workshop:

Foraging for Mental Health

with Lynn Shore

10 Dec 2022

Are you looking to boost your mood by connecting with your environment? Lynn Shore will take you on a mindful guided session to explore ways to engage with everyday nature in order to support your mental health. You will learn to know a few useful plant friends and their health effects in your immediate surroundings through using your senses, as well as techniques you can use to ground yourself with city nature. Connect with your inner Biophile! 

Tickets / Facebook

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Picking mugwort - Mugwort, with the botanical name of Artemisia vulgaris , is said to have derived its common name from its traditional use, along other herbs (such as Ground Ivy), in the flavouring of drinks, especially beer - before the introduction of hops. There have been many superstitions surrounding this plant: it was believed to protect from wild beasts and evil spirits in general; in the Netherlands and Germany one of its names is St. John's Plant, due to the belief that if harvested on St. John's Eve Iines Råmark

With: Sadhbh O'Donnell, Common mugwort
With:
Lynn Shore

What you will do 

You will begin this workshop by walking in the surroundings of Mediamatic Biotoop, and discovering different wild herbs that can be used to boost your mood, calm you, energize you and overall help to reach a balanced state of mind. After foraging a few of these plants, you will have a guided tea session with Lynn, during which you can taste them in a brew and observe the effect which they have on your mind. You will leave with a deeper knowledge of edible herbs in your environment and hopefully a sense of balance and calm. 

This workshop will take place outside in all weathers, as it is important to get fresh air in sun and rain. Please come prepared for it!

Lynn Shore

The natural world has always deeply fascinated Lynn – we are part of it and need to respect it. She expresses this through teaching, writing and being in green spaces. Her professional background is in science and special education, herbalism, permaculture and nature education. Outside of paid work she is involved in creating urban foraging sites and increasing food sovereignty.

Tickets

Full price €35 | Discount price € 25
We give a discount to students, stadspas and artists. If this applies to you we might ask to see your kvk nr/portfolio or student card for this option.

Information

10th of December, 15:00-18:00
We maintain a minimum of 6 participants.
Please note that, this workshop will be held in English.
For questions, please send an email to workshop@mediamatic.nl.

We are taking corona safety into account at our workshops.
Read our ticket terms and conditions here.

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Picking marigold - Calendula officinalis, also known by the common name Marigold, has been known and used for medicinal properties since medieval times at least. It's important to notice that only the common deep orange-flowered variety is of medicinal value. Botanical doctors of the late Middle Ages used marigold as a remedy for various maladies, so much so that any medieval garden would have been incomplete without the marigold flower. One of the first clear historical written sources about this plant is… Iines Råmark

With: Sadhbh O'Donnell, Common marigold
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Foraging chamomile - One of the most well known medicinal plants in Europe. We use the flowers to make a calming infusion that might help with anxiety and coughing. Also it's being used with skin inflammations. At Mediamatic we also have it in the "Casting Doubt" project . Iines Råmark

With: Sadhbh O'Donnell, Chamomile
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Wild plants like chamomile can be used to support your mental health - One of the most well known medicinal plants in Europe. We use the flowers to make a calming infusion that might help with anxiety and coughing. Also it's being used with skin inflammations. At Mediamatic we also have it in the " Casting Doubt" project . Suzana Orsolic

With: Sadhbh O'Donnell, Chamomile
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Different foraged plants and herbs - Suzana Orsolic

With: Sadhbh O'Donnell, Chamomile, Yarrow, Common mugwort, Elder, Common Lavender
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Picking chamomile - One of the most well known medicinal plants in Europe. We use the flowers to make a calming infusion that might help with anxiety and coughing. Also it's being used with skin inflammations. At Mediamatic we also have it in the "Casting Doubt" project.   Photo 2021 by Suzanna Orsolic for Mediamatic - Foraging for mental health workshop with Lynn Shore . Suzana Orsolic

With: Sadhbh O'Donnell, Lynn Shore, Chamomile
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Picking elderflower during Foraging for Mental Health - Elder is a tree found throughout the Netherlands. In the spring, the tree produces small, white elderflowers and in the summer, dark purple berries. Both elderberries and elderflowers have been used for centuries as medicine. While elder is best known for its anti-viral properties, the flower also has benefits for mental health.  Elderflower extract has been proven to suppress neurotoxicity in the brain. Because of its detoxifying effects, it has been used as an antidepressant.    Suzana Orsolic

With: Sadhbh O'Donnell, Elderflower Champagne 2.0, Ground elder, Elder
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Picking pink yarrow - Yarrow, or Achillea millefolium, is an edible plant with medicinal properties. In the Middle Ages it was thought to have subtle powers for wounds and help with mitigating fevers. Yarrow Tea is a good remedy for severe colds, being most useful in the commencement of fevers. Some of i ts old names such as Soldier's Wound Wort and Knight's Milfoil testify to its reputation as a vulnerary. Another popular name for it is Nosebleed, as i t is also quite well known for helping with nose bleeding. Some… Suzana Orsolic

