Panelists from Ecuador:
Rafael Parducci V and Ivonne Mosler

Presenter in collaboration with Rafael and Ivonne:
Dominique Gaillard

Host:
Airmid Institute

How to Attend?
This free online event is open to the public. You just need to register online to attend.

Palo santo (Bursera graveolens) is native to the dry tropical forests of Latin America, particularly in Ecuador and Peru, where it holds significant cultural, spiritual, and medicinal importance among Indigenous communities. The tree is known for its aromatic wood, used in traditional rituals for purification and healing.

Its biology is characterized by a deciduous nature, deep root systems, and the production of aromatic compounds that enhance the quality of its wood and oil. However, although palo santo is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, it faces threats from habitat loss and overharvesting, prompting conservation efforts that include sustainable harvesting practices, reforestation, and international regulations to ensure its preservation and ethical trade.

These efforts are informed by the work of Ecuadorians Rafael Paducci and Ivonne Mosler, who have pioneered sustainable practices and collaborated closely with Indigenous communities to protect and utilize palo santo responsibly.

Rafael Parducci V. has 23 years of experience in the distillation of essential oils in the Republic of Ecuador, a country where he has conducted research and had multiple experiences with countless plants, obtaining truly interesting results both scientifically and economically. Parducci has discovered that the true treasure of “El Dorado” lies in the emerald of the plants and the gold in the color and quality of its exotic and incredible essential oils, whether of native or non-native origin.

Ivonne Mosler discovered 10 years ago the wonders of Amazonian biodiversity as the magic of the tropical dry forests of the Ecuadorian coast. Since then, she has dedicated much of her careerpr omoting sustainable practices and the conservation of natural resources. In her current role, Ivonne Mosler is a key figure in the project “Resilience to Climate Change of Communities through the Forest Management of Palo Santo in the Framework of Popular and Solidarity Economy in the Province of Santa Elena”.

Dominique Gaillard, born in rural France, is a passionate aromatherapist and natural skincare specialist. Raised by a traditional gardener father and influenced by the renowned herbalist Maurice Messegue, Dominique developed a deep connection with nature and natural remedies. Her journey into aromatherapy began in her early thirties, seeking natural solutions for her children’s health. She explored essential oils and cosmetics while teaching English at a secondary school.

Presenter:
Antonio Sanchez

How to Attend?
Become an Airmid member today if you’d like to have access to this webinar (virtual or recorded), and many others we are excited to feature this year! Become an Airmid member today.

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You can purchase access to individual webinars by clicking here.

Antonio will teach you how to grow White Sage (Salvia apiana) from seed, including special treatments for increasing germination rates. He will also give you tips for growing White Sage from cuttings, and teach you how to keep White Sage happy in a container (pot) or in your garden. You will explore how White Sage is overharvested in California, and how folks inside and outside California can help reduce overharvesting by growing the plant themselves.

Antonio Sanchez is the nursery manager and restoration volunteer outreach coordinator for SAMOFund in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, and has been working around native plants for nearly 2 decades. He is co-founder and lead singer of the native plant band Sage Against the Machine, and was lead organizer for the California Native Food Symposium, the Southern California Monarch and Milkweed Conference, the first Ventura County Native Plant Symposium, and the California Native Sage Festival.

Antonio has worked at various native plant institutions around the state, and has managed the nurseries at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, worked as a landscaper at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, worked as a nursery technician at the Theodore Payne Foundation for Native Plants, and co-founded and ran Nopalito Native Plant Nursery in Ventura, CA, with a good friend and a cousin, for nearly 4 years.

He believes in making native plants fun and approachable to all, learning about and teaching old and new ways with native plants, and that Hummingbird Sage is probably the prettiest California native sage, but Salvia pachyphylla is a close second.

Presenter:
Iris Mota BSc, MSc

How to Attend?
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Regenerative agriculture (RegenAg) encompasses principles that prioritize soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem restoration in farming practices. Additionally, in RegenAg these practices must take into account economic viability and community benefits. Applying these principles to cultivating medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) has generated significant interest, driven not only by rising demand but also by the potential for integrated production systems. Regenerative methods nurture healthier soil microbiomes, enhancing nutrient availability and plant resilience. This approach not only promotes a more sustainable agriculture but also has the potential to enhance the production of secondary metabolites and oils in MAPs due to plant interactions with a thriving soil microbiome. By emphasizing ecological balance and soil vitality, regenerative agriculture presents a promising avenue for cultivating these valuable plants while supporting environmental well-being.

