Your Rewards | 
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22nd 10am - 4pm
bringing together classes, workshops, plant walks, music, and community
The 2026 Free Herbalism Project
RootsTalk is a free, family-friendly community event by Mountain Rose Herbs hosted at Oak Hill School in Eugene, OR. Attendees will enjoy educational presentations, hands-on workshops, local community vendors and non-profit partners, food truck fare, live music, and more!
2026 Theme: Herbalism Through the Senses
This year's theme, Herbalism Through the Senses, invites attendees to learn and deepen connections with our plant allies through sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound.
Mountain Rose Herbs has expanded the Free Herbalism Project to be a community-centered umbrella for our botanical education initiatives. It connects free events (such as RootsTalk and Mercantile events), recorded conversations (on our Herbal Radio podcast and YouTube channel), and written resources (Mountain Rose Herbs Blog, Journal, and newsletters), so learners can deepen their understanding at every stage.
Whether someone is discovering their first medicinal herb, building a home apothecary, studying herbal traditions, exploring culinary creations, or pursuing an herbal small business, the collection of offerings within FHP makes the journey more accessible and connected.
| Event Schedule | |
|---|---|
| 10:00am | Emcee/CEO Welcome Speech |
| 10:15am | The Secret Language of Aromatic Plants, with Amanda Lattin |
| 11:45am | Music Break, with Mining Diamonds |
| 12:00pm | Plants, Place, & Perception, with Shana Lipner Grover |
| 1:30pm | Lunch Break & Workshops |
| 3:00pm | Herbs in the Dark, with Dr. Hoby Wedler |
| 4:00pm | Closing remarks |
Presentation Details
Amanda Lattin
Presentation: The Secret Language of Aromatic Plants: How Essential Oils and Aromatherapy Connect Plants, People, and Herbalism
Join aromatherapy educator, clinician, and researcher Amanda Lattin for an engaging exploration of how essential oils create therapeutic effects and why aromatherapy is an essential branch of herbalism. Discover how aromatic plant compounds interact with the olfactory system, influence the nervous system, and contribute to whole-person wellness while learning how these same compounds serve important ecological functions within the plants themselves.
Workshop: Botanical Rollerball Blending Lab: Create a Personalized Aromatherapy Blend for Everyday Wellness
Join aromatherapy educator, clinician, and researcher Amanda Lattin for an engaging exploration of how essential oils create therapeutic effects and why aromatherapy is an essential branch of herbalism.
Bio: Amanda Lattin, BA, Dip. Aroma., MAT, MH, RA, is Dean of Aromatherapy at the American College of Healthcare Sciences and Vice President of the Alliance of International Aromatherapists (2025–2026). She is an educator, clinician, and researcher with extensive experience in aromatherapy, herbal medicine, and phytochemistry.
Shana Lipner Grover
Presentation: Plants, Place, & Perception: A Discussion of Herbal Connections
Cultivating relationships is how we get beyond a first name basis with everything in life. Engaging our senses allows us to fully experience the world around us and build community connections.
Workshop: Botanical Eyes: Plant Exploration Using All of Our Senses
Join Shana outside and turn on your botanical eyes to explore plant identification and deepen your connection to nature.
Bio: Shana Lipner Grover is a clinical herbalist, educator, field botanist, and director of Sage Country Herbs School of Botanical Studies in San Diego.
Dr. Hoby Wedler
Presentation: Herbs in the Dark: The Multi-sensory Properties of the Herbs we Grow
Dr. Hoby Wedler will share his work as a sensory storyteller and guide participants through a Tasting in the Dark™ experience featuring Mountain Rose Herbs products.
Bio: Dr. Hoby Wedler is a blind chemist, entrepreneur, and sensory expert who earned his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from UC Davis. He is known for his innovative, multi-sensory teaching experiences.
Workshop Details
Amanda Lattin and Shana Lipner Grover will lead two engaging, hands-on workshops that invite you to continue exploring the botanical world through the senses.
Amanda Lattin: Botanical Rollerball Blending Lab
Shana Lipner Grover: Botanical Eyes Plant Exploration
Live Music
We’re excited to welcome Mining Diamonds, featuring our very own Sustainability Specialist, Joey, for live music throughout the event. Bring your dancing shoes and get ready to groove as this Eugene-based band blends psychedelic, funk, Americana, and hard rock.
we hope to see you there!
