Embodied Ecology Apprenticeship
A Six-Month Immersion in Herbalism, Nature Writing & Earth-Based Practice
Western Massachusetts | May–October |
Monthly In-Person Gatherings
with online guest teachers between sessions
Facilitated by author, naturalist, herbalist, and land steward Vanessa Chakour, Embodied Ecology is a six-month apprenticeship that invites you into living relationships with land, body, and story.
Meeting once a month in Western Massachusetts, this immersive experience blends herbal medicine, ecological restoration, hiking, and writing as pathways to deeper intimacy with Earth.
Through sensory hikes, herbal education, and seasonal foraging, you’ll engage with local ecosystems not just as an observer but as an active participant and storyteller.
Writing prompts and exercises will guide you in crafting work that speaks to and on behalf of inner and outer wilds, while hands-on practices and wild rituals nurture ecological awareness through your body.
As a field-based program, Embodied Ecology is designed to help you build lasting relationships with local ecosystems and develop a consistent Earth-based practice. You’ll learn to identify and work with a handful of local plants, craft herbal remedies, and create writing that reflects lived experience with other species. Each session includes time on the land, group discussion, writing practice, and herbal preparation.
Rooted in Vanessa’s decades of land-based practice and her commitment to giving voice to our wild relatives, this apprenticeship is for those who want to step away from screens and remember they are an essential part of Earth’s ecosystem. Between gatherings, you’ll continue engaging with herbalism, writing, and sensory practice. Each session offers space to check in, reflect, and build upon shared experience. Prior to meeting, you'll receive guided exploration you can do on your own such as ancestral herbal exploration and seasonal rituals.
What You’ll Experience:
Herbal education grounded in ecological context and multi-species relationship
Ethical foraging, wildcrafting and medicine-making
Writing practice rooted in sensory experience and ecological storytelling
Hiking and movement-based awareness in wild landscapes
Fieldwork and restoration practices
A collaborative, Earth-centered community
Deepened ecological awareness through direct experience.
Dates & Location:
Share monthly gatherings from May to October in Western Massachusetts with locations in both Montague and Ashfield, Ma. We’ll meet on the third Saturday each month from 12-4pm EST with online guest-teacher sessions in between.Exact location details provided before we begin.
Tuition & Materials:
Classes will be outdoors, with indoor and/or sheltered spaces when needed.
Early Registration Rate until Imbolc:
$1575 for the six-month program.
Rate includes the cost of plants, online sessions, and a workbook for practices between gatherings.
Payment plans are available. If you feel called to join and the cost is prohibitive, reach out to Vanessa.
Optional overnight camping and local stays (for an additional fee) for those traveling each month
Limited to 10 students.
To Apply or Learn More:
Space is limited. Early registration is encouraged.
Once accepted, Vanessa will take collective intentions into consideration in facilitation.