Joe Hollis

Joe Hollis has been cultivating medicine in his herb terraces, hand-hewn dwellings, and teachings for over four decades. He is one of the pioneers of Chinese medicinal herb cultivation in the U.S., and continues extensive annual trials of seeds obtained by exchange with a network of botanical gardens. Dedicated to preserving native medicinals through the development of cultivation techniques since 1972, his home of Mountain Gardens in Burnsville, NC is the largest collection of medicinal herbs in the eastern U.S., and is a major source for herb seeds and plants, both retail and wholesale.

Learn more about Joe and Mountain Gardens!

Michelle Bouton

Michelle grew up in middle Tennessee, and was lucky enough to have a grandfather who led her on adventures such as wild mushroom hunting and making dandelion wine. The peach doesn’t fall far from the tree!
Michelle’s formal herbal studies include a doctorate degree in Chinese medicine from Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medicine in Asheville, NC, where she has served as herbal faculty. She founded HERBalachia in 2016, and as its Director, is in awe of the herbal community it has helped bring together in east Tennessee. She maintains a private practice of acupuncture and herbal medicine in Erwin, TN.

michellebouton.com

Tim McDowell

Dr. McDowell is a specialist in the plant family Rubiaceae and is a Professor at Eastern Tennessee State University (ETSU), teaching plant biology and systematics. He serves as curator of the John C. Warden Herbarium and as Director of the ETSU Arboretum. Employed at ETSU since 1998, his studies focuses on taxonomy (scientific naming and classification) and phylogeny (evolutionary relationships) within plant families. His career also included a year and a half with the Smithsonian Institution Museum of Natural History as a field botanist. A current project he is working on is the digitization of the 20,000+ specimens in the ETSU Herbarium, in collaboration with the Tenneesse Network of Curators. He will be sharing his time teaching the fundamentals of Taxonomy and Morphology and we could not be more excited!

Julia Thie, L.Ac.

Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist, Julia has had a love affair with the plant world since childhood. Master Gardener and formally trained in both eastern and western plant medicines, she brings her bio-medical knowledge and blends it with a historical understanding.

Julia holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Performance from Southern Connecticut State University with a concentration in Nutrition. After working in the wellness industry field for over a decade, she completed a four-year Masters Degree in Traditional Oriental Medicine from Yo San University in Los Angeles where she was introduced to the Herbal Energetic structure of categorization and use. She is the owner of Julia Thie – Acupuncture & Wellness Coaching and will be sharing her knowledge of Herbal Energetics with HERBalalchia students with great delight!

Amanda River Fern Bryant

Amanda grew up under the arms of a great grandmother Live Oak in south Louisiana. Since then she has been enchanted by the magic and wonder of the plant nation. Amanda studied horticulture at the University of Georgia, massage at the Asheville School of Massage and Yoga, herbalism at Appalachian School of Holistic Herbalism, and natural spirituality from Rainbow Eagle and Sarah Bicknell. She continues to be a student and strongly believes that healing for ourselves and the earth comes with connection, gratitude, and love for the natural world. Amanda currently has a private practice as a licensed massage therapist and herbalist in Johnson City, TN.

Cindi Quay

A traditional Herbalist and a descendent of the Menominee Nation and Founder of Cindi’s Sacred Garden, has been practicing her respected Native American Traditions with our plant nation for most her life. Opening herself to being a Student with Nature, Cindi has learned “hands on” to identify many herbs during all growing seasons and has traveled around the USA to identify many different healing plants for over 30 years. Cindi went into business full-time in 1997 and has included organic and natural mind and body products through her gifted knowledge.

Cindi teaches many groups about herbs, growing, connecting and to healing oneself through our plant nation. Cindi maintains her deep connection with her Native Nation, learning and sharing with Medicine people the plant knowledge that needs to maintain oral traditions.

Rodney Webb

Rodney become an environmental activist at a young age. His involvement in forest protection and direct action became a catalyst to exploring the adventure to becoming a farmer. To truly walk his talk, Rodney started practicing what he preached and became one with the land.

He is the owner of Salamander Springs Farm in Marshall, North Carolina where he cultivates mushrooms as well as seasonal vegetables. While this takes up a lot of his time, he continues to be an activist and educator.

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Rodney has conducted workshops on mushroom cultivation at the Organic Growers School, sells his mushrooms and farm crops at the Jonesborough farmers market, and sells through Madison Farms.

Marcy Parks

Marcy Parks is an Appalachian native currently residing in Bristol, Tennessee. Marcy began practicing yoga in 2011, and teaching yoga shortly after in 2015. It was through her yoga practice that she was introduced to Ayurveda, an ancient holistic healing system originating from India. It was in Ayurveda that Marcy found the marriage of all the things she is passionate about: yoga, meditation, herbal medicine, and healing. Most importantly, in Ayurveda she found an individual-focused healing tradition that emphasizes harmony with the natural world as being the key to overall wellness.

Shortly after the birth of her daughter in 2017, under the tutelage of Vishnu Dass, Marcy became a certified Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor at the Asheville School of Massage and Yoga. She has since continued her Ayurveda and Yoga practice working with individuals one-on-one to help them navigate their wellness path, leading yoga classes, and sharing workshops in the Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia community. 

Lori Collins Jenkins

Lori began her journey over a decade ago, creating herbal concoctions and magic in her kitchen for friends and families. She began her herbal studies attending local herbal classes and conferences but decided she wanted to dive deeper. She enrolled in Rosemary Gladstar’s The Science and Art of Herbalism course, which she finished in 2021. She is also a graduate of the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine’s Foraging Course. She has also taken One Willow Apothecary’s Intuitive Plant Medicine Course and currently enrolled in Anni Daulter’s Wyld Women group. As a traditional herbalist, she has made Appalachia her home. These old stones and plant spirits sing in her heart, and it is her hope that she can translate the wisdom of Appalachia into her medicine and food!