Make sure to follow the Wild Herbs Podcast so you can keep deepening your connection with wild plants and nature, within and without. Stay wild and stay human!

Learn to see the plants around you through the eyes of a botanist and herbalist, and discover their names, their medicine, and your connection to the land, in the free Backyard Pharmacy webinar: https://www.wildherbacademy.com/backyard-pharmacy

Perimenopause is often viewed as a time of hormonal decline, but Ayurveda offers a different perspective.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Shivani Gupta, an Ayurvedic practitioner, researcher, and author of The Inflammation Code, with over 20 years of experience studying and teaching Ayurvedic medicine.

Dr. Shivani and I had a beautiful conversation about the transition from Pitta to Vata during midlife, how declining estrogen influences inflammation and gut health, and her beautiful encouragement for women to embrace this new season of life.

We also explored the medicinal properties of turmeric, Ayurvedic herbs and spices for women's health, digestive fire (Agni), and the importance of grounding, slowing down, and creating daily rituals that nourish the body.

As two Pitta women, we shared our own experiences of learning to release the constant drive to do more and instead honor what our bodies need.

"Midlife is not the end of your power, it's the beginning of your awakening." – Dr. Shivani Gupta

Key Things You'll Learn:

• 00:00 - Teaser and intro
• 00:56 - Meet our guest, Dr. Shivani Gupta
• 01:57 - Midlife as the beginning of a woman's awakening
• 05:28 - At what age do women transition into the Vata stage of life?
• 10:15 - Perimenopause as a natural seasonal transition
• 11:12 - Spices for hormonal balance, burnout, and bloating
• 15:12 - How turmeric works on inflammatory pathways
• 18:25 - What makes Dr. Shivani's turmeric formulations different
• 23:37 - Ideal time during a woman's menstrual cycle to take turmeric
• 24:27 - Ayurvedic herbs and practices for gut microbiome and bloating
• 31:37 - Ayurvedic herbal teas for sleep, stress, and menopause
• 34:10 - Menopause and lifestyle differences across cultures
• 42:41 - What you'll learn from the book, The Inflammation Code
• 44:56 - How to work with Dr. Shivani

Discover your Ayurvedic Mind-Body Type (2-minute Quiz): https://shivanigreenliving.clickfunnels.com/elementaldesignUse the code WILDHERBS for 15% off your first order: https://fusionaryformulas.com?sca_ref=12551077.GMbp5nuDRK3

Get Dr. Shivani's book, The Inflammation Code: https://www.amazon.com/dp/140199699X

Follow Dr. Shivani Gupta:

• Website: https://shivanigupta.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.shivanigupta
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheShivaniGupta
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.shivanigupta

About the host:

Hi, I'm April Punsalan — a botanist, ethnobotanist, herbalist, and the founder of Wild Herb Academy, dedicated to teaching people how to heal with plants. I want you to heal yourself and your family with the wild herbs that grow beneath your feet.

Connect with April:

• Website: https://www.wildherbacademy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildherbacademy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildHerbAcademy
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WildherbswithApril

Disclaimer:
This episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Some of the links listed above are affiliate links and I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

Thank you for listening! Make sure to follow the Wild Herbs Podcast so you can keep deepening your connection with wild plants and nature, within and without. Stay wild and stay human!

Learn to see the plants around you through the eyes of a botanist and herbalist, and discover their names, their medicine, and your connection to the land, in the free Backyard Pharmacy webinar: https://www.wildherbacademy.com/backyard-pharmacy

Who may not be a good fit for psilocybin therapy?

Today's guest is Dr. JJ Pursell, a board-certified naturopathic physician, licensed psilocybin facilitator, and bestselling author of Psilocybin Therapy and The Medicine from the Trees. JJ and I had a heartfelt, wide-ranging conversation about her path from a flower farm childhood and an herb shop apprenticeship to more than 30 years of working with psilocybin, why fear and the need for control come up so often around this medicine, and how she thinks about the spirit of the mushroom. We also talked about the mycelial web of life, the womb and grounding, and more.

"My role is simply to make sure that you feel safe throughout the whole entire experience." – Dr. JJ Pursell

Key Things You'll Learn:

• 00:00 - Teaser and intro
• 01:14 - Meet Dr. JJ Pursell
• 03:13 - JJ's path to psilocybin therapy
• 12:30 - How cultural messaging shapes views of psychedelics
• 18:46 - Working with fear before a session
• 24:05 - Severe trauma and energetic footprint from the body
• 25:06 - Psilocybin and addiction research
• 32:22 - The spirit of the mushroom
• 37:45 - The womb, lower chakras, and grounding
• 41:05 - Who may not be a good fit
• 43:44 - Family history of schizophrenia
• 44:37 - Ketamine as a possible stepping stone
• 47:12 - Thoughts on microdosing
• 51:38 - Inside the book Psilocybin Therapy
• 55:20 - How to work with Dr. Pursell

Disclaimer:

This episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please speak with a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health.

Dr. JJ Pursell's Website: https://drjjpursell.com

Get Dr. JJ Pursell's book, Psilocybin Therapy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CDWK2BJ5

Follow Dr. JJ Pursell:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjjpursell2024
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjjpursell
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jjpursellndlac
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.jjpursell6187

About the host:

Hi, I'm April Punsalan — a botanist, ethnobotanist, herbalist, and the founder of Wild Herb Academy, dedicated to teaching people how to heal with plants. I want you to heal yourself and your family with the wild herbs that grow beneath your feet.

Connect with April:

• Website: https://www.wildherbacademy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildherbacademy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildHerbAcademy
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WildherbswithApril

Thank you for listening! Make sure to follow the Wild Herbs Podcast so you can keep deepening your connection with wild plants and nature, within and without. Stay wild and stay human!

Why Herbalists Need Medical Botany

You've done the training. You know your calendula, chamomile, echinacea, and goldenrod.

But the aster family alone holds 34,000 species.

In this episode, April shares why medical botany is the missing framework for trained herbalists. It was once the backbone of American healthcare, and today almost no one has heard of it.

