Founded in 1978 by Rosemary Gladstar, CSHS is one of North America's oldest centers for herbal education. Now under the leadership of Rebecca Maxfield and Jason Miller and program coordinator Autumn Summers, CSHS continues in the spirit in which it was formed by offering a multi-perspective approach to Earth-centered botanical studies.

Our goal at the California School of Herbal Studies is to empower individuals with the skills, confidence and experience needed by the community herbalist.

Our focus is on Western Herbalism, though Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine are introduced by guest teachers. Our Materia Medica focuses on North American and European herbs. CSHS is located 2 miles west of Forestville in Sonoma County, on a lovely, rustic 80-acre sanctuary known as Emerald Valley. The campus includes a classroom with adjacent kitchen, a one-half acre garden with over 300 herb species and a medicine making building.

Successful graduates of our intensive program leave here with the knowledge they need to enter and contribute to the rapidly blossoming field of herbalism, and receive certificates of completion that are highly regarded by the herbal community.