Iris Mota, a Portuguese Plant Biologist with a Master’s in Pharmacy and Chemistry of Plant Natural Products, is a professional with diverse expertise. Having extensively worked in essential oil distilleries across Portugal, Angola, Italy, and Peru, Iris evaluated value chains and critical points to achieve an optimized production of oils. In parallel, she has also worked as an agronomist, aiding farms transitioning to regenerative agriculture. Her hands-on experience spans nearly 100 farms between 2021 and 2023, learning and teaching farmers how to evaluate their soil and what are other methods of observing a farm. Her passion for MAPs and regenerative agriculture led her to publish a scientific article exploring mycorrhizae soil fungi’s influence on essential oil production, its effect on the chemical profile, and biomass production. Iris has a deep commitment to studying and promoting regenerative agriculture while recognizing its potential in optimizing the cultivation of medicinal plants while prioritizing ecological balance and sustainability.

Presenter:
Amanda Swinimer, BSc Marine Biology

How to Attend?
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Seaweed, also known as macroalgae, is a diverse group of medicinal and aromatic marine plants found in oceans and other bodies of water around the globe. Seaweed has a long history of multifaceted applications, including its use in perfumery, and exhibits significant size, color, and shape variations.

In the world of fragrances, compounds derived from seaweeds such as kelp, nori, bladderwrack, and sargassum are used to create aquatic and fresh scents. These extracts enhance the overall olfactory experience by evoking the essence of the ocean.

However, despite its numerous benefits and potential applications, seaweed faces several obstacles. These obstacles include environmental stressors, such as pollution, ocean warming, and ocean acidification, as well as issues related to overexploitation, such as unsustainable extraction methods.

Seaweeds belong to a group of organisms called algae, which are critical to the health of our planet. Providing the foundational nourishment for the entire ocean ecosystem, they also produce half or more of our atmosphere’s oxygen and absorb an estimated one-third of carbon dioxide. Having evolved over 1.5 billion years to thrive in extreme environments, seaweeds contain a medley of novel, biologically active compounds that both current studies and traditional use suggest providing tremendous health benefits. Learn how seaweed helps to heal both the planet and people, and the current challenges facing the health of seaweed ecosystems.

Amanda Swinimer is a seaweed harvester, author, speaker, and educator who lives and works on the southwest coast of Vancouver Island, Canada. She began her own business, Dakini Tidal Wilds, in 2003, hand-harvesting wild edible seaweed from the beaches and kelp forests surrounding her home. Swinimer’s unique expertise makes her a sought-after speaker at international conferences, speaking about the ecological importance of seaweeds and the extraordinary health benefits. She has been conducting seaweed workshops and tours as well as teaching young people in the British Columbia school system for years, passing on her rare knowledge and sharing her intensely joyful connection to the ocean with diverse audiences. She holds a BSc in marine biology and is the author of The Science and Spirit of Seaweed: Discovering Food, Medicine and Purpose in the Kelp Forests of the Pacific Northwest and The Science and Superpowers of Seaweed: A Guide for Kids.

DakiniTidalWilds.com

Presenter:
Deborah Vorhies

How to Attend?
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There are 300,000 to 400,000 plant species around the world, and out of these, approximately 30,000 have well-documented medicinal or aromatic uses. It’s noteworthy that 60% to 90% of the medicinal and aromatic plants in trade are collected from the wild, as reported by Wildcheck in 2022.

By adhering to the FairWild Standard, wild harvesting has the potential to foster positive relationships between nature and people. This approach helps preserve unique cultures and promotes the sustainable use of distinctive landscapes, while also ensuring dignity and fair income for the communities depending on these resources. In this workshop, we will explore FairWild’s initiatives with Jatamansi in Nepal, and how we successfully established 2000 hectares of Himalayan highland habitat for sustainable harvesting through the region’s first FairWild certified operation. Additionally, we will discuss our collaborative efforts with CITES and the local government in accomplishing these results.

