International Herb Symposium

Teacher Liaison and Host for the International Herb Symposium, an 800+ attendee conference founded by Rosemary Gladstar and held biennially to bring together herbalists and plant lovers from around the world. The Symposium has long been held as a fundraiser for United Plant Savers, a nonprofit dedicated to the conservation of medicinal plants.

As Teacher Liaison and Host, I managed communications and hospitality for 40–50 faculty members, coordinated travel and lodging, ensured classroom and equipment needs were met, and oversaw assistants and work-study volunteers during the conference. I also supported the Symposium Director with scheduling, budgeting, and teacher compensation.

Working with past and current Symposium Directors, including Melanie and Jeff Carpenter of Zack Woods Herb Farm and Susan Leopold of United Plant Savers, I streamlined systems for collecting and organizing teacher information. This included developing and managing workflows for biographical details, course materials, travel logistics, and technical needs using tools such as Google Forms and Sheets.

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