Doug Elliott, Herbalist, Naturalist
For many years Elliott earned his living as a traveling herbalist collecting and selling herbs, teas and old-time remedies. Along with healing plants, Elliott searches out old-timers and elders from various cultures. From these bearers of tradition, he has assembled an extensive body of knowledge of the botanical aspects of plants, their history, legends, and lore; their uses in various cultures, medicinal properties, food value, as well as other practical ways we can use wild plants every day.
Elliott can show you how to make medicine out of common wild plants, how to properly harvest a persimmon and use its seed to forecast the winter. He can explain the virtues of poison ivy and what might happen to you if you eat it. He knows ancient plant lore, plant riddles, and even songs about weeds and berries.
His lively, informative herb and wild plant walks and plant oriented storytelling sessions are a special feature at many herb conferences, botanical gardens, wildflower pilgrimages and other events.
Doug Elliott has performed and presented programs at festivals, museums, botanical gardens, nature centers and schools from Canada to the Caribbean. He has been a featured storyteller at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough TN. He has lectured and performed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and conducted workshops for the Smithsonian Institution. He has led ranger training sessions for the National Park Service and guided people in the wilderness from down-east Maine to the Florida Everglades.
In 1976 Elliott published his first book about the underground parts of plants. His was one of the two books entitled “Roots” that came out that year.
More than 20 years later Elliott’s Roots has been revised, given a new cover, and re-issued by Healing Arts Press as “Wild Roots”.
Ryan Drum, PhD
Ryan Drum, PhD has a BSc in Chemical Technology and a PhD in Botany (Phycology) from Iowa State University. While a NATO Scholar, he did postdoctoral studies on Cell Biology using the Electron Microscope and Microcine at the Universities of Bonn, Germany and Leeds, England.
For 10 years he taught Botany and related subjects at Universities (UMASS/Amherst, UCLA, WWU).
He studied Herbal Medicine with Ella Birzneck, founder of Dominion Herbal College in British Columbia for 12 years, and taught at their summer seminars for 35 years. He has been an adjunct faculty at Bastyr University since 1984, and he lectures at major herbal conferences and herbal schools.
Dr. Drum is the author of over 30 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals, the author of Electron Microscopy of Diatom Cells 1966, Springer Verlag, a 100-Plate Atlas, in print for 20 years, and a contributing author of two chapters in Planting the Future (Gladstar and Hirsch 2001) and a chapter in Fundamentals of Naturopathic Endocrinology, M. Friedman 2005.
The proud father of three wonderful children and two fantastic grandchildren, he lives in a rustic little hilltop cabin he built 30 years ago on a remote island, off the grid, without indoor plumbing or refrigeration.
Ryan believes in true patient autonomy: the freedom and right to choose one’s caregivers independent of their official certification.
Glen Nagel, ND
Dr. Glen Nagel is one of the most notable experts in botanical therapies in the field of naturopathic medicine. “My personal goal has always been to be the most versatile and well rounded, botanically focused naturopathic doctor that I can be. I strive to develop an understanding of herbs from the seed to the clinical prescribing of botanical medicines. I have a deep love and respect for the healing herbs and strive to teach others about them.” Dr. Nagel has extensive experience treating:
● Allergies
● Sinus conditions
● Fatigue
● Digestive problems
● Men’s health
In addition to using botanical medicines, Dr. Nagel focuses on nutrition, homeopathy, and detoxification.
Dr. Nagel has been studying botanical medicine for nearly three decades. He apprenticed with Ed Smith, the founder of Herb Pharm, and subsequently worked for Eclectic Institute, setting up their herb extraction lab and production facilities.
Dr. Nagel earned his B.S. in outdoor education from Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin. It was during this time, that he read Euell Gibbon’s book, Stalking the Healthful Herbs, which officially launched his interest in pursuing a career in botanical medicine. His work at Eclectic Institute turned his attention to naturopathic medicine, and he earned his doctorate in naturopathic medicine degree from National College of Naturopathic Medicine (NCNM) in 1993.
He has been an assistant professor and supervising clinical faculty member at Bastyr University and joins the NCNM Clinic with over 15 years of clinical experience. He successfully practiced naturopathic medicine in Montana and Colorado before returning to Portland in 2005.