On Monday, August 29, 6 - 7:30 PM, meet us at Transformative Arts for "Native Plants, Healing, and Us" - a plant workshop led by Thanh Mai of Moon Baby Medicine. 🌱🪴

This workshop is an introduction to native and medicinal plants, their role(s) in the environment and our communities, and the ongoing impacts of colonialism, ranching, and city development. There will be an introduction to native plant medicine, details about specific native plants, and some of the many health benefits they provide. We will focus on so-called southern California, from Tovaangar to Syuxtun.

Despite mass agriculture, water and soil depletion, and many invasive species, native plants continue to grow - through concrete, between highways, below cemented riverbeds. Most of these plants have adapted over time, filtering out more pollutants, developing waxier roots to retain water during drought, and so on. These plants serve as both remedies and reminders, that we are able to tend to our healing and the land around us.

Participants will be given fresh herbal tea during the workshop, as well as dried loose-leaf tea to take home.

The workshop is free and all are welcome! To protect our community, we are limiting space to 15 participants so sign up now to reserve a spot. We will also be checking COVID vaccination cards and/or a negative COVID test at the door and ask all participants wear masks while indoors. ⁠

ABOUT THANH MAI

[Thanh] Mai (pronouns: they/them) of @MoonBabyMedicine is a plant tender based in Tovangaar. Thanh grows, dries, and prepares blends of medicinal teas as a way of [re]connecting with the plant traditions + exchanges in their lineage. They work specifically with plants of the southeast Asian + Pasifika diaspora, and Chumash + coastal Natives of Southern California. Thanh encourages folks to learn about the native plants + traditions in their area and support Indigenous-led land work.

Thanh created Moon Baby Medicine to provide herbal mutual aid and learning opportunities. Thanh provides medicinal teas to @DignityandPowerNow, which distributes care kits to families with incarcerated loved ones. They hope to work with farms, cooperatives, apothecaries, land trusts, and businesses to encourage land rematriation and uninhibited space for Native plants.