One of the greatest joys of running this business has been getting to know and work with the myriad creative makers and crafters who reside in our region and make up our merchant base. These partnering merchants are the cornerstone of our business and our community. This month begins a new blog feature spotlighting some of these talented folks and their inspiring, nourishing, creative endeavors.

Sunset over Bellingham Bay — Wildroot Botanicals

Wildroot Botanicals is located in the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people, including the Stillaguamish and Nuwhaha, in the Chuckanut Mountains approximately nine miles south of Bellingham, WA, on five acres of forested and medicinally cultivated land. Their focus is on bioregional herbalism, land stewardship and fostering a personal connection with the plants and medicines made from them. They offer herbal medicine classes, produce wildcrafted and carefully harvested herbal medicines as well as individualized herbal consultations for individuals wishing to have herbal medicine support for their health needs.

How long have you been in business and how did you learn your craft?

Wildroot Botanicals began in 2004 as a small business providing botanicals to Leslie’s pregnant doula clients. This business has changed and grown a lot since then. We now have an active herbal medicine school, distilled hydrosol line and regional based product line.

What is the guiding principle/mission of your business?

We believe that all beings have the right to good health and herbal medicine. There are many obstacles politically and economically impeding good health care access for all and access to land. It is our deep heart felt mission to do what we can to try to do our part to provide opportunities for people to re-remember and be able to utilize the gifts that the Earth offers through the practice of herbal medicine. Wildroot Botanicals’ herbal school takes people out on the land, provides space for deep observation and listening of nature, teaches techniques for protecting and propagating plants as well as experiences in harvesting and processing plants for herbal medicine. This knowledge is a crucial set of skills that has sustained all of our ancestors for generations. It is still very relevant now and important for ourselves and future generations to know how to provide a livelihood from the land.

For those not able to engage in the hands-on work of learning herbalism, we offer a product line filled with locally grown and wild harvested plants to share our love for health and plant medicines.

Leslie of Wildroot Botanicals wildcrafting along the shoreline — wild·craft

/wīldkraft/
*verb*
to gather (herbs, plants, and fungi) from the wild.
Wildcrafting is the practice of harvesting plants from their natural, or 'wild' habitat, primarily for food or medicinal purposes. Many of Leslie’s products are made from wildcrafted native trees and plant material.

What role does sustainability play in your life and business?

Sustainability is always at the forefront of our minds with every decision we make. We do a lot of wildcrafting for our products, so we are able to see first hand how the plants are doing in the environment. We propagate and reseed the plants we harvest and replant. Our mission is for our harvesting places to be more abundant than when we found them. The non-wildcrafted herbs in our products are contract grown from small local farmers throughout Washington and Oregon who follow organic farming practices.

In addition, we choose not to use any plastic for our containers and packaging and all of our shipping materials are recycled. A portion of our income is donated to Potlatch fund which is a native-led non-profit that provides grants and leadership development to Tribal Nations in the Pacific Northwest. We also volunteer with several organizations for at-risk youth in an effort to give back to our communities and provide kids opportunities that they may not be exposed to otherwise.

Describe the product of yours that most epitomizes the Salish Coast region.

It is hard to pick just one because our business is really bio regionally based. Most of our hydrosols are made with plants that we harvest or are grown in Washington. Some of our classic Pacific Northwest hydrosol scents are Western Red Cedar, Douglas Fir and Cottonwood. These three aromatic trees that each have gorgeous scents that lift my spirit, help me feel my connection to nature and slow me down when I’m moving too quickly. A quick spritz during my day can feel like a mini forest bathing session when I don’t have the time to get out. (Interviewer’s aside: I use Leslie’s Douglas Fir hydrosol in this very manner and absolutely love it.)

What is your favorite place to spend time in this region? Why is it special to you?

We are so lucky because there are so many amazing places to spend time. There are coastlines, mountains and rivers. One of my very favorite places is just over the Cascade Mountains, called the Methow Valley. When I am there my spirit lights up and my body and mind find ease. Nature is pure and clean there, really unique and special medicinal plants grow in the many microclimates of that area and the hiking, swimming and winter sports in the valley are unmatched.

Wildcrafted flowers for use in Wildroot Botanicals products — Hydrosol: Nature’s Gift to Skincare

Hydrosols, also known as "flower waters”, are produced by distilling fresh plant materials like leaves, flowers, and needles in the process of making essential oils. Because they are much less concentrated than their essential oil counterparts, their aromas are soft and subtle, and their uses many.
Hydrosols offer a purely natural skin care benefit combined with uplifting aromatherapy properties. They make wonderful body mists, facial toners or after shave, air fresheners, and linen sprays.

Other than in our gift boxes, where can customers find you, and what are some ways they can show their support?

All of our course offerings are on our website and our products can be found on Etsy here.

One of the best ways to show support is to take care of yourself. It is a rebellious act in these times to slow down and listen and take care of yourself. If we are less stressed and have more space to enjoy, hopefully we can also take better care of the planet and all the people and beings around us.

Gratitude to Wildroot Botanicals for their contributions to our business and our community, and for their stewardship of the planet we all share.

Merchant Spotlight • Wildroot Botanicals