Elderberry School Alumni
We are honored to have amazing folks for alumni. Here are some of them, in no particular order. If you have studied with us and would like to share what you are up to, please contact us with a picture and a bio.
Lizzy Simpson
Lizzy attended the Herbalist Training Program in 2009 and returned for advanced classes in 2011.
"I would also personally say that my attending Elderberry in 2009 was one of the best times of my life and instilled in me a lifelong love of herbal medicine and plant magic. Connecting with a group of people that just wanted to nerd out about plants was so much fun and I looked forward to class every week. I spent a lot of time outside of class in the woods with my classmates too! I had just moved to Portland when I attended Elderberry School and being part of that community gave me a sense of home and belonging that I still cherish today."
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Lizzy is a Portland area herbalist, farmer and aspiring death doula. She founded and co-owned Rise Up Remedies, a medicinal herb farm that grew herbs for the greater Portland area and beyond. She worked as the lead farmer, educator and product developer until its closure. Lizzy is now focusing her energy on education, starting the Portland Herb Craft School in 2024. This garden based school specializes in teaching students to grow medicinal herbs for self and community care. She continues to craft herbal remedies and is exploring how to work with death and herbs. You can learn more about Lizzy’s offerings at ithir.co
Alison DeGrazzio
Alison DeGrazzio is a licensed Advanced Aesthetician in the state of Oregon and herbal medicine lover. She uses a wholistic approach when consulting with clients and their skin concerns. Because our skin is the largest organ of the body, and works so hard in filtering everyday toxins from our system, it is important to look beyond initial concerns and treat the skin from the inside out. Nutrition, allergies and environmental sensitivities all play a role in the health of our skin, and Alison takes great care to assess these factors before developing treatment plans for her clients. You can find Alison at Sugar Me PDX and on Instagram at @rawhide_aesthetics
Danica Marsh
With knowledge gained over the year studying with The Elderberry School, Danica is now exploring the world of natural pigment. The herbalist training program was such an incredible foundation for understanding and appreciating all that the plants around us have to offer. She can be found either outside, relishing in the presence of nature, or in her studio, working with botanical dye and enjoying one of the many special gifts of the natural world. See her work on Instagram at @danica.l.marsh
Anna and Ryan
Anna Wilson and Ryan Falk are land stewards and regenerative agriculturalists on Brown Bottle Farm located 30 minutes from Portland, Oregon. They grow produce, herbs, and mushrooms for their community in Oregon City using Certified Naturally Grown techniques.
Ryan and Anna attended Elderberry school of Botanical Medicine in 2013. The experience was fundamental to their current careers and world perspective. The immersive, intellectual, supportive, and empowering course led them to continued studies in mycology, herbalism, and vegetable farming. Mycorrhizal relationships created from this education shaped the trajectory of their life mission- providing healthful foods, nourishing relationships, and deep connection to nature.
Elderberry School taught them to respect and observe plants and mushrooms for their energetic uses, physiological impacts, and spiritual significance. They learned to thoughtfully work with plants and people, important skills in identification, and ways to process those medicines. Post Elderberry they started a small handmade incense business using foraged herbs, mushrooms, and resins. It was during this time they transitioned from a farming apprenticeship at R-Evolution Gardens in Nehalem, Oregon to their own farm established in 2016.
Nowadays they pine over what seeds they want to grow, how they'll give back to their soil and community, and selling produce locally. They've also hosted educational events, notably the Radical Mycology Convergence, mushroom forays, and cultivation classes.
For more information about Brown Bottle Farm and Anna and Ryan visit their website:
Elona Trogub
Elona is a chef and farmer by trade. She took her herbalist education and applied to starting a greenhouse business where she produces organic, digestion supporting blends and individual varieties of microgreens year-round in Carson, WA. You can find Gorge Greens in most New Seasons, Peoples Co-op, Food Front, Know Thy Food and many more locations throughout Portland, Vancouver and the Gorge. If you’re looking for a great deal, check out their farm-direct Porch Drop subscription at gorgegreens.com
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Her latest project is developing the deli and cafe for Treebird Market in Hood River, a local and organic focused grocery store and is writing a book and teaching classes on the intersection of cooking, farming and herbalism.
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Find Elona on IG @witchnkitchn
Keath Silva
Keath is an herbalist, bodyworker, medium and writer who holds compassionate space for one's authentic self to emerge and thrive through private healing sessions, mentorships and poetic writings. Keath works with everyone and has a special focus of working with the queer and trans community
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Connect with Keath's many offerings at www.keathsilva.org
Kelsey Langston
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Kelsey had the privilege to grow up barefooted in lush forest, snacking on huckleberries and chasing faeries. Being held by nature during pivotal life events, Kelsey has always been fascinated by the personal unearthing and healing possibilities of immersive wilderness experiences and medicinals.
Completing the Elderberry School of Botanical Medicine Herbalist Program, Kelsey quit her career in the trades to follow her naturalist threads of curiosity, melding her knowledge of local plants with her own natural perfume line. Since graduating the Herbalist Program, Kelsey can be found outdoors birding, practicing bushcraft skills, medicine-making and stewarding the land. Kelsey’s curiosity led her into an intensive Wilderness Survival Program, which inspired her to join a Forest School Teacher Training Program, which she completed while teaching pre-K through 4th grade at an outdoor school. By working with children outdoors, she further developed her love for nature, plant medicine, facilitating adventure, and supporting people where they are at.