Deborah Vorhies serves as the CEO of FairWild Foundation, a voluntary standard and certification provider for wild harvested plant ingredients. A global sustainability policy and investment strategist, Deborah has extensive experience in international biodiversity, trade and investment policy arena, through her positions within the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Bank group, and senior management within the NGO sector, specifically in relation to the environment, investment and business sustainability. As COO of the ICTSD – a global research thinktank based in Geneva – she contributed to the development of innovative and effective policies to promote sustainability within the international trade and investment policy arenas, both globally and regionally, and inclusive economic transformation. Although her background is in law, finance and policy, she recently completed a Masters in Philosophy, and her current research is directed towards Ethics and Policy in relation to Sustainable Use.

FairWild.org

Essential oil-bearing plant devil’s club by Tim Gage, Vancouver BC

Presenters:
Mark (Atyátx’i Latíni) Dundore

How to Attend?
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Mark (Atyátx’i Latíni) Dundore is a Tlingit Eagle/Thunderbird of the House Lowered from the Sun of Klukwan, Alaska and lives in Juneau, Alaska. He is a citizen scientist and pioneer of the essential oil of s’áxt’ (devil’s club) from branch bark. Inventions include a peeling machine and a processing system. He has published articles on potential therapeutic benefits of the essential oil from branch bark and also about sustainable harvesting of the plant. Currently pursuing diplomas in essential oil science and Aromadermatology. Dundore performs ongoing field studies in the Tongass rainforest to better understand the role of s’áxt’ in the ecosystem and to ensure and improve essential oil product quality.

SoutheastDevilsclub.com

Presenters:
Kurt Arruda and Silvia Jiménez

How to Attend?
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We as a society know, and fortunately this awareness is growing, that essential oil production could be a real threat for biodiversity if not done in a correct and conscious way. We know as well that many factors come into play when we talk about sustainability in this ambit, such as for example, what kind of farming practices and wild-harvesting methods are applied, how the still works, and what uses we give to the vegetable distillates.

But there is another major factor in this process that has always been just in front of our noses and that seems to have gone unnoticed. Something that is not exactly negligible in any way: the hydrolat (also known as ‘hydrosol’) – a real botanical treasure with a huge potential and effectiveness among several fields.

Actually, it is the main character of this tale, given that it’s directly connected to the sustainability of a distillery. And moreover this goes much further, we aren’t talking only from an ecological vision, but also from a social and economical perspective.

In short, hydrolats are key factors of next-generation distilleries for a more conscious and organic future.

Sílvia comes from a Catalan and Aragonese family. She has felt a strong connection with the natural world since a very young age, especially with forests and medicinal wild plants, as she inherited this passion and knowledge from her grandparents and great-grandmother.

She graduated in Biology from the University of Barcelona and has worked both in plant research projects (University of the Azores in Portugal and at the Centre for Agri-Food Research and Technology of Aragon, Spain) and in LIFE conservation projects led by the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA, a Portuguese NGO partner of Birdlife International).

She also has extensive experience on Environmental Education and loves working with children towards caring for the environment.

Kurt, born in Canada, is native of the island of São Miguel, Azores, Portugal, although he has been living in Spain for several years. He shares the same passion for Nature, both terrestrial and aquatic worlds, as he used to spend his days surrounded by green mountains and the deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean from a very young age.

He has a real fascination for ecological systems and believes tenaciously that they are the true inspiration for sustainable living and production. After realizing that as a society we are “out of sync” with the living systems to which we belong, he began his personal quest to live in a more harmonious way, eventually finding what he was looking for, Permaculture and Regenerative Agriculture. As well as considering himself an eternal autodidact, he obtained the Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC), Queensland (Australia) and a grade of specialization in Ecological Agriculture in Aragon, Spain.

Presenter:
Felicity Warner

How to Attend?
Become an Airmid member today if you’d like to have access to this webinar (live or recorded), and many others we are excited to feature this year! Become an Airmid member today

Not a member yet?
You can purchase access to individual webinars by clicking here.

Sustainability, commercial harvesting of essential oils and its effects on Indigenous communities and reducing our carbon footprints are hot topics in aromatherapy.

But imagine nurturing one or two plants, perhaps Holy Basil, Marigold, even Rose, developing a tender and honouring relationship with them and harvesting enough plant material from them to cover your needs. No waste, no air miles and an oil with vitality and organic provenance.

Felicity Warner, the founder of Soul Midwives (holistic and spiritual therapists to the dying) makes simple macerated oils from native plants in the UK for the treatment of her patients.

In doing so, she has been able to substitute several oils sourced from threatened and near threatened plants including frankincense (Boswellia spp.), spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi), and elemi (Canarium luzonicum) with wild crafted native alternatives which are powerful in their healing vibration, frequency, and therapeutic properties.

