Hi! I'm Melissa
Melissa Tokarski specializes in the identification and preparation of beneficial plants of the Great Lakes region of the USA.
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Melissa offers small, lively classes on eclectic western herbalism, as well as educational plant walks.
Melissa is NOT a medical doctor; she does not treat or prescribe.
About Melissa
I have many fond memories of playing and exploring on our 40-acre woods near the Wisconsin river as a child. I have always loved plants, but didn't realize how much they have to offer until I started watching Inga Witscher in Around the Farm Table on my local public television channel. She was cooking with nettle. This was new information to me, and I couldn't believe that it was the same nettle that I knew as "itch weed." Indeed, I have learned so much since then! Nettles are delicious and nutritious! Along with so, so much more…
The next leg of discovery involved lots of books. The best of the best being that of Sam Thayer. I took a weekend class with Sam and his amazing wife, Melissa. I kept thinking, None of these plants are going to be growing in my backyard ... But to my great surprise, ALL and many more were all around me in North Central Wisconsin, and had been for, well, for longer than I have been here! I wanted to know the name of every plant and whether I could eat it! I started finding more and more plants that have been used medicinally. Many are commonly found and work very well. It felt like they had been hiding in plain sight! My herbal exploration has led me through many books, classes, and plant walks.
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I came to know the best of the best, Lise Wolff (RH, AHG, MSc in Herbalism) from seeing her plant walks online. I felt strongly that she needed to be the one to introduce me to all of these plant allies. So, off to Minneapolis for a year-long journey into 3 seasons of herbal wisdom. (Now, fortunate for you, available online!) In November of 2023 I completed the 164-hour training course spanning the seasons of spring, summer, and fall. The training included plant identification, edible and medicinal plant preparation and uses, diagnostics, case history, and pulse testing.
Now my friends tell me all I ever do is talk about plants ... and they are right! I love to talk about plants. I love to watch how plants interact with their environment, with each other, and how their energy interacts with us. So many plants have so much to offer, and they're all around us!
Learn with me as we explore the herbal world together!
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- Melissa T.
