Herbal Field Apprenticeship in San Diego, CA.

Experience the magic of a 2-year outdoor, small group mentorship experience

that ingrains the bounty of knowledge you gain in the Botanical Eyes Community Herbalism program

into your bones. Two weekends a month we gather in herbal community to enjoy.

• Plants and ecosystems
• Camping trips
• Farm days
• Medicine-making workshops

Year 1 establishes the ethical and practical framework of herbal identification, harvesting, and usage.

• Botany
• Introduction to understanding and using the Jepson manual flora
• Common family characteristics
• Ecology of numerous Southern California ecosystems
• Fire Ecology
• Herbal Actions and Energetics of locally abundant plants
• Physiology of organ systems and corresponding local herbs
• How to prepare, dose, and apply herbal remedies in the field and at home
• Wilderness comfort and protection
• Ethical Wildcrafting and Food Foraging
• Bioregional Herbalism
• Activities to Deepen Your Relationship with Nature
• January - June
• Cost $2750 ($500 deposit included)
• Payment plan available

Year 2 deepens your connection to local ecosystems and learning about safe uses of potentially toxic plant medicines,

While engaging in intimate discussion of herbal ethics & developing your clinical skillset. 

• Advanced Botany
• Continued use of the Jepson manual flora
• Common Family characteristics
• Ecology of Southern California ecosystems
• Herbal Actions and Energetics of local plants with a focus on drop dosage medicinals 
• Physiology of organ systems and corresponding local herbs
• How to prepare, dose, and apply advanced herbal remedies in the field and at home
• Wilderness comfort and protection
• Deep discussions of Ethical Wildcrafting and Food Foraging
• Bioregional Herbalism
• Activities to Deepen Your Relationship with Nature
• January - May
• Cost $2300 ($500 deposit included)
• Payment plan available

The Herbal Field Apprenticeship program is designed to complement the Community Herbalism and Nutrition online education community while maintaining small apprenticeship circles for optimal learning and supportive mentorship. As a field apprentice, you will delve into field study and connect with farmers, herbal practitioners, and food sovereignty advocates to strengthen your relationship with local ecologies, the food chain, and, most importantly, your intuitive guidance systems that illuminates a pathway of wellbeing through educational empowerment. With hands-on opportunities to be gentle and knowledgeable stewards of the land and build your practice as an herbal practitioner or advocate, request an interview to join our field apprenticeship today!

Additional Information for Field Study Apprentices:

• We start interviewing potential apprentices in April.
• Companion field study apprenticeships are provided for a select number of students who interview and apply
• Class size is intentionally kept small to provide apprentices with individualized attention
• We will regularly gather online for herbal lectures
• Field study is based out of north county San Diego
• Rain or shine, class will be held
• Multiple overnight camping trips 
• Due to the wide range of ecosystems visited, driving is necessary
• Depending on where you are coming from, you may have an additional hour or more of driving when class is finished
• Carpooling is encouraged and riders should be prepared to offer a gas stipend
• Partial work-trade options are available
• Cost year 1 $2750 ($500 deposit included)
• Cost year 2 $2300 ($500 deposit included)
• Payment plans are available

What to expect in the interview process: 

• Interviews generally run 2 hours
• An opportunity to learn the details, guidelines and expectations of the program
• An opportunity to ask any questions
• Get to know Shana’s communication style
• Explore the perspective of ethics in field study

I had a great experience.  I feel confident in my foundational botany skills and love showing off my knowledge of plant families and local ecology to anyone that may or may not be willing to listen.  Definitely inspired to continue on this path. I found Shana’s practice of teaching through oral repetition to be very effective and a great way to build trust and friendship in the group.  

Ellie S.

 The depth and complexity of the subject matter you so deeply understand are amazing. I am awed by what you know. 

  I gained more confidence in use and application of herbs. I also gained a better understanding of the complexity of approach to use of herbs as allies due to the different constitutions of individuals. We are unique and our uniqueness needs to be a driving factor in determining what herbal allies work best.  

Kimberly L.

Your ability to explain things with clarity and precision makes it incredibly evident that you have expertise and passion for the subject. There could be no better environment than the field and it was the best classroom I’ve ever been in!! I’ve learned so much from this class! 

Amanda S.

The apprenticeship went over and beyond what I expected.  I have a better understanding  on how to properly key out plants, more knowledge of the chaparral and the associated communities. 

 Being outside and hiking. The constant review and repetition really helped. Collecting plants and making medicine in the field. 

Carolina V.

My time with Shana has honestly been life-changing. She is so passionate about what she does, she inspired me to find that passion within myself. Her attitude and perspective of liking at the body, paying attention to self-care, eating whole foods, resting, loving your liver and the fabulousness of bitters have raised my quality of life. Someday I would like to be able to explain nutrition and physiology with as much ease as Shana does.

Abby E. 

I've never been so excited about physiology in my life. Thank you for making it so fun and engaging!

Sama W.

