ABOUT HERBAL HOMESTEAD

Foraging walks & tuition / Homemade workshops / Homestead-help

 

Environment: Land-informed projects that work for local wildlife and people alike. Acting local, affecting global.

 

Community: Land-based projects that educate, empower, connect, and generate new opportunities.

 

Business: Understanding our local function as part of the greater ecosystem; community and environment are our only business sustainability.

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Enlivening People, Place & Planet.

 

Lauren Lochrie is a naturalist, forager, apiarist, and all-round plantswoman with many years' experience in outdoor education, as well as in creating and enhancing spaces for people and wildlife.

By running a range of facilitated walks (such as foraging and mindfulness) & 'homemade' workshops (such as making creams and bath salts with natural ingredients), Lauren aims to help people connect with nature and the nature of themselves. These workshops enable people to attune with seasonal rhythms, feel empowered, and help build resilience by adopting creative and sustainable life choices.

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On a one-acre site in Central Scotland, Herbal Homestead is beginning to demonstrate responsible land stewardship and business by practicing permaculture & regenerative growing practices, with the aim of providing educational opportunities throughout around; outdoor learning, forest gardening, food growing, herbalism, nature crafts, ecological restoration and natural bee keeping.

 

This 'Demonstration Garden' is an educational space, a place that celebrates and embodies innovative, naturally-resilient design toward the regeneration of ecosystems – which does not exclude people as part of them – addressing some of the greatest areas of concern around health, social, and environmental issues.

 

Lauren was a participant of the Wild Wonders business development scheme (2019), ran by Forth Valley & Lomond LEADER - a year long, wild food training programme delivered by Galloway Wild Foods and other top facilitators. Lauren is also in-house forager and herbologist for the botanically stunning, 5-star Hotel Cromlix, owned by Kim and Andy Murray. 

 

Having studied alongside expert foragers, native peoples, and herbalists over the years and attended courses with the Scottish School of Herbal Medicine, Lauren is particularly interested in the medicinal side of plants and fungi as she finds much inspiration and wisdom comes from the plants themselves.

Moreover, Lauren is a member of The Association of Foragers, holds a PDC, and foundational Diploma in applied Permaculture Design.

With several years experience as a Science Leader on remote, cultural expeditions (with British Exploring Society), running ecological training days for different environmental organisations (such as Zero Waste Scotland and The Conservation Volunteers), and with over ten years experience in facilitating a range of outdoor activities for different groups (throughout other, previous employment) - Lauren continues to reach a wide audience - helping people to embrace the wonderment of life, re-kindling again, the joy we once had as children.

As we can be so detached from our own, outdoor 'living' spaces with no idea of what type of trees or plants we share these spaces with, Lauren is also available for collaborative garden, food growing and 'Homestead-help' enhancements.

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This involves supporting and working alongside individuals, families, communities, businesses, landowners, and organisations to develop and improve their own outdoor living environment. Done in such a way that will connect and empower them to continue to use their space as new skills, knowledge and confidence increase.

See 'Services' for more details.

Enquire now to check Lauren's availability to run walks & workshops that can be tailored to your interests!