Foragemobile Tour Live Class From Cincinnati, Ohio

Posted on November 5, 2017 by Dan

Heres a look at yesterdays live class at Enright Ridge Urban Eco-Village, in Cincinnati, Ohio where we will be explored the wild foods, mushrooms and medicinal plants of their backyards, forest edges, and woodland habitats.

If you appreciate these teachings, please consider making any donation to Paypal.me/returntonature help this mission sustain itself and continue to bring these teachings to you!

Also, check out lots more foraging and herbalism articles, videos, and upcoming classes at www.returntonature.us

 

 

Huge thanks to everyone who came out to yesterday’s class! It was a lot of fun to share with such knowledgeable Plant people.

There’s a great scene developing in Cincinnati Ohio, and Enright is an awesome hub for it.

They have around 40 acres of forest, farm, and housing, which is dedicated to community, sustainability, and waking up the people.

There were so many plants to discuss, some of them were gill over the ground, daylily (seen here), heal all which was still in flower, and one of my favorite wild fruits, hackberry.

It’s inspiring to see such a project on the outskirts of such a developed city…

Now, I’m headed to Indiana this week to teach Thursday, November 9, at Monarch Apothecary, where I’ll be teaching The Alchemy of Fermentation

Saturday, November 11, at the Indiana Herbal Center for a class called “Working Herbally with Lyme Disease”

And Sunday, a lecture at The Inner Warrior in Louisville, KY entitled “Yoga, Tantra, and the Alchemical Traditions.”

Check out the full tour and upcoming classes for the Westward Foragemobile Tour at: Foragemobile Westward Winter Tour

Hope to see you there, and please help spread the word!

Dan de Lion

www.returntonature.us

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The Foragemobile Westward Winter Teaching Tour!

Posted on October 23, 2017 by Dan

Huge thanks to all who donated to our 24 hr facebook Foragemobile fundraiser!

Your donations helped me compensate for part of the cost of the solar set up, and gave me funds to plan the winter tour (dates below) with lots of webinars and online classes, as well as in person classes and live question and answers from all throughout my travels, all with the help of solar power!

If you appreciate this work, and have learned from these efforts, please continue to help donate in any way to Paypal.me/returntonature and also check out lots of awesome herbal goods at www.gofundme.com/returntonature

Here’s part 1 of our free workshop on how to rig yourself to off-grid solar: https://www.facebook.com/ReturntoNatureSkills/videos/1671177736246632/

Also, the Return to Nature #foragemobile is headed on a westward teaching tour this winter!

The solar set-up now enables me to have a multimedia set up to turn the Foragemobile into a news van for podcasting and writing, and inviting podcast guests along the way, as well as offering live webcasts and workshops from my travels. Stay tuned for the launch of the Return to Nature Radio podcast…

I’m working on a winter westward tour, starting in Monroe, New York at Ananda Ashram on October 28-29, Foraging and Herbalism Retreat (The Yoga of Plants)​ where I will be teaching a weekend foraging and herbalism retreat to start the tour off; I hope to see you there!

Then November 4-5 in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the Enright urban ecovillage. Check it out at: Foraging and Herbalism Class @ Cincinnati, OH

Then, Thursday, November 9th, Ill be teaching The Alchemy of Fementation at Gosport, IN at Monarch Apothecary

November 11th weekend I’ll be headed onto Bloomington, Indiana, affiliated with the Indiana herbal center (http://indianaherbalcenter.com), I’ll be teaching “Working Herbally with Lyme Disease”. Check out the event here: Working Herbally With Lyme Disease

Then Sunday, November 12, in Louisville, Kentucky ill be teaching a class called “Yoga, Tantra, and the Alchemical Traditions” at the Inner Warrior yoga studio. The FB event can be seen at: Yoga, Tantra, and the Alchemical Traditions @ Louisville, KY

From there, November 18-19, I’ll be headed to New Mexico for a weekend foraging and herbalism retreat, at Zia Energetics Permaculture Homestead (http://www.ziapermaculture.com). The event at: Wild Medicine and Fermentation Retreat @ Chimayo, NM

Then I’ll be headed to Prescott, Arizona, November 25-26 for classes on herbal medicine making, and then classes TBA in Nevada, and a California tour by mid December!

