Foraging and Crafting Syrup from Bark with Holly Poole-Kavana

Tree bark holds some of the most concentrated flavor and plant compounds in the forest. With the right approach, wild cherry bark can be transformed into a simple, effective cough syrup with both flavor and traditional use. In this hands-on class, we’ll learn how to identify and responsibly gather bark from a wild cherry tree, focusing on safe harvesting and field recognition. Together, we’ll work with bark to observe how heat and time shape what is drawn from the plant and how those qualities express themselves in the finished syrup. We’ll close by discussing how bark-based preparations fit into broader herbal practice and how to continue working with them in a simple, informed way. Meet Your Teacher Holly Poole-Kavana is a botanist and herbalist practicing in Washington, DC. She is a lifelong plant enthusiast and has a bachelor’s degree in botany. In 2005 she shifted her focus to herbal medicine and studied with a series of experienced herbalists in the classroom, clinic, and outdoors. Since 2010 she has operates Little Red Bird Botanicals, a small business that provides individual herbal consultations, an herbal CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), locally-grown herbal products, and education. Holly also works as a birth assistant and labor doula.