In this episode:

• How April found medical botany. Fieldwork with botanist Richard Porcher led her to Charleston's Waring Historical Library, where she found shelves of medical botany texts and MD dissertations on single plants and regional floras.
• What medical botany actually is. It's the system doctors and eclectic physicians used in the 1700s and 1800s: classification, systematics, then medicine.
• What Latin names reveal. Phytolacca americana is decoded, and she explains why "officinalis" tells you a plant earned its place in the official pharmacopeia.
• The 4 out of 34,000 problem. Most herbalists work with a handful of asters while the native ones in their own yard go unknown.
• Why botany comes first. A federally threatened plant, swamp pink (Helonias bullata), ended up printed as a medicinal herb in a bestselling foraging book.
• The native asters in April's Charleston yard. She covers golden aster, sneezeweed, rabbit tobacco, and Bidens, and why Bidens is blooming while her echinacea struggles.
• Taste as the teacher. Ayurveda and herbal energetics let you read any wild plant as bitter, salty, astringent, or sweet, through your own constitution.
• Why this matters now. In April's words, "the most endangered thing right now is humans' connection to the land."

Plants mentioned:

• Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)
• Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
• Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
• Swamp pink (Helonias bullata)
• Golden aster (Heterotheca)
• Sneezeweed (Helenium)
• Rabbit tobacco (Pseudognaphalium)
• Spanish needles (Bidens)
• Blue curls (Trichostema)
• Blanket flower (Gaillardia pulchella)
• Eastern horsemint (Monarda punctata)
• Lamb's quarters, muscadine, and maypop

Resources mentioned:

• Resources of the Southern Fields and Forests by Francis Peyre Porcher
• Julia Morton's work on Lowcountry folk medicine
• Waring Historical Library and its medicinal plant garden (MUSC, Charleston, SC)
• Foraging Wild Herbs: 30 Healing Plants of the Carolina Coast by April Punsalan

Ready to learn the plants beneath your feet?

Enrollment for Medical Botany: Mastery of the Flowering Plant Medicines is Open

Enroll Now!

Know the land before the jar. 🌿

Follow and Subscribe to Be Notified When the Next Podcast Releases

I'll be sharing the most important things I've learned over nearly 30 years of studying herbalism and botany. If you're ready to stop mail-ordering herbs from distant lands and start connecting deeply with the plant kingdom, especially the wild ones, this free training is for you. Register below, and I hope to see you there!

📅 September 16th, 2026, at 12PM ET
👉 https://www.wildherbacademy.com/masterclass

What role can herbal medicine play in helping us reduce our risk of cancer and support the body when a cancer diagnosis occurs?

In this episode, I sit down with medical herbalist and holistic oncology expert Chanchal Cabrera to explore what she has learned from more than 40 years in clinical practice.

We talk about:

• Her #1 tip for breast cancer prevention
• Why she never puts patients "on a diet"
• Her study on women living well with breast cancer
• Phytoestrogenic herbs
• Her thoughts on period-tracking apps
• The real story behind wild yam
• Her daily herb ally

Chanchal also shares the research that changed her perspective on herbal medicine and cancer after studying women living well with breast cancer for more than 10 years, and why she believes the best path forward is collaborative care that brings herbal medicine and conventional oncology together.

About the guest:

Chanchal Cabrera is a medical herbalist, in clinical practice since 1987 with a specialty in holistic oncology since 2004. Chanchal is also a certified Shinrin-Yoku (forest bathing) practitioner, a certified Master Gardener and a certified Horticulture Therapist. Chanchal lives on Vancouver Island, British Columbia where she and her husband manage Innisfree Farm and Botanic Garden, a 7-acre internationally registered botanic garden specializing in food and medicine.

She is also the author of the book “Holistic Cancer Care: An Herbal Approach to Preventing Cancer, Helping Patients Thrive during Treatment, and Minimizing the Risk of Recurrence”. She held the faculty chair in Botanical Medicine at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine in New Westminster 2004-2016, and she publishes widely in professional journals and lectures internationally on medical herbalism, nutrition and health.

Get Chanchal's books:

• Holistic Cancer Care (signed copy): https://chanchalcabrera.com/product/holistic-cancer-care
• Fibromyalgia: A Journey Toward Healing (e-book): https://chanchalcabrera.com/product/fibromyalgia-a-journey-toward-healing

Connect with Chanchal:

• Website: https://chanchalcabrera.com
• Chanchal's Botanical Garden: https://www.innisfreefarm.ca
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chanchal.cabrera
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chanchal.cabrera
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chanchal.cabrera

About the host:
Hi, I'm April Punsalan — a botanist, ethnobotanist, herbalist, and the founder of Wild Herb Academy, dedicated to teaching people how to heal with plants. I want you to heal yourself and your family with the wild herbs that grow beneath your feet.

Connect with April:

• Website: https://www.wildherbacademy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildherbacademy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildHerbAcademy
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WildherbswithApril

Rate, review, and subscribe:
Bring the wisdom of wild plants with you. Listen to Wild Herbs with April on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review and, most importantly, share it with someone who's walking this journey with cancer.

🌲 Stay WILD. Stay human. And remember—you are nature.

With love,
April Punsalan

-----------------

Disclaimer: The information shared in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition, and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health routine, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or managing a medical condition.

Herbalists, want to learn the native plant medicine of your region? I’m teaching my framework for building regional plant knowledge in an upcoming LIVE class, From 20 Herbs to Infinite Medicine, on September 15, 16, and 18.

👉 Save your spot: https://www.wildherbacademy.com/masterclass

What if kidney disease doesn’t have to mean giving up hope? When kidney function begins to decline, it can feel like there are very few options beyond medication, dialysis, or transplant. But what role can herbs, nutrition, sleep, stress reduction, and other natural approaches play in supporting the kidneys and potentially preserving kidney function?

In this episode of the Wild Herbs Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Jenna Henderson, a naturopathic doctor, kidney patient, transplant recipient, and founder of Holistic Kidney.

After being diagnosed with a rare kidney disease at just 22 years old, Dr. Henderson eventually went through dialysis and a kidney transplant herself. That experience led her to dedicate her career to understanding how natural and conventional medicine can work together to support people living with kidney disease.

About the guest:
Dr. Jenna Henderson is a doctor of naturopathic medicine and the founder of Holistic Kidney, specializing in helping people with kidney disease through safe, effective, and holistic remedies. After experiencing rare kidney disease, dialysis, and a kidney transplant herself, she dedicated her career to supporting others on the same journey. Today, she works with kidney patients around the world, helping people at every stage of kidney disease preserve their kidney function naturally.

