Photo by Kelly Hoffman

Photo by Kelly Hoffman

 

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2025 spring and summer Workshops and botany outings LISTED BELOW (scroll down)

Richard is available to teach and/or lecture on a wide variety of topics related to plants and herbal medicine, including the following:

  • Clinical uses of herbal medicines on a wide range of topics

  • Diet and Nutrition

  • Field Botany and medicinal plant walks

  • Organic herb gardening

  • Herbal medicine making

Richard is a faculty member at:

Lectures and Presentations

Richard is available to lecture on a range of topics for a wide variety of audiences, from fellow herbalists to the general public, to physicians and other health care professionals. Some current and past venues include the International Herb Symposium, the Symposium of the American Herbalists Guild, Green Festival, and the Columbia University Stroud Center.

2025 Botany Outings

Small group classes, meeting on separate full days this spring and summer in a wild or semi-wild location such as a state or local park, with a focus on botany, herbal medicine, ecology, and field identification skills.

Unless stated otherwise in the class description, the pricing and registration information is described below, after the class listings.

  • Free of charge: Saturday May 3 Herb Day at Well Sweep Farm, Port Murray, NJ – an all-day event with herb walks, lectures, vendors, etc. I’ll be leading an herb walk at 11:00 and a lecture at 3:30 on Tasting the Medicine: How Flavor Reflects Biochemistry and Therapeutic Action.

  • Sat May 10, Walnut Mountain Park, Liberty (Sullivan Co.) NY – a beautiful local park to explore with a nice representation of our local, native forest ecosystem. This walk involves a bit of uphill climb – nothing too steep or rigorous, but if you prefer or need a flatter walk, this may not be the right choice. 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM

  • Free of charge: Thursday June 19 Solstice Evening Paddle at the Basha Kill, Wurtsboro NY – it’s becoming an annual tradition; we’ll celebrate the summer solstice on the water of this local treasure of protected wetlands and getting to know our local aquatic plants. The sun and earth do the same thing every solstice, so why shouldn’t we? This is a public event, hosted by the Mamakating Environmental Education Center and will be free with a small requested donation to MEEC. BYOB: bring your own (non-motorized) boat! Exact launch time TBD (probably 5:30-6:00 PM-ish) Mark your calendar; registration will be directly with MEEC and I will share that once they post it.

  • Saturday June 21, Where Phytochemistry Meets Gaia: Merging Science and Tradition in Herbalism, Becket, MA – hosted by Kim Geisler of Transcending Roots Apothecary. This one-day retreat in the Berkshires has a sliding scale fee of $70-$100; we’re keeping the group size small so I expect this to fill up! For more info and to register, go to: https://www.transcendingroots.com/events

  • Sunday June 29, High Point State Park, NJ - one of my favorite places to explore in the area. We’ll visit an unusual cedar swamp where we’ll see carnivorous pitcher plants and some species typically found much further north. We’ll also visit a Lenape stone site, and end the day enjoying the sweeping view from the top of the mountain. There is a campsite here for those who might want to make a weekend of it. 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM

  • Sunday July 27, Winding Hills Park, Montgomery (Orange Co.) NY – a pretty park with a mix of forest and lake shore to explore in Orange County, NY. There is a campsite here for those who might want to make a weekend of it. 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM

  • Saturday August 2, Central Park, NYC – Yup, that big green rectangle in the heart of Manhattan. There is a tremendous diversity of plant life, both native and non-native, to see, and we’ll spend the day exploring. 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM

  • Sunday August 17, Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, Sussex NJ - A beautiful refuge of fields, forest, and wetlands along the Wallkill, a tributary of the Mahicannituck (Hudson) River, in northern NJ along the NY border. 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM

  • Saturday September 6, Esopus Meadows Preserve, Esopus, NY – a lovely piece of protected forest on the shores of the Mahicannituck (Hudson) River. There is some uneven walking involved. 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM

TO REGISTER, contact me by email: nyherbalist@gmail.com. Your place in the course is secured when payment is received (see below). More information will be sent to all registered participants, including: list of what to bring and what to expect, handouts, and detailed directions / google map links to meeting locations. Everyone is expected to arrive 10-15 minutes early; once we are walking off down a trail you may not find us!

Class fee:

The fee is kept low to be as accessible as possible, and is discounted when you sign up for multiple classes.

If you need a scholarship to be able to attend, reach out to me and we will make it happen.

If you are able to pay a higher amount, I will reserve 100% of it for scholarships for people who need it!

  • If you sign up for one all-day class: $75

  • If you sign up for two all-day classes: $70 each class ($140 total)

  • If you sign up for three or more all-day classes: $60 each class.

Payment can be made by paypal, venmo, check, or cash.

  • Paypal: send payment to nyherbalist@gmail.com

  • Venmo: send payment to @Richard-Mandelbaum-1

Cancellation policy: because I keep these classes small and affordable, I am unable to guarantee a refund for canceling. If I am able to find someone to fill your spot, I can refund you minus a small processing fee, but I can’t make promises and it’s unlikely if you cancel at the last minute.

Some important notes about the classes

  • I limit the class size and most of the classes fill up in advance, so if you’re sure you want to join it is best to let me know as soon as you know.

  • Beginners and more advanced students are both very welcome.

  • We’ll practice skills at field identification including species identification and familiarization with common plant families, amid discussion of plant physiology, plant intelligence, taxonomy, and ecology.

  • We'll weave in information about harvesting, wild food and medicinal uses as a bonus. (In general we will not be foraging as we’ll be in parks.)

  • This class will meet rain or shine. No rain dates unless weather is truly dangerous to drive or be outside in. “There is no bad weather; only bad clothing.”

  • People are responsible for their own transportation to the class locations. I can try to help with carpooling if you let me know, by putting the word out, but I can’t promise anything.