If we can nurture and harvest and co-create oils with 20 or so plants from our own windowsills and gardens, we can create a vibrant oils collection with zero carbon footprint” She explains. This talk explains how we all might do this and examines the positive and therapeutic outcomes.

Felicity Warner is founder of the global Soul Midwives Movement, lectures both nationally and internationally and runs The Soul Midwives’ School, based in Dorset, UK, its unique training programme teaches holistic and spiritual care for the end of life.

She has won many awards for her work with the dying and her pioneering work has brought a new dimension to holistic and spiritual palliative care, both in the UK and abroad (there are now soul midwives working in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa).

Felicity Warner is also a Myrrhophore (Myrrh-bearing woman) author of the acclaimed book Sacred Oils and lineage holder of this ancient tradition which is linked to Mary Magdalene and Egyptian celestial medicine. She uses Sacred Oils for their energetic properties to re-balance, heal and restore us to a state of perfect balance and harmony.

soulmidwives.co.uk
Felicity Warner Soul Midwife Facebook Page

How to Attend?
Join us for free on Zoom

Take part in the Airmid Institute Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) Supply Chain Series!

The medicinal and aromatic plants we love and commonly use are harvested from all corners of the globe, and many of them — such as frankincense (Boswellia spp.), myrrh (Commiphora spp.), copaiba (Copaifera spp.), spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi), elemi (Canarium luzonicum), palo santo (Bursera graveolens), shea (Vitellaria paradoxa), and white sage (Salvia apiana) are collected primarily or entirely from the wild. These plants are often part of complex socio-ecological systems wherein the survival of both plants and people are mutually dependent.

However, wild-harvested plants are vulnerable to common challenges opaque supply chains with limited traceability result in – poor harvesting practices, illegal harvesting, exportation and importation, poor adaptation strategies in response to impacts of climate change, limited benefits to harvesters and their communities, a lack of readily available ubiquitous sourcing guidelines for consumers, and greenwashing.

Addressing these challenges is vital to creating successful conservation-through-use models. Meeting these challenges further supports the preservation of healthy ecosystems while indigenous and non-indigenous communities, harvesters, companies, and consumers all enjoy fair benefits and high-quality products from trade. Taking action is key to driving industry change in a more positive, accountable, and sustainable direction.

In this series, we will invite industry leaders– the scientists, producers, and sourcing personnel that work with wild plants every day, as well as consumers and media representatives — to discuss the challenges and opportunities for these supply chains and the innovative approaches being used to elevate the standards across the board.

We are kicking off this free series with Stephen Johnson and Andy Thornton’s webinar Creating real change in challenging supply chains: Exploring how to create sustainable and transparent progress in the frankincense supply chain on August 2nd 11 am – 12 pm PT. Here is the link to join this open free webinar.

Frankincense is one of the most popular essential oils, but there is an increasing awareness of the challenges associated with ethically sourcing this ancient aromatic. Now more than ever, it is critical to understand how these supply chains operate and how we can use frankincense responsibly. Here we explore the practical realities of frankincense sourcing, from ensuring sustainable harvesting at tree level to engaging fairly with communities and tracing resin as it moves through the supply chain, and we engage with practitioners to discuss new and ongoing sustainability and transparency initiatives and how we can all together promote positive sourcing impacts across the industry.

Stephen Johnson has been working on the sustainability of wild-harvested products since 2016. He has conducted field research and analyses in West Africa (Burkina Faso, Ghana), East Africa (Ethiopia, Somaliland, Puntland), and the Arabian Peninsula (Oman), and has published almost a dozen peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and reports on frankincense. As a technical advisor and direct supplier of frankincense, myrrh, and other wild-harvested products, Stephen focuses on creating systemic change in wild plant supply chains by implementing regenerative practices and supporting radical transparency and engagement with harvesting communities. He is always excited to discuss innovation and improvements in wild plant conservation and harvesting, or to discuss frankincense and myrrh ecology, chemistry, and conservation at length.

Andy Thornton is the Founder and Managing Partner of Silvan Ingredient Ecosystem. Silvan connects the world’s best brands with the world’s best ingredients and helps sustainable and regenerative ingredient growers scale their impact and find new markets. He has spent 15 years working in international development and agricultural supply chains, working globally but with a particular passion for West Africa. Andy holds an MBA from the University of Oxford where he studied as a Skoll Scholar. www.silvan.eco

Presenter:
Slobodanka Postic

How to Attend?
Become an Airmid member today if you’d like to have access to this webinar (live or recorded), and many others we are excited to feature this year! Become an Airmid member today

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You can purchase access to individual webinars by clicking here.