Connect with Dr. Jenna:

• Website: https://www.holistic-kidney.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Holistic-Kidney-100064646473040/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenna-henderson-898b64b/
• Email: info@holistickidney.com

About the host:
Hi, I'm April Punsalan — a botanist, ethnobotanist, herbalist, and the founder of Wild Herb Academy, dedicated to teaching people how to heal with plants. I want you to heal yourself and your family with the wild herbs that grow beneath your feet.

Connect with April:

• Website: https://www.wildherbacademy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildherbacademy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildHerbAcademy
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WildherbswithApril

Rate, review, and subscribe:
Bring the wisdom of wild plants with you. Listen to Wild Herbs with April on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review and, most importantly, share it with someone who's walking this journey with kidney disease.

🌲 Stay WILD. Stay human. And remember—you are nature.

With love,
April Punsalan

-----------------

Disclaimer: The information shared in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition, and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health routine, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or managing a medical condition.

Herbalists, want to go beyond knowing 20 common herbs and learn how to understand the plants growing around you? Learn how to embody the medicine of the land where you live. I’m teaching my framework for building regional plant knowledge in my LIVE class, From 20 Herbs to Infinite Medicine, on September 15, 16, and 18.

👉 Save your spot: https://www.wildherbacademy.com/masterclass

South African botanist Finn Rautenbach shares how growing up on the edge of the Knysna Forest shaped his intimate connection with plants, then takes us into his work with wild-harvest Pelargonium sidoides (African geranium) and its traceable, sustainable supply network, plus his focus on cultivating Sceletium tortuosum (kanna) to reduce poaching while maintaining quality through careful post-harvest processing.

About the guest:
Finn Rautenbach is a South African botanist, Supply Chain Manager at Afrigetics, and Co-founder at Klein Karoo Medicinals, whose passion for rekindling an intimate link between humans and their natural environment has led him to dedicate his life to the study and conservation of Southern African medicinal plants.

Connect with Finn:

• Afrigetics Botanicals website: https://afrigetics.com
• Klein Karoo Medicinals website: https://www.kleinkaroomedicinals.co.za
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finngrows
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finn.rautenbach
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finn-rautenbach-127563120
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@finnrautenbach2625

About the host:
Hi, I'm April Punsalan — a botanist, ethnobotanist, herbalist, and the founder of Wild Herb Academy, dedicated to teaching people how to heal with plants. I want you to heal yourself and your family with the wild herbs that grow beneath your feet.

Connect with me:

• Website: https://www.wildherbacademy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildherbacademy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildHerbAcademy
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WildherbswithApril

Rate, review, and subscribe:
Bring the wisdom of wild plants with you. Listen to Wild Herbs with April on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review and, most importantly, share it with someone who wants to learn more about the medicinal plants of South Africa.

🌲 Stay WILD. Stay human. And remember—you are nature.

With love,
April Punsalan

-----------------

Disclaimer: The information shared in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition, and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health routine, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or managing a medical condition.

If you want to learn the language of plants and learn how to identify and make medicine with 100+ flowering plants, join the waitlist for the Medical Botany: https://www.wildherbacademy.com/medical-botany-1-waitlist-1

If you need an alarm to wake up, you’re not sleeping enough. But what does sleep have to do with your hormones? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Nancy Beliveau, a functional medicine practitioner and founder of the Holistic Wholeness Institute, to talk about what may be driving hormonal imbalance in modern women. We talk about sleep, stress, and healthy fats for hormonal health support. Dr. Nancy also shares her own journey and years of working with women, her favorite herbal and nutritional supports and simple ways to begin making changes without overwhelming yourself. Click here to watch this episode on YouTube!

👉 Sign up for Dr. Nancy’s free webinar: https://holisticwholenessinstitute.com

About the guest:
Dr. Nancy Beliveau is a Functional Medicine Practitioner who helps high-achieving women uncover what's really driving their chronic health conditions and restore their vitality. Through a root cause approach that addresses gut health, hormone optimization, and detoxification, she helps clients heal from the inside out — treating the whole person rather than just their symptoms. As the Founder of the Holistic Wholeness Institute, her mission is to educate, empower, and help people achieve lasting wellness naturally.

Connect with Dr. Nancy:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holisticwholenessinstitute
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holisticwholenessinstitute
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HolisticWholenessInstitute

About the host:
Hi, I'm April Punsalan — a botanist, ethnobotanist, herbalist, and the founder of Wild Herb Academy, dedicated to teaching people how to heal with plants. I want you to heal yourself and your family with the wild herbs that grow beneath your feet. Learn more about me at https://www.wildherbacademy.com/about

Connect with me:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildherbacademy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildHerbAcademy
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WildherbswithApril

Rate, review, and subscribe:
Bring the wisdom of wild plants with you. Listen to Wild Herbs with April on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review and, most importantly, share it with someone who could use a little more support on their journey toward hormonal balance and natural wellness.

🌲 Stay WILD. Stay human. And remember—you are nature.

With love,
April Punsalan

-----------------

Disclaimer:
The information shared in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition, and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health routine, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or managing a medical condition.

What if every plant invites you into a deeper relationship, not only with its medicine, but with the ecosystem it calls home?

In this episode, I sit down with forager and permaculturist Bryan Bramlett to explore the remarkable medicinal potential of Japanese knotweed, why it's treasured in herbal traditions, and how it can support healthy aging, circulation, and cardiovascular function. We also dive into ecological stewardship, ethical foraging, and how building a relationship with the plants around us can deepen both our health and our connection to the natural world. I hope this conversation inspires you to see invasive plants in a whole new way.

Resources:

👉 Japanese Knotweed Research: https://www.healingecosystems.com/knotweed-research

👉 Million Milkweeds Project: https://www.healingecosystems.com/milkweed-project

👉 Join our inner circle: https://www.wildherbacademy.com/

👉 What if the plants around you could help you heal? Discover how in our free masterclass: https://www.wildherbacademy.com/become-the-ecosystem

👉 Get a copy of my book: Foraging Wild Herbs: 30 Healing Plants of the Coastal Carolinas

About the guest:

Bryan Bramlett is an avid forager, permaculturist, and educator who specializes in foraging and tending wild plants. For more than a decade, he has studied and practiced foraging with respected teachers across the country, taught thousands of enthusiastic students, and led workshops on wild food foraging, land stewardship, ecotherapy, and citizen science. Through his work, Bryan helps people deepen their connection with the living world through wild food while empowering them to steward their local ecosystems. His mission is to support both ecological and community health by inspiring responsible stewardship of the landscapes we call home.