Stay tuned for those dates and locations soon, and be in touch, and help spread the word and flyer if you’re in the area!

Also, help make this tour happen and get yourself some awesome herbal magic from our loving line of herbal goods from our apothecary at www.returntonature.us/apothecary

Much more to come,

Dan de Lion
www.returntonature.us

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This Weekend – Foraging and Herbalism Retreat at Monroe, NY

Posted on October 22, 2017 by Dan

Hey friends of the forest!

Join us this weekend for a weekend of foraging and herbalism teachings as my grand finale class on the east coast before I head west for the winter…

This weekend, at Ananda Ashram (www.anandaashram.org) we will explore lots of medicinal and edible wild plants, mushrooms, and explore herbal principles from medicine making, to healing, and constitutional herbal principles which apply to our yoga practice.

Join us for both classes, or stay the weekend!

Class Schedule:
Saturday from 2-5
Sunday from 2-5

$40 per class. Students can come for both classes at a $10 discount, or come to each individual class.

Stay for dinner after the class for a $10 donation,

Accommodations for staying at Ananda Ashram can be made by calling them at: (845) 782-5575

Email Dan@returntonature.us with any questions.

There is also a campsite down the street called beaver pond campground foe $25 per night.

Check out lots more at www.returntonature.us and www.facebook.com/returntonatureskills

Check out the FB event at: Foraging and Herbalism Retreat (The Yoga of Plants) 

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New Seasonal Tincture Additions!

Posted on October 17, 2017 by Dan

Check out our new seasonal tincture additions to the herbal apothecary!

This month, try our wonderful wildcrafted Medicinal mushroom trinity (Reishi, maitake and turkey tail) which helps to stabilize and balance the entire immune system.

Our single mushroom blend of Reishi for the immune system, lymphatic helper, and full body rebuild!

Hormone balance, formulated for both men and women which contains nettle, red clover, and ashwagandha.

Immuno–magic formula, containing a blend of wildcrafted Yarrow, Red clover, Nettle, Osha, cleavers, ashwagandha, reishi, and turkey tail mushrooms… A power packed formula to boost your immunity for the upcoming seasonal transition!

Digest- ease: wormwood, black walnut, and pao d’ arco, for all your digestive balancing needs.

And mugwort, a magical tincture which helps lucid dreaming, and is also helpful for cold and flu!

Prices for our herbal tinctures are: $20 for 2 oz, $35 for 4 oz, and $50 for 8 oz, and for our mushroom tinctures $25 for 2 oz, and $40 for 4 oz, and $65 for 8 oz.

To place an order from our price list:

– Send the order amount plus $8 shipping to: http://Paypal.me/returntonature

– Email HerbalCSA@returntonature.us

And let us know what you ordered, and shipping address.

 

Check out our full line of single tinctures here!

If you have any questions before ordering, email us!

Plant blessings,

Dan de Lion & Lauren Roderick

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Upcoming Foraging Classes – Central NJ

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Dan

Upcoming Weekend Foraging Classes:

This weekend, I’ll be teaching a round of classes in central NJ, seeking fruit, nuts, the last remaining greens, and hopefully, if we get rain, more fall mushrooms!

I’ll be teaching in New Brunswick, NJ Saturday, at 2 pm. check out the event at: Foraging and Herbalism Class – New Brunswick, NJ

And Sunday, at 2 pm in Princeton, NJ. Check out the event on FB at: Foraging and Herbalism Class – Princeton, NJ

There is a suggested $25 per class. And we will always explore different plants, nuts, mushrooms, fruits, and seeds in each and every class, and as always, bring your specific herbalism and foraging questions for us to explore in depth!

