Herbal Immersion Program

A week-long summer herbal program in Missoula, Montana

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Next Immersion Cohort Begins July 7 - 11, 2025

Don’t miss this unique opportunity…

Join herbalists John Goicovich and Elaine Sheff of Green Path Herb School for our annual hands-on, week-long intensive in herbal medicine. We will explore the native and weedy herbs of Northwestern Montana's forests, mountains, and rivers.

Reserve Your Spot

Classes run from 9 am to 4 pm throughout the course.

Registered students will be contacted with class details. Please read our cancellation policy below.

Want to know more? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions. Or you can contact us to set up a free phone call.

Have you dreamt of visiting Montana?

Are you ready to dive into studying medicinal plants?

Have you wanted to study with Elaine and John?

Join us for a week-long summer herbal program in Missoula, Montana.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Take a week-long journey with Elaine and John and experience an intimate connection with healing herbs.

Study medicinal plants easily grown in the garden, weedy herbs, and some special herbs native to the Northern Rocky Mountains.

The Herbal Immersion Program is valuable for beginning to intermediate herb enthusiasts and is a good refresher for those who have studied with us before.

    • Learn about and have the opportunity to ethically harvest wild Montana medicinals.

    • Make medicine in the field.

    • See herbs in their different ecosystems.

    • Learn about their medicinal values, parts used, herbal actions, and contraindications.

    • Learn how to best make medicine out of them.

    • Learn to make salves, oils, and tinctures in the field.

    • Handouts and recipes will be provided.

    • Spend a day in the Green Path herb gardens learning about the plants, how to grow them, and harvesting and drying techniques.

    • Learn to make garden medicine.

    • Take some herbs home with you to grow in your garden.

Reserve Your Spot

Classes run from 9 am to 4 pm throughout the course.

Registered students will be contacted with class details. Please read our cancellation policy below.

Want to know more? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions. Or you can contact us to set up a free phone call.

Meet Your Instructors

ELAINE SHEFF, CO-DIRECTOR, CLINICAL HERBALIST, RH (AHG)

Elaine is the Co-Director of Green Path Herb School, located in Missoula, Montana, where she strives to inspire and empower students and clients to remember their connection to the earth, the plants, and their healing process. She is a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild and teaches workshops at national and international conferences. As a certified Instructor of Natural Family Planning and Fertility Awareness Methods, Elaine has helped many couples avoid or achieve pregnancy naturally.

JOHN GOICOVICH, CO-DIRECTOR, HERBALIST

John first started working with plants in the early 1990s on the coast of California. It was not until moving to the Rocky Mountains in 1993 that his interest became a lifetime commitment. John’s first love of herbs was always the connection between plants and people and the personal involvement in making one’s own remedies. John is a graduate of both the Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies and the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine. He is the co-founder of Meadowsweet Herbs.

What Our Students Think

  • Green Path Herb School came into my life during a time of great transition; from being a stay at home mom of two, to following my dreams to become an herbalist. This program makes it so easy to seamlessly integrate herbal wisdom and knowledge into your life. It is well organized, packed with information, easily accessible, and is all wrapped up with love and passion for plants. 

    Kira

  • Herbal Foundations is such a great place to start whether starting a journey to herbalism or just wanting to be more informed. What I’ve learned from this course and both John and Elaine has been a wealth of invaluable information. I look forward to continuing my education with them in the future either in person or online.

    Nashay Barron

  • I thoroughly enjoyed the Herbal Foundations class with Elaine and John. They cover a lot of material while keeping it fun and understandable. From characteristics of individual herbs and their actions, to preparation techniques, to an intuitive understanding of how to work with herbs and the human body in a holistic manner. This class has given me a solid basis from which to move forward in my own exploration and work with herbal remedies.

    Marge Hulburt

  • The things I learned while taking classes with the Green Path Herb School empower and inspire. I now feel equipped with information and awareness that will allow me to take medicine and healing into my own hands by working with the Earth’s provisions.

    Michael Billington

  • Learning from Elaine and John was a journey into the nature of myself as well as the natural world. Their teaching styles balance each other which allows for a deeper, more meaningful learning process as a student. Their love and compassion come through in their approach to teaching that appreciate a variety of learning styles in their students. They provided safe, effective material and offered an easily accessible approach to wellness.

    Julia Carr

  • Thank you so much for sharing your amazing knowledge and time with so many people. You have been such an inspiration to me, and I don’t think I would have had the resources or info I needed to begin this journey without your help!

    Kristen

  • The Herbal Foundations class opened up a world of opportunities for me to dive deeper into herbal medicine and build the skills needed to begin crafting on my own. I would highly recommend this course to anyone hoping to learn more about the amazing plants around us and the power that comes with this knowledge.

    Sarah

  • The Herbal Foundations course has been essential in turning my passion for herbal medicine into practical, real-world application. The science-based curriculum, paired with the instructor's personal insights and vast experience, offers a thorough exploration of herbal actions, materia medica, wildcrafting and much more. It provides depth without overwhelming those just beginning their journey in this field. I wholeheartedly recommend this course to anyone looking to deepen their knowledge and feel more confident and empowered in their practice.

    Jessie

  • A Transformative Learning Experience. I can’t say enough about the depth of knowledge and inspiration I’ve gained through Green Path Herb School. The instructors bring a wealth of experience, sharing not just technical knowledge but also deep reverence for plant medicine. The classes are immersive, blending hands-on learning with a strong foundation in herbal wisdom, making everything feel practical and magical.

    Erika Hickey

  • I learned so much! I went in as a beginner and am leaving with extensive knowledge of herbs, wildcrafting, and medicine making. I am so much more confident in my plant identification, and I've been able to introduce new plants into my garden. Elaine and John gave me the confidence to make my own salves, oils, tinctures, and teas. The herb kit I made over a year will benefit me and my family for years to come. Extra bonus: my classmates were awesome, and I learned a lot from them, too. I can't recommend Green Path Herb School enough!

    Kelly Hart

  • Herbal Foundations exceeded my expectations in every aspect. I appreciated the format and pacing of the course. There was enough time between sessions to apply what we'd learned and to acquire supplies for the next session. I was initially worried the course would not be in-depth enough or conversely, it would be too advanced for me. But I got exactly what I wanted and felt challenged but supported. If you're considering diving into the world of herbal medicine, I wholeheartedly recommend Herbal Foundations.

    Lauren Whiddon

FAQ

  • No, lodging is not included in this program.

    You can download information about places to stay in and around Missoula here.

  • Meals are not provided during this program.

    There are several health food stores and many restaurants around the Missoula area. We will let you know when we recommend bringing a sack lunch with you for the days we are out in the field.

    • We recommend bringing sturdy closed-toe shoes, a sun hat, jacket, raincoat, water bottle, a sack lunch, sunscreen, a portable chair, a notebook, and a pen.

    • You can also bring colored pencils if you’d like to draw some of the herbs you meet.

    • If you would like to ethically wildcraft herbs, please bring harvesting tools such as garden snips, a narrow shovel, trowel, and garden gloves.

    • For optional medicine making, bring glass jars with tight sealing lids, extra virgin olive oil, everclear alcohol (etyl alcohol), and labels.

    • For medicine making classes, all materials are provided.

    • A $100 deposit (out of total tuition) is non-refundable upon paying for the program.

    • All credit card fees are non-refundable.

    • A full refund of tuition (less the $100.00 deposit and all credit card fees) will be paid if the student withdraws in writing before the first day of class.

    • No refunds are given after the Herbal Immersion Progam has begun.

    • All students making payments are still subject to the Refund Policy Terms.