Connect to the plant world

Peter Conway trained as a Medical Herbalist in the UK, where he ran a clinical practice for over 20 years. In addition to seeing patients, Peter has taught herbal courses at several UK universities and other academic institutions, been involved in herbal politics as a committee member of the European Herbal and Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association, and written several books about herbalism. He was involved in writing the National Professional Standards in Herbal Medicine in the UK and worked with the UK Department of Health in developing professional regulatory standards for herbal practice. Peter was the President of the College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy for 12 years. In recognition of his services to the herbal profession, Peter was made a Fellow of both the College of Practitioners of phytotherapy and the National Institute of Medical Herbalists.

Peter now lives on the west coast of Canada, and he is a member of the Canadian Herbalists Association of British Columbia. He is currently teaching at Pacific Rim College, working on the revised second edition of his textbook, ‘The Consultation in Phytotherapy,’ and developing an online project that aims to share his herbal insights more widely.

Amanda Howe has been a Herbalist for over thirty years. She trained in England in the early ’80s and became a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists. She went on to receive her MSc in Herbal Medicine from the University of Wales. Amanda worked in England in a multidisciplinary clinic before moving to Vancouver Island twenty-five years ago. Since moving to Canada Amanda has been active in practice as a herbalist and as a herbal educator. She has served on the board of the provincial Canadian Herbalists Association of BC as well as the national Herbal Practitioners Council – the Canadian Council of Herbalists Associations (CCHA), working to ensure continued access to herbal medicines for Herbalists and the general public. And she also sat on
Health Canada’s Natural Health Products Expert Advisory
Committee.

Amanda spent several years teaching at Pacific Rim College in Victoria, BC. as a teacher in their excellent full-time Herbal Practitioner training program, and was involved in funded research projects with the Centre for
Livelihoods and Ecology at Royal Roads University.

Amanda is passionate about herbs and herbal medicine and about sharing the connection to the natural world that can be found through connecting with and learning about the healing power of plants. Amanda loves to teach and is happiest when she is in the garden teaching people how to
grow, harvest, use and listen to the magic of the plants that are thriving there.

David Caudwell completed his studies in Herbal Medicine at the College of Phytotherapy in South East England and was awarded a BSc (Honours) from the University of Wales. After graduating David settled in Sussex, dividing his time between practice, clinic management and teaching responsibilities at the college where he trained. He has taught for the Universities of Wales and East London, and for the “Discovering Herbal Medicine” program run by Dr. Anne Walker. David is a member of The College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy, a professional body of herbalists established to champion the role and development of traditional herbal medicine in the modern world.
David has a lifelong passion for wildlife, the outdoors and the world’s indigenous medicine systems, which has led to travel on five continents. In his practice, David takes a particular interest in Women’s Health, Fertility Issues and Cancer Care.

Listen to David on episode 14 of Pacific Rim College Radio

Seraphina’s European grandparents first introduced her to the healing power of natural medicine. While seasonally gathering herbs in rural Ontario, Canada they lovingly taught her about the traditional wisdom of herbs and plant lore.
After suffering an injury to her spine as a teenager, Seraphina was declared by the conventional medical system to lead a life of suffering in chronic pain. Determined to heal herself, she returned to her roots and began a professional study of natural medicine at Emerson College of Herbology leading her to study with renowned herbalist Susun S. Weed at The Wise Woman Center in NY and then healers in the desert of New Mexico.
She attended the University of Toronto while working with an inspiring MD who practiced homeopathy, revealing to her the brilliance of this unique and deep system of medicine.
The combination and expertise of her two passions of herbal medicine and homeopathic medicine make Seraphina a gifted holistic practitioner. She brings the balance of university education in science and the magic of what wildlands and mystics have taught her to each of her classes and clients. She lives on Salt Spring Island where’s she’s had a clinical practice since 2005. She teaches herbal medicine, homeopathy & earth-based magic internationally. As an educator, she is passionate about offering empowering, heart-centered classes that are rooted in spirit. She gives thanks to all her teachers, namely Michael Vertolli (Emerson College 1998) Susun Weed, Aviva Romm, Murray Feldman, Susan Gimbel, Laurie Dack, Lianne South, Louis Klein, and the old authors of homeopathic texts from the 1800s, and the women who kept recipes alive in the stillroom books.

