International Herb Symposium

Teacher Liaison and Host for 800+ attendee conference founded by Rosemary Gladstar.

The International Herb Symposium is held every other year at Wheaton College campus in Norton, MA. Founded by Rosemary Gladstar in 1991, the IHS brings together plant lovers and herbalists from around the world. The Symposium is held as a fundraiser for United Plant Savers, a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of medicinal plants. The conference is being held virtually in 2021, using Teachable as a platform.

As the Teacher Liaison and Host for the Symposium, I handle communications with and hospitality for 40-50 teachers, make travel arrangements for many teachers, ensure that teachers’ class equipment needs are met, and manage an assistant and work study volunteers at the conference. I also assist the Symposium Director in tracking expenditures and calculating teacher payments, as well as in scheduling programming for the conference.

I’ve worked with former Symposium Directors, Melanie and Jeff Carpenter of Zack Woods Herb Farm, and current Director, Susan Leopold of United Plant Savers, to streamline our process for collecting information from teachers, including biographical and class info, travel plans, equipment needs, lodging needs and preferences, etc. I’ve made use of Google Forms and Sheets to collect and organize data in ways that are both easy for teachers and practical for IHS staff. I’ve adapted material from the many letters to teachers that the Symposium has sent out over the years, and worked to make it clear and easy to follow, while still honoring the character of the Symposium.

My work is informed by my training with Rosemary Gladstar at Sage Mountain, including an Intensive Herbal Apprenticeship (2011), Rosemary’s Science & Art of Herbalism Home Study Course (2011), and the Advanced Herbal Training Program (2012).