With: Sadhbh O'Donnell, Yarrow
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Lynn Shore showing that edible plants grow everywhere in the city - During our Foraging for mental health workshop Iines Råmark

With: Lynn Shore
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Foraging for mental health participants exploring yarrow - Yarrow, or Achillea millefolium, is an   edible plant with medicinal properties. In the Middle Ages it was thought to have subtle powers for wounds and help with mitigating fevers.   Yarrow Tea is a good remedy for severe colds, being most useful in the commencement of fevers. Some of i ts old names such as Soldier's Wound Wort and Knight's Milfoil testify to its reputation as a vulnerary. Another popular name for it is Nosebleed, as i t is also quite well known for helping with   nose bleeding. Iines Råmark

With: Lynn Shore, Yarrow
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Participants tasting nettle seeds - During our Foraging for mental health workshop The Nettle group, Urticaceae, is widely spread over the world and contains about 500 species, mainly tropical, though several, like the common Stinging Nettle, are found in temperate climates. Many of the species have stinging hairs on their stems and leaves, causing the burns for which they are mostly known. It might be less known that they also have medicinal properties and uses in cookery. Preparations of the herb have astringent properties and act also as a stimulating tonic. Iines Råmark

With: Lynn Shore, Stinging nettle
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Participant making notes on yarrow - During our Foraging for mental health workshop Yarrow , or Achillea millefolium, is an   edible plant with medicinal properties. In the Middle Ages it was thought to have subtle powers for wounds and help with mitigating fevers.   Yarrow Tea is a good remedy for severe colds, being most useful in the commencement of fevers. Some of i ts old names such as Soldier's Wound Wort and Knight's Milfoil testify to its reputation as a vulnerary. Another popular name for it is Nosebleed, as i t is also quite well known for helping with   nose… Iines Råmark

With: Lynn Shore, Yarrow
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Our resident herbalist Lynn Shore explaining how organoleptic tasting works - Iines Råmark

With: Lynn Shore
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Our resident herbalist Lynn Shore showing St. John's-worts - St. John's wort family (family Hypericaceae ) includes herbs and shrubs with yellow flowers and leaves that have numerous, often black, dots. Among this family we can find Hypericum perforatum , better known by its common name St. John' Wort. This plant has had great meanings and importance for superstition and witchcraft and its medicinal  properties are well known since at least the Graeco-Roman times. Externally it has been used to to aid wound healing, burns and sunburns. Currently, it is… Iines Råmark

With: Lynn Shore, St. John's Wort
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Lynn Shore showing plantain growing on urban patch of grass - During our Foraging for mental health workshop Plantain (Plantago major)   is also known as plantain leaf or plantain weed, and is not to be confused with the banana-like fruit. In addition to being edible,  Plantago  has a long history of use in folk medicine, even if it   is not as useful a medicinal than its slender sister  Ribwort (Plantago lanceolota). It has served as a folk remedy for snake bites, insect bites, cuts and rashes for ages. It’s also a common component in healing salve, generally used on skin, for wounds and other… Iines Råmark

With: Lynn Shore, Greater Plantain
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Participant foraging chamomile - Iines Råmark

With: Lynn Shore
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Lynn explaining about the benefit of chamomile - Iines Råmark

With: Lynn Shore
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Taking notes during the foraging for mental health workshop - Iines Råmark

With: Lynn Shore
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Participant foraging from the hedge growth - Iines Råmark

With: Lynn Shore
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Smelling foraged linden leaf tea and making notes of the experience - The Linden tree is found throughout Europe and  North America. In the UK, it is often called the lime tree while in North America it is called the basswood. In traditional folk medicine, linden leaf has been used as a sedative to soothe anxiety. Many studies have found that compounds in the linden leaf mimic GABA, a chemical in the brain that slows down the nervous system.  Iines Råmark

With: Lynn Shore, Linden
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Participant smelling foraged lime leaf tea - During our Foraging for mental health workshop Lime leaves come from the Lime tree (Tilia europea). This tree will grow to up to 40 meters in height and when in bloom perfumes its whole neighbourhood. The honey from the flowers is regarded as one of the best flavoured and among the most valuables in the world. It is used mostly in medicine, cosmetics and in liqueurs. This plant's natural remedies are soothing and calming. Lime flowers and leaves can be used in infusion or made into a distilled water as household remedies in indigestion Iines Råmark

With: Lynn Shore
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Nettles - During our Foraging for mental health workshop The Nettle group, Urticaceae, is widely spread over the world and contains about 500 species, mainly tropical, though several, like the common Stinging Nettle, are found in temperate climates. Many of the species have stinging hairs on their stems and leaves, causing the burns for which they are mostly known. It might be less known that they also have medicinal properties and uses in cookery. Preparations of the herb have astringent properties and act also as a stimulating tonic. Iines Råmark

With: Lynn Shore, Stinging nettle
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Foraging chamomile from an urban wild flower patch - During our Foraging for mental health workshop Iines Råmark

With: Lynn Shore, Chamomile