Upcoming Events
Terra Sylva School Plant Walk
Black Balsam
Plant walk for the Terra Sylva school at high elevation off the Blue Ridge Parkway
https://www.terrasylvaschool.com/
Time: 9 a.m. - 5p.m.
Fee: Priceless private event
Challenges and Opportunities with Exotic Invasive Plants
North Country Herbalist Guild Minneapolis, MN
We will focus in this class on plant family patterns and what they indicate regarding identification and ethnobotanical application of exotic invasive plants for food, medicine and beauty. A big focus of the class will underpin the opportunities to employ these plants and effectively make use of a problem by turning it into a resource. We will take an in depth look at some of the prime exotic invasive plants occurring in the midwestern United States as well as a more general exotic invasive plant list of over 150 useful species from the region.
More info at the following link https://nchg.org/
Fee: $5 suggested donation, members free
Great Lakes Herb Faire
Cedar Lake Outdoor Center outside Chelsea, MI
This is one of my favorite events ever attended of the over 100 experienced over the decades. The classes being offered by me this time are a Woody Ethnobotany plant walk and a talk on Ethnomycology. More details at the following link. https://www.greatlakesherbfaire.org/
Time: Friday morning until Sunday late afternoonFee: Variable Pricing
Plant Walk for the Detroit Region Herbal Collaborative
Belle Isle, MI
Plant walk around the Lighthouse at Belle Isle. We will focus on plant families and mainly woody plants in particular from identification to sustainable ethnobotanical application. If of interest we might meet up earlier for some time in the conservatory too. Contact me directly to express interest and let us know you will be coming marc at botanyeveryday dot com.
Further details about the Detroit Region Herbal Collaborative at the following link.
http://www.detroitregionherbalcollaborative.org/home.html
Fee: By donation
Afrobotany
Bloodroot Herb Shop in Ypsilanti, MI
In this class we will explore a multitude of contributions from African Americans to the farm, garden, herbal, horticultural and scientific traditions of the United States. Items of focus will include crops brought to the USA from Africa, traditional diets combining those plants with the native plants of the Americas and the food as medicine practices that have grown from this synthesis. Other aspects will include an exploration of African American garden aesthetics, innovations in plant science and landscape practices in the USA and beyond.
Further info and register at the following link
https://www.bloodrootherbshop.com/products/afrobotany-with-marc-williams
Fee: $25 - 75 sliding scale
Wisdom and Science in Action: Indigenous Pathways to Restoration
Kanuga Conference Center, Hendersonville, NC
Open to everyone; AIA Conference attendees AND non-attendees alike!
About the MasterclassMeet Your Instructors
Marc Williams is an ethnobiologist who has taught hundreds of classes to thousands of people about plants, humans, other life forms and their interfaces. His training includes a B.A. in Environmental Studies/Sustainable Agriculture from Warren Wilson College with a minor in Business and a M.A. in Appalachian Studies/Sustainable Development from Appalachian State University with a minor in Planning/Geography. He has over 30 years of experiences working at various restaurants, farms, and travels throughout 31 countries in Central/North/South America, Europe and all 50 states in the USA. More information can be found at www.botanyeveryday.com and www.plantsandhealers.orgKelly Ablard, PhD, is a biologist and conservationist, certified aromatherapist, and Founder and CEO of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Airmid Institute, leading global sustainability and stewardship initiatives for medicinal and aromatic plants and their use in traditional medicine. Her research explores the evidence-based use of medicinal plants, chemical ecology, and the intersection of Indigenous biocultural knowledge systems with contemporary conservation science. An international speaker, published researcher, and co-author of the children's book No Place for Plants, Kelly's work with Airmid Institute has earned her the Simon Fraser University Outstanding Alumni Award and the AIA Outstanding Achievement Award. www.airmidinstitute.orgFee:
Gullah Geechee Herbal Gathering
John's Island, South Carolina
Excited to finally attend this annual gathering. For one of the few times in my career in the last fifteen years my role will be solely as a student and at least not formally as a teacher. That said excited to absorb as much as possible of the wisdom of the elders that they care to share.
https://www.gullahgeecheeherbalgathering.com/
Fee: Variable Pricing
Botany for Permaculture
Ruby Ranch outside Candler, NC
Going to be helping instruct around the botany part of Permaculture for a certification course that runs five weekends in the fall of 2026 starting on September 5th. More details at the link below.
https://www.rubyranchnc.com/events/permaculture-design-course-2026
Fee: Variable Pricing
Plant Walk at the Lake Eden Reunion
Camp Rockmont and Lake Eden outside Black Mountain, NC
Going to be leading a Fall Woodies plant walk at this first of its kind gathering at the legendary Lake Eden. More details at the link below.
https://lakeedenretreat.com/reunion/
Fee: Variable Pricing
The Poison Plant Path
The Herbiary in Asheville, NC
More info at the following link https://www.herbiary.com/
Fee: $30 - 50 Sliding Scale
Plant Walk with the Appalachian Foraging School
TBA
i will be leading a walk as part of Bek Jopling's Appalachian Foraging School. More info and registration below and at the following link.
https://www.foraginghome.com/events/
Be part of a small cohort, gathering in the forest and fields & diving into foraging life.
