foundations of herbalism
week long Herbal intensive | August 3-7 ASHEVILLE, Nc
This immersion is for anyone who wants to be empowered to take care of their own health!
The FOH week long intensive was designed to help expedite a solid educational foundation in Herbalism.
The Invitation
Come spend a week in the heart of Appalachia, one of the most botanically diverse regions in North America and home to an extraordinary abundance of medicinal plants. The mountains, forests, and meadows around Asheville have supported generations of herbalists, and this landscape continues to offer a living classroom unlike any other.
This one week immersion is a rare opportunity to step fully into the study of herbalism in the place where the plants themselves are your teachers. Each day you will work directly with medicinal herbs, building practical skills in plant identification, ethical wildcrafting, and hands on medicine making while deepening your understanding of herbal wisdom.
This training is designed not only to teach skills but to create an experience. Spending time learning in nature, working with your hands, and sharing space with a community of students allows the knowledge to take root in a way that is both meaningful and lasting. Many students find that a week of focused, immersive study offers a depth of learning that is difficult to access in everyday life and can be paired beautifully to help support an online herbal education.
This immersion is located just outside of Asheville, NC a place of remarkable beauty and inspiration. Whether you are traveling from another part of the country or joining us from the local community, this program offers the chance to immerse yourself in the rhythms of the mountains while developing your path as an herbalist.
We invite you to come study, explore, and connect with the plants in one of the most beautiful and abundant landscapes in the country, and to leave with new skills, new relationships, and a deeper sense of connection to the living world.
Our Week together - What You wIll receive
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Monday: Ethical Practices in Herbalism
We open with a welcoming circle, setting intentions and exploring the ethics of working with plants. We then dive into making infusions and decoctions, followed by an afternoon of gentle introduction to ethical wildcrafting. -
Tuesday: Ritual Herbalism
We will craft gorgeous medicinal oils and potent salves and topical preparations in the morning, bringing ritual directly into the practice of herbalism. In the afternoon, we gather fresh materials in the field, preparing for the next day. -
Wednesday: Plant Energetics & Actions
We will spend the entire day exploring the subtle energies of plants while creating medicinal tinctures and alcohol free glycerites. The afternoon wildcrafting or a local field trip connects us to plants’ actions in their natural habitats. -
Thursday: Mutual Aid & Community Care
We will craft nourishing and tasty herbal syrups while discussing how herbalism can directly support community care. Afternoon wildcrafting and foraging deepens our practical connection. -
Friday: Integrating Herbal Wisdom
We conclude our medicine making practicums with herbal powders and tasty electuaries, focusing on bringing herbalism easily into daily life. A closing circle offers reflection and celebration of the week’s journey. -
All field trips and class locations will be announced once the program begins. Each day will be within the Asheville area, and we’ll take you to specialized botanical locations where you can sink deeply into nature and intimately connect with the plants.
“Up until my course at Twin Star, never did I fully notice how much medicine, healing and support was right in front of my eyes in nature - even sometimes in the middle of a sidewalk crack! This course literally opened my eyes, heart and soul up to a new paradigm and inspired me to take in all of what the plants have to offer, and how to cherish and give back to the soil!”
— Rachel A. FOUNDATIONS OF HERBALISM GRADUATE
Those who feel called to begin their journey into the Art, Science, and Spirit of herbalism
Those craving a deep, immersive, week-long experience and ready to dive into herbalism fully.
Those who want hands-on, practical skills in medicine-making, wildcrafting, plant identification and building a home apothecary.
Those who are interested in exploring the mind, body, spirit connection through the lens of herbal energetics and body systems
Those drawn to a community learning circle, where relationships with plants and peers grow side by side
Additionally this program is for:
Students who want to begin their herbal studies with this immersive, hands-on week and then continue their learning through our Foundations of Herbalism Online program to complete full certification
Students who have already completed our Foundations of Herbalism Online and want to deepen their knowledge through a full hands-on immersion in medicine making, plant identification, and wildcrafting
Who is this for
What you will learn
Building Relationships with the Plants
Learn how to identify, and ethically wildcraft medicinal herbs while forming deep, lasting relationships with them. You will spend time in the field and classroom, getting to know plants through direct experience, intuition, and study. Through this hands-on connection, you will gain confidence in preparing your own remedies and begin to understand the plants not only as medicine, but as teachers and allies on your journey.
