22 Jan Kate Tonnessen
After moving from Central Texas to the Pacific Northwest in her early twenties, Kate found herself immersed in lush, green landscapes that awakened a deep desire to understand and befriend the plants shaping her new environment. What began as curiosity quickly grew into a lifelong devotion to the study and practice of herbal medicine.
For more than 22 years, Kate has pursued extensive herbal education, studying through programs including the School of Evolutionary Herbalism, Cedar Mountain Herb School, Crows Daughter School of Shamanic Herbalism, and the School of Traditional Western Herbalism.
She has apprenticed with and learned from a wide range of respected herbalists, including Susan Weed, Jim McDonald, Howie Brounstein, Paul Bergner, Steven Buhner, Julie McIntyre, Margi Flint, Brigette Mars, Sheryl Tilgner, Julie Charette Nunn, Matthew Wood, Ryan Drum, Erin Kenny, and Suzanne Jordan, among others.
Alongside her work with plants, Kate is also a visual artist, working across printmaking, painting, clay, fiber arts, and stained glass. Her creative practice is deeply intertwined with her herbal work, drawing inspiration from seasonal cycles, land-based traditions, and the forms, textures, and stories of the natural world.
Twelve years ago, Kate began teaching wildcrafting on Vashon Island after founding Sweet Earth School of Herbal Medicine. There, she mentored apprentices and led adult wildcrafting programs at CedarSong Nature School, the first forest preschool in the United States. In 2018, she relocated to Boulder, Colorado, where she continues to teach, wildcraft, and explore the region’s diverse landscapes alongside a growing community of plant companions.
Kate Tonnessen will be teaching Mugwort, Moxabustion & Moonsong with Saiorse Watters.