Email me to RSVP for the meeting location at Dan@Returntonature.us

Please tag your friends and help spread the word of the Return to Nature revolution!

And, check out lots more foraging and herbalism articles, videos, and upcoming classes below!

Plant love,

Dan De Lion

www.returntonature.us

www.youtube.com/returntonatureskills

www.facebook.com/returntonatureskills

www.instagram.com/returntonature

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Datura – A Topical Pain Remedy

Posted on September 25, 2017 by Dan

Heres a look at Datura stramonium. I harvest the leaf for topical ointments.

Datura is not a plant to take lightly, and is heavily misunderstood as a medicinal plant. Meanwhile the opiate epidemic is running rampant, and this plant is an amazing topical pain remedy.

Maybe if people have some botanical potentials for understanding how to alleviate their pain, without using fear based propaganda against plants, we could have some alternative options to addictive pharmaceutical opiates. 

Scopolamine and atropine are the main “active constituent alkaloids” in many plants of the nightshade family, namely datura, Brugmansia, and belladonna, henbane, they are medicinal in low doses, and very toxic in high doses and synthetic concentrates can be deadly.

Some people try to “trip” or get high on datura, but are usually traumatized and disappointed. There are mainly 3 datura species; D. Stramonium, D. innoxia and D. metel. It is really not hallucinogenic and is actually more commonly classified as a deleriant. Is very off putting, disorienting, and very hard to make meaning from, and it can also be very dangerous because one can easily convince themselves that their delusions are true. 

Datura and other brugmansia species (related) also contain tropanes as do most if not all solanaceous plants. And even In our drug phobic culture we don’t even bother to make them illegal because it’s generally felt that these were more like poisoning than tripping. 

Yet, despite our modern day fear, misuse, and the failed “war on drugs” whole civilizations have built themselves around this kind of experience such as with Southern California tribes; the Catalina and louisenyo, and the Chumash to name a few. The Tolache religion of Mexico is also based around Jimson weed. 

Plant love,

Dan De Lion

Also, check out my video on datura as a topical medicinal below:

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Foragemobile Update – Wood Flooring!

Posted on September 23, 2017 by Dan

Heres a look at the wood floor now on the #foragemobile !!!

I’m super grateful to my dad for helping me out today, and now I’m looking into potentials for an insulation layer under this flooring before I fasten the flooring. It needs to be waterproof, and insulative. Im looking into the possibility of rockwool which is like wool, but supposedly it doesn’t absorb moisture, which can be a big problem with any insulation against metal.

 

Do you have any suggestions #vandweller and #diy culture?

 

I’m also super excited to start planning for the #solarpanel set up at Antinanco Earth Arts School​ where a good friend Alex, and I, have been working on plans to rig all the vans needs with a solar set up!

 

We will offer that workshop both online and in person, in early October and I plan to blog that process for everyone to also have the capacity to learn how to go solar. More to come on that soon!

 

Help support the Return to Nature mission and the #Foragemobile and roving herbalism school project at www.gofundme.com/returntonature

 

Plant blessings!

 

Dan de Lion

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Foragemobile Update – Living in a Van

Posted on September 7, 2017 by Dan

Here’s a look at the Foragemobile in action!

Its been 4 months now living in a van and touring around teaching classes, and finding and foraging the most optimal locations.

As I travel, when at friends houses, sometimes I have been running an extension cord to plug in my computer to continue to update my website, book classes, do my online foraging herbalist mentorship program (enrollment for 2018 coming in November) and write articles for #dirtmag as well as my upcoming book due out hopefully by spring of 2018.

This use of energy will transition into a #solarpanel set up where I will then charge my devices by the power of the sun. I’m down to using a usb charging headlamp, a laptop, a computer, and a portable phone charging device as well as my anker solar panel.