The Art & Practice of Medicine Making
Develop the skills to prepare tinctures, teas, salves, oils, and other botanical remedies with care and intention. You will learn techniques that are both time-honored and practical, creating a foundation for your own home apothecary.
This work not only builds competence, but also cultivates artistry — transforming simple preparations into powerful medicines that carry the wisdom of the plants and the heart of the herbalist who makes them.
What makes our
Program unique?
This program is unique because it immerses you in the biodiverse Appalachian landscape, one of the richest botanical regions in the country. Each day combines hands-on medicine-making, ethical wildcrafting, and meaningful discussion topics. Whether you’re beginning your herbal path or building on prior knowledge, this intensive week can stand alone or be paired with our online Foundations of Herbalism course to achieve full certification—offering you both real-world connection and a complete herbal education.
when will we meet
We will meet during the first week of August 2026, the height of the growing season, specifically from Monday, August 3rd, through Friday, August 7th. Each day, we’ll gather from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering you a full, immersive experience throughout the week.
We offer a limited number of spaces each year to create an intimate class experience.
*We reserve the right to reschedule classes in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
If any changes occur, students will be notified promptly.
Meet Your Teachers
Lupo Passero is a community herbalist and educator who has been teaching the Foundations of Herbalism program for over 15 years, guiding hundreds of students through this immersive training. Her teaching focuses on helping students become confident, capable herbalists through hands-on medicine making, wildcrafting, and direct relationship with plants.
Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience in herbalism and natural health, Lupo is passionate about training herbalists who can care for themselves, their families, and their communities using practical, accessible plant medicine.
Jenna Faccenda is a clinical herbalist and educator with over five years of dedicated study in herbal medicine and ancestral folk practices. Her teaching blends folk, practical, and hands-on approaches, offering students tangible skills to take away while centering ritual and deep relationship with the plants.
Her ancestral work is deeply informed by Southern Italian folk traditions and further shaped through time spent traveling and studying in Italy and Sicily. Alongside formal study and gratitude toward her teachers, Jenna understands plants as teachers in their own right, learning through observation, relationship, and place-based practice.
Jenna is a graduate of Twin Star’s Herbal Practice + Protocol Program and The Practicing Herbalist.
“This class gave me the knowledge to be able to take care of myself-mind,body, and spirit in such a way that brings me back to the basics, back to the earth and her medicine. Everything I have learned has been an invaluable asset to who I am as a human and I am just so grateful to Lupo for making it such a multifaceted learning experience!”
— IIona B. FOUNDATIONS OF HERBALISM GRADUATE
$1,100
2026 CLASSES fill quickly. SIGN UP TODAY TO ENSURE YOUR SPOT.
Investment
We are always available to help you decide which one of our programs is a good fit for you on your journey. Just use the button below to schedule a call. We look forward to connecting with you.
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Frequently asked questions
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No, there are no prerequisites for enrolling in the Foundations of Herbalism program. This course is designed to welcome students at all levels of experience, whether you are brand new to plant medicine or have already begun your studies. The more knowledge and personal experience you bring with you, the more you will get out of the program, but we begin at the roots, making sure everyone can grow together.
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Yes. Our Foundations of Herbalism certificate program is offered online.
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Students are expected to arrive on time and participate for the entirety of the week.
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The Foundations of Herbalism program is unique because it weaves together the art, science, and spirit of herbalism. For nearly two decades we have trained hundreds of students, grounding them in both practical medicine-making and deep relationship with the plants. This balance of intuition and science, ritual and practice, creates a living lineage of herbalism that continues to grow through each student who joins us.
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The Foundations of Herbalism program is designed to give you the skills, confidence, and experience to begin practicing as a community herbalist. Paired with our Foundations of Herbalism online program you will learn how to make and use your own remedies, understand body systems and energy centers, and work safely with medicinal plants. Just as importantly, you will cultivate the intuition and relationships with plants that allow herbalism to become part of your daily life. By the time you complete this training, you will be able to care for yourself, your family, and your community with herbal medicine, while building a strong foundation for advanced studies.
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Yes! We’re committed to making herbal education accessible. A limited number of scholarships and flexible payment plans are available. Please inquire within by email twinstaroffice@gmail.com—we’re happy to work with you to make this path possible.