About This Class

March 28th, 2026
1pm-5pm


Herald in the change of seasons a week after the equinox, with an early spring botany and herb walk! Given the time of year, most plants will still not have emerged from dormancy, so we'll spend a lot of time with our woody plant friends - trees and shrubs - studying bark, twigs and buds, as well as the earliest emergent spring plants. Our primary focus will be honing our botanical skills, but we'll also discuss the medicinal properties of the plants we encounter.


We'll gather at ArborVitae but soon thereafter walk down the road to the nearby Nyquist-Harcourt Wildlife Sanctuary, and explore the trails through the lovely woods and wetlands there. The majority of the class will be outside, so come ready for any weather, rain or shine! (We'll cancel only if there is severe or dangerous weather.) 



Tiered Investment

Early bird pricing through March 6th.

Two BIPOC scholarships are available upon request through March 1st.

We ask that you reach out by emailing [email protected] for more information.

How to Choose Your Tier

General Admission

This tier is at the market rate and reflects the true cost of the service, labor, and expertise of producing the workshop. This price point allows us to generate a profit for the teacher and the school. We encourage those with access to wealth to opt for this tier as it enables ArborVitae to offer more tickets at an accessible price.


Sustainable Admission

This tier reflects the cost of our service, labor, and expertise required to produce the workshop and allows us to make a small profit. We encourage those to opt for a Sustainable Ticket if the price point of a General Ticket is prohibitive.


Solidarity Admission

This ticket tier reflects our intention to make our workshops open for all! We want all members of our community to enjoy our educational opportunities  no matter their financial situation. Opt for the Solidarity ticket if General or Sustainable is not accessible to you right now.


Current ArborVitae Student & Alumni Admission

This tier is for current ArborVitae students and alumni that have successfully completed all 3 years and received their diploma.

Your Instructor

Richard Mandelbaum

Richard Mandelbaum RH has been an avid student of our native flora for close to forty years. He has been practicing as an herbalist since 1999, blending Chinese and Western herbal traditions, with a private practice offering both online and in-person holistic health consultations. In addition, he teaches classes in clinical herbal medicine, botany, and foraging. He is a founder and core faculty member of the ArborVitae School of Traditional Herbalism and is on the faculty at David Winston’s Center for Herbal Studies and the Won Institute of Graduate Studies, and as of 2025 he is co-coordinator of the Catskills/Hudson Valley Chapter of Herbalists Without Borders.  You can learn more about Richard, including articles, podcast interviews, etc. at https://www.richardmandelbaum.com/

You can learn more about Richard, including articles, podcast interviews, etc. at richardmandelbaum.com

Richard Mandelbaum

Cancellation & Refund Policies

Cancellation Policy 

Should we need to cancel class, you will be notified via email with a minimum of 24 hours’ notice. You will receive a full refund for the cost of the class. 

 

Refund Policy 

  • If the situation arises that you need to cancel your registration for a class, please notify ArborVitae immediately by emailing [email protected].  
  • Anyone canceling their registration at least 7 full calendar days prior to the start of the class will be given a full refund minus any admin and/or payment processing fees that were incurred. 

 

Late Notice 

Due to our classes having limited enrollment, cancellations made less than 7 full calendar days prior to the start of the class are nonrefundable. If we are able to fill your spot with someone from the waitlist a full refund will be given minus any admin and/or payment processing fees that were incurred. 

 

Substitutions 

Registrations can be transferred to another participant at any time up until the start of class. In this case, the initial registrant should notify ArborVitae with the new participant's name, email address, and phone number as soon as possible. New participants will be required to complete any required registration paperwork. 

 

No Show 

Registrations for those that do not attend class without prior notice are nonrefundable.