Women’s Hidden Labor in the Rise of Botany

This week on Herbal Radio, host Lucretia Van Dyke is joined by the herbalist and artist dynamic duo, Julia Orquera Bianco and Meghan Henshaw. Tag along with us as they explore:

• Behind the scenes of Meghan's and Julia's zine, Flora's Daughters
• Committing to collaboration: the intersection of art and plants
• Cyanotype printing: a unique way to connect with plants
• Weaving different cultures and backgrounds together
• Women's connection to plants throughout history
• What can we do for the plants vs. what can the plants do for us

📘 Get your hands on a copy of Julia and Meghan's herbal zine: Flora's Daughters

🎥 Watch the video version to this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/p5GRbFzvRb0

Learn more about Julia and Meghan below!

Julia Orquera Bianco was born in Argentina and lived in Mexico before moving to the United States in 2016. She earned a BFA from Universidad del Museo Social Argentino in 2012. In 2018 she graduated from the MFA program at Roski School of Art and Design, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Bianco earned a Certificate on Sustainability from UCLA in 2020, was an intern in the Medicinal Plant Conservation Program at United Plant Savers in 2022, and earned a Certificate in Permaculture Design from Cincinnati Permaculture Institute in 2023. Bianco interrogates Modern Western Culture, collective memory, and migration through the lens of a guest on the Land. Identity becomes an experience rather than a concept. Her work draws from her family and cultural heritage and from her practice with plants to craft stories where past, present, and place come together, redefining notions of belonging.

🌿 Julia's business website, Mundo Q'enti: https://www.mundoqenti.com/

🎨 Julia's artist website: https://www.juliaobianco.com

🎭 Check out Julia's upcoming gallery exhibitions and events: https://www.juliaobianco.com/catalogueandevents

Meghan Henshaw has spent many years studying the plethora of ways in which medicinal plants are woven into the fabric of everyday life. This has led her all over the United States and abroad where she has worn many hats as a field researcher, wildcrafter, herbalist, and educator. Her medicinal plant studies began with an internship with a large herb company twenty years ago and was followed by formal botanical study in herbal science and ethnobotany. Meghan currently has a private practice in Cincinnati and sees clients for one on one herbal support and bodywork. As Ocotillo Herbals, she teaches herbal classes throughout the Midwest and crafts a line of herbal products which emphasize bioregional plants using many of the herbs she grows in a community garden in the city.

🌿 Meghan's website, Ocotillo Herbals: https://www.ocotilloherbals.com

🌀 Meghan's upcoming workshops: https://www.ocotilloherbals.com/events

📓 Ohio River Valley Herbal Zine Project: https://www.ocotilloherbals.com/herbal-zine

📚 Llyod Library: https://lloydlibrary.org/

Lucretia VanDyke began her herbalism journey as a little girl mixing herbs, clays, and muds on her grandparents' farm. Today, Lucretia VanDyke has been in the herbal industry for over 20 years. As a holistic educator, speaker, herbalist, ceremonialist, spiritual light coach, intuitive energetic & reiki practitioner, diviner, storyteller, artist, and world traveler, Lucretia has accumulated over 3000 hours of training. She has studied with indigenous healers and some of the greatest minds of our time. Lucretia has been a holistic esthetician & healing arts practitioner for over a decade focusing on integrating indigenous healing rituals, plant spirit medicine, and meditation into modern-day practice. Lucretia brings her vivacious spirit and message of self-love in her work to inspire others to embrace their unique beauty and purpose. Her work with herbs and sacred practices honors women's wholeness through grief work, sexual trauma, ancestor connection, womb healing, self-empowerment, food alchemy, and holistic skincare. She is currently collecting stories throughout the south while working on expanding her BIPOC community healing arts and herbal education program.

📱Find Lucretia on social media! Instagram: @lucretia.vandyke

🌻 Lucertia's website: https://www.lucretiavandyke.com

📚 Lucretia's Book, African American Herbalism: https://mountainroseherbs.com/african-american-herbalism

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