Medical herb walk

Ever wondered what medicinal plants might be growing in your local area, masquerading as common-or-garden trees, shrubs or ‘weeds’? Or perhaps you came to Anne Stobart's talk about herbal medicine, or Robin Harford's walk looking at edible plants, and want to know more.

Under the expert guidance of experienced herbalist Melanie Shaw, we will be led through some of Woodbury's familiar, yet surprisingly wild, places - stopping along the way to meet the many medicinal plants that inhabit our open spaces and hedgerows.

Although we will be sticking to public footpaths, it is recommended you wear sturdy footwear and dress for the weather. We will be walking on the Green, and the footpath by the allotments, and along the lane between. Some parts of the route provide little shade so please bring a bottle of water and a sun hat if necessary. The main purpose is to meet and learn about the many medicinal plants that inhabit our waysides, fields and hedgerows, so the walk will be very leisurely and we will only be covering a short distance. You may like to bring a shooting stick or similar to sit down when we stop to examine the plants and trees.

Children of 16 years of age or under must be accompanied by an adult.

In this country (and many others) it has taken only a few generations for much of the traditional knowledge about medicinal plants to be lost. At the same time, we are increasingly looking for more natural approaches to our health. However, without the traditional knowledge-base, we’ve also lost some of the cautiousness and common sense of our grandparents, who would have known that natural does not equal safe! By training to the highest standards, Mel's aim has been to help people rediscover what Herbal Medicine has to offer them, in a safe manner, and as part of their overall healthcare.

She recently moved her practice from London to the West Country, in order to be closer to areas where the plants in her dispensary can be wild-harvested or sourced from local organic growers.

See http://www.melanieshaw.co.uk