Connect with Bryan Bramlett:

• Website: https://www.healingecosystems.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healingecosystems
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healingecosystems
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@healingecosystems
• Substack: https://healingecosystems.substack.com/

About the host:

Hi, I'm April Punsalan — a botanist, ethnobotanist, herbalist, and the founder of Wild Herb Academy, dedicated to teaching people how to heal with plants. I want you to heal yourself and your family with the wild herbs that grow beneath your feet. Click here to learn more about me.

Connect with me:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildherbacademy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildHerbAcademyhttps://www.facebook.com/WildHerbAcademy
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WildherbswithApril/

Rate, review, and subscribe:

Bring the wisdom of wild plants with you. Listen to Wild Herbs with April on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review and most importantly, share it with someone who's curious about Japanese knotweed as food and medicine.

🌲 Stay WILD. Stay human. And remember—you are nature.

With love,
April Punsalan

-----------------

Disclaimer: The information shared in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition, and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health routine, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or managing a medical condition.

What if the secret to nervous system healing wasn't just in the herb but in how it's delivered?

In this solo episode, I'm sharing my personal relationship with Passiflora incarnata — one of my favorite nervine herbs for the modern, overstimulated nervous system — including my go-to passionflower recipe for nourishing the nervous system, plus practical tips for growing and harvesting passionflower in your own garden. This one pairs perfectly with my recent conversation with Dr. Shawn Krosnick on the biology of Passiflora, so if you haven't listened yet, start there for the science, then come back here for the medicine. Click here to watch this episode on YouTube!

Resources:

👉 What if the plants around you could help you heal? Discover how in our free masterclass: https://www.wildherbacademy.com/become-the-ecosystem

👉 If you want to learn the language of plants and learn how to connect with an infinite number of herbs, Medical Botany opens mid-August: https://www.wildherbacademy.com/medical-botany-1-waitlist-1

About the me:
Hi, I'm April Punsalan — a botanist, ethnobotanist, herbalist, and the founder of Wild Herb Academy, dedicated to teaching you how to heal with plants. I want you to heal yourself and your family with the wild herbs that grow beneath your feet. Click here to learn more about me.

Get a copy of my book "Foraging Wild Herbs: 30 Healing Plants of the Coastal Carolinas": https://uscpress.com/Foraging-Wild-Herbs

Connect with me:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildherbacademy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildHerbAcademy
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WildherbswithApril

Rate, review, and subscribe:
Bring the wisdom of wild plants with you. Listen to Wild Herbs with April on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review and most importantly, share it with someone who's curious about how to nourish their nervous system with passionflower.

🌲 Stay WILD. Stay human. And remember—you are nature.

With love,
April Punsalan

-----------------

Disclaimer: The information shared in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition, and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health routine, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or managing a medical condition.

Did you know carpenter bees can get drunk while visiting passionflowers?

In this episode of the Wild Herbs Podcast, Dr. Shawn Krosnick, a professor of biology at Tennessee Technological University, shares insights from her years of research on the genus Passiflora. She uncovers the floral anatomy of passionflower, its pollination biology, primary fruit dispersers, evolutionary relationships with other plant families, and why it holds the record for the greatest leaf shape diversity in the plant kingdom. Click here to watch this episode on YouTube!

Resources:

👉 Krosnick, S., & Moore, K. (2024). Rooting students in their botanical history: A method to engage students in botany and herbaria. Plants, People, Planet, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10595

👉 What if the plants around you could help you heal? Discover how in our free masterclass: https://www.wildherbacademy.com/become-the-ecosystem

👉 Join our inner circle: https://www.wildherbacademy.com/

👉 Get a copy of my book: Foraging Wild Herbs: 30 Healing Plants of the Coastal Carolinas

About the guest:

Dr. Shawn Krosnick is a Professor of Biology at Tennessee Technological University, where she teaches courses in botany, plant ecology, plant-animal interactions, anatomy, and developmental biology. Her research focuses on the ecology, evolution, and reproductive biology of plants, with particular interests in pollination, seed dispersal, plant-animal interactions, and biodiversity conservation. Dr. Krosnick directs the Hollister Herbarium at Tennessee Tech and works closely with undergraduate and graduate students on field and laboratory research projects. Her work has included studies of native plant diversity, plant reproduction, pollination biology, and the fascinating relationships between plants and the animals that interact with them. As both a researcher and educator, she is passionate about helping people better understand the natural world and the important roles plants play in ecosystems and human society.

Connect with Dr. Shawn:

• Website: https://sites.tntech.edu/skrosnick/
• Email: skrosnick@tntech.edu

About the host:

Hi, I'm April Punsalan — a botanist, ethnobotanist, herbalist, and the founder of Wild Herb Academy, dedicated to teaching people how to heal with plants. I want you to heal yourself and your family with the wild herbs that grow beneath your feet. Click here to learn more about me.

Connect with me:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildherbacademy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildHerbAcademyhttps://www.facebook.com/WildHerbAcademy
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WildherbswithApril/

Rate, review, and subscribe:

Bring the wisdom of wild plants with you. Listen to Wild Herbs with April on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review and most importantly, share it with someone who's curious about plant evolution, pollination, or the remarkable diversity of the genus Passiflora.

🌲 Stay WILD. Stay human. And remember—you are nature.

With love,

April Punsalan

-----------------

Disclaimer: The information shared in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition, and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health routine, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or managing a medical condition.

What does it really mean to be grounded before you forage?

In this episode of the Wild Herbs Podcast, I talk with author, anthropologist, and ethnobotanist Lisa Rose about what it means to forage with full awareness. Lisa shares how she grew up foraging on the shores of Lake Michigan, why water stewardship belongs in every foraging conversation, and how engaging all your senses before you harvest can prevent dangerous plant misidentification. We also walk through acorn processing, explore why foraged foods offer more nutritional diversity than anything in a grocery store, and dig into the story behind her book Urban Foraging.

