Meet Our Board of Directors:
Herbalists Without Borders is an international network of:
herbalists, traditional healers, complementary alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners, botanical medicine product makers, botanical trades people, herb farmers, gardeners, ecologists, students & others who are interested in the vital roles of plants in primary health and wellness, sustainable agriculture, trade, botanical traditions, and ecological preservation.
The HWB Board of Directors is comprised of HWB Members and Coordinators. Board members must be HWB members in order to serve. BOD Members serve 2 year terms, and meet bi-monthly for Board meetings, with bi-monthly Board hangouts and monthly committee meetings.
Are you an HWB Member interested in serving on the HWB Board of Directors? Please read the BOD Duties & Requirements and the Board Elections page, where you can also download a Board recruitment information PDF.
herbalists, traditional healers, complementary alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners, botanical medicine product makers, botanical trades people, herb farmers, gardeners, ecologists, students & others who are interested in the vital roles of plants in primary health and wellness, sustainable agriculture, trade, botanical traditions, and ecological preservation.
The HWB Board of Directors is comprised of HWB Members and Coordinators. Board members must be HWB members in order to serve. BOD Members serve 2 year terms, and meet bi-monthly for Board meetings, with bi-monthly Board hangouts and monthly committee meetings.
Are you an HWB Member interested in serving on the HWB Board of Directors? Please read the BOD Duties & Requirements and the Board Elections page, where you can also download a Board recruitment information PDF.
Meet our BOD Intro Video!
Meet Our Board of Directors
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Petra Sovcov, CHT, DNM - Chair
Vancouver, BC, Canada Petra is a Clinical Herbal Therapist (CHT) and holds a Doctorate in Natural Medicine (DNM) awarded by the Examining Board of Natural Medicine Practitioners of Canada, and a Certified DNA/SNP Analysis Consultant. Petra teaches at colleges in her area and owns her own natural health/wellness practice in beautiful BC Canada. She is an active volunteer with Herbalists Without Borders International (HWB) and serves as Chair on their board of directors. She also runs the HWB Chapter for Vancouver BC and the local free people’s clinic. Petra is passionate about facilitating an individual’s healing path and enjoys enriching a person’s core health with the use of herbs, supplements, dietary, and lifestyle modifications. Her special herbal focus is on chronic inflammatory conditions/diseases. Apart from clinic and teaching, Petra is an avid gardener and sustainable small-scale food producer. She enjoys teaching out of her gardens and finds great meaning in sharing the message of sustainability with others. She is passionate about heirloom/native plant varieties, and domestic history, which she believes hold the solutions for the modern food crisis. Find Petra at: https://www.healinghouseherbal.com/ |
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Becky Starling - Vice Chair
North Okanagan/Shuswap, BC, Canada Becky Starling is a Community Herbalist and Education Manager with Wild Rose College of Herbal Medicine. She is passionate about organic gardening, creating herbal remedies, and inspiring and educating folks about plants and their many uses. She is the founder of Cedar Hill Herbs where she creates herbal tea blends and remedies from homegrown and ethically wildcrafted plants. She has studied with both the Chestnut School and Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine and is a co-founder and writer for the One World Herbal Community, a blog dedicated to the world of plants and herbalism. Becky has written several courses for Wild Rose College including Herbal Pregnancy & Childbirth and Advanced Formulation. She is a mother of two and lives in the interior of British Columbia and spends as much time as she can with her daughters in the beautiful forests and mountains where they hike, bike and forage for wild edibles. Becky is the Coordinator of the North Okanagan/Shuswap Chapter of HWB. Find Becky at cedarhillherbs.com, @cedarhillherbs, and Wild Rose College. |
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Arati Ursus -Treasurer
Portland, OR, USA Arati joined HWB to get involved with the Healing Project under HWB. Her healing focus is on trauma from sexual abuse and domestic violence, as well as addiction recovery support. Emotions, I want you to feel heard and heal. Find her at brownbearherbs.com. |
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Lucretia Jones, Wise Woman Herbalist, 200HR YTT
Virginia, USA Lucretia has been working and learning with plants for over twenty years and was first introduced to the wise woman tradition while living an artist’s life in New York City. Her father had passed away three days prior to the World Trade Center collapse in 2001, and that uncertainty sent her on a quest to find more autonomy and connection with the natural world. It was at this time that she found a love for connecting people with plants. As a wise woman herbalist, her favorite times are spent meeting new and old plant friends wherever she happens to be. Sharing those relationships with other humans led her to create House of Lukaya in 2003. House of Lukaya, is a mobile and online source for plant medicine workshops, incense twists and other handicrafts, and a pocket Guide to Nourishing Herbal Infusions. In 2019, Lucretia and her partner purchased land in Virginia where they are building a homestead from scratch and creating space to share herbs and arts with others. She welcomes your communication at her website houseoflukaya.com, and Instagram @houseoflukaya. |
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Denise Cusack is a clinical regenerative herbalist, certified aromatherapist (MIFPA), and a certified permaculture designer, with over 20 years of experience in the natural health and wellness community.
Denise has volunteered with Herbalists Without Borders since 2017, integrating herbalism, aromatherapy, community service, mutual aid, and regenerative permaculture practices into community outreach, disaster relief, and serving the underserved. Denise has transitioned from clinical practice to education, and is launching a regenerative herbalism and permaculture school with her two adult kids. Denise lives at Wholly Rooted Farm, a UpS Botanical Sanctuary where she grows over 250 types of medicinal plants using permaculture and regenerative principles. Denise manages the US Donation Distribution Network, the HWB US Seed Grant Program, and is Editor and designer for the quarterly HWB Without Borders Magazine. |