Kelsey has since gone back to school for Early Childhood Education and Outdoor Education at Colorado Mountain College, and lives in Carbondale Colorado teaching at an outdoor adventure preschool and kindergarten, teaching young generations how to tap into the magic of the green world.
Lesley Beth
Lesley Beth is an artist, herbalist and student of nature living in Portland, Oregon. They attended The Elderberry School in 2014 where they met and learned with a dozen magical soul mates. Their current work includes illustration, folk magic crafts, herbal medicine, tarot readings, and land-based healing. Their art is inspired by their relationship with the land on which they reside and is intended to inspire experiences of interconnectedness with the natural world. They can be found on Instagram (@void_bath) and at voidbath.com.
Melissa Szaro
After graduating from the Elderberry School, herbalism remained a big part of Melissa’s life. She went on to work at Fettle Botanic Supply and Counsel, and then Wildish Botanicals, two herb shops in Portland. Before the pandemic, she taught classes on herbalism and plant spirit meditation at herb shops and for the Elderberry School.
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These days, she is a blog contributor at The Herbal Academy and a copywriter for the NW School of Aromatic Medicine. In 2020, she helped co-create Herbs for Activists, a community led volunteer project providing free herbal medicines and self-care items to marginalized communities.
She spent the last couple years building her small herbal business, blossom + thorn, an herbal apothecary and natural skin care line (on Instagram @blossomandthornbotanicals) When not working on one of her many passion projects, you’ll find her rock climbing, practicing yoga, gardening, or out in the wild with her dog, Rudy.
Stephanie Raven
Dr. Stephanie Raven is a naturopathic physician and herbalist who owns a clinic in Missoula, MT.
"When I was studying naturopathic medicine I realized I didn’t just want to learn about medicinal herbs from a PowerPoint. I decided to take a year off of my studies and attend Elderberry School. It was such a wonderful experience being able to learn about herbal medicine in a hands-on way. The knowledge I gained at Elderberry School deeply informs they way I practice today.
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"In my practice, I primarily focus on helping patients with digestive complaints, chronic pain, mental-emotional health complaints, and pelvic floor dysfunction.
Making natural medicine affordable is one of my top priorities. My practice is a hybrid model of insurance billing and sliding-scale for non-covered services. At Aralia Health, our mission is to offer accessible, community-centered natural medicine and create a collaborative health experience with our patients."
Brunem Warshaw
Brunem Warshaw is a clinical herbalist, medicine-maker, and educator who weaves scientific and intuitive approaches together to support people in healing themselves with the assistance of plant medicines. They have been studying herbalism for over a decade and practicing clinically since 2012. Their practice today focuses on serving their communities with navigating trauma recovery, mental health, addiction, disability, and chronic illness. They are passionate about the integration of polyvagal theory with plant medicine to cultivate emotional resilience. Brunem provides virtual consults and ships custom herbal formulas to anyone within the United States. You can go to their Queer Healers listing to book a consult with them directly. Learn more about their work on their website and stay in the loop of online workshop offerings via their mailing list and Instagram.
Melissa Mutterspaugh
Melissa (Mountain Mel) Mutterspaugh is a clinical herbalist living in the foothills of Mt Hood. She spent several years running The Green Canyon Herbal Apothecary in Welches, OR, and sold her herbal product line, Mountain Mel’s Essential Goods; throughout the country in stores such as REI, New Seasons, Market Of Choice, and countless Co-Ops. Mel is now the host of The Herbalist’s Path Podcast which focuses on teaching mommas how to use plants in a safe and effective way, taking better care of themselves, their family, and the planet. Mel is a firm believer that there needs to be an herbalist in every home... AGAIN, so that we can come together and make herbalism #SpreadLikeWildFlowers
Alison Middleman
Following her time in the Elderberry School, Dr. Allison Middleman earned her doctorate in naturopathic medicine and is now a naturopathic physician providing primary care in West Seattle, with a clinical focus in naturopathic gastroenterology. Dr. Middleman works with patients of all ages and is passionate about providing integrative, whole-person care, regularly utilizing botanical medicine in her practice. Connect with Alison at https://www.neighborhood-naturopathic.com/
Amanda Daniel
Amanda Daniel is an herbalist, gardener, mother and explorer of wild places. She spent her young childhood getting to know the plants and animals on Kodiak Island, Alaska and later in the desert Southwest. She now lives in the Columbia River Gorge, and spends her days tending land and gardens and delighting in the beautiful place she calls home with her daughter. She makes small-batch herbal remedies which she brings to the local Farmer's Market, leads plant walks and workshops for medicine making, and loves to help folks find the plants that will support them in their healing process.
Amanda attended the Elderberry School Herbalist Training Program in 2015, and returned for the Advanced Clinical Program in 2017. The Elderberry School has been an integral part of her education, and helped her to refine her path and offerings in the world.
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“Being part of a close-knit community of folks learning about herbs, camping in beautiful locations and being on this journey together was one of the most fun and fulfilling experiences I have been a part of.”
Find out more about Amanda and her work at www.bearfoot-botanicals.com.