Resources:

👉 Buy Lisa's book: Urban Foraging: Find, Gather, and Cook 50 Wild Plants: https://www.amazon.com/Urban-Foraging-Find-Gather-Plants/dp/1643260839/

👉 What if the plants around you could help you heal? Discover how in our free masterclass: https://www.wildherbacademy.com/become-the-ecosystem

👉 Join our inner circle: https://www.wildherbacademy.com/

About the guest, Lisa M. Rose:

Lisa M. Rose is an anthropologist, author, ethnobotanist, and forager with a professional focus on community health and local food systems. She has gathered her food, farming, and wild plant knowledge from many people and places along a very delicious journey. Author of Midwest Foraging (115 wild and flavorful edibles), Midwest Medicinal Plants (109 wild herbs for health and wellness), and Urban Foraging (50 wild plants to find, gather, and cook), Lisa brings ethnobotanical expertise to everyday kitchens and medicine cabinets.

Beyond the Great Lakes, Lisa's interest in ethnobotany and herbal medicine has taken her across the United States and into Central and South America as well as Asia and Europe to study plants, people, health, and their connection to place. When she is not in her own gardens or kitchen, Lisa can be found in the fields, forests, and the jungles of the city gleaning inspiration for her work at https://burdockandrose.com/.

Connect with Lisa M. Rose:

• Website: https://burdockandrose.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisa.m.rose
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.lisa.rose

About the host, April Punsalan:

Hi, I'm April Punsalan — a botanist, ethnobotanist, herbalist, and the founder of Wild Herb Academy, dedicated to teaching the healing world of plants. My new book "Foraging Wild Herbs: 30 Healing Plants of the Coastal Carolinas", is a hands-on guide to identifying, ethically harvesting, and turning wild herbs into potent remedies for everyday wellness. Grab your copy here: https://uscpress.com/Foraging-Wild-Herbs

Connect with April Punsalan:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildherbacademy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildHerbAcademy
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WildherbswithAprilhttps://www.youtube.com/@WildherbswithApril?sub_confirmation=1

Rate, review, and subscribe:

Bring the wisdom of wild plants with you. Listen to Wild Herbs with April on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review and most importantly, share it with someone who is who is a beginner forager, wants to reconnect with the natural world, or is curious about finding nutrient-dense food outside the grocery store.

🌲 Stay WILD. Stay human. And remember—you are nature.

With love,
April Punsalan

-----------------

Disclaimer: The information shared in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition, and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health routine, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or managing a medical condition.

What if the best medicine for your body has nothing to do with treating your disease and everything to do with treating you?

That's the question at the heart of this conversation, and I am so honored to bring you one of the most respected voices in herbal medicine today, David Winston.

In this episode of the Wild Herbs Podcast, I talk with herbalist and ethnobotanist David Winston about how plant energetics and human energetics help match herbs to a person’s constitution so we treat people rather than diseases. David reflects on herbal medicine’s resurgence since the late 1960s, shares how his early connection with plants began in childhood, and explains why herbalism and orthodox medicine are complementary.

We discuss the difference between treating a disease and treating a person, nootropic herbs, compliance and dosing forms, the concept of synergy in herbal formulas, nature’s role in mental health, foundations of health, and mimosa (Albizia) bark as a powerful mood elevator. David also describes his two-year clinical training program and formula-building approach.

Timestamp:

• 00:00 Teaser
• 01:05 Meet our guest, David Winston
• 02:29 Herbalism then and now
• 07:01 How plants chose him
• 09:32 Plants communicate wisdom
• 18:12 Science and tradition together
• 20:28 Herbs versus medicine
• 24:56 Herbs for recovery
• 28:26 Forms and compliance
• 32:47 Defining herbal energetics
• 34:59 Becoming a great herbalist
• 39:14 Treat people not diseases
• 41:16 Herbal synergy basics
• 41:39 Antagonism in formulas
• 43:55 Synergy for depression
• 47:07 Youth depression after COVID
• 54:01 Foundations before herbs
• 56:31 David's personal herbal routine
• 57:45 Anti-inflammatory diet herbs
• 01:03:12 Albizia as mood elevator
• 01:05:37: Broken hearts syndrome
• 01:08:03 David's two-year clinical training program

Herbs and plants mentioned in this episode: Plantain, bacopa, gotu kola, lion's mane, St. John's wort, lemon balm, white peony, lavender, rosemary, Albizia julibrissin (mimosa bark and flowers), hawthorn, rose, andrographis, turmeric, ginger, blueberries, marshmallow, oak bark

Buy David’s book:

• Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina and Stress Relief – 2nd ed. 👉 https://herbalstudies.net/product/adaptogens-herbs-for-strength-stamina-and-stress-relief-2nd-ed

Links & resources:

• Enroll in David Winston’s two-year Clinical Herbalist Training Program, one of the most respected programs in the field. Apply now at Herbal Studies: https://herbalstudies.net/herbalist-training
• Want to learn herbs at your own pace? I teach how to make medicine with wild herbs inside the Wild Herb Academy Membership. The doors are open now: https://www.wildherbacademy.com/learnwildherbshttps://www.wildherbacademy.com/learnwildherbs

About the guest, David Winston:

David Winston, RH (AHG), is an Herbalist and Ethnobotanist with nearly six decades of training and 50 years of clinical practice across Chinese, Western/Eclectic, and Southeastern herbal traditions, and serves as dean of David Winston's Center for Herbal Studies and president of Herbalist & Alchemist, Inc. A prolific author and internationally recognized lecturer, David has taught at medical schools and professional symposia worldwide, and is the primary author of landmark texts including Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina and Stress Relief and Herbal Therapeutics, now in its 14th edition. Driven by a deep passion for clinical herbal medicine and adaptogens, David has dedicated his life to serving others and sharing the wonders of herbs, a mission recognized by honors including an honorary DSc from the National University of Natural Medicine and the American Botanical Council's Mark Blumenthal Herbal Community Builder Award.

Connect with David Winston:

• Website: https://herbalstudies.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dwherbstudies
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidwinstonrh
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidWinstonCHS

About the host, April Punsalan:

Hi, I'm April Punsalan — a botanist, ethnobotanist, herbalist, and the founder of Wild Herb Academy, dedicated to teaching the healing world of plants. My new book "Foraging Wild Herbs: 30 Healing Plants of the Coastal Carolinas", is a hands-on guide to identifying, ethically harvesting, and turning wild herbs into potent remedies for everyday wellness. Grab your copy here: https://uscpress.com/Foraging-Wild-Herbs

Connect with April Punsalan:

• Website: https://www.wildherbacademy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildherbacademy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildHerbAcademy
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WildherbswithApril

Rate, review, and subscribe:

Bring the wisdom of wild plants with you. Listen to Wild Herbs with April on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review and most importantly, share it with someone who is battling chronic illness, navigating depression, or curious about what it really means to treat the person, not just the disease.

