6 minute read
Contributors
Ramsey Affifi is Lecturer in Science (Biology) Education and Environmental Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh. http://ramseyaffifi.org
Senga Bate started her RBGE Herbology journey around 2007, at first attending evening classes, then any and all classes offered by Catherine Conway-Payne, and eventually graduating from the Dip. Herbology in 2015. Since 2016/7 Senga has tutored in herb horticulture on both the attended and blended RBGE Diplomas. She has been a volunteer in the Physic garden areas in RGBE since 2013. A huge advocate for kitchen pharmacy, she uses herbs, spices, mushrooms, wild plants and sea vegetables as daily preventative medicine.
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Hazel Brady’s background is in IT, but she has always loved plants and since retiring has expanded her knowledge, especially around herbs. She completed the Diploma in Herbology at RBGE under Catherine ConwayPayne. Retirement has also given her the opportunity to develop another of her interests— an artistic practice centred in drawing and painting.
Dr Audrey Cameron, a polymer chemist, is now a Teaching Fellow in Science Education at Moray House School of Education and Sport. She teaches on the PGDE Secondary Education (Chemistry) and PGDE Primary Education (Science) courses.
Ruth Crighton-Ward has had a long interest in plants and nature, although her first career was in Stage Management. After 18 years working in a variety of Scottish theatres, she decided to go into gardening. She took her RHS Level 2 in Horticulture, as well as a Certificate in Practical Horticulture at RBGE. In 2014 she started her own gardening business, which has proved successful. In 2018, alongside her full- time work as a gardener, she returned to the RBGE for a Diploma in Herbology.
Anne Dalziel qualified as a Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner (BFRP) in 2006, later becoming a licensed teacher for the Bach International Education Programme (BIEP) and for the Bach Foundation. Anne has facilitated many workshops in community education, and for several commercial organisations. IG: @bachflowertraining
Sara Dodd grew up in northern California. She first came to Scotland as a dancer, but then established a career in IT. Between roles, she completed the Herbology course in 2011— which evolved into a professional practice of pressing seaweeds. An annual highlight is sharing this knowledge with Catherine Conway-Payne’s Herbology Diploma students, and watching them fall in love with it too.
Amanda Edmiston was raised in stories; her mother is a professional storyteller, her dad was a toymaker, her grandfather a sculptor, her gran a repository of traditional remedies and folklore. After studying law, then herbal medicine, Amanda began to blend facts, folklore, traditional tales, history and herbal remedies into unique works. Based in rural Stirlingshire, you can follow her on Facebook, @HerbalStorytell, and find more of her works at www.botanicafabula.co.uk
Sinéad Fortune is the Manager of the Seed Sovereignty UK and Ireland Programme. She is a proud graduate of RBGE’s Herbology Certificate course and, when she isn’t chatting about seeds, she can be found growing, foraging and making a mess in the kitchen. You can email her at sinead@gaianet.org
Diane Gardner's life has taken her from rural Lancashire to the Angel Islington, via 1970s Paris. An artist by nature she has dabbled in theatre design, antique furniture, books and bric-a-brac. She is currently sketching, painting and embroidering her way through lockdown.
David Hughes is an organic gardener, fruit and veg enthusiast, plant nutritionist, terpine whisperer, seed collector, green librarian and half decent in the kitchen. Most often found disturbing the peace in the woods of East Lothian, or more occasionally wandering in unimproved pastures looking quizzically at things, David looks to explore people and their relationships with the plants that surround them by examining the esoteric sides of herbology through conversation, experience and silly wee stories.
Marianne Hughes began following her interest in complementary medicine after a career in Social Work Education and voluntary work in Fair Trade. Starting with Reflexology & Reiki, she progressed into Herbal Medicine. The evening classes at the RBGE got her hooked and she completed the Certificate in Herbology and, more recently, the Diploma in Herbology. Her current interest and joy is experimenting with herb growing in her own garden, in a local park and alongside other volunteers in the RBGE Physic Garden marianne@commonfuture.co.uk
Collete Jones, a graduate of RBGE Dip. Herbology 2014, is a retired medical researcher living in Aberdeen, where she tends a herb allotment and walks along the seafront.
Dr. Ella Leith is an ethnologist and folklorist who studied in Scotland and now lives in Malta. She particularly loves folktales and the storytelling traditions of linguistic and cultural minorities. @leithyface
Nathalie Moriarty is an Accredited Practitioner with the Institute for Outdoor Learning, and a graduate of the RBGE Diploma in Herbology. She works full-time for Scottish Forestry, coordinating the ‘Branching Out - Positive Mental Health through Nature’ programme. She is passionate about working with nature to help people lead happier and healthier lives.
Maddy Mould is an illustrator from Lancashire, who recently escaped city life in Edinburgh for the Scottish Borders. Her work is heavily influenced by the surrounding natural landscape, folklore & history. She likes to illuminate the magic of everyday things, through her art and some simple kitchen witchery, with what will hopefully soon be home-grown produce @maddymould
Kyra Pollitt is a graduate of the Diploma in Herbology at the RBGE. When not editing Herbology News, she works as a translator, interpreter, writer and artist. She lives on the Isle of Harris, where she is busily planning and growing a garden. www.actsoftranslation.com
Dora Wagner is a graduate of the RBGE Diploma in Herbology, and a Didactician in Natural Science. She also works as a Naturopath for Psychotherapy, and as a Horticultural Therapist. She currently lectures in Medical Herbalism at the University of Witten/Herdecke, and is leading a project reconstructing the medicinal herb garden of an Anthroposophic Hospital in Germany.
Milly Watson Brown is the creatress of Moon Time Chocolate— hand-made, herbal chocolate truffles to support the menstrual cycle. She loves foraging and alchemising wild herbs and plants. It was this, and her combination of passions— for great food, herbs, womb health, and empowerment — that launched the business four years ago. Moon Time Chocolate sells online at www.moontimechocolate.co.uk, and can be followed on Instagram @moontimechocolate.
Lucy Wood is the Adult Learning Programme Co-ordinator at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh. She has worked in learning and public engagement for a number of organisations including The Abbotsford Trust, The Mavisbank Trust, and the University of Edinburgh.
