Portland, OR — Australasian College of Health Sciences (ACHS) hosted more than thirty active members of the holistic health care community Friday, October 10, 2008, at their 3rd Annual HerbDay Celebration dedicated to the use of herbs and herbalism. Participants included students, alumni, and health care professionals, all with a clear agenda: expand knowledge about, and increase the use of complementary alternative medicine in health care.
Herb day kicked off with a hands-on lavender distillation and in-depth PowerPoint discussion on the therapeutic uses of Mastic gum, where students learned from ACHS President Dorene Petersen about the healing properties of the gum, aromas, and essential oils. Following this, ACHS Professor Dr. Arianna Staruch spoke from 1-2 p.m. on the topic of “Using Herbs for Fatigue and Insomnia,” which included several stratagem and helpful tips that participants could take away for personal and professional use. Then from 2-3 p.m., ACHS Graduate and Chemist Amanda Lattin delivered a detail-rich talk about the chemistry of antioxidants and their purpose called “Antioxidants: What Are They and Herbal Sources.”
After the formal presentations, participants engaged in a free-form Q & A with the guest speakers and ACHS President Dorene Petersen; shopped organic, wildcrafted herbs, books, and essential oils in the ACHS Apothecary Shoppe; and strolled through the ACHS Botanical Teaching Garden, where, throughout the day Master Gardener and ACHS Senior Vice-President Erika Yigzaw was on hand to lead tours and answer questions.
HerbDay is a coordinated series of independently produced, public education events. Conceived of by five nonprofit organizations with an interest in raising public awareness about the significance of herbs in our daily lives, HerbDay also addresses how herbs can be safely used for health care, beauty care, and culinary enjoyment. Officially, HerbDay is October 11, although many organizations celebrate it early.
For more information about HerbDay, and for a list of upcoming ACHS events, visit http://www.achs.edu/, and click on Community Wellness located in the left-hand tool bar. To download free transcripts of the 2008 HerbDay lectures, go to http://www.apothecary-shoppe.com, or visit the ACHS website and click on Online Store, located at the top right of the home page.
We're always happy to hear from you. If you happened to attend this year's HerbDay, drop us a line or two about your experience. Did you learn something new? If there something you would like to hear more about at a future event? It's up to you. Post a comment here, and we're sure to respond.
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