🌲 Stay WILD. Stay human. And remember—you are nature.

With love,
April Punsalan

----

Disclaimer: The information shared in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition, and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health routine, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or managing a medical condition.

What if spending just two days in nature could give you a full month of health benefits and flower essences could help you evolve faster consciously?

In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Katie Hess, the founder of LOTUSWEI flower essences, author of Flowerevolution, and expert of bioenergetic remedies. Katie shares how a chance encounter with a mysterious indigenous woman on the cobblestone streets of Mexico changed the entire trajectory of her life and led her to become one of the world's leading experts on bioenergetic flower remedies.

If you spend hours in front of a screen, struggle with low energy, depression, or feel disconnected from nature, this episode is for you. Katie breaks down how flower essences work on a vibrational and energetic level, how it differs from herbalism, and and the ways flower essences can support emotional balance, joy, courage, and personal transformation.

In this episode, we cover:

• 00:00 Teaser and Intro
• 00:57 Meet our guest Katie Hess
• 01:43 Katie’s origin story in Mexico
• 03:56 Bringing essences to the US
• 06:13 Lessons from her teacher
• 09:41 How flower essences work
• 16:02 White Yarrow for digital burnout
• 17:59 Flowers in ceremony and ritual
• 21:00 Flower baths
• 22:24 Wild Herb Academy
• 23:16 Flower picks for depression
• 23:28 Joyful flower picks
• 24:09 Water memory and Emoto
• 26:48 Body as crystal amplifier
• 30:07 Ecosystem flower themes
• 30:59 Tibetan offerings and Chulen
• 34:14 Flower Quiz explained
• 37:51 Fearlessness and mortality
• 40:42 Follow your heart
• 43:12 Where to find Katie

Links & Resources:

• If you want to know exactly which essences are right for you at this moment, take Katie’s Flower Quiz here.

• Shop Katie's flower essences and use the code WILDHERB at checkout to save 10% off your order.

• Watch Katie's new docuseries Flower Hunters, where she travels to wild places around the world to collect rare flower elixirs. Season 2 is coming soon so make sure to subscribe so you don't miss it.

• Want to reclaim your health and learn herbs with a botanist at your own pace? Join a growing community of plant lovers discovering the healing world of wild herbs. The Wild Herb Academy Membership gives you the tools, guidance, and inspiration to get started today. Claim your 14-day trial for just $1.

About the guest, Katie Hess:

Katie Hess is the author of Flowerevolution, founder of LOTUSWEI and expert of bioenergetic remedies. She has collected over 300 flower essences across the world and studied their impact over the last 25 years. She established an intuitive system for doctors, natural practitioners and all individuals to determine their own needs, accelerate their transformation and realize their true potential.

Connect with Katie Hess:

• Website: https://www.lotuswei.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lotuswei/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lotuswei

About the host, April Punsalan:

Hi, I'm April Punsalan — a botanist, ethnobotanist, herbalist, and the founder of Wild Herb Academy, dedicated to teaching the healing world of plants. My new book "Foraging Wild Herbs: 30 Healing Plants of the Coastal Carolinas", is a hands-on guide to identifying, ethically harvesting, and turning wild herbs into potent remedies for everyday wellness. Grab your copy here: https://uscpress.com/Foraging-Wild-Herbs

Connect with April Punsalan:

• Website: https://www.wildherbacademy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildherbacademy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildHerbAcademy
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WildherbswithApril

Rate, review, and subscribe:

Bring the wisdom of wild plants with you. Listen to Wild Herbs with April on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review and most importantly, share it with someone who loves flowers.

🌲 Stay WILD. Stay human. And remember—you are nature.

With love,
April Punsalan

---------

Disclaimer: The information shared in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition, and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health routine, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or managing a medical condition.

What does it really take to break free from addiction and what if plants held more answers than we've been told?

And what if those same plants could also help us face the one thing we fear even more than our addictions — death?

In this episode, I sit down with herbalist and natural medicine legend Brigitte Mars to talk about the natural way of healing from addiction, the healing power of plant medicine, and why your lawn might be more of a pharmacy than you think. Brigitte Mars is someone I deeply admire for her decades of lived experience with plants, healing, and service. She has spent over 60 years working with herbal medicine, authored 18 books, and serves as both a psychedelic sitter and end-of-life doula.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why your lawn could be your salad bowl
• Herbs and oils that support addiction recovery
• How psychedelic-assisted therapy is changing lives
• Plant medicine as soul retrieval and heart opening
• What it means to be an end-of-life doula and how plant medicine fits into that sacred work

Memorable Quotes:

• "We need to stop being a just say no culture and become a just say how culture."
• "Millions of people using something for thousands of years means a lot more to me than a two-year rat study."
• "Rather than feeling hopeless, we can all do something — maybe you're growing plants on the balcony, that's a good start."

Buy Brigitte’s books:

• Addiction-Free Naturally
• Natural Remedies for Mental and Emotional Health
• Dandelion Medicine
• Nettle Power

Other books: https://www.brigittemars.com/books

Links & Resources:

• Never wonder "what plant is that?" again. Brigitte's iPlant app puts plant identification right in your pocket. Whether you're out on a hike or exploring your backyard, you'll have a trusted herbal guide with you wherever you go. Download iPlant on iOS.
• Want more herbal wisdom from Brigitte? Stay in the loop with the latest news, tips, and updates straight from Brigitte herself. Sign up for her newsletter here.
• Brigitte's courses will inspire every corner of your life. Join Sacred Self Care, Herbal Kitchen Wizardry, and Hip Homemaker — plus get the HempNut Cookbook eBook when you sign up. Explore the courses here.
• Want to learn wild herbs at your own pace? Join a growing community of plant lovers discovering the healing world of wild herbs. The Wild Herb Academy Membership gives you the tools, guidance, and inspiration to get started today. Claim your 14-day trial for just $1.

About the guest, Brigitte Mars:

Brigitte Mars is an Herbalist author of 18 books on Natural medicine and professor at Naropa University. She is a psychedelic sitter and End-Of-Life Doula and has been working with herbal medicine for over 60 years. She has written the book Natural Remedies for Mental and Emotional Health and Addiction Free Naturally. She is currently working on her 19th book.

