osadha natural health, llc

 

where tradition & science meet

About the Herbalist

Marija grew up running wild in the woods. (Well, at least ’til sunset.)  She’s a research scientist-turned-clinical herbalist, practicing since 2009.  Marija studied botanical medicine in the Bay Area with Pam Fisher, Kathi Keville, and others. She is a doctoral-level microbiologist who worked in cancer- and infectious disease research.  Despite the high tech past, Marija’s focus as an herbalist is a simple approach to health that integrates herbal traditions with botanical research science.  You may think that herbalism is off the beaten path if you live in the US, where it was suppressed in the late 19th and early 20th century by the powers that be. But some 88% of the countries around the globe use traditional medicine, including medicinal herbs and mushrooms, according to the World Health Organization.

Marija’s training and experience are listed below.  When not up to things related to plants and mushrooms, Marija can be found road biking, mountain biking, nordic skiing awkwardly, snoeshoing, hiking despite the crotchety hip that has not yet been replaced, teaching kickboxing, or else getting humbled repeatedly in Brazilian jiu jitsu. 

Training and Experience - Herbalism

Berkeley Herbal Center – Pam Fisher, Director. Berkeley, CA.

  • Student Clinic – supervised clinical practice 
  • 10-month Herbal Therapeutics Program
  • 10-month Foundations of Herbalism Apprenticeship Program

Green Medicine Herb School – Kathi Keville. Grass Valley, CA

  • Herbal Apprenticeship
  • Herbal Medicine and Body Systems
  • Aromatherapy (Level 1 and advanced  training)

Songbird Herbal Co-op & The Green Bough. Dawn Zaft. Sonoma County, CA

  • One-on-one training in clinical Western herbalism and Traditional Chinese Medicine
  • Supervised clinical practice 

California School of Herbal Studies, Forestville, CA

  • A variety of short courses on Western herbalism, medicine making, and medicinal mushrooms

Other Courses:

    • International Certification Course in Aromatherapy. Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy. Kurt Schnaubelt, Director. San Rafael, CA.
    • The Art and Science of Herbology. Rosemary Gladstar, E. Barre, VT.

Training & Experience - Science

YouTube

Here is a link to my YouTube channel. Many, but not all, of the vids are also here on my blog page.

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Instagram

Here’s a link to my Instagram profile.

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Writing

Marija been writing on a professional level since the early ’90s, starting with grants and peer-reviewed research papers.  She’s maintained her Herb Notes Blog since 2011, was a columnist for Plant Healer Quarterly for five years, and a weekly contributor to the wellness site Basmati for over two years. As a freelance writer, she’s published with High Country News,  Sierra Magazine,  JSTOR Daily, Earth Island Journal, Bay Nature Magazine, Edible New Mexico Magazine,  Denver Westword, and the Durango Telegraph.  

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Teaching

 

Marija teaches about biology, natural health, medicinal plants and mushrooms, wild foods, and more. Her classes range from introductory to professional levels. She has 30 years of experience speaking to groups, whether at professional conferences, for community organizations, off the beaten path in the woods, or in hands-on workshops. She has in-person and online offerings for individuals and groups through Osadha, and has also taught for/at:

Albuquerque Herbalism, NM

Berkeley Herbal Center, CA 

Cancer Support Community Southwest Colorado, CO

Cortez Garden Club, CO

The Discovery Museum, CO

Durango Garden Club, CO

Durango Seniors Outdoors, CO

The Forager’s Path School of Botanical Studies, AZ

Fort Lewis College, CO

The Good Medicine Confluence Annual Conference, CO, NM

Mountain Thyme Herb Society, CO

Mushroom Club of Georgia, GA

Mycelium Mysteries Women’s Mushroom Conference, WI 

The Native Plant Festival, AZ

The Native Plant Society of New Mexico, NM

Natural Grocers, CO

San Juan Mountains Association, CO

Tewa Women United, NM     

WholeExpo, CO

The Wild Cooperative, CO

Interviews & Press

For a cheap, healthful meal, try foraging in Southwest Colorado

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Interviewed by chemist and internationally-known aromatherapist, Colleen Quinn.  Episode 83

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Interviewed by wanderer, herbalist, and writer Kelly Moody of the Ground Shots Podcast. Episode 50

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Interviewed by author, artist, historian, ecological activist, and overall rabble-rouser Jesse Wolf Hardin.  Originally published in Plant Healer Quarterly.  

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Interviewed for the wellness site, Basmati.com. 

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Researchers study impact of medicinal plant’s harvest in San Juan National Forest  

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Prowling for Mushrooms in the High Country

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Article stemming from a class I offered on medicinal mushrooms.

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Article that stemmed from a respiratory herb class I offered.

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Herald photographer showed up at the Kitchen Witchery Class to see what was up!