Listen to Seraphina on episode 23 of Pacific Rim College Radio

Lindsay’s interest in plants was cultivated in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. During 10 years of work as a naturalist guide, Lindsay gained a deep appreciation for ecology and her clinical practice integrates her respect for the profound nature of connection within our web of life. She has a deep love for plants and a passion to increase the availability of safe, effective medicines in a form that nurtures our shared spiritual and ecological health. After studies in geography, nutrition, and yoga, and mentorship in energy work, shamanism, organic gardening, and herbal wildcrafting, she dedicated herself to herbal studies and was one of PRC’s first Diploma of Phytotherapy graduates. She is a professional member of the Canadian Herbalist Association of BC and is on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Council of Herbalist Associations. She practices herbalism in her home community of Fernwood, Victoria and is a happy gardener, yogi, and mother.

Dr. Marisa Marciano is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor & Registered Herbalist (AHG) with expertise in both the education and clinical applications of phytotherapy. As an herbal practitioner and educator for nearly a decade, she strives to empower both her patients and her students to take a “hands-on-herbal approach” to learn the arts & science of herbal medicine and is considered a passionate educator who believes in the body’s innate capacity to heal when provided with the ancient knowledge & foundational therapeutic potential of plant medicine in all its forms.

Jennifer is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and founder of Vancouver based nutritional consulting firm, My Edible Advice. Her expertise and private practice are rooted in an unwavering commitment: to empower individuals to reach their health and wellness goals by providing them with the tools to thrive.
Fuelled by this conviction, My Edible Advice has sparked an appetite for optimal health and wellness that extends far beyond its Vancouver base. Today, Jennifer and her team provide nutritional consultation, cooking classes, and meal planning sessions to a worldwide set of individual and organizational clients in pursuit of the knowledge to nourish and map to optimal health. Jennifer has developed a keen interest in gastrointestinal, prenatal, and oncology nutrition and her breadth and depth of knowledge in these areas are reflected in her private practice. She uses herbs in every single one of her dietary protocols and is continually amazed by the healing powers in food.
A Maritime girl at heart and west coaster in-home, Jennifer seeks solace where the mountains meet the ocean and finds bliss in the bounty and buzz of a local farmer’s markets. She believes that health is happiness, and that to engage, enable, and empower her clients to live their best life is to do the very same for her. Jennifer proves that healthful choices can be as easy as pie.

Robert Dale Rogers has been an herbalist for over fifty years and is a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild. He earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta, where he is presently an assistant clinical professor in Family Medicine. He is also an adjunct professor in Graduate Studies at York University in Toronto, and presently teaches plant and mushroom medicine, aromatherapy and flower essences in the Earth Spirit Medicine faculty at the Northern Star College in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Robert is past chair of the Alberta Natural Health Agricultural Network and Community Health Council of Capital Health. He is a Fellow of the International College of Nutrition, past chair of the North American Mycological Association, and previously on the editorial board of the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms. He regularly posts articles of interest in Fungi magazine.

The author of 52 books on medicinal plants and fungi of the boreal forest, Robert authored the must-have book The Fungal Pharmacy: The Complete Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms and Lichens of North America. Another of his acclaimed books: A Cree Healer and His Medicine Bundle, was released in June 2015 by North Atlantic Books, and it documents the tenth generation passing down of over sixty traditional indigenous boreal plants and their medicinal benefit. Robert was honoured as an Herbal Elder of Canada in 2015.

Today, Robert guest lectures and conducts walks throughout North America on plant and mushroom medicine, and continues to release must-have books on mushrooms.

Listen to Robert on episode 4 of Pacific Rim College Radio

Cordelia McFadyen, a.k.a. your nutritional translator, is the owner and Board-Certified Holistic Nutritionist at Inspired Living Nutrition Inc. After suffering for years from unknown food sensitivities and actively working her way back to strong health through proper nutrition, she was inspired and determined to take her education further so that she could help empower others back to great health. Cordelia believes there is more than enough food information “out there” for people to learn from; however, the key is not in the information available but in how to apply it to your unique nutritional needs. This is where she applies some of her favorite goal-crushing techniques to help you learn the new healthy habits that will reveal the best you. Cordelia also loves to share her passions, so you can find her spreading her love of all things delicious and nutritious online and at special events throughout Canada.

A strong advocate for the holistic nutrition industry, she currently serves as Dean of the School of Holistic Nutrition at Pacific Rim College, as a proud Board Member for the Holistic Nutrition Credentialing Board (HNCB), and as the Western Canadian representative for the Canadian Action for Nutrition (CAN) which is facilitated by the Canadian professional organization Canadian Association of Natural Nutrition Practitioners (CANNP).

Apart from touting the benefits of kale and lemon water to anyone who will listen, she is an avid outdoorswoman who enjoys long hikes, canoeing, crabbing, reading, dancing with friends, and tending to her garden. In her free time, she can be found walking her awesome Chihuahua Juno and writing about herself in the third person.