Herbalista Free School

Course FAQ’s

Do these courses come with a certification?

• YES! Starting this year, we are now offering a certificate of completion at the end of the course. But first, a little background: ‘Herbal Certification‘ does not exist in the United States at either a federal or state level of qualification. Since there is no set standard for certification, anyone can simply print out a certificate and insta-presto, you are a ‘certified‘ herbalist.
• Here at Herbalista, we feel that a certificate should stand for something and so we are offering a Certificate of Completion to folks after they finish the course and can demonstrate they have engaged with the activities and hopefully digested the information. We hope this certificate gives you a sense of what you have accomplished.
• We are trying this out first with the Herbal Foundations Course. Here are the deets of we ask folks to do to receive a certificate:
  • pass the final exam with a 70% or higher
  • submit a portfolio of Herbwork. You can find all the details in the final topic in this lesson entitled: Course Certification.
  • As this is the first time we have offered certificates of completion, like all things Herbalista, this is a work in progress. If we feel we have to make changes to this system, we will!
• Final Exam Details
  • You must take the final exam and score at least a 70%. The system will allow you to make two attempts and then locks. If a passing score (70%) is not achieved after the second attempt, you will need to contact Lorna so we can work together to find a supportive path forward. This might include suggesting areas to review, or exploring a different way of demonstrating your learning.
  • The final exam will become available to take at the start of summer, giving you time to move through the material and practice what you’re learning first. We will announce it via standard channels (newsletter & socials).
• Herbwork Portfolio Details
  • We believe that true community herbalism is grounded in real life practice and so also would like to see some examples of the Herbwork you have completed throughout the course. You will be asked to put together a small portfolio that includes an example of completed Herbwork for each Lesson. We ask that your herbwork reflect a variety of types (e.g. recipes, journal entries, materia medica entries, community work, etc.) to demonstrate an array of skills practiced.
  • Twice a year we will have an opportunity to submit you portfolios and receive feedback from the Herbalista Community. More details will be available at the start of the summer, at the same time that the final exam becomes available. At this time we will also share the links for submitting your herbwork.
  • Next Portfolio Submission Date: September 15, 2026

How is the Free School free?

• So while these courses and classes are free to take, like any free project, it isn’t actually free for us to create. We spend thousands of dollars each year to share these resources with the greater community. But thanks to all of our sustaining members, this show can stay on the road! Their small monthly donation not only have built this Free School but supported all of our other programming over the years – from Herb Buses to Fire Cider Brigades to Learning Gardens.
• If you would like to support the work, please join us and become a sustaining member.
• Or please consider making a one time donation. Since we are no longer under a 501(c)3 fiscal sponsors, donations to Herbalista are not tax-deductible, but still very much appreciated!

How do we ask a question about the course material?

• There are a few ways you can ask questions:
  • Herbalista Members: please ask away at our online monthly member study sessions. Open to sustaining members, these zoom sessions are a great chance to ask questions to Lorna and the other community herbalists on the call. Not yet a member? Learn more and join us here. You can also use your Member’s Forum located in the Toolkit to ask questions.
  • Non-members: Lorna will host seasonal online Free School Study Sessions that are open to all enrolled students. Dates will be posted directly on the Free School Webpage and also announced in our monthly newsletter. (If you would like to receive our newsletter, you can sign up here.)

Is there closed captioning for the videos?

• YES. The videos loaded to these courses are streamed from Vimeo, which creates autogenerated closed captioning.
  

How many hours are these courses?

• Herbal Foundations includes approximately 20 hours of video lecture content. When combined with readings, quizzes, and optional Herbwork activities, most students can expect to spend about 40–50 hours engaging with the material. Students who choose to complete the optional practices and portfolio work may spend additional time deepening their learning.

Do I need prior herbal experience?

• Not for Herbal Foundations, In the Field, or Herbal Medicine Making. These courses were designed to be a foundational course for beginners as well as a refresher course for those already walking the herbal path.
• We do recommend some foundational studies before the Community & Clinical Care Course.

Are these courses self-paced?

• Yes. These courses are self-paced course with open enrollment. You can enroll at any time and move through the lessons at a speed that works for you.

Do I have to complete everything in order?

• We recommend moving through the lessons in order for the deepest learning, as concepts build on one another. However, once you are familiar with the structure, you are welcome to revisit topics and move around as needed.

Can I use these courses toward hours for other herb schools?

• Many students choose to list these courses as part of their foundational herbal studies. Each school has its own requirements, so we recommend checking with the program you are applying to for how they accept outside coursework.
• The Herbal Foundations course includes approximately 20 hours of lecture content and an estimated 40–50 hours of total engagement when readings, quizzes, and practices are included.

How long do I have access to the courses?

• Once enrolled, you will have ongoing access and can return to the material whenever you like. Many students revisit lessons as their herbal practice grows. Of course, we never know what the world holds, so if at some point Lorna becomes sick of all the computer time, the expense of it all, and just decides to dynamite her entire website, spend her days with the plants, making and sharing remedies… well, at that point, your access will definitely end.

General technical troubleshooting

• Refresh your browser to load the most recent version of the page you are viewing.
• Update your Internet Browser if needed. For best results, we recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
• Clear your browser cache to clear stored website data.
  • Google Chrome
  • Mozilla Firefox
• Test your internet speed and connection.
• Restart your computer to establish a clean slate.
• Switch devices to see if the problem you’re experiencing is happening on other devices, or if it is just restricted to the one.

What other free courses do you offer?

We are currently rebuilding our free school courses after our move from Teachable. Here is a listing of our Free School Course Catalogue. Please note, the courses will be released over time as they are rebuilt. When we have a release date, we will post this to the newsletter and on the Free School Webpage.

Herbalista Free School catalogue consists of the following courses:

• Herbal Foundations (now open for registration)
• In the Field (coming 2026)
• Herbal Medicine Making (coming 2026)
• Community & Clinical Care (coming 2027)