Biography

Botanist, Herbalist, and Professional Forager, Abby Artemisia, was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she spent her free time climbing trees and creek wandering. This is where her love of nature began. Her love of plants had a diverse foundation from apprenticeships on organic farms on the west coast and in the Midwest, to a bachelor’s degree in Botany from Miami University, an apprenticeship in herbalism with Herbalist, Leslita Williams, owning and operating her own tea business, and having the honor and privilege of working with multiple tribal communities, like the Shawnee, Lakota, and Cherokee. She also continues to learn about herbalism by being a mother to a fantastic daughter.

After visiting Pisgah National Forest, she fell in love with the biodiversity of the southeast. She moved to Appalachian North Carolina, the homelands of the Cherokee and Catawba. Abby then founded the WANDER School, the Wild Artemisia Nature Discovery, Empowerment, and Reconnection School. Through the school, Abby offers the Wildcrafted Herb School Program, plant walks, and botanical workshops throughout the world. The WANDER School became a nonprofit in 2020 to provide botanical education, herbs, and herbal medicine to underserved communities, and practice Acknowledgement, Reciprocity, Reparations, and Right Relationship with and for Traditional Ecological Knowledge.

Abby is also the author of the Herbal Handbook for Homesteaders and The Wild Foraged Life Cookbook, along with the host of the podcast Wander, Forage, & Wildcraft. Her newest endeavor is Botany Breakdown, a Virtual Course for Herbalists and Foragers (and everyone else) to learn botany in an accessible way. Find out more about her offerings at www.thewanderschool.com