Transcript begins:
Linnea Wardwell:
My name is Linnea Wardwell and we organize the Medicines from the Earth Symposium we’ve been doing this since 1993 and the purpose of our doing this is because we love to bring everyone together to learn more about herbal medicine. I grew up with my Mom and she named me after Linnaeus the Swedish botanist because she loved plants and I feel like I’ve been able to fulfill some of what she taught me by doing this work. We organized the symposium we invite the speakers and we come and run it and to us as the labor of love and joy
Jim Roach, M.D.:
I heard about Medicine from the Earth back in 2004. I came down its transformed my life, the growth of my practice in terms of providing Integrative Cancer Care has been very powerful I now can accomplish things and when my practice I never thought possible.
David Winston, RH (AHG):
This year is the 24th year that the Medicines from the Earth Conference has been held and the first ones were up in Massachusetts and I was asked to teach at the first conference so I basically have taught at this conference since it originated. There are many herbal conferences throughout the United States and this one is unique in several ways it’s one of the more clinically oriented conferences but at the same time while the physician, the acupuncturist, the naturopathic physician the really serious student of herbal medicine they’re going to be classes they can go to and learn some incredible things. There are also classes that are for the beginner for somebody who’s just read a book on herbs or just started to be interested in the idea that herbs can be used for medicine and for prevention of disease.
Clayton Bell, M.D.:
So, I’m an integrative medicine doc at University of Tennessee Medical Center in Cancer Institute and my first time here at the Medicines from the Earth Symposium having a great time learning a ton. I got to say lecture for lecture this is probably the most intellectually stimulating conference I’ve actually ever been to across the country.
Kenneth Proefrock, N.D.:
I’ve been teaching here at the Medicines from the Earth Conference for off and on for the last 15 years it is an absolute beautiful place and the people are incredible and the content is out of this world. What I especially like about the content of a conference like this is it is completely evidence-based it’s empirical from the perspective of people who are actually practicing plant medicine within their communities. It gives one an opportunity to collaborate with leaders in the field share ideas and come to wholly different conclusions about what’s effective for certain pathologies and certain conditions in people.
Shari Dunlap-Sindelar:
I heard about this symposium through the American Holistic Nurses Association and I decided to come because I’ve always been interested in herbal medicine and as a traditional nurse and provider with a camp position I decided it’s about time that we transition herbal medicine back into traditional medicine.
Avonda Streeter:
I’m not a clinical herbalist by any means I do work in the medical profession I practice more myself my family and my dogs and a few friends. I love the hands-on I went to Rico’s class it was on poultices this year. You can go from very simple hands-on working out of your kitchen classes where you know incorporating herbs into your everyday life food into your self-care all the way up to very technical approaches dealing with cancer or an oncology practice. The most important thing is don’t feel like you don’t know enough to come here.
Tim Yarbourough:
Doug Elliot’s herb walk it’s great to get out in the woods it was fun it was a light it’s just a nice way to learn about folklore history how to actually use these plants that were hiking by all the time.
Dandelions are my favorite flowers in sunshine or during a shower.
Dandelions they be popping up everywhere.
They don’t care. Dandelions.
~Doug Elliott (playing harmonica and singing)
Dr. Evan Sundgren, DC:
So I started coming here for the plants and for the opportunity to learn about different herbal medicine applications and it’s a little bit like going to a farmers market where you start to go there for the food but you ultimately come for the people. This incredible location we’re at in North Carolina Black Mountain it’s beautiful.
Walter Crinnion, ND:
I’ve been coming to Medicines from the Earth annually now for the last decade and as a naturopathic medical physician needing to get CE credits and continue learning in my field I go to a lot of conferences and I also teach at a lot of conferences and I found that when I think back over the year which conferences I enjoyed most this continues to be at the top of my list.
Jim Roach, M.D.:
The people here are wonderful people that you’d want is your best friends as your next-door neighbor it’s a comfortable feel you’re in nature you get to meet the plants, interact with the plants. The whole organization of the conference has been outstanding.
Robin McGee:
I would say to somebody who is who has just found Medicines from the Earth online is considering coming…what took you so long? We’re here, we’re waiting, please come.
