Weeds, Woodslore, and Wildwoods Wisdom

Stories, Songs, and Lore Celebrating the Natural World and Useful Wild Plants
with herbalist, author, and master storyteller
Doug Elliott

$20 at the door
 

512-926-4900 ext. 114 or email Education for more information

 More About Doug

Whether he's pointing out poison ivy, pontificating on poke sallet, crooning about creasy greens, singing about berries, extolling the virtues of dandelions, or telling wild snake tales, herbalist, author and storyteller, Doug Elliott is known for his lively storytelling as well as his broad, practical, scientific and cultural knowledge of useful wild plants. Elliott performs a lively concert of tales, tunes, traditional plant lore, outrageous personal narratives, and fact stranger than fiction – all flavored with regional dialects, soulful harmonica riffs, and more than a few belly laughs.

Doug will be presenting a lively, informative program of traditional and contemporary plant lore, and scientific information, as well as stories, songs, and outrageous personal narratives celebrating some of America's favorite edible, medicinal, and otherwise useful wild plants and other amazing aspects of the natural world. 

Bio:
Doug Elliott is a herbalist, naturalist, basket maker and author. He lives in the southern Appalachian mountains. He has spent a great deal of time with traditional country folk and indigenous people, learning their stories, folklore and traditional ways of relating to plants.

For many years he made his living gathering and selling herbs. In recent years he has performed and taught from Canada to the Caribbean. He has been a featured storyteller at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN and has conducted workshops and programs at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, and the Smithsonian Institution. He has taught regularly at the International Herb Symposium, the Green Nations Gathering, and Omega Institute. He has trained rangers for the National Park Service and guided people on wilderness experiences from Down-east Maine to the Florida Everglades. He was named harmonica champion at Fiddler's Grove Festival in Union Grove, North Carolina.

Recently, he has received a variety of honors. The International Herb Association presented him with the Otto Richter Award honoring his work with herbs and useful wild plants. The National Storytelling Network (the largest storytelling membership organization in the world) inducted him into their Circle of Excellence for “exceptional commitment and exemplary contribution to the art of storytelling.” The National Association for Interpretation (the professional organization of park rangers, naturalists, museum curators, etc.) gave him the Master Front-Line Interpreter Award for his “mastery of interpretive techniques, program development, and design of creative projects” celebrating the human connection to nature and wild plants.

Doug has authored five books. His first book, WILD ROOTS, An Underground Botany and Forager's Guide, has been around for 40 years and is considered an "underground" classic. In 1995 it was given a new cover and re-released by Healing Arts Press.

He has produced a number of award-winning recordings of stories and songs and is occasionally seen on PBS-TV, as well as the History, and National Geographic Channels