About the host, April Punsalan:

April is a botanist, ethnobotanist, herbalist, and the founder of Wild Herb Academy, dedicated to teaching the healing world of plants.

Rate, review, and subscribe:

Bring the wisdom of wild plants with you. Listen to Wild Herbs with April on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review and most importantly, share it with someone who is walking through addiction, loss, or simply searching for a deeper connection to the Earth and to themselves.

🌲 Stay WILD. Stay human. And remember—you are nature.

With love,
April Punsalan

Disclaimer: The information shared in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition, and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health routine, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or managing a medical condition.

What if your dreams were a direct conversation with the Earth itself?

In this episode, I sit down with Lauren Morgan, a community herbalist, dream weaver, and author of Seasonal Herbalism, whose work bridges the worlds of plant medicine and dreaming.

This conversation weaves together herbalism, dreaming, and deep Earth connection in a way that feels both grounding and expansive. You will learn how plants speak to you in your dreams, how dreaming reconnects you to the living Earth, and what it means to remember your dreams as a form of soul guidance. Lauren also shares her personal journey of losing and reclaiming dream recall, her work with mugwort and rosemary, and powerful dream experiences that reveal how plants actively teach and support us in waking life.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your dreams are meaningful, how to reconnect with them, or how plants might be communicating with you beyond the physical world, this episode will open something in you.

Notable plant allies mentioned:

• Mugwort
• Rosemary
• Hawthorn
• Cottonwood
• Magnolia

Memorable Quotes:

• “If we are connected to the plants in our waking life, they will show up in our dreams.” ~Lauren Morgan
• “The plants will show up in your dreams because they want to help you help your people. They want to help you help the world.”
• “I'm like a collector of dreams featuring healing herbs and have learned a lot about kind of how they work within dreams.”

Buy Lauren's book:

• Seasonal Herbalism: A Beginner's Path to Medicine-Making and Dreaming with Mother Earth

Links & Resources:

• If you want to begin working with your dreams, Lauren is offering Lesson 1 of her Dreamweaving Course for free: https://www.herbsanddreams.com/dreamweaving-course

• If you’re an Earth dreamer, dreamweaver, or plant lover longing to deepen your relationship with dreams and plant wisdom, you can join her Herbs and Dreams Membership here: https://www.herbsanddreams.com/membership

• Want to learn herbs at your own pace? Join a growing community of plant lovers discovering the healing world of wild herbs. The Wild Herb Academy Membership gives you the tools, guidance, and inspiration to get started today. Claim your 14-day trial for just $1.

About the guest, Lauren Morgan:

Lauren Morgan is a community herbalist, dreamer, Earth-based ceremonialist, healer, author of the book Seasonal Herbalism: A Beginner's Path to Medicine Making and Dreaming with Mother Earth. She's a mother and teacher, creatrix and host of the Herbs and Dreams Podcast.

She teaches classes and convene community gatherings online and in-person devoted to learning how to weave our lives with the wisdom of dreams, in alliance with the healing plants of Mother Earth on behalf of All Life. You can find Lauren on her website

About the host, April Punsalan:

April is a botanist, ethnobotanist, herbalist, and the founder of Wild Herb Academy, dedicated to teaching the healing world of plants.

Connect with April Punsalan:

• Website: https://www.wildherbacademy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildherbacademy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildHerbAcademy
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WildherbswithApril

Rate, review, and subscribe:

Bring the wisdom of wild plants with you. Listen to Wild Herbs with April on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review and most importantly, share it with someone who feels called to reconnect with plants and the wisdom of the Earth through dreams.

🌲 Stay WILD. Stay human. And remember—you are nature.

With love,
April Punsalan

What does it truly mean to rewild yourself?

In this powerful, impactful episode, I had a conversation with Jesse Wolf Hardin, an American author, activist, musician, artist, herbalist, and wilderness guide to explore the concept of ''rewilding".

This conversation goes far beyond ecology. It’s an invitation to remember that we are not separate from nature. We are nature. Together, we talked about how modern life has distanced us from our instincts, intuition, and wild essence and how reconnecting with the Earth can restore not only ecosystems, but our very identity.

From Wolf’s 50 years living off-grid in New Mexico to his reflections on plants, activism, and inner transformation, this episode is a call to return to your roots, reclaim your wildness, and live more fully, and authentically.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• 00:00 – Teaser and Intro
• 00:43 – Jesse Wolf Hardin & his life’s work
• 02:12 – What rewilding really means
• 03:06 – Rewilding ecosystems vs. rewilding ourselves
• 04:28 – Disconnection, conflict, and the illusion of separation
• 07:08 – Humans as “feelers” of the Earth
• 10:04 – Wolf’s early experiences of wildness
• 12:17 – Learning from elders and living outside the system
• 14:02 – Finding his land in New Mexico
• 15:41 – Living off-grid and building a life rooted in nature
• 20:04 – Technology vs. connection: reaching the world from the wild
• 21:28 – The Good Medicine Confluence experience
• 23:16 – Feeling like an outsider & carrying “medicine”
• 24:44 – Raising children with imagination and wildness
• 26:26 – Can you rewild in the city or suburbs?
• 29:11 – Rewilding as a lifelong process
• 32:10 – Practical ways to begin rewilding anywhere
• 35:37 – Plant energy, medicine, and ecological connection
• 40:04 – Lessons from plants (especially Alder)
• 42:42 – Recommended books by Wolf
• 44:25 – Final reflections & gratitude

Memorable Quote:

“We cannot be natural practitioners unless we are within our own nature.” ~Jesse Wolf Hardin

“You are a part, just as the tree is, of all that has ever existed.”

“Rewilding is not a place. It’s a way of being.”

Books by Jesse Wolf Hardin:

• The Healing Terrain
•

Wonderements

Links & Resources:

• Good Medicine Confluence

About the guest, Jesse Wolf Hardin:

Jesse Wolf Hardin is a presenter, musician, ecosopher, activist, artist, and author of hundreds of magazine articles and dozens of books – a champion of both human and bio diversity, as well as of nature’s medicines. Wolf tends and rewilds his very remote wilderness sanctuary home, and founded the international Good Medicine Confluence and Plant Healer Magazine with Kiva Rose in 2008. Connect with Wolf and Plant Healer on Instagram

About the host, April Punsalan:

April is a botanist, ethnobotanist, herbalist, and the founder of Wild Herb Academy, dedicated to teaching the healing world of plants. Connect with April: Wild Herb Academy Instagram Page

Invitation

Bring the wisdom of wild plants with you. Listen to Wild Herbs with April on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review and most importantly, share it with someone who feels called to reconnect with plants in a deeper way and to reWILD their spirit.

