2026 community-based
Learning Circles
in KW area, Ontario
Gather, Learn & Grow Together
Join us for a new season of community-based Learning Circles in the Kitchener-Waterloo area of the Grand River Watershed!
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These gatherings are all about hands-on learning, meaningful connection, and building confidence with herbal medicine in everyday life. Now in our 5th year, we’re excited to welcome both new and familiar faces into a space that’s relaxed, supportive, and grounded in real-world skills.
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Whether you're just getting curious or already on your path, you’ll find:
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practical, approachable learning
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opportunities for horizontal peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing
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a friendly, down-to-earth community
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space to explore at your own pace
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Come by, bring a friend, and see what it’s all about. No previous experience needed!
Seasonal
2 -3 Hours Each
April-Dec 2026
Locations: The YurtKW, outdoor & garden-based venues in Waterloo Region
Tree Medicine: An Embodied Experience
Sat April 18th - 9:30am-noon, Breithaupt Centre Pavilion
In this guided, outdoor session, we’ll explore local tree medicine through embodied awareness and direct experience, rather than theory alone. Together, we’ll practice a simple “plant sit”- a quiet, attentive way of being with a tree and opening our senses to notice what arises when we truly take the time to listen.
Botany 101 for Herbalists
Sat May 9th - 9:30am-noon, The YurtKW, 508 Duke St W, Kitchener
Build a strong foundation in plant identification through direct observation and simple, practical tools. In this session, we’ll explore how to recognize common plant families, notice key features, and understand basic growth patterns that help you identify plants in the field.
Let us know you're coming!
Register Here (drop-ins welcome)
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WORK PARTY: Herb Garden Prep, Planting & Permaculture
Sun May 31st - 9:30am-noon, The Petersburg Community Garden
Come spend a morning in the garden with us, tending to the land and ourselves with hands in the soil.​ In this informal co-created space, we’ll work together to help establish a thriving medicinal herb garden and future home for our Learning Circles. Work doesn’t feel like work when shared with ​friends.
Let us know you're coming:
Register Here (drop-ins welcome)
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Herbal First-Aid: Building your Home and Travel Kit
Sat June 13th- 9:30am-noon, The YurtKW, 508 Duke St W, Kitchener
Learn how to confidently care for yourself and others with a simple, effective herbal first-aid kit. In this practical session, we’ll explore essential affordable remedies for common situations—cuts, burns, bites, colds, and more—and how to choose what to keep on hand.
Register Here (drop-ins welcome)
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MAKER SESSION: Tea-Blending for Nervous System Support
Sat June 27th- 9:30am-noon, The YurtKW, 508 Duke St W​​
Join us for a hands-on session crafting nourishing herbal teas to support stress, rest, and resilience. We’ll explore a variety of calming and restorative herbs, learn simple blending principles, and create your own personalized tea to take home.
This is a paid session (materials included), with limited space. ​
Register Here (Registration is required)
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Tasting Herbal Waters: Teas, Infusions & Decoctions in Practice
Sat July 25th - 9:30am-noon, The YurtKW, 508 Duke St W, Kitchener
Explore the world of herbal teas through direct experience. In this sensory-based session, we’ll taste and compare teas, infusions, and decoctions—learning how different preparation methods affect strength, flavour, and how the plants work in the body.
Through guided tasting and discussion, you’ll build confidence in choosing the right preparation for the moment and deepen your understanding of everyday herbal medicine.
Register Here (drop-ins welcome)
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Herbal Touch: Oils, Salves & Skin-Based Healing
​Sat Aug 15th - 9:30am-noon, The YurtKW, 508 Duke St W, Kitchener
Discover how herbal medicine works through the skin. In this experiential session, we’ll explore infused oils, salves, and other topical remedies, learning when and how to use them for everyday care and first aid.
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Choosing your Medicine: Tinctures, Vinegars & Oxymels in Everyday Use
Sat Sept 19th- 9:30am-noon, The YurtKW, 508 Duke St W, Kitchener
Learn how to choose the right herbal preparation for the moment. In this hands-on tasting and discussion session, we’ll explore tinctures, vinegars, and oxymels - how they differ, when to use them, and how they support the body. You’ll gain practical skills and confidence in working with these versatile extracts in daily life, building a more intuitive and responsive home herbal practice.
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WORK PARTY: Herb Garden in Action
​Sun Sept 27th - 9:30am-noon, Petersburg Community Garden
Join us in the garden once more as we tend, harvest, and care for a growing medicinal herb space. This is a chance to deepen your connection with the plants while learning through doing. Come as you are.
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FALL/WINTER Learning Circles (dates TBD)
Oct: Setting Up Your Home Apothecary
​Nov: Drop-Dosing: Awakening Our Senses with a Mystery Herb​
​Nov: MAKER SESSION: Cough Syrups and Cold/Flu Remedies​
​Dec: Community Resilience & Adaptability: Herbalists Activating Systems Change (a disucssion and visioning circle)
Pricing Details
We are experimenting with the gift economy, so...
how does 'payment' work?
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The Herbal Learning Circles are not your typical pay-and-receive experience, because we value what happens to community knowledge-sharing when entry fees are removed.
As such, these sessions are free to attend AND we welcome financial contributions (cash or e-transfer). The gift economy flows through generosity.​ We thank you for helping us carry this work forward!
Meet your Hosts
Passionate. Experienced. Grounded.
Nikola and Heather have been collaboratively hosting herbal medicine workshops and Learning Circles since 2022. They offer these from a place of passion and service to herbal medicine as the 'the peoples medicine'.