If I can gather the funds to run off of solar, this will enable me to bring even more teachings to you all!

Please help that manifest, consider checking out the wonderful herbal gifts and healing incentives on www.gofundme.com/returntonature 

I’m currently planning the upgrades for the van before the winter, and a west coast tour either in late winter, or spring of 2018. In affiliation with Antinanco Earth Arts school, we are planning a solar panel workshop as a fundraiser to help afford the solar rig on the van which will also be available as a live webcast and in-person class in the Holmdel, NJ area.

More to come on that, and much more to come on the foragemobile plan,

Dan de Lion
www.returntonature.us

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Datura as a Topical Medicinal Plant – New Video!

Posted on August 9, 2017 by Dan

Datura as a Topical Medicinal Plant:

In this video, Dan de Lion, of www.returntonature.us discusses a misunderstood but sacred plant; datura aka. Jimson weed, and its lesser known application as a topical pain relieving plant.


 

Also, here is his notes from his journey to Colombia, in 2015, while contemplating datura as a magical and shamanic plant…

Brugmansia and Datura – Seeking the Medicine, Colombia, 2015
Scopolamine and atropine are the main “active constituent alkaloids” in many plants of the nightshade family, namely datura, Brugmansia, and belladonna, henbane, they are medicinal in low doses, and very toxic in high doses and synthetic concentrates can be deadly.
Some people try to trip on datura (Jimson weed) and there are mainly 3 datura species. D. Stramonium, D. innoxia and D. metel. It is not hallucinogenic and is actually more commonly classified as a deleriant. Is very off putting, disorienting, and very hard to make meaning from, can also be very dangerous because one can easily convince themselves that their delusions are true. 
Brugmansia also contains tropanes as do most if not all solanaceous plants. And even In our drug phobic culture we don’t even bother to make them illegal because it’s generally felt that these were more like poisoning than tripping. 
Yet, whole civilizations have built themselves around this kind of experience such as with Southern California tribes; the Catalina and louisenyo, and the Chumash to name a few. The Tolache religion of Mexico is also based around Jimson weed. 
That said, the indigenous shaman of South America have worked with these species in a shamanic context, but very few would ingest this as the main plant.
In the brew ayahuasca, which is worked with by shaman of most South American countries it is said that a small amount of Brugmansia is said to give the ayahuasca stronger visions/colors/geometric patterns.
This all said one should always be with a competent guide and personal exploration can be dangerous if there is a lack of training which then makes everyone else look bad 🙂  each of us have a responsibility to understand the Ethnobotanical and sacred context of the medicines and must be careful not to steal from ancient herbalists that have been practicing their materia medica for unbroken thousands of years. 
These cultural models are very different than our taboo repression vs rebellion model where responsibility and training was put on the individuals who choose to seek vision, not jail or a mental institute. 
Let us know your experiences with this plant…
Plant blessings,
Dan de Lion

Also, check out lots of herbalism and foraging videos, articles, and upcoming classes as well as herbal goods at Return to Nature on Youtube and Return to Nature on Facebook

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A Story About Joe Py (Gravel Root)

Posted on August 3, 2017 by Dan


Once upon a time I got an email from a mom who's son had gall stones and they were contemplating surgery.

She asked if there was anything that could be done. A plant who I wasn't very familiar with at the time came to mind.

Joe py weed aka. Eupatorium purpureum is an herb known to bust up stones, so I mentioned it to her. It was a somewhat obscure herb to find, so we found it on etsy and she bought it.

I hoped it would help, but had no idea if it would, but a few weeks later she emailed me again and said that they went for a checkup and all of the stones are gone, that the doctor was amazed, and she told them she had tried joe py.

This is a story to remind you that herbs significantly help, a heck of a lot more than doing nothing but following your doctors orders; and sometimes, miracles do happen.

Plant blessings,

Dan De Lion
www.returntonature.us

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