Finding this program was so serendipitous, and now I know it’s because it’s exactly what I needed. Even after years of herbal medicine education and experience, this program filled my cup with so much more herbal knowledge and wisdom that it overflows and infuses others around me with little tastes of the medicine, which I believe connects us all back to ourselves, each other, and the earth. Learning about plants is profoundly different when it’s done in nature and not just from screens and books. This is the class I wish I had in naturopathic medical school because of how much time I got to spend in nature, allowing me actually to build relationships with the plants and their ecosystems. I was very impressed by Shana’s level of expertise about plants and the body, as well as her gift and passion for teaching it, and I found her to bring the perfect balance between scientific and spiritual perspectives. The field experiences, including day and camping trips, were very valuable and steeped in the most magical plants, people, and places (off the beaten path!). I loved learning about and making medicine from plants that we harvested locally out in the field and being immersed in an herbal community of people from all walks of life with a shared appreciation for plants and all of their sacred beauty. The full program (field + online classes) has provided an in-depth and comprehensive learning experience that has given me the hands-on practice and direct mentorship I was seeking. I highly recommend this gem of a program to anyone who feels called to really learn about plants (in a fun and non-intimidating way) from their source — Mother Nature, guided by those who truly understand, love, and respect them — Shana, Xylia, & all of the other wonderful teachers. Thank you for reconnecting me with my passion for true herbalism in both my personal and professional life, opening my botanical eyes (and heart) much wider, and strengthening my confidence as a practicing herbalist. 

-Dr Jordan Valdez, ND, RD

My studies and fieldwork with Shana gave me language for things I’d always felt but didn’t know how to name. It helped me make sense of what was already stirring in me and put it into practice. I’m glad I trusted the pull. For that, I am eternally grateful.

Andrea

My experience with Sage Country Herbs has been incredibly enriching. Shana, the instructor, is deeply knowledgeable about the local flora and shares her expertise with clarity and passion. One of the highlights of the program is our field days, where Shana guides us through local landscapes, teaching us to identify and key local plants in their native environments.

Beyond plant identification, the course also focuses on hands-on medicine making, using the herbs we study. We dive into topics like digestion, herbal energetics, and holistic wellness, blending traditional wisdom with practical skills. Shana creates a supportive, engaging learning environment that inspires both curiosity and confidence.

I highly recommend Sage Country Herbs to anyone interested in deepening their connection with the land and learning herbal medicine from an experienced and inspiring teacher.

I came to this program seeking knowledge. I left with a living relationship.

With the plants. With the land. With myself.

Benjamin

Completing the First Year Field program with Sage Country Herbs has changed my life! The apprenticeship is a detailed exploration of our local ecologies, botany, and the medicinal properties of plants local to us. Shana is a teacher of such passion, knowledge, and incredible detail. From the camping trips to the field days, each day spent in class was so illuminating. Making plant medicine outside in nature together was one of my favorite parts of the experience and something very unique to Shana’s program.  This apprenticeship fostered and deepened a profound connection to the land and our local ecosystems. I want to take every class Shana teaches; she is so wonderful.

Eastyn

Shana’s class is one of a kind.  She combines traditional herbal knowledge and experience (both broad and local), clear scientific expertise, and local community connections to create a unique and invaluable field experience.  I walked away with an incredible amount of knowledge and greater awareness of the beautiful places around me.  As a transplant new to southern California, I feel far more connected and confident in my ability to safely and respectfully connect with my local plant communities both for enjoyment and for healing.  Thanks to Shana’s focus on community, I also feel I got to know a group of beautiful, like-minded people along the

Ashley

These past 2 years unraveled something ancient in me—

I learned to speak the quiet language of native plants,

to walk slowly enough to listen,

to harvest with prayer,

and to make medicine with both hands and heart.

Through storms, blooms, and different ecosystems 

The apprenticeship rooted me in practice.

I learned the ways of the healer—

not from textbooks,

But from the whispering wind, the earth beneath my feet, and the stories shared in circle.

This wasn’t just school.

It was ceremony.

A homecoming.

A sacred remembering.

Krista

Before starting this program, I was pretty lost & unsure of the direction I exactly wanted to go in. I just knew it needed to involve plants. Discovering Sage Country Herbs was like everything aligned. 

Shana doesn’t just offer a wealth of knowledge for you to explore. She helps you jump into a new world, genuinely gives you a new set of eyes. You will see details in plants you’ve never seen before, and you’ll probably even see and experiment with things you’ve never seen before. There is so much beauty waiting for you out there, and Shana proves that every single time she takes you to a new spot to explore. 

After spending the past year learning from Shana and being surrounded by other like-minded individuals, I feel reconnected to parts of myself and excited for life again. To be around this community was a reminder that I don’t need to be my own worst enemy, and to grow is to follow what lights up your heart and soul. It’s amazing for people to come from all walks of life and unite over a shared love for plants and nature itself. 

One of the beautiful aspects of this class was how much it meant to everyone to spend an entire day in nature, how full it made the hearts and souls of everyone. The sense of peace everyone was able to find. Every person there was inspiring in their own way. Many people juggle busy lives, and to be able to spend that day fully immersed in nature is truly a gift. It doesn’t matter if you’re new to this world entirely or if you already come with a bit of background knowledge; you will come out of here with something new to cherish.

Madison