Herbology class at Utah's Forest School; SkyRiver Outdoor School
Our First Sky River Herbology Class: Learning About the Plants Around Us 🌿
Something new started at Sky River this week.
On September 11, we held our very first Sky River Herbology class, and it turned out to be exactly the kind of experience we hoped it would be.
There was learning.
There was exploring.
There were plants.
There were questions.
There were journals.
There were tinctures.
There were parents and kids learning together.
And, as seems to happen with just about everything at Sky River, there was a lot of unexpected fun.
This four-week class meets for two hours each week and is led by local herbology expert Jordan, whose knowledge and genuine enthusiasm for plants made it incredibly easy to get excited about what we were learning.
But before we got into the plants themselves, we started with something we believe is just as important:
Relationships.
🌱 Why Herbology?
We started with introductions and an overview of how the class would work.
This class is a little different from our other programs because we require parents to attend.
That's especially important when we're learning about herbs that may eventually be used in foods, teas, tinctures, and other preparations.
We want parents to know what their children are learning.
But more than that, we want parents to be involved.
We think there's something really special about a parent and child discovering something new together.
And honestly, herbology isn't just something we want the kids to learn.
It's something we think adults can benefit from learning, too.
❤️ Starting With Our “Why”
After introductions, we split into two groups.
Jordan, Mira, and Chris took the kids out on a nature walk.
I stayed with the parents.
For about 30 minutes, we simply talked about our why.
Why are we interested in herbology?
Why is learning about plants important to us?
How have herbs played a role in our lives?
What has our own journey of learning looked like?
This wasn't really a formal lesson.
It was about building relationships.
We've found that classes become more meaningful when people know one another, like one another, and develop a sense of mutual respect.
You gain more from learning when you're surrounded by people you're comfortable with.
And that's one of the things I love most about Sky River.
The people our programs attract are incredible.
They're passionate.
They're curious.
They're adventurous.
They're thoughtful.
They're smart.
And I genuinely love being around them.
They make me want to become a better person.
🌿 The Kids Head Into the Forest
While we were talking with the parents, the kids headed out with Jordan, Mira, and Chris.
Their focus was on three plants:
Plantain.
Dandelion.
Mullein.
They went on a nature walk and began learning how to recognize these plants in the landscape around them.
I especially loved having the kids separate from the adults for this portion of the class.
It gave Jordan the opportunity to teach them at their level.
Instead of having children sit while adults talk about plants, they could walk through the landscape, look for the plants themselves, ask questions, and talk about the things they were curious about.
That's one of the things we love about hands-on learning.
It's one thing to see a plant in a book.
It's another thing entirely to stand outside and realize:
“Wait... I know that plant.”
🌼 Three Plants, Three New Friends
Our first three plants were plantain, dandelion, and mullein.
Each has its own characteristics, history, and uses, which gave the kids plenty to explore.
But one of the biggest goals of this first class was simply to begin developing the ability to notice plants.
What's growing around us?
What does it look like?
Where does it grow?
How can we tell it apart from other plants?
What questions do we have?
Herbology begins with observation.
Before we can responsibly use a plant, we need to learn how to recognize it.
📖 Learning Through Games
After the groups switched, we worked with the kids to reinforce what they had learned.
We played a matching game with the herbs they had just studied.
We talked about their characteristics.
We went on another short nature walk.
The kids were able to start putting some of their new knowledge into practice.
This is one of our favorite ways to teach at Sky River:
Learn something → interact with it → practice recognizing it → use the knowledge.
👨👩👧 Learning Together
Eventually, the kids and parents came back together.
This was one of my favorite parts.
We began making mullein and plantain tinctures together.
The kids and parents weren't just watching someone demonstrate a process.
They were participating.
They were learning what they were doing and why.
And then something even better happened:
The learning became something they could take home.
The tinctures will take approximately a month to complete, which is why we started them during the first class.
By the end of the four-week class, we'll be able to finish the process and divide the
preparations among the participating families.
That means the experience doesn't simply disappear when the class ends.
Families get to continue thinking about what they learned.
They get to watch the process develop.
And eventually, they'll have something they helped create together.
📓 The Herbology Journals
Everyone also received a journal.
Throughout the class, they'll have a place to record notes, observations, questions, drawings, and things they want to remember.
This is an important part of how we teach.