Bek Jopling of Foraging Home, along with other beloved local plant teachers, brings decades of knowledge & experience teaching wild food, herbalism, and nature connection in Southern Appalachia to offer this incredibly unique learning experience!
Come explore with us to:
– Gain confidence in wild plant and fungi ID
– Learn wild cooking, preserving, & wild crafting
– Explore herbal medicine making
– Join a community of passionate plant people
– Wander your way to feeling at home on the land.
Fee: Total $475 Part of a month long series every Thurs and every other Sun
2026 U.S. National Plant Conservation Leadership Summit
Missouri Botanical Garden
A meeting of many of the executives of the best botanical institutions of the United States to focus on a unified plant conservation agenda and the sharing of research and best practices in the field annually. The non-profit United Plant Savers is part of this forum and has requested my participation.
Time:Fee: By invite only
A Botany Talk and Plant Walk
New Hanover County Arboretum Education Center (6206 Oleander Drive, Wilmington, NC)
Join ethnobiologist Marc Williams for a two-part exploration of plant family patterns common to the Southeastern US. Hundreds of thousands of plant species are known to science, organized into over 400 plant families. Once you learn to recognize the top 30 or so flowering plant families around you, you'll begin spotting them everywhere. We'll start indoors with a presentation on the major plant groups of the Southeast, covering trends in leaf, flower, and fruit types along with their ecosystem services and ethnobotanical uses. Then we'll head outside for a guided plant walk through the Arboretum gardens to reinforce those identification skills in the field, observing the same plant families up close. Together, the talk and walk will give participants a comprehensive, hands-on understanding of the major botanical groups of Southern US flora and their connection to the broader web of life.
More info and register at the following link.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-botany-talk-and-plant-walk-with-marc-williams-tickets-1997895269533
Time: 1 - 4 p.m.
Fee: Priceless! Free...
Southeastern NC Herbal Conference
Old River Farm Burgaw, NC
The 3rd Annual SENC Herbal Conference
On November 7-8, 2026, join us in Burgaw, NC for the 3rd Annual Southeastern North Carolina Herbal Conference – where local herbalists and the herbal-curious come together for a day of celebration, education and community!
The 2026 SENC Herbal Conference will leave participants feeling connected, inspired, and equipped to continue supporting their community’s health – physically, emotionally, and economically.
Surround yourself with other passionate, enthusiastic people who are excited to learn from one another and celebrate the rich ecosystem we call home!
i will be offering a class on Prime Plant and Practices for Aphrodisiac Consideration and Formulation.
More information and registration at the following link https://sencherbalconference.com
Fee: Variable Pricing
Botany by Family: The Key to See
Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham, NC
Learning to notice plant family patterns can greatly aid in demystifying the “green wall” of plant species around us. Hundreds of thousands of species of flowering plants are known to global science, and these species have been grouped into over 400 flowering plant families. By learning the top 30 plant families growing around you, you will begin to recognize plants everywhere you go. After an indoor presentation on the major plant families common to the Southeastern US, reinforce your plant identification skills on a walk in the Gardens to observe family patterns in leaf, flower and fruit types. Discuss edibility, medicinality, craft, wildlife support and landscape beauty as you gain a more holistic understanding of the major plants comprising Southern US flora and their potential ecological and ethnobotanical applications.
Accessibility: This will be a small group program that takes place partially seated indoors and partially outdoors traveling on a combination of paved and unpaved paths with some uneven surfaces and moderate inclines.
Register at the link below
https://gardens.duke.edu/learn/adult-programs/
Fee: Variable Pricing
Winter Botany and Wild Tea
Weaverville, NC
When the lush greens and bright blooms of summer fade away, a quieter world of wonder remains. Join ethnobotanist and longtime Firefly instructor & beloved friend Marc Williams for an immersive workshop and garden walk exploring the art of winter plant identification and wild foraging.
Together, we’ll learn to recognize the subtle signatures of plants during their dormant phase—tracing patterns in bark, buds and form that reveal who’s who beneath the winter hush. Marc will guide participants in deepening their botanical literacy and relationship with local ecology, blending scientific insight with ethnobotanical wisdom and practical foraging knowledge.
As we walk the garden and surrounding landscape, we’ll:
- Practice identifying plants without their usual flowers, fruits, or leaves
- Discuss off-season plant characteristics and traditional uses
- Explore key resources for continuing your studies
- Share wild-foraged tea and connection to close the afternoon
Winter botany is a lesser-known, yet vital skill that invites us to see the natural world with new eyes. By learning to read the land in its quiet season, we strengthen our awareness, resilience, connection and capacity to live sustainably within our ecosystems—all year long
Location is a plant sanctuary located in Weaverville, NC and not generally open to the public. Directions will be given upon registration.
Fee: $25 - 65