Is a life-long student of plants and earth repair. His farming career started in 2nd grade and his organic farming career began in 1972 at age 25. Michael founded Friends of the Trees Society in 1978 and took his first permaculture design course in 1982. Since 1988 he has taught 36 permaculture design courses in the US and abroad. His specialties include earth repair, agriculture, seed collecting, nursery sales, tree planting, fruit picking, permaculture, agroforestry, forestry, ethnobotany, medicinal herb growing, hoeing and wildcrafting. He has hands-on experience with over 1000 species of plants. He is a prolific gathering organizer and likes group singing.

Anna has been working under Skeeters wing and with Friends of the Trees since 2017. She juggles many hats and mostly works behind the scenes helping manage the Friends of the Trees Botanicals herb farm business, as well as organizing many grass-root events from small workshops to large gatherings. Passionate about community building and helping people feel more connected to nature. She was part of the 2021 NWHF core team and is excited to be back organizing for the 2024 gathering! She was a core organizer for the Wildcrafters’ Rendezvous in 2023 and the Global Earth Repair Conference in 2019. Thanks to her herbal mentors over the years, she's started a small wildcrafting business called Ramble Botanicals.

Hudson Gardner is a writer & photographer who drinks a lot of tea in the woods, usually made with boiled creek water and whatever medicinal plant is growing nearby. He joined the Friends of the Trees crew in 2020. Since then he has supported a few events as well as maintained the website, and helped out with farming and wildcrafting.

Burke Mulvany is the Executive Director of the Peace Through Music Foundation, a Washington State Non-Profit.

Burke has had the honor of being part of the NW Herbal Fair production team since the events inception in 1996. He was Director of the NW Herbal Fair in 2003, 2005, 2022, and 2023 and collaborated on the NW Herbal Council with Skeeter Pilarski and many other amazing humans since 1999. In all those years Burke has been the dedicated “Stage Coordinator & Emcee” a dharmic role he cherishes deeply.

Josephine Dow is an Empowerment Facilitator at The Rhythms Within, where she supports Women in gaining confidence and connection to the Handpan and Frame Drum. Besides being a facilitator she is also a recording artist/multi instrumentalist and has 3 self-released albums under the moniker “Jocean”. Josephine has been on the NW Herbal Fair production team since 2021 and helped Co-Direct the NW Herbal Fair in 2022 and 2023.

As a teacher, she encourages her students to understand music first as a personal healing tool for self expression and connection to source. When music is created from this place it has a greater potential to positively impacting others.

Vendor Coordinators

Melissa Yaden, EAMP, LMP, AP, is a lifelong herbal enthusiast and supporter who is classically trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Herbalism and Ayurvedic Medicine and Herbal practices. Melissa's husband, Stephen Bonnell is a musician and nature lover, who endeavors to spend more time around herbs, and the people who cultivate, steward and prepare them.

Registrar

Janet is on the team to assist you with all your registration needs. She attended her first NWHF when it was just getting its start at the River Farm outside of Bellingham, WA, when the workshops were held in woodland nooks.

Janet's passions are gardening, creating in the kitchen, preserving food for winter's use and offering Holotropic Breathwork® workshops. She is the office manager/registrar for Grof Transpersonal Training. She is a mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, granddaughter and friend.

The Friends of the Trees Botanicals crew is helping organize the 2024 gathering. Stop by their booth and say hello!