We want kids to learn that their questions matter.
If they see something interesting, write it down.
If they don't understand something, write it down.
If they notice something unusual, record it.
If they have an idea, capture it.
A journal gives them a place to slow down and pay attention.
And that's really what herbology asks us to do.
Pay attention.
🌿 Why We Love Learning About Plants
There is something powerful about learning the names of the plants growing around you.
A plant that was once simply "that weed" suddenly has a name.
Then you learn what it needs to grow.
Then you learn what insects interact with it.
Then you learn how people have used it.
Then you start recognizing it in other places.
Eventually, the landscape starts to feel different.
You begin to see things you didn't notice before.
That's one of the reasons we love herbology.
It's not just about learning which plants have which uses.
It's about developing a relationship with the natural world.
The more we know about the plants around us, the more connected we become to the place where we live.
🏡 Extended Learning at Home
There are lots of ways to continue the learning at home between herbology classes.
And you don't need to start making herbal remedies right away.
In fact, one of the best things you can do is simply learn to identify plants accurately.
Start a Family Herb Journal
Choose one plant growing near your home and create a journal entry.
Record:
Common name
Scientific name
Leaf shape
Flower
Stem
Where it grows
What season you found it
Insects you see around it
Questions you have
Then return to the same plant a few weeks later.
What's changed?
Did it flower?
Did it produce seeds?
Are different insects visiting it?
Has its color changed?
You're not just learning about one plant.
You're learning how to observe nature over time.
🌼 Learn About Dandelions
Dandelions are one of the easiest plants to recognize—and they're a great place to start learning about plant identification.
Utah State University Extension has a helpful resource about dandelion identification and characteristics:
USU also has resources for learning about edible weeds and plants commonly found around Utah:
Use these resources as a starting point for identification and observation, rather than assuming that a plant is safe to consume simply because you've identified it.
🌿 Learn to Recognize Plantain
Plantain is another fascinating plant to learn to identify.
The University of Minnesota Extension has a helpful guide with photographs and identifying characteristics:
You can also explore their additional information about plantain:
Try taking your child outside and seeing whether they can find plantain without being told exactly where to look.
⚠️ A Very Important Herbology Rule
One of the most important lessons in learning about wild plants is this:
If you don't know it, don't eat it.
Learning to identify plants takes practice.
Some plants can look very similar to one another, and misidentification can be dangerous.
Poison Control recommends never eating an unknown plant or berry unless you're certain of its identification.
At Sky River, we're interested in helping kids develop knowledge and respect for plants—not encouraging them to randomly sample things growing in the forest.
Observe first. Identify carefully. Ask questions. Learn from knowledgeable people.
🎥 Keep Learning Together
Parents who want to continue exploring botany and plant science with their kids can also explore the American Museum of Natural History's Ology collection.
It's full of interactive science activities designed to encourage kids to explore the natural world through questions, observations, and hands-on learning.
And for families who want to go deeper into identifying local plants, your local extension office is an excellent resource. Utah State University Extension has a large collection of resources specifically focused on Utah plants and natural environments.
🌱 The Goal Isn't Just to Know the Plants
Ultimately, we don't want our students to simply memorize the names of three herbs.
We want them to become better observers.
We want them to walk outside and notice things.
We want them to ask:
“What's that?”
“Why does it grow here?”
“What does it need?”
“What interacts with it?”
“How have people used it?”
“What can I learn from it?”
That's where real curiosity begins.
And when parents and children learn those things together, something even more meaningful happens.
The child isn't the only one learning.
The family is learning together.
❤️ A Meaningful Beginning
This first Herbology class was a long day for our staff.
Our team had already been outside with Forest School students throughout the day, and then they stayed into the evening to help make this new class happen.
And it was worth it.
It was a fulfilling and meaningful way to end the day.
We are incredibly grateful for Jordan and the knowledge and passion he brings to this class.
We're grateful for our staff.
And we're especially grateful for the families who are willing to show up, learn something new, ask questions, and experience these things together.
This is exactly the kind of community we hope to build at Sky River.
People who are curious.
People who care.
People who want to learn.
People who aren't afraid to try something new.
And families who believe that some of the best education happens when we step outside together.
We're excited to see what the next three weeks bring.
Keep exploring. Keep learning. Keep growing wild. 🌿