About the Classes
Hello friends! Welcome to my website. My name is Gabi May, and I teach plant identification classes and host community events, which I happily invite you to enjoy and become a part of.
I offer a few services through this website, the main being plant identification classes, and free community or volunteering events. Please see the classes page for upcoming group events and classes, or enter a request for a personal class.
My plant identification classes are truly unique in the domain of naturalism and foraging education. I am not certified in any way. My education comes from a few sources, the first being my family. I grew up in rural Michigan hunting, foraging, and caring for the land. I am grateful to be part of a chain of ancient knowledge stretching back thousands of years, handed down through generations. I aim to include you in that chain of knowledge through my classes! You will learn to identify plants the way I did, as well as learn indigenous uses for them, and hear the stories that I heard about them as a child and a young adult.
I believe that reciprocity, and having personal relationships with the land and plants will help us move towards a more connected, sustainable, healthier future. My classes are lighthearted and accessible, where I introdue each species and bit of knowledge in the way that one would introduce a friend, hoping to foster new relationships with you.
As a scientist by employment, I believe the unification of western science and indigenous science will provide a more whole, unitarian science that will move us in the right direction. Thus, I work hard to bring the two together. My classes also include some chemistry and pharmacology of specific plants, to show you how they work for their traditional and modern medical uses.
Outside of classes, I partner with organizations to organize volunteering and stewardship activities, for community members who want to get outside and do a little something for nature. I also provide indoor educational events focused on community building, where we get together and engage in a nature-based craft.
My Philsophy
I believe that in order to have a better relationship with something, you must know it. The more one knows, the more one can love a thing. I aim to share with you a holistic, full-circle approach to knowing nature - the plants, the land, and the water. My classes include indigenous knowledge from my own family, knowledge transferred to me from others and knowledge from my work as a biochemist in clinical pharmaceutical research. Through combining indigenous and western science, we can begin to use all of our sources to solve the big problems of today!
I consider myself extremely lucky to have been raised knowing the land that I lived on. This knowledge allowed me to have relationships with plants and water that impacted may of my decisions in life. I believe that as part of nature, we have a responsibility to care for the land and our non-human relatives, just as they care for us.
My classes are affordable and accessible, and are tailored to facilitate connection with the land and each other, instead of just receiving knowledge. I also work to provide free, knowledge-based activities for those who wish to engage with nature and community.