Are you interested in herbwifery?

The 2018 Springfield Sanctuary Herbwifery Apprenticeship begins again in January 2018. Applications will be open until December 8th 2017

The twelve-month apprenticeship , offering the opportunity to learn more about growing, harvesting and working with herbs to improve personal and family health and wellbeing.
 

Expectations 

Each apprentice is expected to:

• choose up to twenty herbs to study during the year         
•  choose one herbal ally to study in depth during the year
•  attend at least six of the eleven workshops throughout the year (four of which must be at the Sanctuary),
•  attend two out of the three work days designated during the year
• attend the Herb Festival held on the second weekend in September, helping with organisational tasks including setting up in the week beforehand and taking down on the Sunday afternoon/evening and contributing to content
• complete the tasks set by the mentor within given timescales
• work within the Sanctuary herb beds – digging, weeding, planting, harvesting etc., possibly taking responsibility for a designated area.
• keep a herbal diary and/or online blog detailing activities and learning
• participate in online activities to feed back personal progress and contribute to discussions
• evaluate personal progress at the end of twelve months

Outcomes: Year 1

By the end of twelve months, the apprentice will have:

•  improved knowledge and understanding of up to twenty personally chosen herbs.
• grown herbs from seeds, cuttings or divisions and taken note of their development using drawings or photography.
• shared in practical tasks to manage the Sanctuary herb beds.
• harvested flowers, aerial parts, berries and roots
• made teas, decoctions, macerations, syrups, infused oils, salves, tinctures, vinegars, flower essences and elixirs
• familiarised themselves with a variety of body processes such as respiration, digestion, circulation etc. and looked at several herbs which can help to balance these processes.
• participated in online action learning
• written, digital/online and/or pictorial evidence of their activities and learning
• completed tasks set by the mentor and fed back the results to the other apprentices
• begun to share knowledge, enthusiasm and herbal extractions with family and friends

     Costs: There is no overall charge for the apprenticeship. All apprentices are asked to contribute £50 in January 2018 to support the running of the Herb Festival. If they attend the festival in September, they will not be expected to make a further donation in this area. Apprentices are expected to make a reasonable financial donation to support the running of the Sanctuary between £10 and £40 when attending workshops and to offer practical physical help at the Sanctuary. Anyone considering an apprenticeship should factor in personal costs such as time, transport, access to growing space, childcare arrangements and internet plus commitment to their studies and to the Sanctuary.

Practical issues: This apprenticeship is about learning through physical as well as mental work. Apprentices are expected to attend workshops in sensible outdoor clothing with footwear appropriate for the physical conditions of working in a garden/field. Wet and cold weather gear is essential. Tasks will be set according to physical ability. Anyone not proficient in digging will be taught to use a garden fork and expected to learn and utilise those lessons. Anyone with serious physical or mobility issues will not be expected to carry out physically demanding tasks.

Sanctions: Anyone who does not attend workshops or the Festival and does not communicate regularly, providing evidence of their activities and progress, will be removed from the apprenticeship or asked to repeat the year. Anyone who is removed from the apprenticeship on two occasions will not be accepted again.

Note: This apprenticeship is for personal development only. Apprentices study at their own pace. The amount and depth of work is self-directed. Guidance will be given on sources of information but handouts covering all topics may not be available. There is no accreditation from an academic body, certificate of attendance or examination process. The apprenticeship will NOT enable anyone to set up in private practice as a medical herbalist but may provide evidence which lead to certain exemptions from other herbal training. 

Contact: Anyone who is interested in applying for the apprenticeship should email sarah at headology dot co dot uk.