It is well understood that when one can connect and value Nature, including natural scents used in perfumery, one is more likely to protect it, and that overall well-being is important to preserve as impacts of climate change do impact global health. In this webinar, Slobodanka Postic, author of Fragrant Signatures: manual for creating natural perfumes (2022), will teach you what the term natural perfume actually means, she will provide a brief insight into our smell experience, present arguments as to why it would be good to learn how to create natural perfumes, and explore results of her ongoing survey which reflects what students who completed Fragrant Signatures education learned about the impact of creating and wearing self-created perfumes.

To read more about Slobodanka’s recently published manual please click here.

The link for purchasing the manual, click here.

Slobodanka is a nature admirer, teacher, aromatherapy and natural perfumery educator, and author of books and manuals in these fields.

Her biggest passion is natural perfumery, which she has been teaching since 2005. As an educator, she enjoys witnessing curiosity, enhthusiasm and creativity of her students, as well the impact that the process of creating and wearing natural perfumes has on their wellbeing.

Committed to the protection of threatened essential and oil-bearing plants herself, she also teaches her students to behave environmentally responsible and sustainable.

She authored the book Fragrant Signatures, Manual for Creating Natural Perfumes, (www.fragrant-signatures.eu) designed for all interested do-it-yourselfers out there.

Slobodanka also manages a resourceful website about aromatherapy, natural perfumery and olfactory experiences (www.aromaterapija.info).

Presenter:
Guy Vincent

How to Attend?
Become an Airmid member today if you’d like to have access to this webinar (live or recorded), and many others we are excited to feature this year! Become an Airmid member today

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You can purchase access to individual webinars by clicking here.

The production of Santalum spicatum oil into a highly valued perfumery, cosmetics and aromatherapy ingredient is nuanced and complex. Guy Vincent, CEO of Dutjahn Sandalwood Oil will talk about plantation and wild harvested wood supplies, discussing cultural, environmental, societal and quality aspects of a fascinating species that spans an area of around 1.4 million square kilometres (540 000 square miles) more than the combined land masses of France, Italy, Portugal, Great Britain, California and Ecuador.

Guy Vincent, an international perfume expert, became chief executive of Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils in August 2020. Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils supplies to major cosmetics and fragrance companies such as Estee Lauder and Givaudan. Mr Vincent returns to Australia from the USA following a ten-year stint as Aveda’s head perfumer where he formulated a number of popular fragrances using sandalwood oil, and seven years at Aromatherapy Associates in London. Click here for the Dutjahn website.

Attendees:
Open to the public

Cost:
Complimentary

Platform:
Zoom

Airmid Institute is partnering with EarthDay to bring awareness to the challenges medicinal and aromatic plants are facing as a result of climate change and weak supply chains. We will also explore how to support and prepare children as future Earth protectors, and honor Indigenous communities and sacred relationships with plants.

• Welcome with Airmid Institute Directors and Global Ambassadors. Outline EarthDay Objectives and Virtual Event
• Opening with Mark Levinson, Language Preservation Specialist at Morongo Cultural Heritage, in honor of the Gabrielino-Tongva Peoples of Los Angeles County
• Introduction to Airmid Institute
• Dr. Kelly Ablard, Airmid Institute: Medicinal and aromatic plants: impacts of climate change and next steps
• Olivier Behra, Net Positive Impact: Aromatic and medicinal plants to involve local communities into sustainable use and biodiversity conservation; the need of a new business paradigm
• Lori Snyder, Metis Herbalist and Airmid Director: Nurturing relationship with plants/ spiritual and sacred uses
• Andy Thornton MBA, Silvan Ingredient Ecosystem – Blockchain, Brands and You: Creating Partnerships For Transforming Supply Chains
• Dr. Jacqui Stringer, UK Airmid Ambassador: Connecting Children to Nature
• Community engagement through images and voices of those sharing about their connection to Nature and solutions to combat humankind’s biggest challenge – climate change
• Recap with Dr. Kelly Ablard
• Closing with Mark Levinson, Airmid Directors and Ambassadors

To learn more about how you can get involved, please contact us at [email protected].