🌲 Stay WILD. Stay human. And remember—you are nature.

With Love,

April Punsalan

What if one of the most powerful longevity “superfoods” was literally falling from trees around you?

In this episode, I sit down with naturopathic doctor Dr. Saeid Mushtagh to explore the science, tradition, and real-world benefits of pine pollen, a potent plant ally known for supporting hormones, energy, and longevity.

From its roots in traditional Chinese medicine to modern clinical insights, this conversation dives deep into how pine pollen influences the HPA axis, supports anabolic health, and may help combat the chronic stress patterns of modern life.

You’ll also learn how to harvest, preserve, and use pine pollen safely, and why freshness matters more than species.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• 00:00 – Teaser & Intro
• 01:51 – Meet Dr. Saeid Mushtagh
• 03:04 – The origin story of the Canadian Pine Pollen Company
• 13:59 – Pine pollen & longevity: what it is & why it's a superfood
• 18:55 – How to harvest & store pine pollen at home
• 22:12 – Balancing hormones, reducing cortisol & improving sleep
• 29:35 – How pine pollen supports adrenal gland health
• 31:01 – Anabolic health, aging & why hormones decline over time
• 37:16 – The key enzymes in pine pollen & how they work in the body
• 39:45 – Pine pollen, oxygen levels, cellular energy & inflammation
• 45:48 – Best ways to take pine pollen for maximum absorption
• 49:20 – Pine pollen & gut health: microbiome impact
• 53:01 – Canadian Pine Pollen Company products & where to find Dr. Saeid
• 59:42 – Pine pollen & PCOS: is it safe for women with high testosterone?

Resources mentioned:

• Wild Certified Organic Pine Pollen | 100% Wildcrafted in Canada:Canadian Pine Pollen Company
• Enter code Wildherb for a discount at checkout

About the guest, Dr. Saeid Mushtagh:

Dr. Mushtagh is a licensed naturopathic Physician and has been practicing naturopathic medicine in Canada since 2006. He is a graduate from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto and specializes in functional medicine, offering personalized diagnosis and treatment in his private practice. His integrative approach is rooted in therapeutic diets as the foundation for healing and long-term wellness. In addition to his clinical work, he is the co-founder of the Canadian Pine Pollen Company. Connect with Dr. Saeid Mushtagh: https://www.instagram.com/canadianpinepollen/

About the host, April Punsalan:

April is a botanist, ethnobotanist, herbalist, and the founder of Wild Herb Academy, dedicated to teaching the healing world of plants. Connect with April: https://www.instagram.com/wildherbacademy/

Invitation

If Pine speaks to you, take time this winter to sit with a pine tree. Observe its needles, cones, and presence. Let it teach you directly.

Bring the wisdom of wild plants with you. Listen to Wild Herbs with April on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you loved this episode, please leave us a review or share it with someone who feels called to reconnect with plants in a deeper way.

🌲 Stay wild. Stay human. And remember—you are nature.

With Love,

April Punsalan

In this returning episode of the Wild Herbs Podcast, April dives deeply into the medicine, botany, and spirit of Pine—an ancient evergreen ally that shows up for us when we need resilience the most.

Pine has survived ice ages, climate shifts, and mass extinctions, and in the heart of winter it continues to offer powerful medicine for the lungs, immune system, and spirit. In this episode, April weaves together botany, herbal medicine, Ayurveda, and intuitive plant wisdom to explore why Pine is such a profound teacher for 2026.

This episode is both a practical guide and a spiritual invitation—to slow down, receive fully, and remember that plants are not just remedies, but living oracles.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why Pine is one of the most ancient and resilient trees on Earth

How Pine’s xylem and spiral water movement reflect efficient, rhythmic growth

How to identify pines using needles, fascicles, sheaths, and cones

Why Pine is especially important medicine in winter

The medicinal actions of Pine (expectorant, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory)

How Pine supports colds, mucus, immunity, and inflammation

Why fresh Pine is preferred over dried

The spiritual symbolism of Pine, spirals, and the Fibonacci pattern

What Pine teaches us about receiving, presence, and sustainable growth

How to build a relationship with plants before turning to books

Why intuitive plant connection is a vital part of herbal medicine

Mentioned in this episode:

•

Medical Botany: Foundations in Ancient Plant Wisdom, Click Here to Join Medical Botany Waitlist and Be the First to Know When Doors Open!

•

Registration opens February 9, 2026

•

Course begins February 17, 2026

Invitation
If Pine speaks to you, take time this winter to sit with a pine tree. Observe its needles, cones, and presence. Let it teach you directly.

If you loved this episode, please leave us a review or share it with someone who feels called to reconnect with plants in a deeper way.

🌲 Stay wild. Stay human. And remember—you are nature.

With Love,

April Punsalan

In this deeply nourishing episode of The Wild Herbs Podcast, April Punsalan sits down with Malieokalani Urrutia, founder of Sacred Woman School, to explore the ancient feminine wisdom of the womb. Together they uncover what it means to live from the womb space—a center of intuition, creation, and divine knowingand how this awareness transforms a woman’s life.

Malieokalani shares how women can awaken and heal their womb energy through connection, ceremony, and remembrance, offering profound insight into the spiral of feminine creation, the energetic anatomy of the womb, and how menopause marks not an ending, but a rebirth into wisdom and power.

Listeners are guided through a gentle womb clearing and activation, and learn how to use the womb as an oracle, a source of intuitive guidance, clarity, and inner truth.

💫 In this episode, you’ll learn:

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What it means to “live from the womb space”

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The spiral energy of creation and how it moves through the body

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How modern women can reclaim ancient womb wisdom

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The energetic power of menopause as transformation

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A guided womb activation and clearing practice

Resources Mentioned:

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Womb Wisdom Workshop with Malieokalani – November 12, Register for Sacred Womb Garden

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Crafting a Sacred Womb Oil with April Punsalan – November 13, Register for Sacred Womb Garden

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Womb Wisdom Level 1 Training – November 15, Womb Level 1 Training

• Sacred Woman School, The School and Offerings