Forage and Heal: Discovering Plant Identification, Black Walnuts, Birch, and Nature's Healing Power

Forage and Heal: Discovering Plant Identification, Black Walnuts, Birch, and Nature’s Healing Power is an immersive introduction to the world of wild foods and herbal medicine, written for everyday people who want to reconnect with the land and their own innate ability to heal.Drawing on over 18 years of hands-on experience in foraging, herbalism, and wild food preparation, practicing herbalist Amelia South guides readers beyond field guides and into relationship with plants. This book focuses on commonly misidentified medicinal plants, the powerful uses of black walnut, and an expanded, in-depth section on working with birch trees medicinally—from sap and bark to leaves and traditional preparations.More than a plant identification book, Forage and Heal helps readers understand why plants work the way they do. You’ll learn how to safely identify wild edible and medicinal plants, how to use them for nourishment and herbal remedies, and how nature supports gut health, immune function, and long-term vitality. Culinary uses are woven throughout, showing how wild foods can be both deeply healing and genuinely enjoyable to eat.Rooted in the author’s own journey of healing through real food and plant medicine, this guide bridges traditional herbal wisdom and practical modern application. Whether you’re a beginner forager, an aspiring herbalist, or someone seeking natural healing through food and plants, this book offers clarity, confidence, and a new way of seeing the living world around you.Forage and Heal invites you to slow down, observe closely, and rediscover the powerful medicine growing all around you. Read more